Second Semester Newsletter 2016-2017 School Year
Page 2 Employee Directory Debi Miller Aramark Food Service Director (817) 215-0005 dmiller03@nisdtx.org Leah Washington Supervisor (817) 218-1091 lwashington@nisdtx.org Jeffrey Narum Assistant Food Service Director (817) 215-0022 jnarum@nisdtx.org Michael Hernandez Supervisor (817) 215-0072 Monica Greene Human Resources (817) 215-0101 monica.greene@nisdtx.org Jennifer Stringfellow Community Dietitian (817) 215-0180 jstringfellow@nisdtx.org Tiffany Rodgers Office Manager and Free & Reduced Specialist (817) 215-0053 trodgers@nisdtx.org Vivian Lago-Matos Administrative (817) 215-0101 vivian.lagomatos@nisdtx.org Anthony Moore Chef Manager (817) 215-0045 anthony.moore@nisdtx.org Catering/Admin Dining (817) 215-0035 Emily Hamil Account Marketing Manager (817) 215-0003 ehamil@nisdtx.org Featured in This Issue Community & Employee Wellbeing... 3-6 Promotions & Customer Satisfaction... 7-11 Health & Nutrition... 11 NISD Newsletter- Page 2
Page 3 Community & Employee Wellbeing»2017» Aramark Lone Star Chef Competition On April 6th, 2017, Byron Nelson High School culinary students won 3rd place at Aramark s Lone Star Chef Competition. Amanda Artz, Taylor Carnes & Joshua Williams traveled to Baylor University in Waco to compete against 10 other high school teams. The competition challenged participants to develop an inspiring recipe based on this year s theme, Taste of Asia with the possibility of earning scholarship money. The Byron Nelson culinary team earned 3rd place for their original recipe, Glazed Chicken Teriyaki with Pineapple Brown Rice, and won $1,000 in scholarship money. The Lone Star Chef Competition, sponsored and organized by Aramark, brings together culinary arts students from ten school districts across Texas to showcase their culinary skills. Chrane Food Service Solutions donated $5,000 in scholarship money for award winners. NISD Newsletter- Page 3
Page 4 Community & Employee Wellbeing»New» Human Resources Manager Monica Greene joins the team with over 10 years of team building and organizational development experience. She achieved a Master s degree in Human Resource Management in 2014 and maintains a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification. A great love for our Armed Forces and their families, Monica was honorably discharged from active duty in the Army in 2008 and served the Marine Corps as a civilian until 2016. Continuing to grow her corporate skills, Monica is beyond excited to be a part of the ARAMARK Northwest ISD team. She believes that every day is an opportunity for learning and coaching, and equally as important, every day is an opportunity for happiness.»employee» Recognition Banquet We acknowledge our dedicated employees at our end of the year Recognition Banquet. Employees were treated to Casino theme party with food and prizes. Management team members thanked everyone for their continued support and individually praised a few of our high performing employees. We are proud to honor the individuals who directly help NISD students flourish! Volunteer Award Glenna Higginbottom Dechelle Balensiefen Safety Kitchen Clara Love Center Piece Award Winner Wilson Middle School Shining Stars Award Dora Guevara Omyra Quinones Shining Star Award Amy Torres Shining Star Award Shawna Miller Kitchen of the Year Chisholm Trail Middle School Customer Service Award Cox Elementary School Customer Service Award Steele High School Manager of the Year Jennifer Stephenson Manager of the Year Kathy Self NISD Newsletter- Page 4
Page 5 Community & Employee Wellbeing 2016-2017 Employees Of The Year Juana Perez, Byron Nelson HS Janet Goodwin, BNHS Java City Norma Flores, Steele HS Maria Rodriguez, Eaton Java City Carla Helbling, NHS Java City Nafie Nokshiqi, Tidwell MS Jessica Williams, Beck Elementary Lisa Wilcox, Cox ES Nancy Liriano, Roanoke ES Theresa Syrus, Haslet ES Paulita Dickson, Peterson ES Juana Garcia, Sendera Ranch ES Beatriz Garcia, Thompson ES Pam Foster Hatfield ES Yully Castillo, Justin ES Andrea Santiago, Love ES Astrid Lara, Eaton Cafe Shawna Miller, Seven Hills ES Irma Garcia, Medlin MS Not photographed Omayra Quinones, Rookie of the Year Manager of the Year, Sharon Killough Life Saver Award, Monica Zaragoza Elementary Kitchen of the Year, Schluter Northwest HS Employee of the Year (EOY), Leticia Roman-Charriez Wilson MS EOY, Maria Ordonez Omayra Quinones & Dora Guevara, Lakeveiw ES Chisholm Trail MS EOY, Rosalina Rojo Pike MS EOY, Alecia Bebout Granger ES EOY, Patricia Alonzo Hughes ES EOY, Carmen Apodaca Pike MS EOY, Alecia Bebout Nance ES EOY, Stephanie Gamble Schluter ES EOY, Jacalyn Weir Prairie View ES EOY, Maria Munoz NISD Newsletter- Page 5
