School and Community Description

Located in the Pacific Northwest,

Eugene Oregon, is in the south end of
the Willamette Valley, which is the
agricultural heart of Oregon (Eugene,
2016). Some nearby cities include:
Springfield, Creswell, Junction City, and
Veneta, and it is only about 50 miles
east of the Oregon Coast (Eugene,
2016). Eugene is the second largest city in Oregon with a population of 156,222 and a
population density of 3,570 people per square mile (City-Data, 2016). There is rapid population
growth in the Eugene school district due to the family friendly atmosphere and job growth in
that area. There is about a one to one ratio of men and women in this area, and a majority of
the population, seventy eighty point nine percent, is white, and eight point six of the population
is Hispanic, while the other small percent of the population consists of blacks, mixed races, and
pacific islanders (City-Data, 2016). The economic status of the population in the Eugene school
district is representative of the entire town of Eugene Oregon; thirty five percent of the
population lives above the poverty level, fifty percent of the population is within one hundred
and thirty percent and one hundred and eighty five percent of the poverty level, and fifteen
percent are one hundred and thirty percent of the poverty level.

Established in 1926, Edison Elementary School

is a part of the Edison Public School district, which is
the largest school district in Eugene, Oregon. Edison
Elementary is a gorgeous two story brick building
surrounded by towering trees with a community
garden out back. It is located in a traditional
neighborhood location where the majority of students
walk or bike to school on some of the many beautiful
bike paths that the city offers. Here at Edison Elementary our mission is to provide an
educational experience that prepares all students to be competent, compassionate,
contributing members of the Edison community and inspired Global citizens (Edison, 2016).

Edison is an elementary school with twenty eight kids in kindergarten, twenty seven kids
in first grade, thirty two kids in second grade, thirty kids in third, thirty three children in fourth
grade, and thirty in fifth grade. In total, there are one hundred and eighty kids in the entire
school, which means that twenty students qualify for free school lunches, ninety students
qualify for reduced price meals, and the rest of the sixty three students pay full price for their
meals. The school serves school lunches to students ranging in ages from five to ten years old.
On average, sixty percent of students that participate in the national school lunch program eat
lunch at school, and thirty seven percent of students eat breakfast (Student Participation). In
Edison Elementary School, there are about seventy two percent of students that eat the school
lunch, and forty percent participation in the breakfast program. Our above average
participation in the lunch program is due to marketing the lunches and providing high quality
nutrient-dense foods that children are excited to eat.

In Edison Elementary School, breakfast is served at 7:55 till 8:25 when class starts, giving
the students twenty minutes to eat. Then, the kitchen staff cleans up and starts to prepare for
lunch to be served at 11:00, 11:30, and 12:00. Kindergarten and first grade eat at 11:00, second
and third grade eat at 11:30, and fourth and fifth grade eat at 12:00. Each lunch time has thirty
minutes to eat, and then they are allowed time to go outside and enjoy some exercise. The
time before the next lunch starts gives proper time for the staff to clean up trays and prepare
for the next lunch time. Lunch is served by our two cooks, along with parent volunteers who
are trained how to properly serve the food. Like most elementary schools, Eugene Elementary
is serve only, so the kids get all the prepared food on their tray, and they dont get to pick and
choose what they want to eat. This helps the students develop healthy eating habits by
knowing what a well-balanced meal looks like, and by giving them the opportunity to try new
and healthy foods. After the students are done eating, they scrape their left over food into one
of the many compost buckets which goes to be composited and used in the community garden
behind the school.
 Our food service staff consists of Mary who is the food service director. She has a
Bachelors of Science degree from Northwest Missouri State University and has a lot of
experience. Mary plans the meals in accordance with the School Breakfast Program and the
National School Lunch Program guidelines, oversees the kitchen staff, and is in charge of
training employees on food safety and sanitation. Both of our cooks Larry and Stacy have a high
school education and have been trained and certified in proper food handling and safety, and
knowledge of the HACCP guidelines. Larry is the head cook and he has been a cook for fifteen
years, with ten of those years being at Edison, while Stacy, the assistant cook, has been a part
of the team for four years. All kitchen staff arrive at work at 6:00 AM in order to prepare
breakfast and have it on the line by 7:50AM. After breakfast ends, the staff has two and a half
hours to prepare lunch and have it ready to go and on the line by 11:00.

