FREE after-school super snacks will be served to students in grades K-12
FREE after-school super snacks will be served to students in grades K-12
Waynesville R-VI students in grades K-12 who participate in after-school activities, including tutoring, robotics, coding, sports, clubs, organizations, Club Tiger and WIN* will receive a free Super Snack after school during the 2019-20 school year.
“This almost sounds too good to be true, but it is true,” said Dr. Chris Berger, assistant superintendent of operational services. “Our families who have children participating in after-school activities are going to benefit greatly, as the average family spends $740 per child on afternoon snacks each year.”
Super snacks will be provided through funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Child and Adult Food Care Program. OPAA!, which provides food services for the district, will prepare the super snacks as well.
To qualify, a district must be located in an attendance zone where at least 50% of the students are eligible for free or reduced meals and provide regularly scheduled educational or enrichment activities after school in a supervised setting.
“I cannot over stress the importance of our families completing the free and reduced meal forms each year,” Berger said. “Not only do we provide free breakfast for our students at nearly all of our schools, but now we also will be able to offer free super snacks to all after-school participants no matter the building, even if the individual building does not meet the necessary percentage for free breakfast.”
All Waynesville R-VI schools offer free breakfast for all students before school except Thayer and Waynesville High School, where not a high enough percentage of students qualify for free and reduced meals.
“Some families may be hesitant to fill out the forms, even though their children qualify; however, I want to assure all families that we are discreet,” Berger said. “Everyone uses their school ID in the lunch line, so no one knows who is receiving free and reduced lunches.”
In addition to helping provide food, a high percentage of students receiving free and reduced meals helps the district receive more state funds and be eligible for more grants.
“The district’s free and reduced percentage is used as a metric for various grants and provides the district with weighted funding in the state’s formula,” Berger said. “We need all families to complete and turn in the free and reduced forms. It’s critical so that we can continue our ongoing free breakfast program and continue our new super snack program after this first year.”
Each super snack includes a fruit, vegetable, grain, protein and dairy serving. At the elementary school, a super snack might include yogurt, whole grain snack crackers, apple slices, carrots and a milk. At the middle and high school levels, a super snack might include a ham wrap (ham, cheese and a tortilla), apple, carrots, whole grain snack crackers and milk.
“We will be serving lunch earlier at our high school this year and so it is especially important that we provide this opportunity for our students who are involved in after-school activities to have access to free, nutritious food,” Berger said.
Waynesville R-VI Board of Education recommended the district pursue qualification for the Child and Adult Food Care Program and Faith Dunn, maintenance and food services specialist, coordinated the district’s grant application. In addition to the grant for food, the district received $3,000 to purchase equipment for the program.
*What I Need Now is a free after-school program at Waynesville Middle School and Waynesville High School, which is in session Monday-Thursday for grades 7-12.
Aug 14th, 2019
