It’s always a good day to be a Bulldog. Wednesday, it was an exceptional day to be a Bulldog nutrition champion. Laura Goemaat, the District’s food service manager was formally awarded the Illinois State Board of Education’s School Nutrition Champion. Back in July, she was notified of her win and Wednesday, representatives from the ISBE, Greater Wabash Food Council, Goemaat’s family, and school leadership gathered to celebrate the achievement.
Read more at Goemaat Named ISBE School Nutrition Champion – WRUL-FM
Unit 5 Superintendent Jarrod Newell was first to sing her praises.
Mrs. Goemaat is a humble servant and she loves kids. She loves her co-workers and serving this community. Over the past several years, she’s been instrumental in our food services program. She’s helped us become a school where our kids can be CEP and have free lunches. She’s worked with the Greater Wabash Food Council to do the Farm to School program. She works tirelessly with our district kitchen staff to make sure that they provide and have access to recipes and food options and coordinates everything that goes on. She leads with truth and grace and love in all things that she does and we’re super proud of her.
Timothy Murphy, Principal Consultant with the Nutrition Department of the ISBE, says you have to get the processes and regulations right, but the award is about going above and beyond and encouraging others to see that success and implement it across the state.
It’s those little extra things. Celebrating holidays or doing themes or special best practices. That’s our goal. To get these best practices and share them with other schools so you’ll inspire them and hopefully inspire people across the state.
Goemaat says cafeteria staff bought in quickly and say it’s been enjoyable.
It makes it fun because when you have a plain menu…we like to get fancy with it here and there. And Laura has been really good about pushing us to go outside of our comfort zone.
Goemaat took on an expanded role this past school year by serving as the farm to school coordinator heading up organization of the Harvest of the Month program, coordinating taste tests, and leading local food procurement efforts across multiple school districts in the region. She’s also leading a plan to freeze local vegetable soup ingredients to be used in the winter when fresh, locally sourced produce is limited. She says, for her, it all comes back to community.
It’s kind of overwhelming really. I know Trish [Bellmore] from the Greater Wabash Food Council nominated me, but she invited me on board last year and started me with some resources and it took off. It’s really awesome. All my cooks jumped right on board; there was no pushback. They were having fun with Harvest of the Month. So to me, it means community in the school district.
Wednesday was a good example of community in the school district on two fronts. The Harvest of the Month program is set for today and features the Great Apple Crunch including 2,500 locally grown apples from Bullard’s in Fairfield. Unit 5 is one of 7 schools participating. Coinciding with World Food Day which is Thursday, Jefferson Attendance is celebrating today with Swedish Meatballs as their lunch entrée.
