your comments:

current posts

> 2010 archive

It seems to have been a year full of challenges and changes on small scale and large. From the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, with implications reaching right across the globe, to changes in our own schools and canteens as the 'Kids Go For Your Life' program was axed, National Guidelines for School Canteens were released and so much more.

What do we do it for?

We also hear many stories of adversity on a personal level. We received a phone call with a past winner of the VSCA Secondary/P-12 Canteen Manager of the Year. She apologised for not being able to attend a recent VSCA event but said she had ‘a bit going on’ and ‘had not had such a good year’. Here is a just a little background to our canteen manager’s year.

The year started with her pregnant daughter being diagnosed with cancer. Because of this, her baby had to be induced. Baby boy was born with a lump and had 3 months of intensive testing from birth. He now is reported to be OK but has regular monitoring by a paediatric oncologist. Our canteen manager told me she had to introduce her new little grandson to bottle feeding in the Peter MacCallum Hospital where her daughter was undergoing intensive treatment. She still remembers his big eyes looking up at her as if to say ‘Grandma, what are you doing to me with this bottle?’ During the next 12 months, her daughter’s cancer reappeared and she has had further operations and treatment. As if that was not enough, at some stage during the year, our canteen manager’s son was badly burnt in an industrial accident; and her husband also was discovered to have cancer and had to undergo a big operation.

Our hard-working canteen manager said she has had a lot of time off work and has used up all of her long service leave. She says she only has her mind ‘half on the job’ but goes into the canteen ‘for sanity’ and to keep the wheels turning. She said her school still has her framed VSCA Canteen Manager of the Year certificate up on the wall. Each time she walks past it, she feels a warm glow and a little boost.

This contact from a VSCA member was very timely for us. From time to time, we review our annual VSCA Canteen of the Year Awards and wonder if they are worth all the effort involved.

This is true of any action that any of us do, and it's especially true of the dedicated work that canteen managers and helpers do day in, day out within their school's food services. When you drop a stone into a pond, you just never know how far the ripples will spread - how much an effort of yours, small or large, may matter to someone else.

Inspirational achievements

When we, at VSCA, hear stories like this it reminds us of Glenda Smith, the legendary canteen manager from Yarrawonga Primary School who contributed so much to her local community despite her personal misfortunes and after whom we named the very special VSCA Glenda Smith Memorial Award for outstanding achievement. (Click here to read more about Glenda.)

This year's winner, Teresa McNamara from Maiden Gully Primary School, is another spectacular achiever in her school and an inspiring example to others.

This year's Awards were announced at the 2011 VSCA Annual Canteen Rewards Evening were VSCA invited canteen people from around Victoria to put their feet up, pat themselves on the back and reflect on their achievements during the year. Almost 100 guests enjoyed complimentary punch or champagne, a delicious three course meal including chocolate or lemon tart served with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, show bags and surprises.

Best of all, though, was to see the 2011 VSCA Canteen of the Year Award Recipients walk the red carpet and receive the applause they deserve. A few examples of outstanding achievements include:

• 2011 VSCA Innovation Award for Best Primary Canteen Idea of the Year:
  Meadows Primary School teams up with The Bridges Service, run by Melbourne City Mission which "supports adults with a disability to learn new skills that may help them get a job, do meaningful things with their day, continue their education and/or become more independent and/or join recreational services". The people with disabilities who help to run the canteen become integrated into the community, learn new skills, gain experience and often become job ready.
  
  
• 2011 VSCA Secondary/P12 Canteen Volunteer of the Year:
  Jan Earle, from St Joseph's College Geelong, who has been donating her services to the school for 21 years
  
  
• 2011 VSCA Innovation Award for Best Secondary/P12 Canteen Idea of the Year:
  The Grange Secondary College Canteen Training Program fully integrates the canteen with the educational curriculum, providing students with the opportunity to gain meaningful skills while contributing to an essential service within their school. The canteen also integrates with other aspects of the curriculum - for example, by operating as an eco-friendly zone.

What a moment!

