Dear Parents,
I hope everyone had a relaxing summer vacation and is excited to return to school. We have been working hard over the summer to add some new items to each campus and wanted to share some of the changes with everyone. We are pleased to announce that SFE (Southwest Foodservice Excellence) became the new food service management partner at Dearborn Schools on July 1, 2019. As a result of this partnership, we are pleased to announce the following changes:
- All meat served district-wide will be certified halal. More information is available on the foodservice website.
- All meals district-wide will continue to be free.
- We pledge a focus on fresh-from-scratch cooking and menu variety.
- Fresh fruit and vegetable salad bars will be available daily at lunch. While this will be free for students who purchase a meal, salad bar access also will be available as an a la carte option.
- Full nutritional information is posted for all menu items on the Dearborn Schools website.
- The Roving Chef program is available. This fun and the interactive culinary program will provide principal-selected students with special instruction in nutrition, proper food safety/cooking techniques, and healthy meal preparation—all while working alongside a real chef.
- A variety of entrées will be offered daily to appeal to student tastes and preferences, with on-trend culinary concepts that including recipes from a variety of cuisines.
- A selection of 3 entrée choices will be offered daily for Elementary students, consisting of the menu items listed above. Middle Schools will have 4-6 options and High School students will be offered 6-8 options daily.
- A dedicated team of professionals including chefs and nutrition coordinators will be in Dearborn daily working with staff and students.
Along the way, we plan to request frequent feedback from our students through regular taste tests and panels. That’s because we are dedicated to creating custom menus and programs that get every student excited to eat at school, knowing they will find nutritious foods that they love. Above all, like you, we want to be sure that they are happy, healthy and well-nourished to learn.
We welcome feedback from you, as well! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me: joshua.bain@sfellc.org
Sincerely,
Josh Bain
Sr. General Manager of Nutrition Services