Food Services

From the School Nutrition Association

It is no surprise that cafeterias all over the country look quite different these days. From socially distanced tables, outdoor eating areas and masked staff, things are just not the same. Shortages and supply chain issues have brought great challenges at all points of the chain -- from raw materials and manufacturing to packaging and transporting. In addition to food, this shortage affects the paper products used to serve meals, and even the trays that are a mainstay in every cafeteria, among other items.

At the same time, many schools are affected by staffing issues, with workers retiring or leaving the profession. Yet, despite these challenges, school nutrition teams are working tirelessly behind the scenes to secure the necessary items needed to provide students with a healthy and balanced meal.

In this video, SNA shares what parents need to know about supply chain issues and their current impact on school meals.

 

Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) 

Ferndale Family,

We are pleased to inform you that all Ferndale Schools will be participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) as part of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for the School Year 2022-2023.

The GREAT NEWS is that under this program ALL students enrolled in Ferndale Schools can receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at NO CHARGE each day regardless of your Free/Reduced eligibility.

In place of the Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application we still need your household to fill out and sign the Household Information Report. This report is critical in determining the amount of money that our school receives from a variety of State and Federal supplemental programs like Title I A, At-risk (31a), Title II A, E-Rate, etc.  So while each student will receive free meals regardless, it is vital to our other programs that all families fill out this form to ensure we do not see a drop in our supplemental funding.

These supplemental programs have the potential to offer supports and services for our students including, but not limited to:

  • Instructional supports (staff, supplies & materials, etc.)
  • Non-instructional services (counseling, social work, health services, etc.)
  • Professional Learning for staff
  • Parent and Community engagement supplies and activities
  • Technology

We are asking that you please complete and submit this form as soon as possible to ensure that additional funding for our school is available to meet the needs of our students. All information on the report submitted is confidential. Without your assistance in completing and returning the attached report, our school cannot maximize the use of available State and Federal funds.

If you have any questions  please contact our Food Service Director Lindsey Torres at 248-586-8703 or Lindsey.Torres@ferndaleschools.org.

FAQ

My family does not qualify for free and reduced lunch, can my child still receive a free breakfast and lunch?

Yes, under the CEP program ALL Ferndale Schools students are eligible to receive a free breakfast and lunch each day. All families are encouraged to take advantage of this free service as the more meals the district serves the greater the financial benefit to our students.

Does this mean all food is free?

No, under the CEP program each student (no adults) can receive a free breakfast and lunch each school day. However, if your student wishes to have food that is not a part of the base school meal (chips, soda, etc...) they would have to purchase those items separately.

I already filled out the Free and Reduced Lunch form for this year, does this mean I have to fill out a different form?

No! If you have already filled out the Free and Reduced lunch form this summer then you are good to go. If you have not filled out a form yet, then please fill out the Household Information Report. Which can be found here.

Cashless Purchases

Students may pay for a la carte items using their school accounts only. No cash, check or other payments will be accepted this year. School badges with barcode scanning capability will be the only form of payment accepted at the register. If you would like to add money to your student’s account for a la cart cafe snack items or bottled beverages, you can follow these steps:

  1. Parent/Guardian log into MiStar
    MISTAR Parent Portal
  2. Click on child
  3. Go to Cafeteria section
  4. Click on Online Food Service Payments
  5. Put the amount in the amount box
  6. Click Continue
  7. Click Checkout
  8. this will send you to Paypal, and prompts will guide you through the rest of the process.

The FPS Wellness Committee will begin meetings for the 2022-2023 school year in the near future.
 

Meeting Dates

Meeting Schedule to be announced.

If anyone is interested in attending, they can contact Lindsy Torres at lindsey.torres@ferndaleschools.org for the virtual meeting invitation. 

 In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

fax:

(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

email:

program.intake@usda.gov

 This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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