South Portland School Department

Partnerships for Local Agriculture & Nutrition Transformation in Schools Grant Awardee (PLANTS Grant)

We’re thrilled to share that we’ve received a transformational grant as part of the Partnerships for Local Agriculture and Nutrition Transformation in Schools (PLANTS) Grant program (partner with lead partner GMRI). We’re working with @ChefAnnFnd and other food system partners to transform school food supply chains! Learn more: <Link>

GMRI is the project lead partner with the PLANTS grant and we are a grantee partner with GMRI. The project area is titled Sea to School for Student Health, Vibrant Communities, and a Thriving Seafood Economy, and we are working with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association to establish a sea-to-school program that supports healthier meals, local fisherfolk, and community engagement. By leveraging the region’s most abundant animal protein—seafood—the project will strengthen the local supply chain and increase economic stability for up to 300 small, local fishing operations. Ultimately, this project aims to create best practices for seafood procurement and use in coastal communities across the U.S.

PLANTS is funded by the USDA Food & Service Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative and is administered by Chef Ann Foundation.

Learn more at: <Link>

School Lunch Hero Day (SLHD)

South Portland School Nutrition Program celebrates our school lunch staff heroes every spring with the annual School Lunch Hero Day. Our school lunch heroes work hard every day adhering to strict nutrition standards, navigating student food allergies, and offering service with a smile! We enthusiastically celebrate our Food and Nutrition Services team members who are working hard to ensure that our students and community members know that "You Belong Here."

From the School Nutrition Association below, SLHD news and story here.

"School Lunch Hero Day was established in 2013 as a collaborative effort between SNA and Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of the Lunch Ladies series of graphic novels about a cafeteria professional who also happens to be a crime-fighting spy.

Krosoczka—a New York Times bestselling author and a National Book Award Finalist—started writing the series back in 2009, and he loves the way the books have helped further SNA’s mission. “Through my partnership with the School Nutrition Association, I have received an excellent education on how much goes into getting food on every single student’s tray,” he says.

So, in that spirit, let’s spread the awareness even further—after all, doesn’t your whole community deserve to know how much goes into getting nutritious food on every single student’s tray?"

SOPO_Gulf of Maine Tastemakers Innovation Award Recipient 2024

South Portland School Nutrition Program is one of this year's Tastemakers Innovation Award nominees! Gulf of Maine Tastemakers choose local seafood to support healthy coastal communities, a healthy ocean ecosystem, and healthy people. Dedicated to a vision of resilient coastal communities responsibly harvesting a diversity of seafood and working together toward this vision supports fishermen and sea farmers, the regional economy, and our ocean ecosystem. Learn more here.

On April 30, 2024, the South Portland School Nutrition Program learned the news that our department won the Innovation Award! There were 3 categories and in each category included 3 nominations. Categories included Local, Climate, and Innovation. Hannaford won local, Atlantic Sea Farms & North Coast Seafoods won the climate award, and South Portland School Nutrition Program won the innovation award. Check out the news here.

Inclusive School Meals Grant

Exciting news! The Maine Youth Food Security Council, in collaboration with a committee of community partners, has selected the Halal School Meals Network HSMN to receive the first ever Inclusive School Meals grant from Full Plates Full Potential. The project has received $75,000 to help address food insecurity among Muslim students by increasing equitable access to school meals. 

Funds will be used for third-party Halal certification, compensation for high school student interns, menu development, training for child nutrition staff, marketing/communications for families and more.

The Inclusive School Meals Fund supports school districts and organizations in piloting innovative strategies to provide meals served through federally funded child nutrition programs that reflect the needs and preferences of students. Inclusive meals include options that are culturally important, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and account for dietary needs and/or preferences. This one-time funding opportunity is designed to support bold pilot projects looking to make a lasting impact in their communities.

Halal School Meals Network (HSMN)

Welcome to the Halal School Meals Network HSMN

South Portland's Food Service Department has been working since the fall of 2022 with several community organizations including Cultivating Community, Cumberland County Food Security Council, FoodCorps, Food For All Services, Good Shepherd Food Bank, farm to school and food justice advocacy members, along with community leaders to begin a collaborative project with neighboring school districts including Westbrook School District and Portland Public Schools. The Southern Maine Halal School Meals Network (HSMN) will be the first in the country to serve 3rd party certified halal options.

An approach to ensure every student has equitable offerings is important. The South Portland School District’s theme is “you belong here” and by incorporating a diversified approach helps to ensure every student in the community has an opportunity to feel comfort and excitement through quality foods. The South Portland School District hosted several halal menu promotions during the school year 22-23. During the school year 23-24, the South Portland High School will be the first site to pilot halal certified daily options.

