Back to School Message from Food Service Dept.
Connect With Us
School Lunch Director: Erika Winney, MS, RDN, CDN
Email: ewinney@johnstownschools.org
Phone 518-762-1875
Program Specialist: Jennifer Radigan
Email: jennifer.radigan@neric.org
Phone: 518-464-5106
Our School District is supported by Capital Region BOCES Shared Food Services Team. Our participation in this service provides many benefits to our students and school community, including:
- increased access to a wide variety of wholesome food choices
- optimized quality and customer service in our food service programs
- shared staff with expertise in school nutrition, including a Registered Dietitian and Program Specialists
Free Meals for All Students
During the 2023-24 school year, our school district will be participating in the Community Eligibility Provision program, which provides no-cost meals to all students.
CEP is a federal provision that allows qualifying schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students. This option increases school meal participation by removing stigma, maximizes federal reimbursements, eliminating unpaid school meal debt, while upholding nutrition standards and meal quality.
New York State still requires CEP schools to collect alternative forms – also referred to as CEP Household Income Eligibility Form – for other purposes, such as state education funding and Foundation Aid. Also, individual families may be eligible for certain benefits based on the data collected through these forms. Complete the form here: https://linqconnect.com/public/income-form/new?identifier=NULH2U
Food Service Family Portal
LINQ Connect allows you to view menus and manage student meal accounts. You can set up one time payments, set spending limits, transfer funds between students, set lowbalance notifications and more. It’s an easy way to manage meal payments without the hassle of sending cash in to school. If you have any difficulties accessing your LINQ account, please contact LINQ support at support@linqconnect.com.
Local Sourcing
We strive to support our New York State food producers. Our School District endeavors to utilize as many local farms and vendors as possible. Thursdays are NYS menu days, with NYS food products highlighted on the menu in green!
Dining at our District
Children dine in the café using their student ID number. All meals exceed federal nutrition guidelines. Menus are on a seasonal rotation (fall/winter/spring). Grain products served are whole grain rich. Vegetarian options are offered daily at breakfast and lunch. Students are offered fresh fruits and vegetables and must select at least one at each meal. Milk is offered but is not required to K-12 students. Full meals are available, as well as daily ala carte choices.
School Breakfast
Students may select 3-5 breakfast items each day. All students must select a fruit and/or 100% fruit juice at breakfast. Please refer to the website for daily menus.
School Lunch
Daily entrée choices are a balance of traditional student favorites and global flavors to introduce students to new foods and cultural foodways. All students must select a fruit or vegetable at lunch. Alternate lunch options are available daily. Please refer to the website for daily menus. If your child requires menu modifications due to allergies or other concerns, please contact your Food Service Director.
Too much on your plate? Let us put it on ours.
Why should you participate in the School Nutrition Programs?
School Meals Are Cost-Effective
Recent regulations have revamped school food into more nutritious and appealing meals while still at a low cost. Students that are eligible for free and reduced lunches receive meals that are packed with nutrition. Students that are not eligible for free or reduced meals are still receiving a bargain by purchasing school meals. Quite often, the price paid for a healthy school meal is less than the price of a packed meal from home.
School Meals Save Time
An average family can spend up to 30 minutes preparing breakfast and lunch. Doing that for every school day adds up to over 5,500 minutes, or 92.5 hours. That is more than two full work weeks! Our Food Service Professionals are ready to serve your students and eliminate your time crunch.
School Meals Support Academic Success
Students spend around 6 hours per day in the classroom. Without the proper fuel, students can quickly run out of steam and lose interest in schoolwork. Nutritious meals, such as those provided by the School Nutrition Program, provide students with adequate fuel that can keep them energized and focused all day. Plus, a healthy diet will also support a healthy immune system, which means fewer sick days for your children!
Academic Benefits
Improved Cognitive Function
Short-term memory, the ability to conceptualize, and abstract reasoning skills improved when students ate more nutritious foods.
Higher test scores
Students who received the necessary levels of iron in their meals scored better on math and IQ tests.
Better attention spans
Parents reported that their children could concentrate better after they had eaten more nutritious meals.
Behavioral Benefits
Better classroom behavior
Students have been shown to get along better with classmates and cause fewer class disruptions when they have been eating properly.
Fewer absences
Students who consistently eat enough throughout the day are less likely to miss school days or extracurricular activities.
Improved mood
Hungry children tend to be angrier and more irritable. They also cannot socialize as well.
Please refer to the School Nutrition page of the District Website for further information about programs and
policies, such as:
- Wellness
- Meal Charge
- Affordable Connectivity (ACP)
- Smart Snack Guidelines
- LINQ Connect FAQ
Produced in cooperation with the Capital Region BOCES Communications Service. Copyright 2023.