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Surviving My First Year

Learn essential tips on building relationships, managing commodities, tracking production records, and understanding financials in your school nutrition program. Practical advice from a seasoned director for a successful start.

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Surviving My First Year

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  1. Surviving My First Year By: Lauren Collins, Child Nutrition Director Bismarck School District

  2. --A Little About Me-- • 32 years old, married for 12 years, 2 children • Graduated from Bismarck High School • Attended Henderson State University • Hired at Bismarck as the CND in November of 2014 • Hobbies: SOFTBALL MOM!

  3. --About My Program-- • District Enrollment: 997 • 3 schools, 2 serving sites • 395- Elementary (Pre-K-4) • 302- Middle (5-8) • 300- High (9-12) • Programs: • Breakfast • Grab & Go • Lunch • Afterschool Snack • Percentages: 63.41% Free/Reduced • Participation: 30% Breakfast, 64% Lunch • Staff: • High School Café • 3 Full Time Cooks • 1 Part Time Cook • CND/Manager • Elem/MS Café • 4 Full Time Cooks • 1 Part Time Cook • Working Manager • Food Service Secretary

  4. 1.) Foster Good Relationships • Staff- • A happy staff is a productive staff • Utilize your staff’s knowledge • Administrators- Having a respectful and honest relationship with your superintendent is the best thing you can do starting off. Having your building principals in your corner is nice as well ;) • Teachers/Faculty- While your program is a CHILD nutrition program, there’s no reason not to build healthy relationships with teachers and faculty. Guess what? They need to eat, too. Make them feel wanted and special in your cafeteria, just like you do for your kids. They’ll come back! • ADE-CNU- They are NOT your enemy. They are there to help you. Use them! • Other Directors- Manager and Director Training---NETWORK! They have on hands experience and knowledge.

  5. 2.) Use Your Commodities Wisely • Don’t let that money go to waste. • Meats, canned fruits, and veggies $$ • Transfer funds for fresh produce • Don’t let commodities sit in your freezer/pantry • Don’t order product you aren’t going to use • Be smart…plan ahead • Think outside the box • Find new and inventive ways to use your product. • Attend an Annual Commodities Meeting • Updates on what will become available • How to use the website so its beneficial to you.

  6. 3.) Production Records • Become best friends with your Food Buying Guide • Use examples provided at trainings. • Don’t get discouraged, it gets easier. Do it EVERY DAY! • These are so important to your program, for several reasons. Use them! Don’t fill them out and put them in a file, never to be seen again.

  7. 4.) Financials • Don’t be in the dark about your program. • Get to know your bookkeeper and/or Accounts Payable • Ask for reports • Budget- understand what you are looking at.

  8. “ • Rome wasn’t built in one day, and you are not going to learn everything in one day, one week, or even your first year. Its an ongoing LEARNING process. • Prioritize and Plan- There will be numerous things you will want to change and/or implement. What’s your end game or the “big picture” you have for your program? Take small steps towards it, and re-evaluate your program to see where you are at. • Don’t get overwhelmed. --THANK YOU--

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