Over the years, sometimes it has been a struggle for us at VSCA to achieve with very limited resources (literally on the smell of an oily rag!) what we have dreamed of in terms of encouraging and celebrating the efforts of school canteens.

It would be very hard to beat the moment when Jason [team member from The Bridges Services] stepped forward to receive the award for receiving Best Primary Canteen Idea of the Year on 28 November. It was a highlight of VSCA's thirty year history of working with school canteens. This example shows how it is possible to integrate a school canteen into its local community and to achieve its educational potential with a win:win outcome for all - students, families, school, canteen workers, canteen managers, and local community. It exemplifies what VSCA is about and what makes it all worthwhile for us.

A staff member from a secondary college emailed us the next day:

"Thankyou VSCA for a wonderful evening. It was exciting to see so many other schools represented at the awards night. You do a fabulous job (less government funding). We recognise and appreciate how much time and effort goes into running such a valuable resource for our school canteens. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou."

On that note, let us celebrate these amazing achievements, while acknowledging the challenges which remain, and put our feet up for a well deserved break.

Please to comment on this post!

© VSCA 10 December 2011

Ever heard that phrase, 'There's no such thing as a free lunch'? Well, sometimes there is - you just have to keep your eyes open to see it.

A primary school canteen manager told us recently:

"I had to ring my local Council regarding the fee for registration of our school canteen as a Registered Food Business, as I couldn't see a fee charge on invoice.

"They told me they are waiving the fee this year as a gesture of good will, on the grounds that our Canteen is a community food service.

"I hope all other canteens are getting the same deal, as it is worth approx $265. I'm happy for you to share this information with other schools."

Thanks to the Council for its willingness to recognise the community benefits of school canteens - and thanks to this Canteen Manager for her willingness to share the information with others who may benefit.

That's what VSCA is all about - school canteen people helping each other to have the best canteen they possibly can.

Do you pay for your canteen's registration as a Food Business? Have you contacted your Council to ask if they will consider waiving the fee? Please and let us know!

© VSCA 21 November 2011

A primary school canteen manager asked us recently:

"I have a few parents concerned about artificial colours, flavourings and preservatives. Could you please advise me of any canteen approved products that are artificial colour, flavourings and preservatives free? Looking for frozen treats, snacks."

At VSCA we're often asked about 'artificial' versus 'natural' products, and whether we have a listing of those which are 'natural'.

The artificial : natural debate is very tricky, isn't it? And a canteen manager is often caught in the middle - a bit like being in a sandwich!

The Victorian government's policy for healthy school canteens does not deal directly with the issue of artificial additives - colourings, flavourings, or preservatives.

This is because the government policy focuses on nutritional matters and the macronutrients which are factors in childhood obesity - the amounts of fat, salt, sugar and dietary fibre in foods that children consume.

However, the Victorian government's healthy canteen policy does deal indirectly with the 'natural : artificial' issue.

The Victorian government policy recommends that we should "green" our canteens by using more fresh foods and less processed foods. The food choices that are rated "green" (which are the healthiest options) are less processed. If we offer and use more fresh foods in our school canteens, our children will automatically be exposed to less artificial additives!

Artificial additives are added to processed foods - to enhance their appearance (colourings), taste (flavourings) or shelf life for food safety (preservatives).

At VSCA we reckon it boils down to this: we can't have it both ways! If we want to eat healthier options, that means we also must eat less processed, more natural foods!

Less is best

The best way to avoid additives of any sort is to offer and encourage consumption of foods that are minimally processed and therefore the most natural - the least processed foods you can find.

The best way to avoid artificial additives is to create your own snacks and frozen items yourself in your canteen. If you can do this, you will be almost there. Below we've suggested just a few of the very many fresh food ideas which can feasibly be prepared on-site in a school canteen.

There also are lots of commercially available products that are registered with VSCA and listed in VSCA's Online Buying Guide (click here). You will find that each product listed has a link to the company that you can contact for more information, samples or to order the goods!

