Food Services News & Updates:
Breakfast $2.00 (K-8), $2.50 (9-12).
Lunch $3.00 (K-6), $3.25 (7-12).
Please complete a Free & Reduced meal application if you feel you may qualify. For School Year 2023-2024, the State of Ohio is covering the cost of meals for those who qualify for "reduced" meals. This does not affect fees - it only applies to meals. Applications are available on the "forms" section of the Food Service web page as well as the Nordonia main page under "Families" and at each building and the Board of Education Office.
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. Please make certain you have submitted a new application prior to that date in order to retain your child(ren)'s meal benefits.
Due to the increasing number of non-sufficient checks received by the district and the subsequent costs incurred, the cafeterias will be operated on cash or money on an account basis. No personal checks will be accepted and bills over $50 cannot be accepted.
We encourage you to set up an account at
www.payschoolscentral.com. This is a new system for Food Service but utilizes the same site as 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 the account, but will not be accepted in the cafeterias.
*Parents are now able to transfer funds from one child to another. Please follow instructions in PaySchools or call 1-800-669-0792 for assistance.
We are publishing monthly menus; however, due to severe supply chain issues, items offered may be different than what is listed on the menu. We always have a number of choices for the students.
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 maintains a donor fund for special circumstances. Families can confidentially contact Sue Petonic at 330-908-6213.
Talking Health with Your Kids
- It's Not About Weight: Weight is just one indicator of health and is 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 dessert twice a week or to walk 30 minutes after dinner every day, 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 a 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 playdates 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 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!
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.