Parent Forms & Resources

Parent Forms & Resources

Mission Statement: Providing the resources to nourish student success.

Contact Information
For the latest information, please visit our website at
https://www.martinschools.org/page/food-nutrition-services
Phone: 772-223-2655 ext. 58100,                        Email:
AskFNS@martinschools.org.

National School Breakfast & Lunch Programs
The Martin County School Food & Nutrition Services Department provides breakfast and lunch to students through the federally funded National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs. School meals are required to meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To receive federal reimbursements, school meal programs must offer “reimbursable” meals that meet strict federal nutrition standards. These standards require schools to offer a balance of fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free milk, whole grains and lean protein. Additional information pertaining to the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs can be located at - www.fns.usda.gov.

Menus
Students and families can view the school menus, nutrition data and allergen information on the Nutrislice webpage - www.martinschools.nutrislice.com. The menu is also available on the Nutrislice smartphone app. For those with the Alexa device, install the free Alexa skill “School Menus by Nutrislice” and just ask: “Alexa, open school menus.” and “What’s for lunch?”.

Reimbursable Meals
Breakfast - students are offered at least 4 meal components (protein, fruit, whole grain, and milk). Students are required to take at least 3 of these components -
one component must be a fruit to qualify as a reimbursable meal
Lunch - students are offered at least 5 meal components (protein, fruit, vegetable, whole grains and milk) - one component must be a fruit or vegetable to qualify as a reimbursable meal.

A La Carte/Smart Snacks
Students often need snacks to help them get enough calories (ENERGY) throughout the day. Smart snacking is a great way to meet this need. Smart Snacks  ensure that all foods and beverages available for sale to students are tasty and nutritious. The standards incorporate science-based nutrition guidelines and set limits on the amount of calories, sodium, fat and sugar. For more information regarding smart snacks, please visit the following site. on the amount of calories, sodium, fat and sugar. For more https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/tools-schools-focusing-smart-snacks. Students are permitted to use money from their account to purchase a second entrée/meal as well as Smart Snacks. Parents may restrict their students from purchasing snacks by submitting a written request to the school’s cafeteria manager.

Food Allergies & Menu Modifications
At the start of each new school year
, parents must communicate with the Food & Nutrition Services Department or school cafeteria manager regarding all dietary needs (including food allergies). The cafeteria will provide menu substitutions for students who have a qualifying dietary need that is certified in writing by the student's acting physician. Please have your student’s acting physician complete a Medical Request for Special Dietary Accommodations form. This form can be located on the Food & Nutrition Services webpage or from the school’s cafeteria manager. Once the form is submitted, please allow up to 10 business days for processing. During this time, students must pack meals from home. An alert will be placed on the students account after it is processed listing the food allergy.
All Medical Request for Special Dietary Accommodations forms must be completed annually OR as changes occur.

Wellness Policy
The district’s Wellness Policy supports the mission of the Martin County School District by providing the environment that cultivates maximum student potential. Nutrition and physical activity influence a child’s development, health, well-being, and potential for learning. Please refer to the MCSD Food & Nutrition Services webpage to access the current wellness policy.

Birthday Celebrations
We recognize that birthdays are an important day in a child’s life. Visiting the MCSD Food and Nutrition Department’s web page will allow you to view items that can be ordered when 3 weeks notice is provided to the cafeteria manager. Please visit the Food & Nutrition Services website for more information.

Free and Reduced Meal Applications
As a non-profit participant of the National School Breakfast and Lunch programs, the district must make available free or reduced priced meals to all eligible students. All Florida districts participating in the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs must participate in the State of Florida Direct Certification Process. This Process provides each district with a list of students in their district, who reside in a food stamp-eligible family. These students are automatically certified as eligible for free or reduced priced meals.

A Notice of Direct Certification letter will be sent to the household of listed students who are eligible for direct certification benefits. Parents are permitted to decline this benefit by returning the notification letter to the Food & Nutrition Services (FNS) Department Office indicating a decline of benefits. If a sibling is not listed on the Notice of Direct Certification letter, we ask the parent to please notify the FNS office in order to extend the free or reduced breakfast and lunch benefits to other family siblings. If you do not receive this letter within the first 30 days of school, please fill out the application for free and reduced-price meals at myschoolapps.com.
Please submit only one application per family, listing all Martin County students. Household members who are not attending a school in the Martin County School District should be listed in the household member section of the application. Once an application is submitted, the FNS Department will process it within 10 business days. During this timeframe, please have your student bring money for school meal purchase or pack meals from home.
Parents may apply for free/reduced meals by filling out an application online at
myschoolapps.com or by filling out a paper application. Paper applications can be obtained through the school cafeteria manager or the FNS Office located at 1050 East 10th Street, Building 13, Stuart FL 34996. Free/reduced meal applications are to be submitted every year unless the student is pre-qualified. Previous year’s eligibility status will rollover until a new eligibility is determined or until the first 30 operating days are over, whichever comes first. Applications are accepted any time during the school year. Families whose circumstances have changed during the year (loss of job, birth of child, etc.) may apply or reapply for benefits. Please direct any questions you may have to the cafeteria manager at your school or the FNS Office by calling 772-223-2655 ext. 58100.

Meal Payment and Charges
The cafeteria is on a computerized system for accounting. Parents may deposit money, view purchases and make online payments by accessing their child’s account at www.myschoolbucks.com. Deposits and payments may also be made in the cafeteria. Parents may deposit any amount of money into their child’s account to purchase food items. It is the parent and student’s responsibility to keep meal account balances positive. We encourage parents to periodically check their student’s account to make certain the student is current. The student is also able to see the remaining balance after each purchase made in the cafeteria.

Meal Charging:
Elementary students are allowed to charge up to two (2) days’ worth of meals (two breakfasts and two lunches). After the 2nd day, the student will receive an alternate meal. Parents will be contacted, by phone, after their child has charged one meal. If the charges are not paid, an alternate reimbursable meal will be provided to the student. Students will not be permitted to charge a la carte items.
Middle and High school students are allowed to charge up to one (1) days’ worth of meals (one breakfast and one lunch). After the first day, the student will receive an alternate meal. Parents of the students who charge will be contacted, by phone, after their child has charged one meal to bring money in for the student or to pack a meal for the child. If the charges are not paid, and the student wants a meal, an alternate reimbursable meal will be provided to the student. Students will not be permitted to charge a la carte items.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online, at https://www. ascr.usda.gov/sites/default/files/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint- Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

email:
Program.Intake@usda.gov

 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

05/30/2023