Fresh food ideas for school canteens

* Cut fresh fruit pieces (on platters in pieces, in zip seal bags, as mini kebabs, as fruit salad) - watermelon, kiwi fruit, oranges, bananas (when they are back in season and the price comes down), grapes, cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberries, mangoes etc etc.

Change the fruit according to the season to give variety - any fruit that is in peak season is the cheapest and most nutritious - the best buy! Term 1/autumn is especially good with all the stone fruits available

* Fresh vegetable pieces - carrot sticks, capsicum (red is sweetest), cherry tomatoes, button mushrooms, snow peas, celery sticks, cucumber slices (lebanese cucumbers are great - sweet and crunchy!).

These could be offered in a snack pack or on a platter with dips or felafel or cream cheese or cheese sticks or dry crackers if you like (be sure to choose fat reduced varieties of dips).

* Frozen fruit - any left over fresh fruit can be frozen and sold as a frozen treat so there is no waste.

Yes - you can sell frozen fruit salad (in VSCA's experience, canteens often sell more frozen fruit salad than fresh tubs!)

Frozen oranges (in slices are easier to eat than quarters - turn the orange on its side and cut through into 4 slices - cutting it this way you get hardly any pith!), frozen grapes, frozen watermelon, frozen strawberries, frozen raspberries or blackberries, frozen bananas peeled and rolled in natural yoghurt and crushed rice pops (when the price is right!) - are all popular.

Use what is in season and change the varieties around to keep interest.

* Frozen berries are available from the supermarket or in bulk from foodservice distributors. You can bag these up and sell as a frozen snack - yum! Work out serving size and how many per kg, then calculate cost price, and add on your mark up to get your selling price.

* Frozen canned pineapple slices - use canned Australian pineapple in natural juice, drain and freeze slices individually on a tray (or place slices into zip seal bags before freezing).

Freeze the leftover juice from the pineapple to make iceblocks to sell in square cones ... or add the juice to your fruit salad.

* Fruit tubs in natural juice with no additives are "green" options

* Frozen juice cups - purchase individual portion control juice and freeze and sell as frozen treats - quick and easy (virtually no preparation!) Or you can purchase fresh squeezed Australian orange juice (not reconstituted or imported) and make your own iceblocks to serve in cones or on a piece of greaseproof paper

* Fruit smoothies - you can make these and serve as drinks, or freeze them in iceblock trays or mini plastic cups to serve as iceblocks.

You can use frozen berries or mango for your smoothies that are available year round so you have consistent quality and standard price. VSCA's Happy Munching recipe collection has a couple of ideas from one of our member schools.

* Serve fruit salad plain or with a scoop of vanilla icecream or dollop of natural yoghurt

For other ideas about serving fresh fruit, you may also refer to our previous blog: How do you get 'em to eat fruit?

* Popcorn - make your own - that's the best as the smell of fresh popcorn gets kids drooling! Or there are some commercial varieties registered with VSCA - most of these are rated amber. Click here to see listings in VSCA's Online Buying Guide (this section also includes dried bread sticks that are rated amber).

* Dried fruits are "green" choices (beware - some people have concerns about dental decay with sweet sticky fruit on teeth). Organic varieties have less additives.Click here to see listings in VSCA's Online Buying Guide.

* Yoghurt - plain, natural, with fruit - there are some "green" varieties registered with VSCA. Click here to see listings in VSCA's Online Buying Guide.

* Various breads and cereals - fruit toast, pikelets, dry biscuits, toasted cheese (use reduced fat & reduced salt cheese), hot cheese rolls, garlic bread, bruschetta, dried pitta crisps (make your own - a low fat alternative to other chip type products and far less additives)!

* Some breakfast cereals are "green" options + can be eaten as a snack eg. puffed rice, corn puffs, natural muesli, and many well known commercial cereal brands

* Hard boiled eggs - as a snack, in salads, in sandwiches, with vege sticks - rated "green". Click here to see listings in VSCA's Online Buying Guide

You may also like to check out the Frozen Snacks section of VSCA's Online Buying Guide: click here

Amongst all of this information, we hope you find some ideas that you might like to try out in your canteen.

