Wausau School District Food Service preparing for first day of school

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - Making sure your kids are getting a healthy breakfast and lunch is a top priority for the Wausau School District food service staff, and they’ve been working hard to make sure they’re ready for the first day of school.

The district attends a food show during the summer that offers new recipe ideas and products. Soon after the show, they put together a menu that meets USDA requirements. Once the menu is made, it’s time to order the food. After the food is delivered in August, kitchens are cleaned then food prep begins. It’s a lot of work, but it’s all worth it once they see your students’ smiling faces on the first day of school.

“Lunch ladies are the only one of the only staff in the building that gets to touch every student in the school. They have interactions with every single child in that school, teachers might see several 100 of the kids, but our lunch staff get to see all of them,” said Karen Fochs, Nutrition Director Wausau School District.

There are a few new menu items coming this year, including a new granola bar and yogurt bites.

One food service staff member has devoted her time to making sure your kids have a tasty and nutritious meal every day. Robin Yeager has been interested in the food service business since her mother was the food service manager at Wausau West 33 years ago. Now she’s been doing the job for 12 years. From managing the kitchen at Hawthorn Hills Elementary, to ordering food, and serving kids, Yeager is plenty busy. It’s a lot of hard work, but there’s one thing that makes it all worth it.

“The children, knowing that we’re giving them nutritious food to make sure that their learning goes smoothly during the day. Sometimes we’re the first person that they see in the morning that can maybe give them a hug, learn about their problems, their worries,” said Robin Jaeger, Food Service Manager at Hawthorn Hills Elementary School.

She says the most popular items in her school are pizza bagels, and hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. The Wausau School District starts school tomorrow. The Wausau School District still needs 15 people like Robin to join their food service staff. You can apply on the school district’s website.

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