Food Service
Welcome to the Kitchen!
Here at Cary School District 26 we participate in the National School Lunch Program which is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and private non-profit schools.
I would like to welcome everyone by introducing myself. My name is Diane Verner and I am the Food Service Director with Organic Life. I employ a fully trained and certified staff at each of our four schools. It is our pleasure to serve your children. If you have any concerns you can reach me at (224) 357-5140 or by e-mail at Diane Verner.
Organic Life
General
We have enhanced our programs by offering additional choices of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Look to our website for new exciting changes to come during the school year: www.organiclifeonline.com
At OrganicLife, we are proud to provide exceptional food services and facilities management for school and corporate cafeterias throughout the greater Chicagoland area. "Organic" is not a catchword used to garner attention; it is the true linguistic representation of our company at both a culinary level and at a business level. We do not believe in the use of artificial additives in our food, and we do not believe in functioning as a business under any artificial pretenses. We stand by an unwavering commitment to excellence in all facets of our company, which is why the word organic is both our product and our name.
We believe that it's never too early to instill good eating habits in our kids, and school lunch is just the place to start. Sick of seeing students eating processed, often times unrecognizable lunches, we aim to focus on all things good-whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and proper balance. We cook the traditional, classic foods, but we make them better-better quality, better tasting, better for you. It may just be school lunch to some, but to us it is the most important hour in a child's daily life.
Menus
Healthy Eating
Healthful Eating For Your Family
Healthful eating is important to you. After all, you want your family to have energy, be healthy, and stay well. You want your family to grow properly. You control your family's food choices more than you think.
Guidelines. . . .
For Your Family's Health! The Dietary Guidelines for Americans can be your family's guide to smart eating and active living. This advice is meant for anyone in your family, ages two and over.
Aim for Fitness. . . .
- Aim for a healthy weight
- Be physically active each day
Build a Healthy Base. . . .
- Let the Pyramid guide your food choices
- Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains
- Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily
- Keep food safe to eat
Choose Sensibly. . . .
- Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat.
- Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars.
- Choose and prepare foods with less salt.
Try This: For more about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, check this website: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov
Provided by Nibbles for Health 1: Nutrition Newsletter for Parents of Young Children, USDA, Food and Nutrition Service.
Free/Reduced Meal Application
Child(ren) need healthy meals to learn. Cary Elementary School District 26 offers healthy meals every school day. Your child(ren) may qualify for free meals or for reduced-price meals. To apply for free or reduced-price meals you may apply online through your Infinite Campus login or use the paper version of the Household Eligibility Application, which is below. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information.
Instructions on how to complete the Meal Benefits Application through Infinite Campus can be found here.
Free and Reduced Lunch Applications for 2024-2025
Solicitudes de almuerzos gratuitos y reducidos para 2024-2025
Drop off:
The District Administration Center mailbox is located outside of Door 10 near the back of Cary Junior High. Please be sure to review your form before dropping off or mailing these documents.
Mailing Address:
Administration Center
2115 Crystal Lake Road, Door 10
Cary, IL 60013
Unpaid Meals
Eligibility and Meal Charge Notification
The following notification is provided at the beginning of each school year as federally required notification regarding eligibility requirements and the application process for the free and reduced-price food services that are listed in Board policy 4:120, Free and Reduced-Price Food Services and 4:140, Waiver of Student Fees. For more information, see www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/unpaidmeal charges, and/or contact the Building Principal or Program Supervisor.
Free and Reduced-Price Food Services Eligibility
When students are unable to pay for their meal services, meal charges will apply per a student’s eligibility category and will be processed by the District accordingly. A student’s eligibility for free and reduced-price food services shall be determined by the income eligibility guidelines, family-size income standards, set annually by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and distributed by the Illinois State Board of Education.
Meal Charges for Meals Provided by the District
The Building Principal and District staff will work jointly to prevent meal charges from accumulating. Every effort to collect all funds due to the District will be made on a regular basis and before the end of the school year. Contact your Building Principal or designee about whether your charges may be carried over at the end of the school year, i.e., beyond June 30th.
Unpaid meal charges are considered delinquent debt when payment is overdue as defined by Board policy 4:45, Insufficient Fund Checks and Debt Recovery. The District will make reasonable efforts to collect charges classified as delinquent debt.
When a student’s funds are low or there is a negative balance, reminders will be provided to the staff, students, and their parent(s)/guardian(s) at regular intervals during the school year. If a parent/guardian regularly fails to provide meal money and does not qualify for free meal benefits, the Building Principal or designee, will direct the next course of action. Continual failure to provide meal money may require the District to notify the Ill. Dept. of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and/or take legal steps to recover the unpaid meal charges.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Infinite Campus Portal
The Portal is a piece of Infinite Campus that gives parents access to information about their child(ren) including lunch account balances and items that were purchased during lunch.
How do I make a credit card payment?
Now that the district has transitioned to Infinite Campus a parent only need to know their Portal account information to make a deposit into their child(ren)'s lunch account. To make a deposit please visit the district Web Store at http://cary.revtrak.net/tek9.asp and click on the icon that is labeled Infinite Campus Portal Log-In. You will be prompted to enter your Portal username and password. Once you have entered your username and password you will be able to make a deposit into your child(ren)'s account.
