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Free Meals for All Students
September 14, 2020
Parents/Guardians:
While the start of the school year looks a little different for everyone, I wanted to share with you some good news that schools nationwide received last week. The USDA extended a waiver that allows schools to serve free breakfast and lunch to ALL students, as late as December 31, 2020 or as long as funding is available. We are thrilled with this news as it means that we will be able to provide all UXBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS students with nutritious and nourishing food for free that will support them, both in school and at home.
What this means for your family and for UXBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS –
- Your children, ages 0-21, will receive a healthy breakfast and lunch every school day, at no cost, in a safe and welcoming environment. This applies to students who are attending classes in school or virtual classes at home, or a hybrid combination of these models.
- You may pick up meals for your children who are remote learners at designated schools or other meal sites that are distributing meals.
- It allows UXBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS to provide the most nourishing and appetizing meals possible for your children. When your children eat school meals, it helps the school system by providing federal funds to the district. The more meals we serve, the more funding we receive, allowing us to focus on meal quality, variety and innovative practices (new recipes, frozen take home meals, etc.). If your children have never before participated in school meals, consider trying the program this year!
- It helps you save time and money. By allowing us to prepare meals for your children you don’t have to plan and shop for your children’s breakfast and lunch each school day.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has requested that the USDA extend free meals for all students for the entire school year. However, as of now, the USDA has only allowed this as late as December 31, 2020 or as long as funding is available. Therefore, families should still submit a household application to determine eligibility for free and reduced price school meals. This will also allow students to qualify for any additional benefits and ensure a seamless transition when schools move back to a paid program (if the waiver is not extended for January to June 2021). The application is available to download here.
In addition, we also encourage families to apply for SNAP benefits. SNAP provides monthly cash benefits (on an EBT card) to purchase groceries for eligible families. To apply for SNAP, visit www.startwithsnap.org or call the Project Bread FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333. If you are unsure whether your family is eligible, the FoodSource Hotline can assist you with eligibility questions. Families approved for SNAP are directly eligible to receive free meals at school and do not need to fill out an application for free and reduced price meals.
IN SCHOOL MEALS
- TAFT - Meals will be delivered to students’ classrooms and students will eat in their classroom for breakfast and lunch
- Milk will be available for purchase and costs $0.65.
- WHITIN - Students will pick up their breakfast in the cafeteria and eat in the classroom; lunches will be delivered to students to eat in their classroom
- Milk will be available for purchase and costs $0.65.
- UHS - Students will pick up their breakfast in the cafe and eat in the cafe; Upon dismissal students will have the option to pick up their lunch before leaving the school.
- Limited a la carte items will be available for purchase.
- PayPams - Families should utilize our online payment system, PayPams.
- If cash or check must be sent in for a la carte items, it should be placed in an envelope with your student’s name and homeroom teacher on it.
- No change will be given - all money will be applied to the student’s account.
WEDNESDAY HALF-DAYS - TAFT/WHITIN
- Teachers will take a count of lunches in the morning
- TAFT - Lunches will be delivered to the classrooms before students get on the busses.
- Whitin - Students will pick up lunches on the way to their bus
HYBRID & REMOTE PICK UP
- Pick up at Taft School
- Please let the cafeteria staff know what cohort you are in. when picking up
- Contactless - meals will be placed in your trunk
- Pick up time is 7:00AM to 8:00AM
- Reheating instructions will be put in bags and on the website.
- THURSDAY, 9/17 AND FRIDAY, 9/18
- Cohort B (one breakfast/one lunch) & Cohort D (two breakfasts/two lunches) will pick up on Thursday, 9/17
- Cohort A will pick up one breakfast and one lunch on Friday, 9/18
- REGULAR SCHEDULE STARTS MONDAY, 9/21
- Monday pick-up - Cohort B picks up breakfast and lunch for three days and Cohort D picks up breakfast and lunch for two days
- If Monday is a holiday, pick up will be on Tuesday
- Wednesday pick-up - Cohorts A and Cohort D pick up breakfast and lunch for three days
Please note that under no circumstances should food be consumed on the bus at any time.
Please reach out with any questions you might have. Your children are the reason we do our jobs and we are here to make sure that they are fueled with good food!
Sincerely,
Kelly Haley
Kelly Haley, Food Service Director
khaley@uxbridge.k12.ma.us