As the Food Services Director for Norwell Community Schools, Raina Sisson asks a lot of questions.
Some of the questions are small, like: “What kind of foods do you want to see at school?” or “What is your favorite item on your tray today?” Some of the questions are big, like: “What training is available to me or my staff to better serve students?” or “Is there enough food at home?”
Sissons is in her fourth school year in the role, however, she has dedicated the last three decades to answering these questions in the field of child nutrition. Sisson said that her conversations with experts in the field of child nutrition while writing a college paper sparked her interest.
The topic seemed obvious for her as the daughter of an administrative assistant for the Child Nutrition Program at the Department of Education.
“As luck would have it, I went to Ohio State,” Sisson explained. “I would see my mom and the people that I would talk to when I visited her, which eventually became my coworkers. The National School Breakfast Program was getting a huge push in Ohio at the time. The school I went to growing up did not have a breakfast program and it was neat to see they were working on ways to feed kids. It opened my eyes to how critical child nutrition is. That was the first time I really saw the plight of children who are food insecure.”
According to Feeding America, one in eight children do not have enough food to eat in Indiana. When schools in the state stopped offering free lunches last year, Sisson wrote letters to and spoke with congressmen to request that they extend the free lunch program.
It takes an unbelievable amount of foresight to feed a school — with meals planned as far as 18 months in advance. On days where there is an unexpected shortage from the food truck, Sisson embodies the next door neighbor with the cup of sugar, only for hundreds of students and staff.
This was evident as squeaky shoes, smiles and laughter quickly filled the line at Norwell High School last Thursday. Trays of the once-beloved Turkey Shortcake and gravy, green bean casserole, pizza, iced coffee and fresh salad filled the line – thanks to a dedicated staff and quick run to the store by Sisson that morning.
Many students opted for pizza, unsure of the new addition, while others took several helpings of the Thanksgiving meal. One student said she really enjoyed the green bean casserole. Another emphatically commented that the shortcake was “bussin’,” a current teen-embraced slang term meaning “excellent.”
Sisson was quick to credit her staff and the school board for their unwavering dedication and support to feeding kids. Sisson said she is grateful for the dedication of Megan Simmerman, Teresa Gerwig and Debbie Fillers, the three managers for the district’s food service program.
“They’re doing a great job,” Sisson began. “They’re working hard to make meals appealing to kids. We like to make sure we have lots of color. But if kids don’t like it we switch it out and find something else they do like and want to eat.”
While some students may not eat nutritious meals outside of school due to the rising cost of food in grocery stores, Sisson said that for many other students it is a cultural issue.
“We are a fast food generation,” Sisson explained. “It’s not just a low income issue with students not getting fruits or vegetables. A lot of veggies kids eat is a potato in the form of a french fry. Parents are busy and going to the drive thru on the way to practice. We offer as many choices as we can to expose kids, and they will try them. It’s been really cool to see kids eating cherry tomatoes and apricots and strawberries and grapes.”
Sisson said she is constantly on the search for new trends and healthier options to be comparable to what kids are eating outside of school. She recently applied for a grant to bring smoothies to the cafeteria.
“From the board members to the lovely ladies in the cafeteria, I am truly blessed with a great team,” Sisson added. “The board looks at the program as being such an important part of our school. The support we get from them is incredible. I can’t say enough about that. Kids are constantly evolving and changing, we try to keep up.”
In a society where students are hungry for both food and connection, the food service staff at Norwell clearly demonstrates a daily example of what it means to nourish one another with a thankful heart.
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