HOT LUNCH PROGRAM

Payment Program

St Patrick’s School provides a nutritious hot lunch to each student with an emphasis on the “Five Food Groups”.  This program has become a major convenience to families freeing up time in their morning and insuring that their child receives a quality meal at lunch time.

The lunch menu will be posted on the school web site and sent home with the principal’s notes for those who do not have access to the Internet.

Children may purchase only one federally reimbursable meal each day.  The $2.25 lunch price includes both lunch and drink.  Additional lunch items include:

extra milk  ......... $.25

ala-carte  ........... $.50 - $1.00

extra entrée  ...... $.75

Lunch payments are deposited in a family lunch account that covers all lunch charges for the children in the family.  Whether paying by check or cash please indicate that the payment is for the lunch account.

Families are asked to deposit a $50.00 Monthly Minimum per child in their lunch account.  If ala carte’ and 2nds are purchased $60.00 per child is recommended.  You can pay for as many months in advance as you wish. 

Families in the Free & Reduced Program or bringing a sack lunch are asked to deposit a $10.00 monthly minimum per child in the family lunch account for the purchase of milk, or $20.00 if the child is eligible for ala carte and extra entree.  You can pay for as many months in advance as you wish.

By following the plan that pertains to your family you should maintain a month to month positive balance in your lunch account. You can pay for as many months in advance as you wish. 

Payment may be paid in person at the school office or sent with the children and given to their teacher when the lunch count is taken.

A lunch bill will be emailed or sent home to families with account balances less than $10.00.  After notification by phone that you have a negative account balance and we receive no payment your child will receive a peanut butter sandwich and milk for lunch.  Accounts that are negative $10.00 or continue to run negative balances will not receive lunches.  REMEMBER THIS IS A PRE-PAYMENT PROGRAM so the amount of your planned purchases for the month or months after the billing date should be deposited in your account along with any amount owed. 

Over 75% of families are notified of a low lunch account balance by email.  Please provide us with any changes in your email address at cohara@stpatselkhorn.org or dohara2004@msn.com.

If you choose to be notified of a low lunch account balance with a note and there is more than one child in the family, specify which child to send the note home with.

There are no refunds or carryovers of account balances.  All Lunch Accounts need to be paid in full by the Friday before the last week of school.  Report Cards will be held until the lunch bill has been paid in full. 

Lastly, parents please explain the above policies and review the daily menu choices with your children.  

Parent Lunches

Parents we are asking that you do not eat lunch with the children.  With our increased enrollment space is always a concern and often times the behavior of the children change to where they are more off task.  Parents will be allowed to eat lunches with their child on an assigned date.

Allergies

The USDA requires parents to send a Doctor’s note to the school food service manager stating a child’s allergy and food restrictions.  An updated note from the Doctor for any allergies needs to be provided each year.  

One-hundred-percent fruit juice will be available for those children who are Lactose Intolerant.  All other students will be required to take milk with their lunch.

Volunteers

Volunteers in the kitchen have to follow all the rules and regulations outlined by the USDA and the St Pat’s School Food Service.  We could not run this program without so many wonderful volunteers.  Please accept our heartfelt thanks for sharing your time and talents.

Due to strict state health and safety regulations under no circumstances are children under kindergarten age allowed in the kitchen area or serving line.  Volunteers; if bringing a child to work, please pack a lunch for them.  Volunteers are welcome to eat after all teachers, children, and scheduled tasks have been completed.  Cost of a meal is $2.35 and cannot be charged to your children’s lunch account.  If you are interested in volunteering to help with the lunch program contact the school office.

Sack Lunches

If a child brings a sack lunch they are required to eat their sack lunch and not purchase a hot lunch.

They may buy milk or juice.  Please keep in mind sack lunches should include meat, fruit, and vegetables NOT JUST candy, pop, or chips.

Ala-Carte

Students in grades 3rd thru 8th who have purchased a hot lunch may also purchase an Ala-Carte Item.  Ala-carte cannot be purchased by the Kindergarten thru 2nd Grade.  Ala Carte items cannot be purchased by children bringing a sack lunch.  If you don’t want your child to purchase ala-carte items or you want to limit your child to a specific number of ala-carte items daily please send Cheri O’Hara a written letter stating specifically your ala-carte instructions.

Extras

Extras will be offered by grade beginning with the 8th grade then 7th and so on thru the 3rd grade.

Extras cannot be purchased by the Kindergarten thru 2nd Grade.

Extras cannot be purchased by children bringing a sack lunch

Extras will be offered when available for $.75 each.

Lastly, parents please explain the above policies to your children and help them select from the menu the days they will eat a school lunch.  

Sincerely yours

Cheri and Denny O’Hara