Seamless Summer recognized in September BOE meeting
Uncategorized September 18, 2022
EAST ELLIJAY, Ga. – Fighting childhood hunger, the Seamless Summer program is a Nutrition Department program of the Board of Education looking to extend the school lunch program through June and July. This month, the Board of Education recognize the programs completion of its 2022 operations.
Patricia Partin, Director of School Nutrition, spoke in the September work session for the board, reporting this year saw 25,253 total meals served to just students during June and July. With 8,505 breakfasts in June and 4,221 breakfasts in July and 8,263 lunches in June and 4,264 lunches in July, the program has risen again to this summer as the program also opened a new site. Partin said that July’s numbers are smaller as they only served two weeks in July.
Serving through the Bobcat Cafe mobile site stationed on Dalton Street, Gilmer High School, Tower Road, Ellijay’s 1st United Methodist Church, the Boys & Girls Club, Mulberry Apartments, Gilmer Health Department, and the new location at Sunlight Baptist Church, these 25,000 meals joined volunteers and staff reaching out to students even when out of school. Partin said the eight locations served all new groups of students this year as they were able to work with there partners and move the Bobcat into a permanent location.
Additionally, staff and volunteers made week long STEM camps for the students as well.
Those volunteers were represented and recognized in the work session with thank you certificates from the school system. Partin said, “With countless hours of servant hearts, you could see all the happy, very satisfying, and sweet faces in the pictures.”
Working alongside these locations and their volunteers is what makes Seamless Summer possible. Partin went on to say, “It was truly a blessing to be part of the community, and what an amazing community we have.”
School Nutrition changes coming this summer
News May 22, 2022
EAST ELLIJAY, Ga. – Gilmer Schools will be seeing a major federal program end this summer for the Nutrition Department as many changes are beginning to show in the department. Not all will be in the federal space though as Seamless Summer will be kicking off on June 6 and lasting until July 22.
In addition to the news of the school nutrition department not getting a bid renewal from US Foods, current indications from the Federal Government have the school system preparing to also not continue the COVID outbreak response that allowed free lunches for all. Instead, it was stated this week that Gilmer Schools will likely return to the standard National School Lunch Program and Provision 2 for Breakfast.
This means that those applying for free and reduced lunches will need to refill those forms out for next year. The school system encouraged all parents to fill out those forms during the free meals for all as the state was still keeping track of them. Continuing in the same efforts, the Nutrition Department is returning to the same message as last year, encouraging all parents to fill out the free/reduced lunch forms. This year, they will be processed and return to normal operation of the program unless something changes over the summer.
Locations, times, and more information for the Gilmer Schools’ Seamless Summer program.
Schools are also preparing for the summer itself as a new location has been added to the Seamless Summer Program. With eight total locations this year, Seamless Summer sites include Gilmer High School, Tower Road, the Boys and Girls Club, the Gilmer County Health Department, Ellijay’s First United Methodist Church, Mulberry Apartments, Sunlight Baptist Church, and the Bobcat Café Mobile Site will run on Dalton Street. All sites will run lunch around noon with the specific site’s times listed in the photo to the right.
In addition to the Seamless Summer, the school system is adding a Summer STEM Camp Monday June 27 through Thursday June 30, 2022, at Ellijay Elementary School. The Stem Camp will also be running at each Seamless Summer Programs at different times throughout the program, but the June 27 Ellijay Elementary School location is open to all students between Kindergarten and 5th Grade. It will also operate longer as it goes daily from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
The school nutrition department could be seeing more changes in operations as they continue handling challenges with food distributors, but nothing was said about canceling the summer programs due to food. Instead, Director Partin encouraged students to visit the locations and said that these locations were strategically located, including the additional location, to maximize access for students in the county.
Food shortages come to Gilmer Schools nutrition department
News May 17, 2022
EAST ELLIJAY, Ga. – “I’ve never been asked ‘Do we need a refrigerated truck,'” said Gilmer Schools Superintendent Dr. Brian Ridley, “We might need one.” These comments were in response to a growing issue in food and nutrition for the school system.
US Foods did not renew a food bid even after Gilmer revised the bid requests in April according to School Nutrition Director Patricia Partin who spoke on the issue during the Board of Education’s May work session this week. She said that many issues are facing Georgia schools and Gilmer is not alone in this issue. In fact, she noted over a dozen other counties are also without the bid.
Challenges of distribution centers, transportation, shortage of labor, and other issues are causing the problems that the board is facing. Partin responded to the issue saying, “No matter, guys, we will feed our students.”
Partin asserted that if she had to go out herself to find places for the schools to purchase food, she would. Partin said that she has even met with Senator Raphael Warnock’s office to discuss the issue and have further meetings with the state officials. She also noted that she has been working alongside Fannin and Pickens to share information and find a solution.
