Sorgho Elementary School cafeteria manager Heather Haynes is the type of free-thinker that thinks outside of the box before shattering it. When it comes to the school cafeteria, her innovative ideas stretch far beyond mashed potatoes and plastic trays. Haynes wants the students that walk through the cafeteria doors to truly “experience” lunch as well as feel valued.
Haynes has demonstrated that time and time again throughout the school year, as she thoughtfully hand wrote quotes on banana peels, created a make-your-own pizza day, invited community members and a DJ to lunch and created a student-maintained farm-to-table garden in the cafeteria courtyard.
“We have the opportunity to greet every child, every day. We are one of the few who get that opportunity,” Haynes said. “Giving students a delicious food, a hug, and a fun place to be means a lot to the kids and it helps them go back to class more focused because we’ve done our part to fill their bellies.”
This outside the box and kids first thinking is one of the reasons Haynes was named as one of three finalists in the School Nutrition Association’s 2019 Legislative Action Conference Sweepstakes.
“My hope while making this video was to show that school lunch isn’t just about serving food,” Haynes said. “For the ladies that serve breakfast and lunch every day, it’s about loving on the children and making a positive impact.”
Other school nutrition professionals across the country submitted videos describing the benefits of a healthy school lunch, discussing the financial needs of students and asking students about trying a new fruit or vegetable for the first time at school. Out of the submitted videos a panel of judges determined the finalists that best illustrated the ideals of school nutrition.
SNA members will vote from Nov. 26-30 and notify a winner in early December. The winner will be invited to attend the national SNA’s LAC conference in Washington, D.C.
DCPS food services director Lisa Sims said, “She is always looking for ways to make school meals fun, exciting and informative for our students. We are glad to have her as part of our Daviess County management team.”
