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Tewksbury recognizes food‑service staff and the Junior Kitchen Explorer program; district reports small upticks in lunch participation

Tewksbury School Committee · March 19, 2026

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Summary

The committee honored custodial and food‑service teams and heard about the Junior Kitchen Explorer program for kindergarten and first graders; staff said the interactive kitchen visits led to small increases in school lunch participation and the district will explore expanding the program.

At the March 18 meeting the Tewksbury School Committee publicly recognized maintenance and Food & Nutrition Services staff and invited kitchen staff and participating students forward to show a short video and receive a proclamation. Food‑service staff described the Junior Kitchen Explorer program at Heath Brook (K) and Dewing (1) — an interactive, five‑station behind‑the‑scenes program run with an operations manager and kitchen managers in which small groups of students rotate through handwashing, food safety, meal prep and nutrition activities.

Staff reported that the program was part of a classroom‑linked literacy week and that lunch participation has increased slightly after the visits. "Some kids are really nervous, especially the little kids. We have found actually that our lunch counts are up slightly, and we don't know why, but we're going to say it's because they came to the kitchen," one of the food‑service presenters said during the meeting.

The board read a recognition proclamation applauding the food and nutrition services staff for student wellness and culinary literacy work and invited participating students and staff to photos. Administration said materials and photos would be posted and the committee applauded the program and recommended exploring expansion next year.

Ending: The superintendent’s report also highlighted the district wellness fair on March 10 and several community partnership opportunities, including a donated pickleball clinic and equipment for middle‑school PE on April 16.