Dear Parent/Guardian,
We can’t wait to welcome students back to the cafeteria for the 2024-25 school year! To kick off
the new year, we wanted to share a few things you and your child can look forward to when it
comes to mealtime, including information on meal pricing, steps to apply for free and
reduced-price meals, how we manage food allergies and the documentation needed, and an
inside look at the new recipes, concepts, and programs we’ll be introducing this fall.
Food Kids Love to Eat
Chartwells’ team of chefs and dietitians are working to bring even more variety to our menus
featuring new recipes with kid-approved foods.
The value of school lunch is top of mind as families continue to experience inflation and growing
food costs at home. In addition to giving kids the chance to try new foods and cut back on food
waste, school lunch provides students with healthy, balanced, and safe meals at an affordable
price, while saving families time and stress.
Meal Cost and Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications
For the 2024-25 school year at Union City Junior/Senior High breakfast will be universal free
and lunch will cost $3.50. Free or Reduced-Price Meals are available again this year to students
who qualify for these benefits, but all students, regardless of family situations, are encouraged
to dine in the cafeteria together.
We encourage all families, regardless of income, to complete and submit a short,
confidential school meal application prior to the start of the school year to ensure that
there are no gaps in meal benefits for students who qualify for free or reduced-price
meals. Parents or guardians can submit this application online at
https://resck12.in.us/o/ucjshs/page/cafeteria or in person at your child’s school office. It’s an
easy and confidential way to ensure your child stays well-nourished at school.
CEP Meals at North Side Elementary
For the upcoming 2024-25 school year, Indiana has authorized CEP free meals for all students.
This means students will have the opportunity to enjoy breakfast and lunch at no cost
throughout the academic year This will hopefully make it easier for students and families to
confidently check breakfast and lunch off their list.
Food Allergies and Special Dietary Needs
We recognize the critical importance of our approach to supporting students and families who
manage food allergy issues every day and work closely with the families of students who have
food allergies and medical conditions that require a modification to their menu. Our approach
involves coordination between parents and guardians, school nurses, school administrators,
and food service professionals in the school’s/district’s food allergy and medical conditions
protocol.
To modify the school meal, we must have a written Medical Statement on file signed by a
licensed medical provider (physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner). The statement
must identify the following:
● Information about the child’s impairment that is sufficient for understanding how it
restricts the child’s diet,
● An explanation of what must be done to accommodate the child’s disability, and
● If appropriate, the food(s) to be omitted, texture modifications, and recommended
substitutions.
For any children who are currently receiving meal accommodations, please contact Bob
Williams,765-964-4840 ext 2140, chartwells@resc.k12.in.us to review the meal accommodation
plan, which may require additions or amendments based on the ongoing supply chain issues.
As part of our protocol, café managers review food labels for foods used to produce special
meals daily. We may encounter situations where product substitutions are made that contain
different allergens or have a different nutritional profile than our usual menu items. As a result,
we may need to provide a meal that is different than previously identified for students with
special dietary needs to ensure that the meal served to them remains in adherence to their
needs as outlined in their medical forms.
While we have posted signs in the cafeteria encouraging students with food allergies or other
dietary concerns to speak up, we encourage you to remind your child to be sure to check with
the cafeteria manager regarding product substitutions that may not be reflected in the posted
menu. We will make every attempt to update Nutrislice in real-time, but please do not solely rely
on nutrition or allergen information on Nutrislice to accommodate allergies or medical conditions
in the event of last-minute menu changes.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your student’s allergies or dietary needs,
please don’t hesitate to reach out to Bob Williams. We are committed to providing safe meals for
all students.
Programs that Encourage Fun and Discovery
Chartwells continues to inspire healthy eating habits and spark a culinary curiosity to last a
lifetime through fun and engaging programs, including:
● Discovery Kitchen: Designed to make nutrition education fun and entertaining,
Chartwells chefs and dietitians have worked together to create curriculums that get kids
cooking, trying new foods, and learning about what they’re eating. Each month has a
different theme and activities will be adapted for the current meal programs.
.
● Student Choice: Giving middle and high school students a voice in deciding what food
concepts are featured and new menu items that will be available, Student Choice brings
the latest food trends to school menus.
Inviting Environments & Happy Cafeterias
Students need a place to eat where they can connect with others, recharge, and enjoy a sense
of happiness with their classmates.
Menus and Nutrition Facts at Your Fingertips
Through Nutrislice, an innovative app, students, parents, and faculty have access to school
menus, including nutrition information, allergens, and photos. Nutrislice can be downloaded for
free from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) and is available on desktop and mobile
devices. Menus are also available at https://resck12.nutrislice.com/menu
Celebrating Our School Lunch Heroes
As kids advance from grade to grade with new classes and different teachers, the dedicated
lunch ladies and men in the school cafeteria are often one of the few constants throughout the
academic journey. Throughout the school year, these heroes of the cafeteria are dedicated to
making mealtime a bright spot in a student’s day, ensuring kids throughout the Union City
community are served nourishing meals.
Through sharing our passion for great-tasting food, instilling a desire for food discovery, and
most importantly, providing nourishing meals, we're excited to continue serving up happy and
healthy to your children in the year ahead.
We love hearing from parents, and your feedback is important to us. Please reach out to our
team with any questions or comments. We’re looking forward to a great school year!
Thank you,
Bob Williams
765-964-4840 ext 2140