Food Days

Food Days will be back for the 2024-2025 school year with Monday, August 26 as the 1st day of service.  Food Days is a fundraising program that offers Bobcat parents the opportunity to order hot lunches through local vendors.  PTO volunteers distribute those lunches to students on a daily basis.  Ordering meals through the Food Days program is optional. It is not required.  It is simply a program that allows parents some options and flexibility in how they manage lunches for their children.  It is also a great way to support the PTO.

The PTO will again be partnering with Lunch Solutions for the 2024-2025 school year.  Lunch Solutions is a company that works directly with schools in organizing and managing their Food Days type programming. 

The following information outline what parents can expect with Food Days 2024-2025.

When to Order

Changes cannot be made to orders once the ordering window has closed.

How to Order

• All Food Days orders will be made through the Braeside Lunch Solutions website which provides detailed instructions for registration and how to place orders.
  • New families need to register with Lunch Solutions and create a family profile on the Lunch Solutions website to place Food Days orders.
  • Returning families will need to update their profile with their student's new teacher assignment.

Meal Costs and Processing Payments

• Individual meals average in price between $7.00 and $8.00.
• All credit card fees are worked in to the final meal price.
• Illinois state sales tax is added to each order.
• Payments for Food Days orders are processed through PayPal on the Lunch Solutions website.
• Parents do not have to have a PayPal account to place orders and can make payments through the system as a PayPal guest.

Preparation and Delivery

• Lunches will be provided by local vendors in the Lunch Solutions network.
• Lunches will be delivered to the school in individual servings labeled with each child's name, grade, teacher and dietary specifications.

Volunteering

• • Volunteers will be screened during each visit to Braeside. The process takes up to 5 minutes, so please plan accordingly. 
  • Each time you volunteer you must bring in your driver's license to check in through the security system.
  • Volunteers are expected to arrive promptly at 11:30 and stay till 12:40.
  • Once you are buzzed into the office the serving sheets will be in a file to the left of the door.  Ms. Arrendondo will highlight the students who are gluten-free.  Please pay close attention to what they are receiving, so they only get what is on their label. 
  • After the food is delivered bring all the bags to the lunchroom, with the exception of 5th grade leave upstairs in the gym.
  • There are two lunch periods.
  • K, 1, and 2 11:50-12:15
  • 3, 4, and 5 12:15-12:40
  • In the cafeteria each grade level has a table for their lunches to be distributed on.  
  • The 2nd/3rd grade table is directly in front of the main entrance to the cafeteria
  • The 1st/4th grade table is in front of the milk cooler
  • The kindergarten grade table is locate in the entrance across from the restroom.
  • 5th grade will eat upstairs in the gym.
  • Once each grade levels bags are in the correct location, serving sheets should be used to cross check all orders.  The sooner we recognize a missing order, the sooner we can have a replacement on the way.
  • If there is a missing order you have two options. Call the vendor directly (a vendor list is located on the wall outside the lunchroom) or contact one of the following three people.
  • Robin Bear (Lunch Solutions): 847-560-6227
  • Allie Davidson: 847-274-3830
  • Lexie Schneider: 847-707-9153
  • All orders should be organized in alphabetic order on the table, so they are easily located.
  • At 12:05 one lunch volunteer should go up to the gym to organize the 5th grade lunches, while the other volunteers begin setting up for the 2nd lunch downstairs.
  • This year lunch volunteers will also be helping with zero waste, the student volunteers (when they start) will do most of the heavy lifting.
  • Please ensure the bins are set up with the correct signs and are placed in the correct
  • order:
  • 1. Compost (green compost bag)
  • 2. Trash (clear bag)
  • 3. Recycling (clear bag)
  • This year there will be two stations in the Character Café. Upon 2nd period lunch (3rd/4th grade) consolidate to one set of bins, closest to students.
  • With hot lunch packaging, every day is different, but the signs should tell you everything you need to know. Please note:
  • 1. If in doubt, throw it out (trash.) No plastic in the compost.
  • 2. Pizza boxes get stacked flat on the floor, and then put in the trash (there’s too many of them to go in the compost bin.)
  • 3. The empty plastic containers must go in the trash because there is food residue in them.
  • Please collect unopened bags of chips and snacks and place them in the cupboard. We donate to the Night Ministry or Moraine Food pantry. We can’t hand out to students.

  Volunteer Guidelines

  1. Parents are welcome to give brief redirections to students who might need reminders to stay in their seats or use a friendly tone of voice.
  2. Any larger concerns about student conduct should be brought to the attention of a lunch supervisor or Mrs. Kahn so that Braeside staff can address the issue.
  3. In order to respect student privacy, please refrain from taking photos of any children during lunch.

Lunch Room Diagram for Set Up

Questions

• For general Food Days programming questions, please reach out to Allie Davidson at alliedavidson21@gmail.com 
• For questions regarding volunteers and volunteering opportunities, please reach out to Lexi Schneider at lexischneider312@gmail.com 
• For questions regarding zero waste, please reach out to Jamie Smith at jamie_n_smith@hotmail.com
• For technical questions pertaining to the Lunch Solutions website including how to register or place and pay for orders, please reach out to Lunch Solutions at lunchsolutions4braeside@gmail.com

Ready to get started?  Click the link below.