Citations

City-Data, Eugene, Oregon. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.city-
data.com/city/Eugene-Oregon.html

Edison School. (1016). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://edison.4j.lane.edu/

Eugene. Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://traveloregon.com/cities-regions/willamette-

valley/eugene/

Student Participation in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. (n.d.).
Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.fns.usda.gov/
The Menus
Menu Items
 NSLP Breakfast
Monday

1 cup skim milk

Whole Wheat French toast
Light Maple Syrup
1 cup crisp apples
Tuesday

1 cup skim milk

Egg White omelet with ham, cheese, red tomatoes, and green peppers
1 cup purple grapes
Whole grain english muffin
Wednesday

1 cup skim milk

Delicious warm oatmeal
Blueberries
Crunchy sliced almonds
Thursday

1 cup skim milk

Fat free vanilla yogurt parfait with crunchy granola, sliced strawberries, and blackberries.
Whole wheat toast
Friday

1 cup skim milk

Breakfast burrito with a whole grain tortilla, scrambled eggs, shredded cheddar cheese and mild
salsa.
Mandarin oranges
 NSLP Lunch
Monday

1 cup skim milk

Roasted turkey
mashed potatoes and gravy
steamed green beans
whole grain roll
peaches
Tuesday

1 cup skim milk

Ham and Cheese panini
Tomato soup
Ripe banana
BIRTHDAY: angel food cake, with sliced strawberries and light cool whip
Wednesday

1 cup skim milk

Chicken pot pie
Fresh tossed spinach salad with light ranch dressing
Fresh cut cantaloupe
Thursday

1 cup skim milk

Veggie burger on a whole wheat bun
Potato wedges
Applesauce
Chocolate chip oatmeal cookie
Friday

1 cup skim milk

Chicken and cheese quesadilla
Brown rice
Black beans
Pineapple
 CACFP Lunch
Monday

Skim milk
biscuit and gravy
2 slices of bacon
Orange slices
Tuesday

Skim milk
English muffin, ham, cheese, and egg
Grapefruit
Wednesday

Skim milk
Blueberry pancakes
Peaches
Sausage link
Thursday

Skim milk
Whole wheat cheerios
Nonfat yogurt with strawberries
Friday

Skim milk
Fluffy scrambled eggs
Crispy hash browns
Fruit salad
 CACFP lunch
Monday

Skim milk
Pulled pork on a whole wheat bun
Bbq sauce
corn
watermelon
Tuesday

skim milk
whole grain creamy mac n cheese
bright red apple
broccoli
Wednesday

skim milk
Chicken taco
Cauliflower with melted cheese
Mango (plum?)
Thursday

Skim milk
Fish sticks
Steamed peas and carrots
pears
Friday

Skim milk
Whole wheat spaghetti and meatballs
Whole wheat breadstick
Fresh green salad with light ranch dressing
Green grapes
Costing
 According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the reimbursable paid rate

for a free lunch for a school population of over 60% free and reduced students is $3.09.

Keeping that into consideration, we tried to pick food items in season for Oregon during

September and made sure to find items that were fresh, but not too expensive to afford. For

the first week of our cycle menu, all of our meals met the reimbursable meal amount of $3.09,

except for Tuesday. On Tuesday, our meal cost $3.27, which is 18 cents more expensive. Since

that is quite a bit more and the school would lose a lot of money with the price of that meal, we

would definitely change a few things.

On Tuesday, we decided that we wanted to add an angel food cake to our menu

because that was the day we were going to celebrate the September birthdays throughout our

school and serve cake. If we wouldve kept that out, our meal would have been $1.32 cents

cheaper, but we decided it added a little bit of fun to the menu, which is critical to keeping

grades K-5 energized and excited for school lunch meals. The pricing of the cake was also based

on a cake that was pre-made in HyVee, but now that we thought about it, we would buy a mix

and make the cake in the kitchen because that would be cheaper. Also, the pricing in a

Missouri Hyvee in March is a lot different than the pricing in Oregon in September.