If I pay online using my credit card, when do funds become available?
When paying by credit card, funds become available immediately. You can verify this by signing into your Portal account and selecting the Account option.
What happens if my student's account runs out of money?
You many send Cash or Check to school with your student or pay via a Credit Card at the district's Webstore. When sending Cash or Check, please make sure all monies are in a sealed envelope clearly marked with your student's First Name, Last Name, and Grade. Make all Checks payable to Cary School District 26. Have your student place any envelopes in the payment box in their school office. If a payment box is not provided in your building, the envelopes should be given to their teachers. All funds received before 9:00AM are placed onto the student's account prior to lunch service.
* If you are sending in monies for more than one student please list their full name, school, and how much you would like placed in each account.
NSF Policy: Please note, there will be a $25.00 fee for all returned checks.
What happens if my student's account has no money and my child forgot to bring in their payment?
The Cary School District 26 NEGATIVE ACCOUNT BALANCE Policy is as follows:
Elementary: Students are allowed to charge lunches to their accounts until their account balance reaches negative $10. If a minimum deposit of $10 is not made into the account, a federally reimbursable meal will be served. The student's account will still be charged for that lunch (students participating in the Free program will not be charged and students receiving reduced price meals will be charged $.40). They will continue to receive one federally reimbursable meal until all outstanding charges (IOUs) are paid in full and the account has a positive balance.
Cary Junior High: Students are allowed to charge lunches to their accounts until their account balance reaches negative $10. If a minimum deposit of $10 is not made into the account, a federally reimbursable meal will be served. The student's account will still be charged for that lunch (students participating in the Free program will not be charged and students receiving reduced price meals will be charged $.40). They will continue to receive a federally reimbursable meal until all outstanding charges (IOUs) are paid in full and the account has a positive balance.
Please note: Second lunches, snack shop, ala carte, and ice cream purchases are not allowed by any student who has a negative balance.
Federally Reimbursable Meal (FRM) includes:
1/2 cup of fruit, 1-2 oz. of grain, 3/4 cup of vegetables, 1-2 oz. of meat/meat alternative, and 8 oz. of milk. At least 3 components of which one must be either fruit or vegetables or 1/2 fruit and 1/2 vegetable can = one component.
How do I know when my child's account is getting low or has a negative balance?
By signing into your Portal account you can view your child(ren)'s account balances and see how they are spending the money. The Organic Life staff also provides Low Balance/Negative Balance reminder notes. Note that some schools have Friday folders and notes come home only on that day. Occasionally a notice and payment will cross in the mail. If this occurs just disregard the notice.
How do I view what my student is purchasing for lunch?
When you sign into your Portal account you will have an Account option for your child(ren). By clicking on that option you will get a month by month break down of what your child(ren) have purchased for the entire school year to date.
What happens if I lose my Infinite Campus login and password?
If you have lost your login or password, please email infinitecampus@cary26.org. This is the fastest way to receive your account information.
Who has a picture ID card?
Kindergarten through Fifth graders have photo ID cards used to access their accounts. All other grades use a five digit pin number to access their accounts.
Can I transfer funds from one sibling to another?
Absolutely. Please send in a written request and it will be taken care of right away.
What happens if I lose or can't remember my student five digit number?
If you have lost your student's five digit number, please call or send a note to your student's school office. To maintain confidentiality the school office cannot provide this information via the phone. It will be sent home with your student or can be mailed to the home address given at registration. Expect the information no sooner than 2 days via student delivery or 5 days via mail delivery.
How do I apply for the Free or Reduced priced meals?
You may pick up an application at the district office or in any school office. They are also available on the district's website. Please return the application to the Cary School District 26 office. You will be notified by mail of the results.
Who do I contact with specific needs, questions, or requests?
Please contact the Food Service Director, Diane Verner by phone at (224) 357-5140 or by e-mail at Diane Verner.
What is the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)?
The NSLP is a voluntary program available to all public schools, private schools, and residential child care institutions which agree to operate a non-profit program offering lunches meeting federal requirements to all children in attendance. Through the NSLP, public and non-profit private schools, preprimary classes in schools, and residential child care institutions receive cash reimbursement for each meal served. Participation in the program is voluntary. The sponsors of the program must:
- Serve meals that meet federal requirements
- Operate a non-profit program
- Offer free or reduced-price meals to eligible children based on household income
- Not identify nor discriminate against any eligible student
- Operate food service for all students without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability
What are the meal nutrition requirements?
School meals must meet federal nutrition requirements and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, but decisions about what foods to serve and how they are prepared are made by school food authorities. Regulations establish a standard for school lunches to provide one-third of the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) of protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, and calcium. In addition, an adequate amount of calories must be provided for students. Schools' compliance with both the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the RDA's guidelines are measured over a school week's menu.
Offer versus Serve for Lunch
Students must be offered all five required food items:
One serving each of:
Meat/Meat Alternate
Milk (1)
Grains/Breads
And ½ cup of: Vegetable and/or Fruit
The serving sizes must equal the minimum required quantities by age or grade group. The lunch must be priced and sold as a unit. Students have the option to decide which food item(s) to decline.