Keep some ideas up your sleeve - don't feel you need to offer everything at once! You don't have to offer all the choices in the universe to your students! Keep the range and varieties and workload manageable so that both you and the kids (and their parents) enjoy your healthy canteen food. That way everyone wins!

We would love to know how you go - please keep us in the loop! Let VSCA know if you try any of these ideas. What works? What fails? and let us know!

© VSCA 26 October 2011

Question from a VSCA member school:

"Do you have a list of the distributors in my local area? I am after approved products for our primary school canteen."

VSCA says:

It is really good to hear you are looking for products to stock in your canteen which meet the Victorian government policy for school food.

Sorry - we do not have a list of distributors that you have requested.

One suggestion to help would be for you to contact other schools in your area and ask them where they source their canteen supplies. This could also be an opportunity for you to ask them other questions - like if they sell any approved products and if they could send you a copy of their price lists.

Another suggestion would be for you to look at VSCA's Online Buying Guide (click here). You will find products listed as you would use them in your menu, eg. Breads & Cereals, Drinks, Snacks, Frozen Snacks etc.

If you look through this listing and find a product that interests you, you can then click the company name under the name of each product and follow the link to the company. You are most welcome to contact the company, ask them if their product is available for your area, ask them for a list of their distributors, and ask them for samples.

When talking to them, do be sure to let the companies know you have found them in the VSCA Online Buying Guide - this will let them know that people are using this information and will encourage them to keep listing their products with us!

Each product listed in the Online Buying Guide has a 'colour' rating under the Victorian government policy for school food. All listed products have been carefully assessed by VSCA in line with the policy.

For some products, you can find out more information about the product by clicking on the pink "More info" button.

I hope this is helpful. Let us know how you go!

© VSCA 15 October 2011

Lately a school representative asked us:

"Our canteen is looking to replace our lunch order tubs, and have no idea where to get them. Do you have a supplier or contact?"

VSCA says:

As far as lunch order tubs go, there is a wide range of choices!

Some schools use laundry baskets but these are not stable or durable or stackable. They often are flexible and do not have a flat base or sides internally so lunches do not stay put, tip over and spill; they do not stack; they are hard to label with classroom numbers, and they tend not to be durable enough for the heavy wear and tear of being carried around a school! VSCA staff have seen them in schools in various states of disrepair with broken handles and broken sides. I think our kids deserve better than that!

VSCA recommends most canteens would be best served by something durable and in a medium size (10 - 55 litres), with or without lids.

Some types of crates 'nest', requiring less storage space when not in use. Other considerations include the number of lunches which will typically be carried in each crate, and the comfort of the carrying handles.

Various suppliers of plastics products can be found on the internet - some do and some don't include prices, most offer photos and specify dimensions of the items they supply.

At VSCA, we can source a range of crates for you - please contact us for a quote on the size and quantity you would require.

© VSCA 21 September 2011

Is your school planning to open or re-open a canteen? Wondering where to begin? What processes needs to be undertaken to get it off the ground?

Firstly, congratulate yourself on your decision to open or re-open a school-run canteen. No doubt your school community - both students and staff - will be very excited! School-run canteens offer the opportunity for many benefits to school communities (watch out for our next blog - coming soon on that topic!)

Here are some suggestions about the steps you will need to consider:

Good planning is the key!

It is really important to plan well to get all of the above matters sorted out before you start. This should help to ensure smooth and trouble free operations, and your canteen will become a valuable asset for your school and will promote a healthy lifestyle for your students and their families.

VSCA have staff available to help member schools with consultancy in these matters - please contact us if you'd like to know more.

Have you recently opened or re-opened a canteen within your school? Are you thinking of doing so? We would love to hear your stories - email your comments to blog@vsca.org.au.

© VSCA 23 August 2011

VSCA was recently asked by a Health Professional working with a government Primary School:

"I understand that if the canteen is managed by the school, parent volunteers are covered by the school's insurance policy. What about parents who assist the canteen which is run as a business?

The school I am working with currently has a canteen running as a business in the school canteen premises.

