Celebrate National School Lunch Week: October 14-18!

It's National School Lunch Week (NSLW) from October 14-18. Our incredible food service crew, our schools’ unsung heroes, works hard daily to ensure that all students have access to nutritious meals that fuel their bodies and minds for success. We encourage you to stop and say thanks to the food service workers in your building—like Londa Barman, head cook at Sycamore Creek Elementary, and Christy Gartin, cook at Pickerington High School North, who are the longest-serving members of our food service team (21 years of service for both). Their dedication is essential to our students' success!

Did you know the National School Lunch Program, a beacon of health and happiness, has been serving nutritious meals since 1946? This long-standing tradition, which we are all a part of, was established to ensure students from low-income families receive the nourishment they need to thrive. It's a testament to our shared commitment to student health and academic readiness.

At Pickerington Schools, balanced nutrition is a critical factor in student success, both in and out of the classroom. Recent research has shown that school meals are often the healthiest part of a child's day. Our PLSD school meal programs are instrumental in preventing childhood obesity, promoting overall student health, and enhancing academic performance.

For the first time this year, PLSD is excited to offer free, nutritious breakfast and lunch for every student, every day! Our meals are not only free but also meet the highest nutritional standards, providing a balanced diet for our students. 

So far this school year (2024-2025), we've dished up over 122,000 breakfasts, 226,000 lunches, and nearly 257,000 servings of milk. We're proud to provide fresh and healthy options to meet all our students' nutritional needs.

Parents and community members, we want to remind you that we're offering healthy, delicious lunches at no cost to families—every single day at every PLSD school. National School Lunch Week is a fantastic opportunity for all our students to enjoy nutritious meals without financial burden. We're here to support you and your child's nutritional needs.

Prepare to unleash your students’ creativity during National School Lunch Week 2024, with these printable treasure maps and coloring pages. Click Here to Download.