Dear Arlington Families,
Welcome to the new school year from Food Services! I want to take this opportunity to let you know about some new opportunities available for your children this year.
Free and Reduced applications are now online through Family Access . Please utilize this tool if possible as it will help us get your information in a more timely fashion and you will learn your status sooner. Please submit an application as soon as possible after August 1 and before September 1 if you were not receiving services last year and by October 1 if you were receiving services. It is necessary to reapply every year. If you are uncertain of whether or not you qualify, consider applying anyway. The information received is confidential and is not shared outside of our department. If online applications don't work for you, paper applications are available through this handbook, your child's school office or at Food Services.
Direct Certification . If you are participating in assistance programs such as SNAP, TANF or FDPIR, you may be certified directly for Free meals. Letters will be sent out for this the 3rd week of August. If you receive this letter, you do not need to submit an application.
Breakfast Reminder . Breakfast is a part of the Free and Reduced meal program. If your child qualifies for Free or Reduced lunch assistance, s/he also qualifies for Free breakfast assistance. Please encourage your child to eat breakfast with us as well as lunch. Help us help you!
Meal Pattern Changes . The USDA has developed new meal patterns for us to follow in the federal goal of educating students in healthy eating patterns. The main changes you will see in our services is that fruits and vegetables are going to play a greater role in providing a balanced meal, proteins and grains will have a more strict limitation, and the meals must fall within a caloric range limit. More information on this will be available on our website.
Farm to School. As part of our efforts to provide the healthiest and most nutritious food for your children, we are in the process of developing partnerships with local food producers to provide as much locally grown food as possible. We began this last year with some fruits and hope to further expand this year. Thanks to a grant from the Stillaguamish Tribal Council, we are intending to open salad bars this year to assist in providing a greater variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
New Location . Food Services is now located with Support Services in the basement on the east side of Highland Christian School at 135 S. French Ave.If you need to see us, please enter through the driveway on the south side of the building. The entrance is at the center of the building in the back parking area.
We are here to provide the students of our schools with the best food possible to help them learn to the best of their ability. If you have questions or have ideas to share, please call us at 360-618-6237.
Melanie Hopkins
Food Services