Strawberries were $0.99 for a half of cup, but in Oregon in the month of September,

strawberries would be cheaper for a fact because that is right near the end of the season.

On the other days, our meals were considerably lower than the reimbursable amount.

This may be because at the store, we took the cheapest amount, such as the HyVee brand, but

the school might buy name brand items that may be a little bit higher quality. Also, when they

purchase milk in cartons, it may be more expensive than milk in a gallon. Other factors that will
affect the price, is that our school will buy foods in bulk, which will lower the price for most

items. Labor costs of our employees and the cost of running the kitchen will also factor into the

cost of making the meals. Since our school lunch program is non-profit, the cost of money

coming in and going out will be equal.

Source

"School Meals." Rates of Reimbursement. United States Department of Agriculture, 20 July

2015. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.

Kitchen Equipment
60 Burner Gas Range with 30 Griddle Top and High Temperature 3 Compartment
Two 26 Standard Ovens Convection Oven Base Dishwasher Commercial Sink

5 Pan Electric Countertop Heated Holding 1000 Watt Conveyer Toaster

Steamer Cabinet Commercial Microwave

Panini Grill Rice Cooker Commercial Floor Walk-In Cooler

Mixer

Walk-In Freezer 2 Compartment Sink Food Prep Work Table (2) Shelving (6)
 55 Gallon Trash Can (3) 5 Well Cafeteria Table 9x15 6 Compartment Squeeze Handle
With Sneeze Guard Trays (75) Disher
(#8 cup, #10 3/8 cup,
#12 1/3 cup, #16 cup,
#30 2 Tbsp., #60 3-1/4 cup)

Portion Spoon Slotted Portion Spoon Ladle Liquid Measuring Cup

(1-8oz.) (1-8oz.) (1-8oz.) (1 qt., 1 Gal)

Measuring Cups Measuring Spoons Tongs Spatula Disposable Gloves

Probe Thermometer (3) Portion Control Assorted Knives Stock Pot

Scale (20, 60, 100 qt.)
 Frying Pan (6- 14) Sauce Pan (2 qt.-10qt.) Electric Can Opener Color Coded Cutting
With Lids With Lids Boards

16qt. Colander Cookie Sheets (4) Kitchen Apron (3) School Milk Cooler

Source:

"Restaurant Equipment." WebstaurantStore. WebstaurantStore Food Service Equipment and Supply

Company, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.

When picking out the equipment needed for our kitchen, we were sure to find the equipment

necessary to help the workers and get all the food cooked in a timely manner to be sure to have it on

the line for the children to eat by breakfast and lunch time. We made sure to have 2 conventional ovens

and one convection oven so a large amount of food could be cooked at the same time. We also made

sure to have a steamer for the vegetables so they can be cooked in there for the children to get the

maximum nutrients out of the food item. The heated holding cabinet was also a necessity to have in

case the food was finished before the time it should be placed on the serving line, so it could be kept at

the proper temperature to avoid giving any food borne illnesses to our susceptible population of
children. The high temperature dishwasher and 3 compartment commercial sink is used to clean the 6

compartment trays the children eat off of, the silverware, and any pots and pans used for food

preparation. We wanted a 3 compartment sink for sure because it washed the dishes properly in 3

different ways, and the high temperature dishwasher because it gets up to so high of a temperature that

it kills all the microorganisms. We wanted a walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer for storing our cold-held

items, and inside of those would be 10-foot candles since that is the minimum lighting requirement. In

the dry storage, there would be storage shelves, but those would be at least 6 inches off of the ground

and away from the wall. These are also wire racks so there can be proper circulation around the food.

The toaster, panini grill, and rice cooker were for the convenience of the employees, so they can use

those to cook toast faster, our panini properly, and rice easier. Other equipment, such as the mixer,

pots, pans, measuring utensils and serving utensils will be used to cook the food and to serve the food.

