It’s hard to learn, if you’re hungry. 

It’s an obvious truth, but so central to what Tahoma’s Nutrition Services staff members do that it’s important to recognize their major contribution to the district’s overall mission. 

During non-COVID years, the members of the Central Kitchen staff and each building’s Nutrition Services teams carefully plan and prepare meals for Tahoma students. Throughout the pandemic, the team has adjusted and adapted, serving meals curbside and now in brown bag meals that are free to any student. But their impact is much larger than simply putting meals on plates or in to-go bags – for many students, the friendship and warmth that kitchen staff members offer is a high point in their day.

That relationship piece is one of the best parts of the job for some of the staff members. Tahoma High School Kitchen Manager Karen Olson said she enjoys talking with the students as arrive for breakfast or lunch. She and her team members care so much for the students that they often warn them, “I’m gonna ‘mom’ you!”

“It’s great being able to see the kids coming through, and having them all back in the building,” Olson said.

Assistant Manager Cheryl McGuire agreed, noting “They get excited to see us, just like we get excited to see them. We care about them, and we’re invested in their well-being.”

In non-pandemic years, the high school team has significant creative license with their menu, as long as they meet the nutritional requirements and standards. They’ve been able to come up with a line of creative pizzas and strombolis, as well as fun entrees such as bento boxes that the high school students enjoy. For now, though, due to restrictions and supply chain issues, they’re focused on the basics.

“Right now, it’s really about getting the kids fed,” Olson said. The high school team serves more than 50 breakfasts and more than 500 lunches each day, compared with a high of 450 before COVID-19. The majority of those students come through the line in the first 12 minutes of lunch.

A student who wrote a thank you note to McGuire said, “You always radiate positivity. You make it hard not to smile and be in a good mood. I’m extremely thankful for everything you do, every day.”

In another thank you note to the high school team a student wrote, “Thank you all for being so kind and friendly to every student that you see. … The simple smiles you all give and the ‘Have a good day’s can really make a difference in someone’s life, and I know you guys are already making that difference.”

Breakfasts and lunches are free to all students this school year. At the Central Kitchen, which is at the west end of the same building as Rock Creek Elementary, the team prepares about 1,200 sack lunches each day for elementary students. Requirements call for distributing individually wrapped or pre-packaged portions (rather than serving students in a line in the cafeteria). That sounds simple, but in actuality, it makes more work for each kitchen team.

“It’s really increased our production and time,” said Donna Langdahl, who works at the Central Kitchen and also at the Lake Wilderness Elementary kitchen. “We’re all kind of working extra.”

Throughout the pandemic, supply chain issues and other distribution problems have been a daily occurrence. A major food delivery that was supposed to arrive at 5 a.m. Monday was delayed until after 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Shipments of milk and produce are often late, and frequently food items that have been ordered are completely unavailable. 

“When we can’t feed our kids what is on the menu that day, it’s hard,” Langdahl said, noting that they know how much it bothers some students – at elementary particularly – if it’s supposed to be pizza day but they end up with a sandwich, for example.

Upstairs in the office above the Central Kitchen, Nutrition Services Administrative Assistant Kelly Vaskelis keeps the endless paperwork in order. During most years, much of the job is handled in Skyward, where lunch balances are tracked. Since meals are currently free, building teams keep careful count of how many students eat each meal, and send those daily totals to Vaskelis, who tracks them in spreadsheets and then submits the totals to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. She also tracks food orders, answers parent questions, ensures food handler’s permits and certifications are up to date, and makes sure the team members are paid.

“It’s a lot of double-checking and triple-checking,” Vaskelis said. “It’s a lot more paperwork than it has been in the past.”

Nutrition Services Supervisor Mary Nowak said that since March of 2020 her whole team has adapted very well, tackling different tasks, stopping up when another staff member is out of the office, and working diligently. “They have been extremely flexible throughout,” Nowak said. “We were on the curb (serving meals) when we had poor air quality, snow and freezing rain.”

Shadow Lake Elementary parent Marissa Bradford said that talking with the team at the curb was a bright spot for her family when school buildings were closed. “The people who handed out lunches last year at Lake Wilderness during remote learning were a bright spot in my son’s day. He loved that they remembered him day after day, that he preferred one regular and one chocolate milk. Their warmth and kindness cheered me up, too.”

Rock Creek Principal Chris Thomas said his team of Melissa Delacruz, Julie McKenney and Diana Young “is efficient, positive and flexible to meet the specific food needs of students. They are the best!”

Leesa Sandiford, who usually works in the kitchen at Shadow Lake Elementary, now also helps out at the Central Kitchen. While working to pack some of the daily 1,200 sack lunches at the Central Kitchen, Sandiford talked about why she likes her job.

“I really enjoy being a lunch lady. Students are always very happy to come and get lunch,” she said. “There’s nobody that’s not smiling, when it’s time for lunch.”

Introducing the 2021-2022 Student Representatives to the School Board:

Aditi Rana is involved in multiple clubs at THS, including Interact, HOSA, and Speech and Debate. She also plays tennis, volunteers with MultiCare and enjoys reading all types of works and writing poetry. Rana said “I'm most interested in learning more about how the board and the district overall is working to help support students, whether that be through equity work, social and emotional resources, or academic opportunities. I would also love to learn more about human resources and community partnerships, and feel like participating in discussions relating to these issues would be both beneficial and insightful.

Mathieu Chabaud is one of the debate captains on the Speech and Debate team, is a member of We the People team and the student traffic court. He also volunteers at the Covington Library. Chabaud said “Having a chance to see the whole school board process, between work studies, committees, and School Board meetings has been the most helpful. Deciding on the schedule for the high school was the most impactful out of this; seeing the various forms of feedback given on different plans, and the end results of it, and having a chance to be involved in the process, was a great, if slightly overwhelming, introduction to the role.”

Olivia Tamer is a member of the National Honors Society, the THS fastpitch team, and Bear Crew. She said she loves many of her former and current classes, including fashion design, engineering, AP biology and more. Tamer said, “I believe student voice is crucial along with the voice of board and district members because it helps bring the community more together by including our students in discussions and decision making. Student voice also encourages kids to go out there and try to impact the community in a positive way. With students’ input, we can help the district be molded better for everybody in it.”   

Madison Bennett is a running start student, and is interested in joining HOSA and the THS Sports Med club. She enjoys hanging out with family and friends, exercising for fun, traveling and exploring the community. Her favorite classes have been chemistry and math. Bennett said, “I am most interested in learning about and participating in conversations that regard our schools collective mental health, supporting any learning and social/emotional gaps due to COVID, and ways to integrate the community with new learning opportunities. 

Sanjana Sanjay  is the club president of the high school’s WiSE club (Women in Science and Engineering), and is active in National Honor Society. She is also the programming lead for Tahoma Robotics Club (Bear Metal 2046), and a part of Bear Crew. Sanjay said, “As a student representative this year I want all students to feel comfortable coming to us for any concerns and hopefully, we can direct or help to answer any questions they have. I hope that our student representative group this year will reach many more students in hopes to make Tahoma a better place for all of us to feel comfortable and safe while we navigate and learn how to thrive after college." 

For this week's news briefs, including information about National Suicide Prevention Month and a special presentation from NAMI, click here.

Briefs this week include:

 

Girls varsity volleyball at home vs. Auburn HS, 7:15 p.m.

Boys varsity tennis at Federal Way HS 3:30 p.m.

Boys varsity football at Kennedy Catholic HS, 1 p.m.

All sporting event details are available at Tahoma Athletics.

Meals are being served free to all Tahoma students this year.

To check out what's on the menu this month, click here.

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