Supper

Recently I visited Bostonia Global TK-6 to view the new Supper program that Cajon Valley has rolled out at ten of our neediest sites across the district.  At these specific schools, this new meal has taken the place of the afterschool snack that is otherwise provided during our Extended Day Program.  While snack distribution is regulated by the California Department of Education, Supper is under the purview of the Department of Social Services, meaning less strict requirements on what needs to be made from scratch and more options for this late-in-the-day meal.  While there are no maximum time parameters, Supper cannot be served until at least two hours after lunch.  In theory, that leaves a wide window of service, but the tricky part is staffing.  Supper often includes hot meal elements, and is not served by our ELOP (EDP) staff, but instead by our child nutrition employees.  Many schools have scheduled Supper times with staggered service managed by the site administration in conjunction with the availability of child nutrition staff.  In addition to EDP students, all students who attend afterschool district-sponsored programs (like TedEd clubs or afterschool tutoring) or community-sponsored events (like Sonshine Club) are eligible to receive Supper, although they are not required to take it.  There are even cold food options for afterschool athletic events that involve travel where students cannot attend the actual in-person distribution at the specified time.  In order to facilitate smoother transitions, clubs that include a larger grade range can combine their Supper distribution times as well.  At schools like Bostonia Global TK-6, where 48% of its students participate in ELOP, Supper distribution is a large daily undertaking.  As I walked around polling students of various grades, burritos and carrot sticks were a favorite, but answers spanned the menu...meaning success!  With the developing Supper program at these ten pilot schools, future years will likely include more Suppers for more students, where a hot meal and healthy choices can make all the difference.