
THE HCS CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM
NEWSLETTER MAY 2025
DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE
Hello Everyone.
We have reached the end of another school year, and we appreciate the many students with whom we had the opportunity to serve and engage. We also want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the parents who play a crucial role in our school meal program by allowing their children to have school meals during the school year.
Now, we prepare for our annual Summer Food Service Program, which will start on June 2, 2025. This program provides a golden opportunity to provide nutritious meals for students when school is not in session. Our primary goal during this program is to prevent Huntsville's children from food insecurity.
We are eagerly looking forward to seeing you all in June for our Summer Food Service Program and other exciting events.
In closing, Congratulations to the class of 2025, and please have a safe, happy, and memorable Summer!
-H.Ward
Inspirational Quote of the Month
“Summer is singing with joy, and the beaches are inviting you with dancing waves.”
– Debasish Mridha
ANNOUNCEMENTS!
School Lunch Hero Day, Friday May 2, 2025 at Huntsville City Schools
ASFL Elementary/Middle
Challenger Elementary/Middle
Chapman Elementary/Middle
Morris Elem./Middle
Mt. Gap Elem./Middle
Williams Elem./Middle
School Site Kitchen Health Inspections
The CNP staff at Rolling HIlls Elementary School, achieved a "100" health inspection rating from the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) on May 6, 2025. We recognize the Child Nutrition Program staff for their dlligence and commitment to food safety and sanitation.
Elementary Math Competition at Lee High School
The Huntsville City Schools Elementary Math Competition took place on a bright and bustling Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the welcoming Lee High School. This highly anticipated event brought together young mathematicians from across the district, eager to showcase their skills and engage in friendly competition. The Child Nutrition Program played a vital role in making the day a success by providing a variety of delicious lunches and snacks, ensuring that all participants and dedicated volunteers stayed energized throughout the event.
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Rachel Turner and the competition committee, whose hard work and dedication made this special occasion possible. Their commitment to fostering a love for learning and mathematics in our students truly shines through in events like this, creating lasting memories and inspiring the next generation of thinkers and problem solvers.
DID YOU KNOW?
Assessing increase in school meal participation
School meal participation has increased significantly, with breakfast up 8% and lunch up 6.8% between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, according to the Food Research & Action Center. This growth is attributed to establishment of universal school meal programs at the state level and more schools opting for the Community Eligibility Provision. However, there are concerns that programs such as CEP could face cuts as Congress considers budgetary matters.
Full Story: K-12 Dive (5/1Preparing for sodium limits as 2027 deadline approaches
Schools are experiencing challenges as they prepare to meet sodium limits that are slated to be fully enforced starting in July 2027. School meal directors expressed concern about whether students will continue to accept lower-sodium meals, especially if similar dietary changes are not made at home or in restaurants. It would be helpful if food companies could develop lower-sodium products that are also appetizing, says SNA spokesperson Diane Pratt-Heavner, who also notes the hurdles schools are facing to having sufficient resources.
Full Story: Baking Business (free registration) (5/1)Updated "healthy" food labeling aims to ease decisions
The FDA has updated the criteria for including the term "healthy" on food labels to align with the latest nutrition science and government dietary guidelines and make buying decisions easier for consumers. The updated voluntary claim requires that products contain a meaningful amount from at least one food group while adhering to limits on sodium, saturated fat and added sugars.
Full Story: SmartBrief/Health Care (5/6)Rising food costs challenge healthful eating habits
A Pew Research Center survey reveals that 90% of Americans have noticed a rise in healthful food prices, with 69% finding it difficult to maintain a nutritious diet due to these costs. Lower-income individuals are most affected, but middle- and upper-income groups are also feeling the impact. Lifestyle medicine expert David Katz suggests shifting toward more economical plant-based diets to improve health and reduce costs. The survey highlights the significant role of taste and cost in food choices, with ultraprocessed foods dominating the market and contributing to diet-related diseases.
Full Story: CNN (5/7)MONTGOMERY, AL—Huntsville City Schools in conjunction with the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) will begin its annual Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) on Monday June 2,2025. The Program will operate Monday through Thursday from June 2, 2025, to June 26, 2025, during summer learning activities. These sites will include:
- James Dawson Elementary
- Farley Elementary
- Montview Elementary
- Morris Elementary/MIddle
- Rolling HIlls Elementary
- Sonnie Hereford Elementary
- Martin Luther King Jr. Elem
- Whitesburg Elem./Middle
For the external community sites, the program will operate from June 2, 2025, to June 26, 2025. The Program will be closed for the upcoming holiday on Wednesday, June 19, 2025. The community sites will be the Richard Showers Recreation Center serving lunch from 11:30 am to 12:30pm and Brahan Springs Splash Pad serving Lunch from 1:00pm to 1:45 pm.
