Students are encouraged to start each day with a healthy breakfast; breakfast is offered 7:00-7:20 am.
Lunch periods will be scheduled in the middle of the day.
It is a goal to provide students 20 minutes to eat during meal periods.
It is a goal to provide dining areas that will be attractive and include enough seating areas to accommodate all students who would like to sit and eat lunch, as well as enough serving areas so that students do not have to spend too much time waiting in line.
Hand-washing will be available for students prior to eating. They will be reminded to wash their hands before meals as a way of preventing the spread of germs and reducing the risk of illness.
Drinking water will be available for students.
Epiphany School will follow the CDC health and safety guidelines for food service as established in response to COVID-19.
Food Service Operation
Epiphany Catholic School promotes a pricing plan to ensure maximum participation in the school meal program and will make certain that all eligible children that qualify receive free and reduced- price meals.
Epiphany will ensure that students eligible to receive free or reduced price meals are not treated differently from other students nor are they easily identified by their peers.
Epiphany will employ a food service director who is properly qualified and certified.
Food service personnel will meet professional standards to administer the school food service program and satisfy reporting standards.
All child nutrition personnel will have adequate training in the school food service program.
Epiphany will adopt methods of cooking that decrease fat, calorie and sodium levels in food.
Epiphany will plan menus that will meet the nutrition standards recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and ensure that the school meals meet requirement set forth under USDA 7 CFR Part 210 and Part 220.
Food and beverages Served and Sold During the School Day
Food and beverages offered will be nutritiously based, including whole grain products, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables.
Food and beverages offered will be of excellent quality, appealing to students and are served at the proper temperature.
Food and beverages offered will minimize use of fats, sodium and sugar as defined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
A la carte will provide a variety of choices of nutritious food such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat or non-fat dairy foods and will meet the smart snacks standards.
All Beverages sold or given away on school premises during the school day must be non- carbonated.
If food is provided for classroom celebration, it must be commercially prepared.
Classroom snacks and celebrations should reinforce the importance of healthy choices. Families will receive information from the school on foods that are appropriate for such celebrations.
School fundraisers involving the selling of food will support positive health habits.
Food and beverage will not be marketed during the school day.
