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Camas nutrition director outlines menu changes, participation gains and student-engagement programs
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Summary
District nutrition staff and Chartwells presented a year-to-date update showing increased meal participation, menu changes toward less processed food, and student-engagement programs such as fine dining, Discovery Kitchen and Mood Boost.
The Camas School District received a nutrition services update from its contracted operator, Chartwells, which described menu changes, student-engagement programs and modest increases in meal participation.
The nut graf: District nutrition leaders said they have moved toward whole-muscle meats and less processed food, introduced a six-week menu rotation and piloted engagement programs designed to boost participation and nutrition education — steps they said helped increase lunch participation districtwide.
The presenter, identified in the record as the district nutrition lead working with Chartwells, said the district served almost 70,000 breakfasts and just under 400,000 lunches between the school-year start and April. She said the district adopted a six-week menu cycle, introduced Global Eats items (for example, teriyaki chicken noodle bowls and butter chicken at Liberty High School), and emphasized visual presentation and sampling to encourage students to try new dishes.
Chartwells staff described student-focused programs: Discovery Kitchen (in-school sampling and education), fine dining (etiquette and plated events that expose students to varied foods), and Mood Boost (elementary-level lessons linking food to mood). The presenter said Shauna and Bridal — two site leads at Sky Ridge and elementary schools — had near-decade tenures and played major roles in execution.
Participation and sales figures: the presenter said Chartwells recorded a 7.2% increase in combined meal sales last year, and a 1.2% increase year-to-date through April. Lunch participation rose from roughly 34% to 37% last year and to about 39% this year. Breakfast participation was described as roughly unchanged and remains a challenge because of students' arrival patterns.
Ending: District leaders asked how to involve Cascadia Tech and other students in nutrition programming; Chartwells staff said conversations are underway with ESD 112 and partners to create potential student employment and engagement pathways. No formal board action was taken on the report.