The manager has told us that she cannot have any volunteers as her insurance does not cover it. This means, as she is limited to one person in the canteen, she is unable to provide muffins, wraps, etc that other canteens are providing as these things require man power to put together. It also limits the role of parents in the canteen, who would like to be involved."

Here is VSCA's reply:

VSCA is unable to give legal advice on the insurance status of volunteers in schools. However, we can make a few observations.

It is our understanding that volunteers recruited by a school for school activities are covered by Department of Education and Early Childhood Development insurance policies during school activities.

It also is our understanding that anyone running a commercial business in Victoria (regardless of what that business is or where it is situated) is responsible for their own insurance policies for their business and their employees eg burglary, fire, public liability, workers compensation etc. Whether their insurance policies cover volunteer staff may depend on negotiation of the policy between the business and its insurance company, full disclosure of all matters pertaining to the business, and the wording of the policy.

Our common sense tells us that any business contracted to operate in a school would be expected to be responsible for all aspects of its operations and management, and would be expected to take all due care. This would apply across the board eg to building contractors, lawn mowers, cleaners, fete ride operators, commercial canteen operators, rubbish removalists, maintenance companies, etc. This would include adequate insurance cover for all staff whether staff are paid or voluntary.

However, there may be grey areas here in terms of responsibility about just who is recruiting the volunteers and for what. What is in the agreement between the school and the canteen operator about volunteers? Is the canteen operator recruiting their own volunteers? Is the school recruiting the volunteers for the commercial operator? If the school is recruiting the volunteers, does this make the school responsible? If the school is acting as an agent in recruiting volunteers for use by another entity, does that negate the Department of Education's insurance cover of volunteers at school? The best we can suggest is that you seek advice from the legal section of the Department of Education on this matter.

Is it possible that the lack of volunteers is being used as an excuse for not offering healthier choices? If, as a business operator, you wanted to have volunteers involved, could you not negotiate changes to your insurance policy or even change your insurer to find one who did allow for this contingency? On the other hand, if you did not want volunteers to be involved, you may not bother to investigate or chase this option! Yes, we can hear the argument already - this may possibly cost more in insurance! We have no idea if it would or not! But increasing the choices available and the quality of foods offered potentially could increase support from the school clientele and generate interest and sales and profits that would offset the costs!

What is the real issue here? Whose responsibility is it to prepare healthier options? Would this not be the responsibility of the canteen manager? Is it reasonable to expect the volunteers to be responsible for all the healthier food work? Does it take longer to prepare wraps than sandwiches or rolls?

If the school policy is to encourage volunteer involvement - and if properly managed, a school canteen is a perfect vehicle for this (we often hear 'the canteen is a doorway to participation') - then perhaps could selling the canteen rights to an outside operator be in conflict with this objective?

We think everyone would agree that it is absolutely essential that volunteers are covered for any mishaps that may occur while they are actively working as volunteers - and that it is far better for the responsibilities to be quite clear before any accidents may occur, rather than after the event!"

Are volunteers in your school canteen covered by insurance? How do you organise this in your school? We would love to hear from you - email your comments to blog@vsca.org.au.

© VSCA 16 June 2011

Did you hear the one about the canteen manager who said,
"It's impossible, I just can't get anyone to help me... Nobody volunteers any more these days... No-one's willing to help... Nobody cares... It's not like in the good old days..."

Not like the good old days....

It's true, society has certainly changed. Families have changed in shape and size, and most of all, in the way their time is allocated. Did you know in the last 20 years, working time has increased by 15% and leisure time has decreased by 33%?

This means we also need to be flexible in the way we think about volunteering - "same old, same old" just won't work in a new century! Albert Einstein said "You can’t solve a problem using the same thinking that created the problem."

Perhaps we need to consider 'modern' ways of organising things - here are a few ideas to get you started:

• offer 'split shifts' - eg a pair of volunteers cover a morning and afternoon shift respectively in the canteen
• offer fortnightly or monthly roster times as well as weekly
• identify specific tasks which can be done after hours - eg stamping paper bags
• talk to volunteers about their most and least favourite tasks and allocating tasks that individuals feel most comfortable doing
• ensure you welcome everyone - are your invitations addressed to dads, grandparents and other carers as well as Mums?
• listen to your volunteers - speak with them when they commence helping and again before they cease, and ESPECIALLY if they resign. Find out what factors drive volunteers in your particular school - what encourages or helps them to volunteer, and what gets in the way?

