Susan St.

Martin
NUTR 600 Field Experience
Food Services - Epping School District SAU 14
May 1, 2015

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 Susan St.Martin
NUTR 600 Field Experience
Food Services - Epping School District SAU 14
May 1, 2015
The Nutrition 600 Field Experience for Spring 2015 offered me the opportunity to be placed

with Ms. Veronica Bush, Food Services Director of the Epping School District. This position

allowed me to get a better comprehension of school food nutrition service and its relationship to

the health and wellness of a student population.

Ms. Bush oversees the food and nutrition for Kindergarten through Grade 12 students,

ranging in age, from 5 18 years old. Most students either purchase or are provided free or

reduced priced meals at school. Students are from a spectrum of socio-economic backgrounds,

driving eligibility and participation in the free and reduced meal programs. A majority of

students are at appropriate academic, developmental and physical levels. Some are challenged

with special needs, including: academic, developmental and physical disabilities, food allergies

and sensitivities.

The Epping School District, as stated in their Wellness, Health and Physical Activity

Policy, aligns their nutritional standards with those established by the United States Department

of Agriculture (USDA) and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation Healthy Schools Program

Framework. This meal programming mandates that all foods available on school premises,

(breakfast, lunch, snacks and beverages), will adhere to the federal and state nutritional

guidelines. Meals served at school play an important role in the academic environment of a

student. Research supports its contribution to improving performance and behavior, as well as

mitigating food insecurity, and cultivating positive food experiences while addressing the

nutritional needs of students.

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 Susan St.Martin
NUTR 600 Field Experience
Food Services - Epping School District SAU 14
May 1, 2015

I was able to use my skills in organization, communication, collaboration and education

facilitation in a variety of projects and activities including the following:

Organized packaging labels and nutritional profiles of food products used in meal
preparation at elementary school
Prepared tasting event planning and educational programming for the elementary and
upper school cafeterias
Designed and produced signs, posters, and flyers for events
Sourced food and exhibit content information with assistance from Farm To School
Coordinator at UNH
Gathered and input data for Fuel Up to Play 60 Wellness Survey
Observed food service staff daily and assisted in preparing a lunch offering
Contributed written content for SUCCESSFUL grant application to procure funding to
acquire two new salad bars from Chef Ann Foundation and SaladBars2School

o Epping School District, in collaborative effort with administration, food service

personnel, educators, parents and students, are prepared to implement salad bar
service within their schools. This endeavor gives the District an opportunity to
promote healthy eating central to a reimbursable meal offering and meet the goals
of: creating ease of choice for fresh and nutritionally sound foods while cutting
down time in line; empowering students to select their own fruit and vegetables;
increasing knowledge of and improving attitudes toward local farms and seasonal
foods; and giving parents confidence in an improved fruit and vegetable offering.
The District has successfully designated labor, facility space and training, to
having students choose and purchase fruit and vegetable offerings. Current
standard operating procedures are tailored to accommodate salad bar service.
Staff and students are currently complying with hygiene and cafeteria line
etiquette.
Using established regulatory guidelines, product selection and purchasing will
allow for acceptable recipe menu creation. A percentage of salad bar stock may
consist of a range from 25-50% locally grown produce, with intent to increase,
depending on availability and seasonality.
Campaign and communication efforts rely on newsletters, announcements,
website and event programming highlighting salad bar service and launch.
(Please see first picture image below)

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 Susan St.Martin
NUTR 600 Field Experience
Food Services - Epping School District SAU 14
May 1, 2015

I had limited, but enriching interaction with the students at the elementary, middle and

high school levels. I was able to present educational material and field questions regarding food

content, preparation and nutritional profiles. Ms. Bush also meets regularly with students and one

morning read to a kindergarten class. After the reading, she offered a snack tasting of frozen

bananas with cinnamon on graham crackers. Both the story and snack were well received.

Ms. Bush generously tailored my experience to include the investigation and navigation

of the managerial responsibilities required of food services, as well as the agencies that partner

with school food programming. Areas of investigation were synergistic with my coursework at

UNH and included various concepts. Topics included: nutritional analysis and menu formation

meal pattern planning and serving, purchasing, budgeting and regulation administration,

professional standards for food service staff, event programming,

food and nutrition education, as well as grant writing. I was able to connect classroom study and

theory on school nutrition to real world application and see how it was executed in real time.

School Food Services is a unique department within the educational setting as a self-

funding entity. As head of a numbers driven organization, a food service director must be

proficient in managing a budget and the bottom line, all while satisfying the student clientele and

adhering to applicable nutritional regulations. Besides managing food services, Ms. Bush wears

many hats. She caters various in-school events, works with the PTO, and she is active on

several school and community organizations including: the Wellness Committee, Safety

Committee and Emergency Management Committee for SAU 14.

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 Susan St.Martin
NUTR 600 Field Experience
Food Services - Epping School District SAU 14
May 1, 2015
The professionals who directly serve students meet job training standards, certification,

and continuing education requirements. Safety and performance standards are in place to

effectively operate food services. Food establishment inspections and employee evaluations are

evidence of complying and maintaining these standards.

My impression of school food services is that it has many moving parts. Its success

relies on staff competency and the ability of a director to work effectively and creatively in a

challenging and hectic environment. I truly appreciate the time, attention and resources shared

with me at SAU 14. I also value the opportunity to have witnessed Ms. Bush work confidently

and consistently in concert with students, parents, staff, administration, educators, and regulatory

agencies on a daily basis.

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 Susan St.Martin
NUTR 600 Field Experience
Food Services - Epping School District SAU 14
May 1, 2015

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 Susan St.Martin
NUTR 600 Field Experience
Food Services - Epping School District SAU 14
May 1, 2015

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 Susan St.Martin
NUTR 600 Field Experience
Food Services - Epping School District SAU 14
May 1, 2015

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 Susan St.Martin
NUTR 600 Field Experience
Food Services - Epping School District SAU 14
May 1, 2015

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 Susan St.Martin
NUTR 600 Field Experience
Food Services - Epping School District SAU 14
May 1, 2015

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 Susan St.Martin
NUTR 600 Field Experience
Food Services - Epping School District SAU 14
May 1, 2015

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 Susan St.Martin
NUTR 600 Field Experience
Food Services - Epping School District SAU 14
May 1, 2015

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 Susan St.Martin
NUTR 600 Field Experience
Food Services - Epping School District SAU 14
May 1, 2015

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 Susan St.Martin
NUTR 600 Field Experience
Food Services - Epping School District SAU 14
May 1, 2015

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