Cambodian Red Fish with Sweet & Sour Stir Fry over Steamed Rice

South Portland's Food Service Department prepared a new recipe with local Maine red fish at the high school and middle school. The recipe included a rich and flavorful diverse blend of sweet and sour flavors developed from low sodium soy sauce, chicken, pineapple, garlic, and tomato. The compliment to the red fish included a fresh balance of stir fry vegetables consisting of red and green bell peppers, onions, carrots, button mushrooms, match-stick carrots, and Roma tomatoes. Students could garnish the meal with a selection of chopped cilantro and/or green scallions.

Local Haddock at the Elementary Schools

All of South Portland Elementary School's in the district had fresh and local haddock for lunch. South Portland's Food Service Department participates in The Fishermen Feeding Mainers (FFM) Program. The program seeks to provide direct financial relief to fishermen by helping them supply schools and families in need with healthy Maine Seafood. Click here to learn more about FFM.

SOPO Middle School_Cafeteria to Culture

South Portland Middle School featured two new menu entrees with the support of local chef Samantha Gasbarro. The meals for lunch included an Iraqi seven spiced fish over tomato rice entrée along with the southwest roasted vegetable haddock rice bowl. Chef Sam developed several different recipes in collaboration with community leader Khadija Ahmed, other community members, and GMRI to build excitement and wholesome meals that are diverse, nutrient dense, and flavorful for the K-12 space.

Additional resources regarding project goals and learning modules with GMRI and project Sponsor support from the Henry P. Kendall Foundation. See below links for reference.

Local Seafood in Maine Schools. Learn more here.

Project Connecting Cafeterias to Culture and the Classroom. Learn more here.

Skillin Elementary_Cafeteria to Culture

Skillin Elementary School featured a new menu entrée, Acadian redfish with coconut lime red sauce with seasoned rice. Support staff included guest chef and community leader Khadija Ahmed to assist with the culturally diverse dish. An article write-up featured news on the event with The Portland Press Herald and the local Sentry

South Portland School Department teamed up with GMRI (Gulf of Maine Research Institute) to introduce local seafood, to create culturally diverse seafood recipes, and more. Read about the GMRI Kendall Food Vision Prize, building access to and demand for regional seafood in schools, here: GMRI Kendall Food Vision Prize

SOPO School District & Maine Immigrant Greens Collaborative (MIGC)

The SOPO FNS department was contacted by MIGC over the summer of 2023 and asked if we would be interested in being a full partner in their proposal to the Kendall Foundation. The SOPO FNS department submitted a letter of support during the summer for support of the Wayside Food Programs application to the Henry P. Kendall Foundation's 2023 New England Food Vision Prize. MIGC received the good news that they were selected for funding for the 2023-25 Henry P. Kendall Foundation, one of nine prizes selected from 38 application invitations from the northeast. MIGC is the only prize working in Maine schools this year. 

 As a partner with MIGC, we will be able to have the resources, access to locally grown hearty greens, and recipes to provide culturally appropriate meals. 

 The project overview is to improve K12 menu diversity through culturally relevant meal options that utilize locally-grown, hearty greens, culinary skill development, and cultural food education. 

 In the next couple of months, we will be working with MIGC in selected kitchens working on recipe development, staff training, implementation, and a possible summer educational team-field trip to a local farm, and more. 

 Read more about the rewards here:  https://www.kendall.org/2023-nefvp-winners/

Also see the flyer and below related resources.

https://www.waysidemaine.org/

https://www.mainefarmandsea.coop/

https://www.farmsforfoodequity.org/

Take a look at a short video here; cooking with collards with Maine Immigrant Green Collaborative .

Culinary Skills for School Meals Training

Over the summer, some of the South Portland Food Service employees took part in the Culinary Skills for School Meals Training, offered by Maine Health and Let's Go! South Portland High School was the host site for the culinary training. The culinary training is a 5-day boot camp style, the first of its kind in the state of Maine with morning education and food demo, hands on training, and afternoon lessons. The objective of the training is to improve the culinary skill level of school nutrition professionals, increase the appeal of meals, and increase the consumption of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains and dairy amongst school age children.

Get an inside look at the culinary trainings. Hear from organizers and participants about the hands-on experience and the value behind the training. 

GMRI Seafood Staff Training Field Trip

Over the summer, FNS staff took part in an all day field trip work shop hosted by GMRI (Gulf of ME Research Institute).

