Welcome back to our blog series, the No Kid Hungry New York Partner Spotlight. Each month, we’ll be speaking to our partners across the state, learning what’s new in their school meals programs, and celebrating the tremendous work they do to ensure that more kids have access to the the fuel they need to learn, grow and thrive. This month, we heard from Tracy Sullivan, Cook Manager at Sandy Creek Central School District, a rural district in Central New York.
Can you describe your community and school district? What do you love about where you live and work?
The Sandy Creek School District covers an area of approximately 202 square miles. We are a small district participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), with around 788 enrolled students. Each month, we serve over 11,000 lunches, not including breakfast, afterschool snacks, and supper meals. Our close-knit community supports each other in times of need or celebration. I love my hometown. It is where I graduated from and raised my family. The community is open to new trends, which helps increase student participation. I especially appreciate that we primarily use local New York State products, supporting the local community.
What’s new in breakfast in your school meals program this year?
More scratch-based breakfast items: our students enjoy our freshly baked chocolate chip whole grain muffins, as well as our new scrambled eggs, local sausage links, and cornbread muffins. We are proud to offer a wider variety of home-style meals.
How do you get kids excited to eat school breakfast?
Bake it fresh! That aroma has everyone rushing down the halls to find out what smells so amazing.
What keeps you motivated to do this work?
Smiles, laughs and giggles! When I see this, I know our students’ bellies are full.
If you could tell everyone in America something about school breakfast, what would you tell them?
Children learn what they live. Starting off their school day with a healthy breakfast is a jump start to their daily adventures, whether physical or mental.
