At Northside, the traditional school cafeteria has joined blackboards and film strips in the realm of outdated school practices.
Starting this school year, Northside students are heading to the "N-zone Café" at their schools for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, as well as student-friendly nutrition education and increased customer service. Signs with the new name and logo have been posted in school cafeterias throughout the District.
"We wanted to give it a fresh, hip and welcoming look to pique the interest of students and parents and to increase participation and customer satisfaction," said John Thomas, Director of the Child Nutrition Department. "Cafeterias have changed quite a bit over the years and we want to reflect that change."
In the elementary schools, Child Nutrition staff members are hoping students go bananas over the N-zone Café mascot: a smiling monkey named Northside Nic.
Northside Nic will assist with nutrition education via "Nic Notes," which are tips on healthy eating that are printed in the 2007-08 elementary school menu. Meals served in all N-Zone cafes meet or exceed federal and state nutrition standards and are planned with the customers in mind.
"Our goal is to provide well-planned and nutritious meals that taste good," says Thomas, "because we want all our students to eat healthy foods. Students who are well fed and eat nutritious meals are more apt to be successful in school."
A number of other updates have also been made to improve customer service, Thomas said.
In the high school N-zone Cafés, there are now three themed lines:
- the Xpress Zone, which features grab and go food like burgers and salads;
- the Xtra Zone, which has snack bar and other a la carte items; and then
- the traditional hot food line, named after the mascot for each high school (the Rams Zone, for example).
In the middle school, there will no longer be a separate line for a la carte items; now, all lines will offer the same fare.
In addition, Child Nutrition is installing new touch-screen cash registers, that will allow staff to quickly process students that will result in shorter lines and more efficient service, Thomas said.
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