Clarifying further, Dr. Ridley said that the base of the issue is that the school system is having trouble finding a distributor to sell to them as most find it easier and more profitable to sell to businesses like restaurants. School systems closer to distribution hubs are having less issue, but for counties at a further distance, the problem becomes more severe.
One of the possible solutions involves larger orders that are ordered less often. Superintendent Ridley stated, “We’re going to be probably storing more food than we ever have.”
Another possible solution would see Gilmer purchasing a refrigerated truck and hiring a driver. As quoted, Dr. Ridley said any possible solution is being investigated at this point. He said, “For us, this is an all-hands=on=deck problem and it’s something we’re having to address.”
Solution discussions are going from simple answers like purchasing a truck to incorporating the Highway 515 counties as a single group order. The issue is not only affecting the bid renewal, but orders are coming in short as well. An issue that the nutrition department has handled and worked around as it hasn’t been a crippling issue until now.
Waters claims “cleanest kitchens in Gilmer” as Schools score 100 on health inspections
Bobcat's Corner, News November 5, 2020
ELLIJAY, Ga. – Gilmer Schools’ Nutrition Program is celebrating this week with the final two inspections and school cafeteria’s health scores being reported.
According to Gilmer Schools Nutrition Director Linda Waters, both Clear Creek Elementary School (CCES) and Clear Creek Middle School (CCMS) were the two final inspections as she reported this week that every school in the county has made a 100 on their health scores.
With some pointing to this as a more important report than ever before due to the virus and pandemic, a perfect 100 health score seems to relay more peace of mind than it has before as scores show grades on everything from food safety and contamination to personal health and cleanliness.
Waters said, “I am so very proud of all of our staff who work hard to maintain the highest level of sanitation in our kitchens! As I have said before, we have the cleanest kitchens in Gilmer County.”
However, this achievement is not something that has been focused on since the pandemic. Gilmer Schools has achieved this for two years now. Waters said the schools scored 100 in all schools since the winter semester of 2019. FYN also reported in March 2019 those perfect scores. Before that, Waters said that in 2018 the school system saw inspection scores at 100 on all but two schools that received a 99.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s website, these schools have been inspected twice a year, once in the fall semester, and once in the winter/spring semester in the new year. Their website also has the full details on the rules and regulations used in their inspections for food service where you can search for the schools and see their inspection history.
Gilmer Schools returns to free meals with USDA funding
News September 7, 2020
EAST ELLIJAY, Ga. – Gilmer County Charter Schools has stated today that they will begin offering free meals of both lunches and breakfasts to all students attending classes in person on Gilmer campuses.
According to their statement, “Effective Tuesday, September 8,2020 all Gilmer County Schools will begin serving free breakfast and lunch meals to all students attending in person classes.” This does not rely on applications or normal free and reduced lunches with the school’s normal program.
Gilmer Schools has operated for years in programs like “Seamless Summer,” pictured here, where they provide meals to students during the summer. Other programs like “Seamless Lunches” have branched off of the same idea due to needs arising, especially since the COVID-19 outbreak this year.
System administration said today that the USDA is the source of funding for lunches for the remainder of this semester only. Gilmer Schools has already moved to free breakfasts in the past in efforts to increase participation. They also provided lunches through bus routes in March, earlier this year, for students as a part of a “Seamless Lunches” program feeding kids during the school year. The school year was cut off due to COVID-19 outbreak. That program fed students as they adapted to classes at home and “distance learning” under quarantines as the outbreak first spread.
Today, the new program is set to continue free meals until December 31, 2020. The school system said, “This will allow the school nutrition program to serve nutritious meals to all students who attend in person classes, at no cost to families. Students who purchased a school lunch September 1-4, 2020 will be issued a credit on their meal accounts.”
The program ends over the break between semesters and usual meal prices will resume in January, 2021.
Administration said they “strongly encourage families to complete an application for free and reduced meals” before then.
Lunch price for elementary and middle school students is $2.15 and $2.30 for high school students. Reduced price lunches are $.40 for all grade levels.
Along with the information they gave, GCCS said, “We understand that these are trying times for everyone and are hoping this will relieve some of the financial hardship that is being felt by many in our community. If you have any questions, please contact the School Nutrition Office at (706) 276-5000.”
Seamless Summer officially begins in Gilmer
News May 28, 2020
GILMER COUNTY, Ga. – Bringing and official end to the Seamless Feeding Program with Memorial Day, Gilmer Schools have officially transferred this week into their Seamless Summer Program.
But this is more than just a name change on what the schools have already done, the Seamless Summer has many differences as the school system transitions into the normal summer cycle. The first and biggest difference will be delivery. Adapting to the needs of the county, the school system has run bus routes normally through the county during school to deliver work packets, food, and a second meal each day during the school year. Now, according to Gilmer Schools, the big purple bus (seen above) will be visiting site the way previous summer programs have held.
