Though school’s out for the summer, many foodservice operators are hard at work preparing for the upcoming year. Here are seven ways school FSDs are making the most of the upcoming months to ensure they start the next year on a high note.
Jessica Shelly, foodservice director at Cincinnati Public Schools, says conferences are key in helping her team come up with new menu ideas while also offering a great educational experience. “Every year, we return home with great information from the vendor exhibit hall, educational sessions and networking with other districts across the country,” she says.
When not attending a conference or prepping for the upcoming year, Rhonda Peckham, nutrition services director for Windham School District in New Hampshire, says she turns to a variety of online and print sources such as social media, recipe web sites and a variety of magazines to keep up to date on the latest foodservice trends. She also keeps tabs on what other districts are doing for inspiration.
While campus is quieter at Georgia State University in Atlanta in summer, the dining team strives to stay in touch with students by improving its marketing presence on campus and reaching out to them before classes begin. “We work on engaging students through social media to encourage meal plan purchases and host summer camps to drive awareness of dining services,” registered dietitian Leslie Knapp says.
Summer is a busy time for Fairfax County Public School System in Falls Church, Va., as the district continues to feed students through outdoor barbecues and uses the season to add new features to its schools, such as breakfast in the classroom, salad bars and rotisserie ovens. In addition to keeping students fed, Food Services Director Rodney Taylor says that a busy summer helps staff stay engaged and employed. “Keeping staff working during summer months helps in reducing attrition, improves morale and gets staff involved in planning, thus resulting in greater buy-in from [them],” Taylor says.
Taking a break from student feeding also allows operators to evaluate what worked during the past year and what didn’t in regard to menus and other procedures. “We take advantage of this time to look at menus, registers, schedules and general needs for the next semesters,” says Shawn Henry, director of retail operations at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.
The dining team at Washington State University in Pullman is using this summer to make some changes to its menu, most notably by expanding its plant-based options for students.
Classes may be out for students, but the same can’t always be said for operators. At the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Kathryn Whiteside, director of systems management for Michigan Dining, says that training is a major part of her team’s summer to-do list. “During the summer, we increase our training opportunities to provide required training in food safety and allergens, as well as customer service,” she says.
For K-12 operators, Shelly says that the summer months are a great time to obtain the required USDA professional development hours. She also suggests taking a class in something outside of an FSD's job description. “I would encourage child nutrition professionals to try and learn something unique and different than they normally do to get their CEUs,” she says. “Directors, take a class in knife skills. Kitchen managers, learn about procurement ethics. There is strength and wisdom learning about what other people do every day to keep your department moving forward.”
While the summer months can fill up quickly, Whiteside suggests operators also take some time for themselves. “Don't forget to breathe and take your vacation,” she says. Frank Turchan, executive chef at the University of Michigan, says his team tries to complete its employee training by July 1, enabling staff to still take time to relax before students return in the fall.
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