Cafeteria

Because there are so many students in the cafeteria at one time it can become very noisy and confusing. Therefore, it is important that you obey all the rules of the cafeteria.

• You must enter in an orderly manner.
• You are expected to be courteous and respectful at all times to those who work in the kitchen and those teachers who are on lunch duty.
• Students at each table are expected to clean the table prior to being dismissed.
• Everyone must pitch in to keep the cafeteria clean.
• The floor should remain clean of food, papers, etc. It is your responsibility to keep your area clean. If there are consistent issues with cafeteria behavior/cleanliness, school administration will use an assigned seat model in the cafeteria.

To stay current on all Food Service information, please visit our website.

To communicate to the Food Service Director, please email or call Beth Nichols at bnichols@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us or (508) 841-8819.

Menus

The monthly menus are posted on the Shrewsbury Home Page website at https://schools.shrewsburyma.gov/foodsvc/. The Food Service is committed to serving what is on the printed menu.

Food Service Information

Cost

The federal and state government funding covers the cost of one breakfast and one lunch per day for all students.

Students/parents must pay for all additional food items such as:

• Individual milk or water purchase
• Second meals
• Second slices of pizza
• All à la carte items

The items listed above are not free and not part of the government subsidized "free meal" program.

Breakfast Program

A Breakfast Program is offered daily at all schools before the school day begins. A variety of cereals, fruits, pastries, morning breads, yogurts, juice and milk are offered daily. All meals meet the state requirements for good nutrition.

Lunch Program

A Lunch Program is offered daily at all schools. A minimum of two entrees is offered daily. In addition a variety of sandwiches, soups, milks, 100% juice, fruits, vegetables, and breads are offered daily. All meals meet the state requirements for good nutrition.

Free and Reduced Breakfast/Lunch Applications

Free and reduced price meals are available to students if there is financial need.  Applications are available online: lunchapp.com at the Food Service website. If you need an application at any time during the year or help filling the application out call the Food Service office at 508-841-8819 and one will be mailed to you. Eligibility is governed by guidelines set by the Department of Education. A written notification will be sent to all families stating what program they qualify for.

Why apply when meals are free? The district receives additional funding in a variety of ways based upon our verified census of students who are eligible for free or reduced price meals.

Additionally, the district offers fee discounts for Extended School Care, athletics, and busing to students who qualify for the free/reduced price meal program.

So, we strongly encourage families who think they are eligible for free/reduced price meals to apply.

A-La-Carte Items (Not Free of Charge)

A-la-carte items (ex. cookies, chips, etc.) are offered at the middle and high schools for an additional charge.  The grant program provided by the state does not cover the charge for a-la-carte items.  Additionally, students that are eligible for reduced or free school lunch will be charged for a-la-carte items, as they are not included in a standard breakfast or standard lunch program.

Point of Sale System and Prepaid Meal Accounts

The Meal Magic Point of Sale System is available to allow parents to put money on their child's account for meal or a-la-carte purchases. Any amount of money can be added to a student's account. This system eliminates the need for cash. Cash can also be used for purchases. Parents can send a check or cash with their child to give to the cafeteria cashier at their school. The cashier will add this money to the student's account. Checks should be made out to the Food Service Department. In the check memo section, please note the student's name whose account should be credited.

Parents can also use the online system, SchoolPay, to add money to their students account.

Allergy Aware

In order to create a safe school environment for all students, Shrewsbury Public School buildings and classrooms are designated as “Allergy Aware”. This indicates an effort on the part of the school to make the community (students, staff, families, etc) aware that there are students with food allergies in the classroom or building, and for that reason to ask that they be respectful of those around them who might have allergies by refraining from bringing foods that contain allergens into school as much as possible, and that they never share food of any kind while at school or on the bus.

• Allergy Aware tables will be available in cafeterias at the elementary and middle schools. Students with allergies can choose to sit at these tables along with non-allergic students whose lunch does not contain allergens. Again, sharing/trading of food is not permitted.
• We will require that parents not send in edible treats for celebrations. In accordance with the District’s Wellness Policy, foods used for these events must be purchased through Food Services.