Dining

Every day students have a choice of multiple hot or cold main dish options that include vegetarian and gluten-free options. Student can choose from the hot entrée line (served with hot vegetables and sides), the sandwich bar, the full salad bar, or soup. There will be a variety of options to supplement their meal including fresh fruit, yogurt, and a choice of milk, 100% fruit juice or a daily fruit-infused water.

We have several students with special dietary needs, including food allergies or sensitivities, who enjoy lunch at St. Mark's every day. We work with the child and family to prepare plates that meet their dietary needs. Chef Sergio and Nurse Beckmann partner together with the Flik regional dietitian to ensure plates are healthy for all children and appropriate for those with specific needs. Every day, we serve vegetarian, dairy, and gluten free options on the menu. In addition to the posted allergy board, all foods are labeled, and staff is available throughout lunch to answer any questions the students may have.

We know that telling students about the importance of nutrition will not always translate into the selections they make during lunch. Instead, we must demonstrate that eating nutritious foods can also be fun, creative, and delicious. 

We'll have monthly tastings, which take place in the classrooms and empower students to try new foods at their own pace. They have the opportunity to sample unfamiliar foods in small bites, rate them, and let Chef Sergio know if they would like to see them on upcoming menus. In this way, they are helping build the dining program they want to see.

As part of our desire to educate the whole child, we’d like to introduce our students to other tastes and help them make wise choices. If you are concerned about the offerings, feel free to pack your child some of their favorites, or speak with Chef Sergio to see if some of the items can be added to the menu.

On the first day of school, students will go through the serving area and choose their meals. Appropriate signage will be on each station, and additional teachers will be available in case questions arise.

Desserts are served every Friday. Fresh fruits are available every day.

We serve white, multigrain, whole wheat, honey wheat berry, gluten free and wraps at the deli every day.

We serve whole milk, 1%, and 2% milk every day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we serve fat free chocolate milk and regular chocolate milk.

We only serve milk sourced from cows that are certified to be free of the artificial growth hormones rBGH/rBST.

Students may also choose to drink water, milk, or fruit-infused water.

Apple juice and orange juice are available daily. All juices are 100% fruit juice. Students may also choose to drink water, milk, or fruit-infused water.

We serve a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables available every day, with local and organic options available when reasonable.

Menus are planned in one-month increments. We only repeat items that are very popular with our students. View the menu online!

In addition, we have a Menu Review Committee, made up of faculty members across the grade levels. They will share student feedback and help influence menu decisions based on their knowledge of their students. Questions about who is on the committee or their work? Contact Eve Grubb, Director of Operations.

Parents are welcome to join their children occasionally at lunch at a cost of $10/day. The parent must sign in at the Front Office and pick up a visitor’s badge or wear their provided identification badge. There is a sign up sheet in the cafeteria where you can leave your name when you dine with your child. Your student account will be charged $10 for each meal you share with your child.

Although all Pre-K through 8th grade students are required to participate in the our dining program, students may bring lunch from home if they prefer to do so. No discounts or refunds for dining services are available. Good nutritional habits, including limited sugar intake, are strongly encouraged. We request that children not leave the campus at lunchtime. Students may not order food to be delivered to school by any restaurant or food delivery service.

We're so glad you asked! Check out the Food for Thought archive to find more information about this month's events and programs.

After establishing our Food Philosophy, we partnered with Flik Dining, because their standards align so closely with our policy.

We believe in serving:

• Foods prepared from whole, fresh ingredients, limiting the use of processed foods and avoiding ingredients containing artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.
• Food prepared with the limited use of fats, using olive oil and non-hydrogenated canola oil to reduce the saturated fat content in items.
• Soups made from scratch daily.
• A variety of fresh fruits and vegetables available every day with local and organic options available.
• A salad bar with fresh items prepared on site, including house-made dressings.
• Whole grains available on the salad bar daily.
• A deli that offers a variety of proteins including turkey roasted in-house.
• Whole grain breads available at the deli every day.
• Turkey and chicken produced with the restricted use of antibiotics.
• Only cage-free eggs to prepare foods.
• Milk sourced from cows that are certified to be free of the artificial growth hormones rBGH/rBST.
• Substitutions and accommodations for individuals with dietary restrictions when necessary.

If you feel that having your child eat on the dining plan is detrimental to his/her health, please have your child’s pediatrician send a letter to Eve Grubb outlining his/her special needs. If we don’t feel confident that we can meet those needs, we will opt out of dining services for your child.

Questions about our dining program? Contact Director of Operations, Eve Grubb.