Food Services Letter

Greetings to our SU communities:

Serving the WSESU community is by far the most rewarding chapter of my professional career. Over the past three decades, I have worked across a wide variety of locations and food service models, but rarely have I felt as honored to come to work each day. Providing delicious, nutritious meals to our students, teachers, and staff is a privilege I cherish dearly. We have an extraordinary team in place, and I look forward to collaborating with them for many years ahead.

We continue to make remarkable progress with our food program. Guided by our core goals, our primary focus remains on:

1. Nourishing student health and wellness by emphasizing local ingredients, scratch-cooked recipes, and wholesome foods, while actively reducing menu sugars and minimizing single-use plastics in our kitchens.
2. Serving nutritious meals students love by establishing student food committees to ensure our youth have a direct voice in our food service program.
3. Maintaining a financially sustainable program by building on last year's financial stability while constantly seeking new ways to support and feed our wider community.

We have so much to celebrate this year. In just 8 weeks, our dedicated Food Team served nearly 40,000 meals to our community through our Summer Meals Program! Additionally, we secured full funding for the Fresh Fruits & Veggies Program for the 2026–2027 academic year. This national initiative offers fresh produce for students to enjoy between meal periods, introducing them to novel options such as Vermont-grown heirloom apples, pears, mini peppers, and mandarin oranges.

Our dedication to local sourcing and scratch preparation grows stronger every day. Over 25% of the items served originated locally right here in Vermont - with Vermont apples, beef, and maple syrup taking center stage across our lunch menus. By prioritizing local purchases, we deliver wholesome food to our students while investing directly in our regional agricultural economy.

Since day one, my mission has been to foster a culture of personal growth and shared ownership within our team. This environment empowers staff members to act independently and make confident decisions based on their own expertise. Growth naturally stems from hands-on experience, and the entire program benefits as our team expands its skill set.

We welcome community collaboration, as this food program belongs to all of us! We value your insights and feedback on how we can better reach our objectives. If you have thoughts, questions, or ideas, please reach out to me directly at ian.rose@wsesu.net. Feeding our students is a privilege we deeply appreciate, and on behalf of our entire team, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your ongoing support and partnership.