Page 6 Community & Employee Wellbeing»Taste» & Talent»Eaton s» Big Event Northwest ISD Food Service department provided breakfast and lunch to Eaton s Big Event volunteers. Aramark employees volunteered their time to prepare and serve food for the volunteers. Chef Anthony worked a sample table at the Byron Nelson s Taste & Talent fundraiser. We offered samples of our Chili-Garlic Popcorn Chicken and Homemade Spinach Pizza. We were honored to support the event that helps NISD students.»community» Partner Award From PTA Northwest ISD Aramark received a Community Partner Award for our continued support of PTA. During the second semester, the Food Service team hosted a table at the PTA vendor fair. Our department provided treats, informational documents and two team members were available to speak about our department. We also sponsored the PTA Banquet by providing, preparing and serving the meal. For the banquet, Chef Anthony prepared homemade beef & Italian sausage lasagna, vegetarian lasagna, veggies and french bread sticks. Aramark strives to continue to work with our parents who serve NISD students. NISD Newsletter- Page 6
Page 7 Promotions & Customer Satisfaction»BNHS» BBQ Byron Nelson students & staff enjoyed a special BBQ meal during normal lunch service. The meal included brisket or pulled pork, potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, corn on the cob, seasonal fruit & lemonade or tea. We also offered a variety of desserts.»ace» Day The last Friday of each month, elementary schools celebrate ACE Day. On Ace Day, all students who eat a school breakfast received an ACE day prize, until supplies run out. All left over items are given away to students randomly at lunch. Below are the Ace Day prizes. Jan.: Magnet Feb.: Chef Hat March: Pencil Packet April: Pencil Topper Eraser May: Curly Straw Fuel is designed to keep the menu fresh & exciting for secondary students. Each month, we featured two specials, developed by our chefs & nutritionists. Check out the scrumptious entrées we had during second semester. January: Chili-Garlic Popcorn Chicken January: Spicy Popcorn Chicken Bowl February: Moroccan Chicken Tagine February: Chili Con Fritos March: Chicken Shawarma March: Hot Tot Wrap April: Chicken Banh Mi April: Chicken & Waffle Sandwich May: Pizza Loca May: Florentine Chicken Flatbread Pizza NISD Newsletter- Page 7
Page 8 Promotions & Customer Satisfaction»Food» Show»StudentView» Point Results»Donut» Promotions Our annual Food Show was held in April. We showcased over 50 samples of current and potential food offerings. Congratulations to Pike MS for having the most attendees from a Northwest ISD campus. We appreciate everyone who attended the event. All feedback helps our department better meet the needs of our customers & their parents. Annually, NISD Food Service in partnership with corporate Aramark encourages students to complete the ViewPoint Survey. Middle & high school student feedback is used to determine areas of opportunity and customers preferences. Corporate Aramark also views the results on a national level to help improve current recipes, promotions, a la carte offerings and overall marketing strategies. Corporate Aramark randomly gave away 20 Beats Headphones to students across the nation who completed the Student View Point Survey. Elijah Lang, Eaton High School student, was one of the students randomly selected to win. Thank you to all principals and staff members who helped encourage 4,962 NISD students to complete the 2017 View Point Survey! To excite students about breakfast, we featured cereal topped donuts at all grade levels. This concept is gaining popularity with donut shops, so we introduced a healthier United States Department Agriculture (USDA) compliant donut. All NISD donuts are whole-grain and baked, not fried. Our cereals are also whole-grain and reduced sugar. The donuts and cereals we offer are not found in the grocery stores because they are tailored specifically to meet USDA s nutritional guidelines for school food service. Our department is dedicated to promoting healthy eating while also building excitement with students to sample our menu. We strive to find a balance between offering nutritious meals and kid favorite menu items. All NISD menus meet USDA s nutritional guidelines. NISD Newsletter- Page 8
Page 9»V8» Smoothies Unfortunately, Jamba Juice discontinued their K-12 smoothie program without giving our department much warning to find a replacement. When we heard V8 smoothies meet USDA regulations, we quickly asked for samples. We tested our samples at Pike middle school and the students & teachers loved the smoothies! After a successful pilot, we started selling V8 Smoothies at all Middle Schools. The smoothies are all natural made with real fruit & veggies.»dr.» Seuss Birthday All elementary students who ate a school breakfast on Dr. Seuss Birthday received a free Dr. Seuss pencil. The birthday promotion Increased elementary breakfast by 82 meals.»mardi» Gras Celebration Annually, our department helps our Administrative team celebrate Mardi Gras by