At all Summer Learning School sites Breakfast will be served from 7:30am – 8:30am and lunch will be served from 10:30am – 11:30am. All SFSP meals must be consumed on site. Serving times may vary at external community sites.
Each summer across Alabama, millions of meals are served to children and teens at risk of hunger at more than a thousand sponsor sites. The ALSDE’s Child Nutrition Program aims for even more participants this year at sites in Huntsville, Alabama including both the number of children and teens receiving meals as well as the number of sponsors providing those meals.
While Alabama’s Break for a Plate Summer has outpaced the growth of similar programs in other states, there remains a critical need for sponsors, particularly in rural areas where children and teens often live further from school.
For more information concerning the Summer Food Service Program, call 256 428-6955. To learn more about Break for a Plate Summer or the other Child Nutrition Programs, call 334-694-4659. Details can also be found at www.BreakforaPlate.com/summer.
A B O U T B R E A K F O R A P L A T E S U M M E R
Break for a Plate Summer, Alabama’s summer food service program, provides two nutritious meals every day to all children and teens up to 18 years of age during the summer months, regardless.
of household income. A joint effort of the Alabama State Department of Education and the USDA, Break for a Plate Summer served a record 3 million meals to children in 2018. Visit www.breakforaplate.com/summer, or call 211 today for more information.
NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
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: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, 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:
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
CNP Terminology
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a federally funded, State-administered program that reimburses providers who serve free, nutritious meals and snacks to children and teens in low-income areas when school is not in session.
CNP EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Mr. Ronald Ryce, CNP worker at Highlands Elementary School
Ronald, a warm and family-oriented individual, has been a part of Huntsville City Schools for over seven years. He hails from Birmingham, Alabama, and is a proud father of five children: Brandon, Taron, Brittney, Ben, and Brian. His family has grown with the addition of five grandchildren: Austyn, Ayden, Taron Jr., Tylan, and Monroe.
Ronald, a passionate and dedicated individual, has lived in Atlanta, Georgia, and Birmingham, Alabama. Before joining the Child Nutrition Program, he was a valued employee at the Aramark Food Service Company at Alabama A&M University. His job satisfaction is evident in his love for finishing his workday early. He also shares that he is an excellent bowler and enjoys exercising in his free time. His favorite place to be is his home, where he lives without any pets.
Ronald’s favorite meal to consume is Chicken Alfredo and his favorite genre of music to listen to is R&B. Ronald expresses that if he were not working in the Child Nutrition Program, then he would most likely be somewhere fishing. He states that his hobby is refereeing basketball games.
Ronald says that his favorite sports to watch are basketball and football. He is a fan of the NBA Boston Celtics and the NFL Cleveland Browns. Ronald hopes to one day travel to Hawaii, and in the next five years, he will find a good product to invest in. Ronald’s words to live by are “Be Good to People.”
Employees of the Month
Christopher Bone, CNP worker at Providence Elementary
"Chris exudes warmth and friendliness towards every student he encounters. Each day, he arrives at work punctually, greeted by an infectious smile that brightens the atmosphere. His unwavering dedication to his job reflects his genuine passion for making a positive impact."
-Roshun Langford-Manning - CNP Supervisor at Providence Elementary
Glenda Stone, CNP Supervisor at Farley Elementary
"Ms. Stone is a dedicated and hardworking employee at Farley Elementary School who has worked for 27 years, feeding students good, healthy meals daily. She is an early bird and arrives at work at 5:30 am daily to ensure the student has a hot breakfast. She has a good working relationship with the students and staff at Farley. She loves to laugh, dance, eat, and have fun. Ms. Stone will go out of her way to help someone out. She will be retiring this school year, and we wish her well."
-Tamika Smith, CNP Area Supervisor
BIRTHDAYS
Lakisha Fergus-Dyett 5/1
Sierra Langford 5/1
Yanilet Navarro 5/4
Yupha Horlick 5/7
Doris Reeves 5/11
Bussapha Buchanan 5/20
Gina Waits 5/21
Tracie Bailey 5/24
Pat Jefferson 5/28
Also, don't forget to follow us on Instagram and "Like us" on Facebook!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huntsvillecitycnp
Twitter: @HUNTSVILLECITY1
Instagram:www.instagram.com
Website: https://www.huntsvillecityschools.org/departments/child-nutrition-program
Contact Information
Location: 714 Bob Wallace Avenue Southwest, Huntsville, AL, USA
Phone: 256 428-6955
Child Nutrition Program Director for Huntsville City Shcools