I have to admit that Fall is my favorite time of year. It arrived yesterday afternoon, and just like that, the temperature dropped. In September, we celebrate many things that play a role in our profession including Food Safety Education Month, Hispanic Heritage Month and National Fruits and Veggies Month. I'm proud to say that you walk the talk and promote healthy meals in a way that celebrates and connects students to each of these areas. Just when I think I've seen the best promotion ever, you come up with an even better one! Thank you for working together to create a fun dining atmosphere for our students and encouraging them to try new things. I've added a new Digital Resources section to this newsletter with even more ideas you can use. Keeping hungry students nourished is necessary for learning to take place in the classroom. Just take a look at the Fun Facts below to get an idea of how many children you reach and the size and scope of our operation. You are, indeed, the greatest school nutrition team on the planet!

With gratitude,

Kathy

Managing information is hard. We are bombarded daily with texts, email, social media feeds, phone calls and more at work and at home. If you've requested a work order, supplies, IT support or custodial help, etc. and have not received a response, a follow up is in order. We often mistakenly think that if we don't hear back, our request is not important and no one intends to do anything. This instinct is almost always wrong. Not responding doesn’t mean someone is ghosting you. It’s important to keep this in perspective. People are often juggling a series of important responsibilities. Don't wait, focus on getting the problem solved with gentle reminders. Set aside Fridays to follow up on issues by touching base with the person you requested something from and ask for a status update. I keep a "Follow Up" list using google tasks on my email screen to keep track of things I'm waiting for a response to. Always keep your projects moving forward and work toward the solution. Let's do this!

Any permanent employee (including substitutes) interested in any of these positions can apply by emailing a brief letter of interest to Kathy Kane, Director at kkane@valpo.k12.in.us.

Non-employees can apply by completing an online application as an External Applicant here: https://www.applitrack.com/valpo/onlineapp/

FS Tech, Cooks Corners, 5.5 hours

FS Tech, Parkview, 4.5 hours

FS Tech, BF, 4.5 hours

FS Tech, TJM, 4 hours

FS Tech, VHS, 6 hours

FS Tech, Flint Lake, 4 hours

Past issues of Friday Focus are posted on our department website on the Staff Training page here:

https://www.valpo.k12.in.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1221036&type=d&pREC_ID=1455849