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Nordonia Hills City School District

Inspiring Every Student to Value Learning, Community and Excellence

Food Services

Sue Petonic
Food Services Supervisor
330-908-6213

Food Services News & Updates:
PLEASE NOTE: BREAKFASTS AND LUNCHES ARE FREE FOR ALL STUDENTS THROUGH THE END OF THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR! PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS BENEFIT! PLEASE COMPLETE A HOUSEHOLD INFORMATION SURVEY (AVAILABLE AFTER 7/1/21) IF YOU FEEL YOU MAY QUALIFY TO HAVE YOUR FEES WAIVED OR REDUCED. IF YOU ARE CHOOSING OPTION 2 FOR YOUR CHILD(REN) AND FEEL THAT YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR FREE/REDUCED MEALS, PLEASE COMPLETE AN ONLINE 2021-2022 FREE & REDUCED LUNCH FORM AND YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A P-EBT CARD FOR YOU CHILD(REN). THE ONLINE APPLICATIONS CAN BE FOUND ON THE PAYSCHOOLS SECTION OF THE NORDONIA WEBSITE. THE ONLINE APPLICATION WILL NOTIFY YOU IMMEDIATELY IF YOU QUALIFY.

Please be advised that, due to the increasing number of non-sufficient checks received by the district and the subsequent costs incurred, the cafeterias will be operated on a CASH OR MONEY ON ACCOUNT ONLY basis. NO CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED IN THE CAFETERIAS. We strongly urge you to manage your children's accounts online by visiting www.payschoolscentral.com. This is a NEW system for Food Service but utilizes the same site as does Fee Payment. All student and adult balances from www.myschoolaccount have been transferred to PaySchools. Please note that credit cards may be used to put funds on account, but WILL NOT be accepted in the cafeterias.

You may apply for Free/Reduced Meals throughout the school year (exception - because of "universal" free meals for the 2021-2022 school year, these applications have been replaced by a Household Income Survey). If your family financial situation changes at any time, please complete an application and return it to your child's school or the Board of Education. We offer a "grace period" at the beginning of each school year for those who were on the free or reduced meal program the previous year. This "grace period" provides time for submission and processing of current years' applications. The last day of this "grace period" is September 30th of every year. Please make certain you have submitted a new application prior to that date in order to retain your child(ren)'s meal benefits.

Did you know?
The school lunch program at Nordonia Hills City Schools operates according to the offer vs.serve format. What this means to the students is that lunch will consist of five different choices (components) from each of the required food groups. Students must choose at least three components in order for the district to claim a reimbursable meal from the government. The government pays the district a small stipend for each reimbursable breakfast and lunch served to students. We also make use of government offered food commodities whenever possible in order to control costs. All menus are heart-healthy and provide daily nutrients appropriate for your child's age. We are always adding new menu items, so stay tuned!

*ATTENTION - "NO MONEY" POLICY*

Because school food service departments are self-funded and the USDA does not permit participants in the National School Breakfast & Lunch Program to allow negative student balances, children who have no money to pay for lunch are permitted to accumulate up to $10.00 in debt and then will be offered cereal and milk or a cheese sandwich and milk at no charge (up to three occurrences) until their account is replenished or they have cash. Because of the high percentage of children with peanut allergies, we no longer offer peanut butter & jelly sandwiches as a "no money" alternative. Any unpaid charges at the end of the quarter will be transferred to school fees for collection. Please be aware that children are not permitted to buy "extras" if their account is in arrears. Nordonia Hills City Schools Food Service Department mantains a donor fund for special circumstances. Families can confidentially contact Sue Petonic at 330-908-6213. Thank you.

Health Tips For Kids & Parents

Talking Health with Your Kids

It's Not About Weight: Weight is just one indicator of health and often an extremely sensitive subject for kids. Emphasize how important it is to eat right and be physically active instead of just losing pounds. You don’t want to hurt their confidence or self image.
Set food or activity goals: For example, stick to a plan to only have desert twice a week or to walk 30 minutes after dinner everyday, NOT to lose a certain number of pounds.
Talk to your doctor: Your doctor is a great resource when talking with your child about their weight. You can work with the doctor, a nurse or dietitian to help start the conversation. Most healthcare practitioners will be happy to help if you ask.
Make it positive: Getting healthy is something to be excited about—it shouldn’t seem like a punishment. Talk about how fun it will be for everyone in the family to get active and try new, healthy foods.
Make it a family affair: Talk about how EVERYONE in the family is going to work together to get healthier. Children should not be the only ones making changes.
Make it relevant: Explain why being healthy is important in a way that kids will understand. Kids don’t care that being healthy now will prevent their risk of disease in the future--kids care about the here and now.
Kids are goal driven. Physical activity will improve their performance in sports, making them run faster or swing a bat harder. Kids want to feel good: Eating healthy will give them more energy and improve their concentration in school and with their friends.
Keep it social: Physical activity can be a great way to make new friends. Kids are more likely to stick with an activity if friends are involved. Encourage your kids to invite friends for active play-dates such as bike riding and touch football games.
Treat ‘diet’ like a four letter word: Adults don’t stick to diets, so why would kids? Teaching your children to eat and drink in moderation (including an occasional treat) will ensure they get the balanced meals they need.
Food is not a reward: Saying you can have ice cream after you finish your carrots makes eating carrots a chore and ice cream the reward-- the exact opposite effect you were going for.
Just say no to ‘exercise’! Don’t present being physically active as exercise-- kids may interpret that as a punishment. Encourage everyone in your family to try different activities and find one that suits everyone. Keep it fun!
Take Baby Steps: Just like kids learn how to walk slowly, that’s how they should learn new habits. Don’t expect dramatic change instantly. By talking about health in an approachable way and by setting small goals that will give everyone a sense of accomplishment, your kids will start on the road towards a lifetime of healthy habits. Remember, our kids are 10% of our population, but they are 100% of our future!