Once again, you pulled off back to school meal service without a hitch and it almost seemed like the students were never gone. Thank you for being the best at what you do, using professional skills to create production schedules without the chaos and remembering why our jobs exist in the first place. Remember the quote "a smooth sea never made a great sailor?" Every one of us has felt that, but few are able to do what you do; learn and pivot to make the next time better. I take great pride in watching what you accomplish each day, from the high quality food you prepare to the way your face lights up when you see the students. My "last first day" was this week, and it made me happy to step back and watch everyone come together and do what we love. 💚

With gratitude,

Kathy

It's a lot easier to be knowledgeable about the work you do when you have information at your fingertips.

From a Grateful Grandma...

I'm proud that the NWI Food Council's Local Food for Schools newsletter featured many of our Thank A Farmer Thursday events to serve as inspiration for other schools. School Food Service Directors from our region met with the NWI Food Council to brainstorm greater access to local foods for schools, local farm food safety, produce quality, available quantity and more. Special thanks to Ashley, and especially to Rachel Pitt, for making this program come to life at Central Elementary!

The relationship Ashley built with the Boys and Girls Club expanded our summer meals program by 15%! Special shout out to our faithful Summer Dream Team for making this possible!

Managers, Leads and aspiring leaders spent June 4 in a classroom taking the ServSafe Manager's certification class and sitting for the exam. Everyone passed with impressive scores! This elite group of leaders takes food safety seriously.

Taking your passion from Kitchen to Congress, you can shape legislation that impacts your job and your students.

Take the School Nutrition Environment Quiz and find out! Setting specific goals for nutrition education and promotion are required through the district's wellness plan. The events you create are an important part of the plan as are the healthy meals you serve! The work you do sets the example for the whole school's nutrition environment.

Love what you do was the central theme for the 2024-25 SN Back to School Workshop. Employees listened to the year in review, celebrated accomplishments and awards, learned their annual stipend and raise amounts (yay), welcomed new employees, warmed up with JP and listened to Ashley Morena from Project School Nutrition, a dynamic keynote speaker with powerful messaging. Employees then split into groups for breakout sessions and came back together for a fabulous food show hosted by our local vendors and brokers. The day finished with school safety training (including a live fire evacuation) and "Two Truths and a Lie, School Nutrition Edition" featuring game show creator and host, Rob Kuehl.

Central students were welcomed to The Central Circus for healthy meals on their first day of school. I can't imagine many students not wanting to visit. Nice job, Rachel and Denise!

This column is normally written by Ashley, but I wanted to devote the space to congratulating her on the upcoming promotion to Director of School Nutrition. Ashley worked hard to achieve this, obtaining her college degree and putting in endless hours of training, all while raising a family. She will need support and encouragement from each of you to continue our tradition of excellence. Ashley is very available and your input will be valuable as she moves our program forward and you reach new levels of excellence together! Nothing makes me happier than seeing one of our own care so deeply about our program that they stretch and do the hard work to advance their career.

September 2, 2024 Labor Day, No School (No Work)

September 27, 2024 Half Day K-12 (Regular Work Day)

October 14-15, 2024 Fall Break, No School (No Work)

October 24-25, 2024 Half Days K-8 (Regular Work Days)

Any permanent employee (including substitutes) interested in any of these positions can apply by emailing a brief letter of interest to Kathy Kane, Director at kkane@valpo.k12.in.us.

Non-employees can apply by completing an online application as an External Applicant here: https://www.applitrack.com/valpo/onlineapp/

Production Lead, TJ Middle, 6.5 hours**NEW**

FS Tech, Cooks Corners, 5.5 hours**NEW**

FS Tech, Central, 4 hours

All VCS employees, whether they have Anthem insurance or not, are eligible to use Immediate Care of St. Mary's Medical Center for non-life threatening emergencies. The visit is free for employees with Anthem insurance and $93 for employees without Anthem. Considering that the average ER visit in Indiana costs $1,618.00, this may be a good option for you and your family. Read more below and contact Haley Jones, Benefit Assistant at ext. 1136 if you have questions or need more information.

Do you need help or a refresher on how to log in to Skyward Employee Access? The file linked below will take you step by step (with pictures) through this easy process. You need to be able to log in to Skyward Employee Access to request time off, print your check or tax forms. When you view your check, you should review the deductions and be sure they are correct based on what you chose during your enrollment appointment with American Fidelity.

Your Perspectives EAP is here to provide confidential, no-cost support for you and your family 24/7.

• Call or text 800.456.6327 to schedule an appointment with a counselor or contact us for in-the-moment support.
  

• Use the “Live Chat” feature on your Perspectives Online Portal to instant message with a counselor 7 a.m.-9 p.m. CST Mon.-Fri. (Remember to use your unique Access Code, and your Password is perspectives

Resources

• Grief Handout
• Stress Response Guide
• Collective Trauma & 10 Tips for Coping

Past issues of Friday Focus are posted on our department website on the Staff Training page here:

https://www.valpo.k12.in.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1221036&type=d&pREC_ID=1455849

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Our mission is to support academic and lifelong success by nourishing students and building healthy eating habits.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Email: kkane@valpo.k12.in.us
Website: https://www.valpo.k12.in.us/apps/pages/nutrition
Location: 2727 N. Campbell St., Valparaiso, IN 46385
Phone: (219) 531-3050
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValpoSchoolFood
Twitter: @ValpoSchoolFood

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