Objectives:

*Build confidence & knowledge of how to work with fish

*Understand the why behind serving local seafood

*Culturally relevant recipe demonstration

*Introduction to the Sea to School project with GMRI

*Discover significant health, economic, community, and environmental benefits of serving local seafood in K-12

*Hear directly from local fisherman about how the work to put more local fish in front of students supports their livelihoods, working waterfronts, coastal communities, and local seafood economy.

Summer Food Service Program

The SOPO FNS Dept. was successful in receiving grant awards of up to 22k through Full Plates Full Potential to open multiple summer feeding sites and to help support families at Howard Johnson. Our goal was to support and provide meals for all possible summer eligible sites including community sites for asylum seekers. It was a challenge to predict which hotel and motel sites would stay open. Howard Johnsons’ was eventually decided as the consolidated site.  We worked with other departments to project how many students/families were attending academic summer and how many families were not participating which would help determine a projected number of meals to send to Howard Johnson.  Overall, the South Portland Food & Nutrition Department wrapped up summer feeding with a combined breakfast/lunch total of 10,935 meals across 8 summer sites throughout the city of South Portland.

World Cultural Day

The South Portland Food & Nutrition Department hosted  several different events in the district during the month of May to promote World Cultural Day. Local Chef Khadija Ahmed visited Memorial Middle School and the High School. We recreated the popular Angola Rice and Beans with Halal Chicken at Memorial and a new meal was featured at the High School which included Halal Chicken with Cassava and Fu Fu. The FNS Dept. coordinated the event with district faculty and staff to engage students with the promotional menu and alongside their academic full day.

Local Kelp, from the Cold Waters of Maine

The South Portland Food & Nutrition Department connected with local Chef Andrew  Wilkinson  to sample local fresh Maine Kelp products. The sample was a great success and students and adults who participated were eager to learn more about how to incorporate local Kelp as a vegan option for future menus.  Chef Andrew works with North Coast Seafoods and specifically designed his samples to comply with K-12 food service standards. Featured sample included Kelp Meatballs with a side of pickled quinoa and vegetables. Kelp meatballs are made with seaweed grown by independent family farmers in the clean, cold waters of Maine.

Iraqi Biscuit Promotion

The South Portland Food & Nutrition Department collaborated with DEI Coordinator Mohammed Albehadli to connect with local Iraqi Chef Huda Khalil. We utilized the high school kitchen to prepare hundreds of biscuits to sample for students. The Iraqi biscuits were fantastic with flavors of blueberry and strawberry. 

SOPO & GMRI Promotions & Recipe Development

The South Portland Food & Nutrition Department continues to work with GMRI (Gulf of ME Research Institute) and currently in the recipe development and sample phase. Local Chef Samantha Gasbarro and Chef Khadija Ahmed, Mary Emerson FSD at Westbrook School District, Registered Dietitian Interns, participated at Westbrook High School in March and began sampling fish recipes at the Middle Schools, the High School, and Brown Elementary School in April.

In April, Chef Sam and Chef Khadija were at South Portland High School working on two fish recipes; haddock fillet cooked in roasted vegetables presented as a taco chip bite drizzled with a mayo siracha and a second sample of red fish fillet simmered in a vegetable sauce placed on a bed of flavored white rice. All local fish from the Gulf of Maine!

SOPO & Community Partnerships

The South Portland Food & Nutrition Department is participating in the first of its kind, a pilot program with the community partnership department creating volunteer opportunities for multi-lingual adults interested in food service, classroom support, and school bus aid. The SOPO FNS Dept. hosted a training for over 20 interested food service candidates at the South Portland High School reviewing a full day of kitchen tours, meal observations, and classroom training. The program kicked-off after April spring break.

SOPO & Community Impact Grant

The South Portland Food & Nutrition Department was awarded grant funds from the Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine, a community impact grant to support the initiative to break down barriers and increase culturally important foods in culturally responsive ways.  The SOPO FNS Dept. is working on taking the cafeteria program “global,” working on promotional events which help build excitement to find menu recipes that will work in the cycle menus.

 The FNS Dept. teamed up with Sysco's Culinary Specialist Chef Patrick to prepare and development culturally appropriate menu offerings for students. A promotional lunch day was held at the high school to demo and feature the following menu items: Shakshuka, Sardine Banh Mi, African Puff Puff Donuts with a Hot Honey Drizzle, Curried Vegetables, Mango Salad, Coconut Mango Smoothie.