(photo: Honolulu Weekly)I volunteer at the local elementary school three days a week. There are times that I'll walk the kids down for lunch since I'm leaving anyway. The first time I did, I stood there amazed! It was like I had been transported back to the 1950's!
It's a REAL school cafeteria! There are REAL cooks. There is REAL food. There are actually older kids working in the cafeteria! The food ISN'T made in some "central kitchen" then trucked over. You can actually TALK to the cooks. There are REAL aromas coming from that kitchen!
The whole process is pretty much like it was when I was in school. Walk in (after cleaning your hands) take a paper tray (no more plastic trays), then move down the line while REAL people, scoop up your REAL food and put it on your tray. Then you move on to the cashier, then out into a real lunch room! It's not outside, but INSIDE.
When I worked...for the staff to buy a school lunch was a last resort. Not here! They even offer teachers/staff lunch cards so they could eat there everyday if they wanted to! At Waialua Elementary there is a program for parents to come several times a year to have lunch with their students. That's really how good it is! Because Waialua is a Title 1 school, breakfast is even offered to students...again REAL pancakes, etc!
A couple of weeks ago a local newspaper did an article on school lunches. I realized then that at most schools in Hawai'i a REAL school lunch is normal!
1 comment:
yum!
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