Nutrition Services
Forest Grove School District is committed to ensuring that all of our students start the day with a healthy and no-cost breakfast. Kids who eat breakfast tend to perform better in school, have better attendance rates, and display fewer behavior problems. We know that morning routines can be hectic and many kids aren’t hungry when they wake up and that is exactly why we provide breakfast every morning in a way that allows all students to participate, even after the bell.
Forest Grove School District serves breakfast in a way that is accessible to students: all elementary students will have the opportunity to eat together in their classrooms and start their day ready to learn. Secondary schools will offer or continue to offer second chance breakfast, a longer passing time in the morning between classes where breakfast will be offered.
Breakfast in the Classroom (Elementary & NAMS) – breakfast is served to students after the start of the school day in their classrooms. Students have an opportunity during the first 15 minutes of class to eat breakfast with their classmates and get the fuel they need to be ready to learn. Teachers will begin lessons as usual.
Second Chance Breakfast (High School) – students will have a second chance opportunity to grab breakfast after the first period and then eat in the classroom. Second Chance breakfast is ideal for students who are not hungry first thing in the morning.
There are many great things about our improved breakfast program. In addition to having access to a nutritious breakfast, eating with classmates every morning creates a community experience, and it takes pressure off parents and caretakers to provide breakfast in the morning. The No Kid Hungry Starts with Breakfast resource is a great way to find out more about the benefits of breakfast, including how kids who eat breakfast do better in math, miss fewer days of school, and are more likely to graduate high school than their peers who don’t eat breakfast regularly.
Six-Foot Kitchen
The Six-Foot Kitchen is a Sodexo training program for Nutrition Services staff with both physical and behavioral changes. These changes incorporate CDC guidelines as well as best practices that we have developed from lessons learned at schools and businesses that have reopened across the country.
Kitchen staff are trained on updated practices for: personal hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning of food and non-food contact surfaces, workstation spacing, traffic flow, accepting deliveries, food storage, and food production and service.
If you were to look into our kitchens, you would see workers spread out at stations six feet apart and wearing masks. Each worker has their own set of gloves and other kitchen PPE. When they receive deliveries, there is a minimum of contact between delivery and kitchen personnel.
P-EBT Benefits
P-EBT provides food benefits to families whose children are missing the free or reduced-price meals usually provided at schools participating in the National School Lunch Program, impacted by the COVID public health emergency. Oregon P-EBT benefits will be sent in phases, starting in July.
Households do not need to apply for P-EBT. Benefits will be automatically issued for students who normally have access to federal free and reduced-price meals and are enrolled at a school in Oregon that offered the National School Lunch Program before COVID.
Oregon families are encouraged to use the DHS P-EBT support email, ebt.schoolmeals@dhsoha.state.or.us where they will see the following auto-reply:
We recommend you take these steps to make sure your family receives the food benefits you qualify for:
- Learn more about P-EBT and how families qualify on the Oregon P-EBT webpage here: https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/assistance/food-benefits/pages/p-ebt.aspx
- If you think your family qualifies, apply for free or reduced meals if you haven’t already. You can apply online through Oregon Department of Education at https://www.ode.state.or.us/apps/frlapp or contact your school for information. Please apply by June 15,2021.
- Make sure your children’s school has your most current mailing address on file because program notices and instructions will be sent to participants by mail.
Food & Nutrition Program Descriptions
MEAL OPTIONS / DAILY OFFERINGS
Mornings are rushed and we know your student doesn’t always have time to eat breakfast at home. We’ve got it covered with hot, fresh and delicious breakfast options that will jumpstart your student’s day. Does your student need a grab-and-go option? We have bagels, yogurt parfaits, cereal bars and fruit.
Lunch Program
When your student has good nutrition, they will perform better in school, and feel happier and be healthier. The school lunch program includes a range of offerings to ensure that your student has access to the nutritious meals they need to lead healthy and productive lives.
Student achievement starts with nutrition. Well-nourished students perform better in the classroom. Your child’s school cafeteria provides several options for both breakfast and lunch, so you are sure to find something that will keep your child fueled throughout the day. A school lunch consists of their choice of one entree, unlimited Garden Bar (fresh fruits and vegetables) and the choice of flavored non-fat,1% or skim milk. A School Breakfast consists of a student’s choice of one entree, unlimited fruit, and a choice of 1% or non-fat milk. All menus are posted on the district website and Elementary School menus are also available at the front office.
Parents can deposit money and view a student’s account history online at mymealtime.com. To add your child to your online account, please have your child’s student ID number. This can be obtained from your child’s school. There is a link to pay online on the school district’s website along with the menus. Money, in the form of cash or check, may be sent with your student to the school cafeteria and deposited into your child’s account. Parents must keep track of their child’s account.
While meal charging generally is not allowed, the district follows current Oregon Law, HB 3454, that specifies that when a student requests a meal during meal service, they shall receive a meal regardless of the ability to pay for meals. The cost and account balances of received meals are the responsibility of the parent or guardian and will follow students from year to year. Due to this, the district is unable to establish a charging limit for all accounts. Charging limits can be set by parents or guardians only. This can be done in writing and submitted to the School or the Nutrition Services Department. The District allows for the prepayment or payment of meals through mymealtime.com or the school.
Negative balances will be communicated to the parent or guardian via letter home, a phone call or email. We understand families have busy schedules and the District wants to make every effort to communicate with families about the status of their students' meal account balance. However, the District reserves the right to pursue collection of debt if debt goes unattended to.
Parents may apply at any time during the school year for Free or Reduced meals. Contact your school main office for an application or apply online from the district website.
Lunch Offerings
- A variety of healthy options including wholesome grains, local fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean meats
- A variety of low-fat and fat-free milk with every meal, including white and chocolate.
Special Dietary Needs
We take our student’s special dietary needs very seriously. Please contact the food services office to discuss your student’s special needs.Meal prices 2020-2021
Breakfast is provided at no charge at all schools
Lunch
Elem- $2.65
Upper Elem- $2.75
Middle- $3.00
High School- $3.25
Adult B-fast- $2.00 Lunch- $3.75
Milk-$.60
Fern Hill, Cornelius Joseph Gale, and Echo Shaw are CEP schools and receive meals at no charge
@fgsd_nutritionservices
Laycee Pickerill
Director of Nutrition
503-359-8110 x4546
Raymond Alfonso
Operations Manager
503-359-8110 x4510
Amanda Krupp
Office Manager
503-359-8110 x4524