We also made sure to get colored cutting boards to avoid any cross contamination between any foods.

Another thing that we felt was very important was the probed thermometers for each worker, so they

have their own and are able to temp any food at any time. Also, in the kitchen, each worker will be

required to wear an apron and leave that apron in the kitchen before leaving work. If they have any

beards, they will be required to have a hair restraint for their beard and their hair must be pulled back

and have a hair restraint also. Disposable gloves will be required at all times, and will need to be

replaced every time they switch to a different task in the kitchen, or every 4 hours. Once the food has

been cooked properly and it is breakfast or lunch time, the food will be transferred to the serving table

with the sneeze guard, and milk will be placed in the milk cooler. Once the children have finished their

food, the trays will go in back to be cleaned for the next lunch time.
Wrap up and Reflection
 Coming into this project, we knew we would both have a lot of challenges ahead, but we

also knew this project would be a starting point for our future career and would help us gain a

lot of knowledge. When we first received this assignment, we decided to divide up some tasks,

but to work together for most of the aspects of the project so we could combine our brains and

come up with great ideas together.

The first thing that we did was figure out where we wanted our school to be at, the age

group, and the month we want it in. We picked an elementary school in Oregon because it fit

well for our project and thought it would be fun to do a different state than what we were used

to. At first we chose to do our month in February, but as soon as we looked up the fruits and

vegetables in season, we quickly changed it to September because that was one of the months

with the most in season, which would contribute to lower costs. Mallory completed the

description of the school and the town it was in, while Sarah completed the kitchen layout, and

the equipment needed. Mallory enjoyed researching about Eugene, Oregon and learning about

all the fresh fruit and vegetables that are available to them. Sarah enjoyed finding the

equipment the most, because it was fun to pretend to buy all of the kitchen equipment and

utensils. It was fun to buy everything without actually spending any money, but it was also

shocking to see how expensive everything was. The first parts of our project had no stress

because we actually had fun pretending to make a school and be in charge.

Next, we started developing our actual meals before we started nutritionist pro. Some

of our biggest struggles were not repeating any items on our menu (especially the breads and

fruits), making it colorful, adding different textures and temperatures, and coming up with

foods that taste well together. Once we plugged those into nutritionist pro, the project became
very hard for the two of us. It took us a long time to figure out the system, but once we figured

it out, it was a little easier. We struggled with meeting the calorie requirements and making

sure we didnt go over on sodium and fat. It was also very hard to find some of the products

that we wanted in the system, so we had to change a lot of food items. The system was very

hard to change a food item quickly, even if it was just the serving size, so this part took us the

most time, and frustrated us the most.

After our part on nutritionist pro was finalized and printed out, we then headed over to

HyVee to figure out the costing. We made sure to write all the menu items needed before we

went, and then walked through the store writing down the price of all the items. This part was

fairly easy, but frustrating when we couldnt find an item that we wanted, like the whole wheat

kaiser bun, but we looked this item up online on the HyVee website. The costing part was easy

to do, but we struggled with some of the items costing a lot of money, like strawberries. In the

costing wrap up, we talked about how the price would be different in Oregon in September, but

it was still frustrating to not know because we are in Missouri now. It was fun for us to walk

around and shop for food for our school lunches, even though we werent actually purchasing

them. It was also interesting to see how expensive or cheap some food items are that we

usually dont purchase. Some of our prices for the meals were too expensive, but we are glad

we figured it out the hard way so we know what to change for the future.

Overall, this project was a lot of work, took a long time, but it was beneficial for our

future career. We now appreciate how much work dieticians actually do when it comes to

menu planning for schools. The most enjoyable part of this project was being done, because

we felt so accomplished and proud of all the work we did, and the final product. We felt as
though we were good partners for this project because we live together and were able to share

ideas with each other and work on the project more than others might if they do not live

together. This project was an enjoyable one and definitely challenged us to do the best we can

and work around any roadblocks along the way.