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"I was moved to nominate Fiona for a VSCA Canteen of the
Year Award because, with her first year in the job, she has
been inspirational in generating positive change in our school.
Fiona's previous experience in setting up catering businesses
that created their own niche market in our regional city of
Warrnambool has been utilised to revamp our canteen.
Fiona has built on her own extensive skill base by attending
conferences, expos and other schools - in her own time! She
has revamped the canteen menus with healthy options, cooked
on the premises. We have students asking their own mums to
cook Fiona's healthy soups at home.
Fiona recently introduced lolly free Tuesdays in preparation
for their removal in 2009. I have been amazed at the positive
response from students who instead have flocked to buy Fiona's
alternatives in the form of luscious fruit skewers, and fruit
and jelly cups.
Fiona is a real 'character' who the students have embraced
as a 'tower of authority' in the canteen and yet are very
at ease with her humour and behavioural expectations.
Fiona has enlisted a small army of parent volunteers to help
her put into practice her healthy options menus. Their fun
banter with Fiona demonstrates the easy rapport that Fiona
can build with people, and this of course has led to a great
response in her calls for volunteers. Fiona is setting up
ways of acknowledging volunteers in the form of cards, VSCA
magnets and a fun night out with them.
Fiona is ready to embark on a major re-development of the
servery structure in our canteen so that food serving is more
hygienic, is easier on our volunteers and will mean less congestion
and waiting times for our students.
Finally, it is a measure of the nominee that I wouldn't dare
ask her to endorse my nomination because she does not crave
recognition or accolades. Fiona is humble and shy when it
comes to compliments but I would love to see her recognised
through the VSCA Canteen of the Year Awards."
- Paul Buchanan, Assistant Principal
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