[BHS etree] BUSD: Nutrition Update by Chef Ann Cooper

[bhs at idiom.com]

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY to the etree, contact Mark Coplan
[mailto:Mark_Coplan at berkeley.k12.ca.us]

Enjoy a tour of the King Dining Commons/BUSD Central Kitchen with Chef Ann Cooper on YouTube (rated 5 stars):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUUKOwXqKpA
(Watch for this and other BUSD videos at www.teachertube.com)

January 13, 2009

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

I hope you and your families had wonderful holidays with much to share and celebrate.

Do you know how lucky we are in Berkeley to have such a wonderful school lunch program?  For the past three years we have been working hard to improve the food our children are served.  Here are some of the changes that have been successfully implemented district-wide:

*An evaluation of our program by the UC Berkeley Center for Weight and Health showed that students who eat school lunch eat three times as many vegetables as children who bring their lunch from home.
*Free breakfast for all children at every school, every day
*Organic milk at lunch; hormone- and antibiotic-free milk at breakfast
*Salad bars in every school with fresh fruit and veggies every day
*25% of all produce served: local and/or organic
*Vegetarian options every day
*No high fructose corn syrup or trans-fats in any of our food

Now our task is to make sure everyone is aware of this wonderful program, and taking full advantage of it, because the Berkeley School lunch:
*Is healthy and delicious -- cooked fresh every day
*Promotes a positive school atmosphere --time to sit and enjoy lunch and socialize together
*Is convenient -- parents save time
*Is surprisingly less expensive, especially with rising grocery store prices
*Is easy -- we have swipe cards -- you can pay in advance.

We are delighted to announce a new program that will make choosing School Lunch even smarter.  With the purchase of a 20-meal ticket, your student will receive the 21st meal free.  Here's how it works:

Single Lunch Price     Pre-paid 20-Lunch ticket    Resulting cost/Lunch
Elementary    $3.00    $60.00                      $2.86   
Middle School $3.50    $70.00                      $3.33   
High School   $4.00    $80.00                      $3.81   

You can pre-pay for meals using a new on-line credit card system, www.myschoolbucks.com, or by sending a check made out to BUSD Child Nutrition Services to school with your student. Your child's participation will help ensure our ability to continue offering this wonderful program.  Together we can support healthy food choices at school and home, and raise a new generation of healthier and better-educated young people.

Thank you!
Ann Cooper, Director of Nutrition Services
[mailto:Ann_cooper at berkeley.k12.ca.us]