Volunteers work for free - but not for nothing!

People volunteer for two basic reasons: what they get out of it, and the good feeling they get from putting in.

Volunteering is above all a social activity and the atmosphere you create in your workplace has everything to do with how people feel about helping out. No-one likes to spend the morning listening to a litany of complaints!

"Positive minds attract". Comment regularly to your volunteers on the difference they make to your canteen and your school.

Keep in mind the benefits your volunteers gain, so you can tell new volunteers and remind old ones. For instance, they can feel a sense of belonging, meet people, and research has shown that involvement by family members onsite at a child's school has huge benefits for the child's learning and development.

"A spoonful of honey catches more ants than a cupful of vinegar"

Instead of complaining, the likelihood is you'll win more more volunteers by thanking them and celebrating what they do. VSCA has some great resources available to help show your appreciation and thanks to your volunteers. (Click here to find out more.)

May 9 - 15, 2011 is National Volunteers Week. What a great chance to publicly celebrate what your volunteers do! Put up posters, organise a "thankyou" morning tea, send thankyou cards to your volunteers, have a special lunch day.

Perhaps you yourself are a volunteer? Don't forget to reward yourself, and give yourself a big pat on the back for the important work you do.

VSCA's Canteen of the Year Awards celebrate volunteers in many ways and offer ideas and inspiration.

It CAN be done...

Are volunteers really a "thing of the past"? Just to prove IT CAN BE DONE, 2011 VSCA Secondary/P12 Canteen Manager of the Year, Sharon Grass of St Bernard's College, manages a roster of over 200 volunteers!

© VSCA 15 April 2011

Recently a school member asked us:

“I am wondering if you are aware of any deals going with ice cream or drink fridges. I am going to be using mainly [company name] as my stockists and am not aware of any free supply of fridges or freezers from them but have been told other companies loan these items if you order through them. However, I am trying to keep our canteen healthy so do not want to order through [large companies]. Can you let me know if you are aware if any stockists will supply a free fridge for drinks or freezer for healthy items?”

- Primary School Canteen Manager

VSCA replied:

Some companies do supply frigs or freezers (and other equipment, such as pie warmers, too) if you purchase their products. BUT there can be problems with these arrangements - for example

• companies often don't like products from other companies being kept in their units
• some companies check up on you and threaten to take away the unit if you are "breaking the rules"
• some companies have volume limits - you have to purchase a certain amount of stock to be able to retain the unit and this can put you under all sorts of pressures that you don't need when trying to run a healthier canteen

Sometimes VSCA hears 'on the grapevine' about which companies provide equipment with their products, but perhaps the best way to find out is to ask them yourself - you will find contact details for many suppliers of cold and frozen products in the VSCA Online Buying Guide.

You may find in the long run that it is a better option to purchase (or hire) a frig or freezer in your own right - then you have the right to put in it whatever products you wish! There is an equipment supplier registered with VSCA - see the Catering Equipment section of the VSCA Online Buying Guide. Feel free to give them a call and see what deals they can offer.

Some other ideas that may or may not fit with your needs:

• You may find someone at your school has a secondhand or spare freezer they would be happy to donate?
  
  
• Perhaps you could even purchase a secondhand one with a warranty from a reputable supplier. A large size domestic freezer could do the job.

Just a hint - as far as freezers go, the chest type is better and more efficient than the upright type. When you open the door on an upright model, the cold air "falls" out of the bottom of the freezer and warm air from the room takes its place! When you open the lid on a chest model, the cold air stays in place.

Hope this helps! We'd love to hear from blog readers - please let us know how YOU problem solve your canteen's equipment needs! Email your comments to blog@vsca.org.au.

© VSCA 6 April 2011

go to: 2010 archive