“The big purple bus will depart Mountain View Elementary to begin delivering meals… at approximately 11:00 A.M. Monday-Thursday each week this summer,” said the system’s social media post. The locations include:
-Gilmer County Health Department
-Boys and Girls Club
-Mulberry Street Apartments
-Ellijay 1st United Methodist Church
-Tower Road
-Carolyn Drive
Additionally, One change from Seamless Summer’s normal operation has lifted restrictions for on site consumption, meals do not have to be consumed onsite. This is also allowing Thursdays will be different as Lunch and Breakfast for the next day will be served. This means children will receive double meals to save for Friday. As per their usual program, any child 18 and under may receive meals.
This week saw Memorial Day as a holiday, but through Tuesday and Wednesday, Nutrition Director Linda Waters said the department has delivered 270 breakfasts and lunches to their sites and are now preparing for next week to bring on the Boys and Girls Club listed in their locations. Today, they are looking at double to cover Friday, meaning a delivery of 540 meals for lunch time.
The Nutrition Department goes through their numbers daily as they look to respond and adjust on a weekly basis to the county’s needs. For example, adjusting to incorporate the Boys and Girls Club next week, or adding in athletics summer programs beginning in early June when the add another 20 breakfasts for athletes and then 60 lunches as small groups practice with coaches throughout the day.
Waters said, “We will make it work.” She said she has had a great staff and has proven that as they adjusted to the needs during the COVID-19 outbreak and quarantines and they will adjust and adapt again to the developing needs.
In fact, the only thing holding the program back at this moment, said Waters, is a rising need for volunteers. Some sites are still very undermanned. But more than that, Waters said that right now, restrictions and regulations are setting boundaries for now, but what the program can grow into is all dependent upon the community. Normally, the Seamless Summer Program has daily events, reading with the children, playing, and other activities. Whether the program can return to that by summer’s end depends a little on state guidelines, but more on community volunteers who step up to lead and help with those activities. To reach that goal later, they still need those to answer the call now to receive and handout food at the current locations.
While the Nutrition Department is already preparing and planning for school in the fall and waiting to hear from State and County Boards of Education on how to proceed, they are continuing to juggle in the Seamless Summer Program and working towards making it a success in the eyes of the community.
Seamless feeding set to transition to Seamless Summer in May
News April 29, 2020
EAST ELLIJAY, Ga. – Superintendent Dr. Shanna Downs took a few moments to correct some confusion among the community this week addressing the Seamless Feeding program.
The current bus routes and Seamless Feeding Program will continue through May 22, originally scheduled as the last day of school, according to Downs.
She went on to say, “After May 22, normally, post-planning, we do not do meals. However, given to the current situation, I’ve asked Ms. Waters to just immediately transition into the Summer Feeding Program.”
Also due to the current situation, this year’s summer program will be drastically different. Maintaining the social distancing orders, there will not be the same level of engagement possible as usual. Dr. Downs said that this year, volunteers will not be staying for hours as they have normally done activities like reading, coloring, or playing games among others.
This year, the program will only have four sites with the food coming from the Mountain View cafeteria. Those deliveries will occur very similar to how the feeding program is going now, bringing the meals and passing them out while maintaining distancing orders. They will then leave the sites shortly after. Downs said that while the program may have lasted from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. most days, these sites will likely be closer to 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
These sites will include Tower Road, Mulberry Street, the Gilmer Health Department, and Ellijay First United Methodist Church.
The school system is still concerned with finding volunteers to help and trying to fill gaps with some administrative staff where possible.
The program will see a gap on Memorial Day, but will continue on May 26 as normal.
“I Heart Ga Milk” day at EES
Bobcat's Corner February 17, 2020
Misty Friedman, Farm to School Nutrition Coordination for the Georgia Department of Agriculture, plays with Georgie’s, Georgia Grown’s mascot, ear at the I Heart Ga Milk Day at EES on February 14, 2020.
ELLIJAY, Ga. – Gilmer Schools saw a special Friday as they celebrated the I Heart Ga Milk Day at Ellijay Elementary School with guests from the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
The event was hosted in Gilmer County as part of the state’s Georgia Grown “Feed My School” program from the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Gilmer Schools’ Nutrition Director Linda Waters helped make the program possible along with staff and faculty of Ellijay Elementary and also hosted Misty Friedman, Farm to School/Nutrition Coordination for the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
Friedman commented on the event saying, “My job is to bring more Georgia foods to our Georgia students. And events like this just puts us on the front lines of all the great work that’s being done to support our Georgia Farmers and to really teach our kids where their food comes from.”
The celebration lasted through breakfast, serving hot chocolate milk with marshmallows early that morning and saw the staff wearing their I Heart Ga Milk t-shirts while Georgie the Georgia Grown mascot and the Chick-fil-A Cow mascot hung out with the kids. Staff handed out pencils and educational materials about “the benefits of milk.”
Friedman went on to say, “I love coming out and visiting with the schools and seeing the kids enjoy, literally, the fruits of the labor of our Georgia Farmers.”
See more photos at FYN’s Facebook Page.