serving traditional jambalaya & King s cake. I was a great day of celebration and tasty food.»national» School Breakfast Week During the National School Breakfast Week, we celebrated by offering new breakfast entrées and a few twist to classic favorites. A few of the featured items included: Pancakes with cinnamon apples & bacon Fruit Smoothie with a blueberry muffin Chicken Tenders & Waffle Fruit & yogurt parfaits»omelette» Bar Promotions & Customer Satisfaction In May, at Northwest High School we piloted a Build Your Own Omelette Bar. Students had the opportunity to build their own omelette and have one of our employees cook their creation. Our goal was to test the student s acceptability and logistics of the build your own station. NISD Newsletter- Page 9
Page 10 Promotions & Customer Satisfaction»Ace s» Jr. Chef Competition Aislinn McKee, 2nd grader at Sendera Ranch Elementary School, won the Ace s Junior Chef Competition. Northwest ISD s Food Service Department encouraged elementary school students to use their creativity to develop an original, healthy recipe. School Winners School Participant Recipe Granger Gracie Cremeans Apple Dough-Nots Haslet Victoria Tran Vietnamese Spring Rolls Hatfield Harlem Jenkins Apple Donuts Aislinn won the competition with her BBQ Chicken Slider recipe. She won an Ace cooking kit and her dish was featured on the April s lunch menu. Aislinn along with all the school winners received an Ace s cookbook, a collection of this year s submissions. The annual Ace s Junior Chef Competition showcases the talents of our Northwest ISD s youngest chefs. Love Analise McCoy Moist Banana Pumpkin Nance Xochitl Roldan Fruit Salad Blast Peterson Rylee Mills Tomato Mozzarella Salad Schluter Merek Williams Gluten, Dairy, Sugar Free Perfect White Cupcake Sendera Ranch Aislinn McKee Ace s Junior Chef Winner BBQ Chicken Sliders NISD Newsletter- Page 10
Page 11 Promotions & Customer Satisfaction Health & Nutrition»High» School Mac & Cheese Bowls After Spring Break, we piloted a homemade Bacon Mac & Cheese bowls at our High Schools on the Corner Crust line. Bowls were available on Tuesdays & Thursdays for $3.50. Depending on the popularity, next school year we may expand our flavor offerings on the mac & cheese bowls. Fun ways to excite kids about eating produce during the summer Summer produce is some of the best tasting & most colorful produce of the year. Cut larger fruits such as melons and pineapple into fun shapes using cookie cutters. Try getting kids involved in making their very own fruit kebob, or yogurt dip, for a healthy finger food snack. Let kids pick out a favorite summer fruit or vegetable each time they visit the grocery store. Enjoy vegetables and dip on the patio table, or take a watermelon to the park to slice and share. Sometimes just changing the environment can make an impact on kids food choices. Tips for the family to stay active together When summer comes along, I immediately remember swimming the days away as a kid at my local public pool. Get a pass to your local public pool and check out local parks for trails and playgrounds (especially ones with shade trees)! Dust winter off the bike, and break out the roller skates! Always remember the importance of sunscreen and proper hydration.»dietitian s» Tips For A Healthy Summer Tips for keeping kids hydrated over the summer & ways to get them to drink more water The best way to keep kids hydrated is to make drinking healthy liquids part of their normal routine. Offer healthy liquids at all meals and snacks. Schedule regular breaks during activities and throughout the day for hydration. Let kids decorate/make their own cups or water bottles to encourage frequent hydration. Have your kids make confetti water by adding diced fruit or berries to their water for extra flavor! If the summer heat has become unbearable, and you want to stay indoors, the internet can be a great resource to find fun, free activity videos for the family. Try a yoga video together or a fun dance workout, all in the comfort of your home with little to no necessary equipment! Museums often offer special summer pricing or free admission time, and are a great way to work in those steps in the air conditioning, while learning! Cooking together as a family Cooking together is a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen, and has been shown to improve the likelihood that a child will try a new food. Have kids help assemble fruits or vegetables for the grill, make a build-your-own bar at home with popular summer foods such as fajitas or burgers. You control the offerings, so be sure to include a variety of nutritious toppings like fresh summer tomatoes, grilled onions or fresh sliced avocado. NISD Newsletter- Page 11
NISD Food Service Department/ARAMARK 1800 Highway 114, Justin, Texas 76247 817-215-0007 www.nisdtx.org/foodservice facebook: www.facebook.com/aramarknisd