The easternmost hallway of Poughkeepsie High School is seeing more traffic.
More kids are visiting the cafeteria and senior lounge. More teachers and administrators are dropping in, too.
“A teacher snuck her head in and said, ‘I had to see what the excitement was about,’” Shameka Watson, director of food services, said. “The kids were telling her, ‘You have to see our new cafeteria!’”
A new look for both the cafeteria and senior lounge debuted Sept. 16 and quickly created a buzz around the school. Changes to the menu and approach to food service have likewise been welcomed by the students, some of whom rarely visited the cafeteria before being lured in by word of mouth.
The goal, Watson and Principal Dr. Phee Simpson said, is to make the food service areas into spaces the students can relax and take pride in having.
It’s a project that will continue soon with a remodeling of Warring Elementary, with new seating and a fresh design customized to the school. The plan is to do the same for every school building in the next few years.
“It will boost morale and the environment in all the schools,” Watson said. “This is something they’ve never had before.”
The initiative’s success is already quantifiable. Last September, on average, Watson’s department was serving just under 500 meals a day at the high school. Through the first few days of this week, they served an average of 860 per day, in a school of roughly 1,200.
Over the summer, the walls were repainted and floors were redone. In the kitchen, a dividing wall was removed from the serving line, and new amenities expanded the ability to offer grab-and-go options and customized salads.
The finishing touches, and the bulk of the aesthetic changes, were completed last weekend with a new array of tables and chairs with a variety of seating options, like booths and long and circular tables. The senior lounge features an S-shaped, two-sided sofa and soft chairs equipped with individual table surfaces, and service windows where seniors will be able to pick up pre-made salads and sandwiches.
Both rooms have a similar look with large sections of wood decals popping against the navy walls, large signs bearing the names “Pioneer Café” and “Pioneer Lounge,” school logos and sayings like “Always in the Mood to Eat Healthy Food.” Physical and arcade games also remain in the spaces.
Simpson had promoted to the students they could expect a finished product on Monday. But, she wasn’t prepared for the reception she received that morning.
“I walked into the small café and they were clapping for me,” the principal said. “They literally clapped.”
No, she said, that’s never happened to her before. “I said, ‘Thank you guys, but this was Miss Watson.”
The atmosphere of the room is more inviting, Simpson said, whereas it previously felt institutional. Watson noted students are now hoping to expand use of the rooms and has seen students simply looking to relax.
“One student asked about having a ‘Friendsgiving’ in the senior student lounge,” she said.
Menu diversifies
Watson, who is in her third year with the district, has also been updating the menu, increasing the variety of foods offered and the options for students with dietary restrictions.
Watson said one of the students told her she doesn’t eat school food because she’s lactose intolerant.
“I said, ‘Well, this year we have Lactaid milk, so you should eat. Do a favor for me and try it out, one day,’” Watson recalled. “First day of school, who was on the line?
“She saw me standing there, I got her milk ready and she was ready to go,” Watson said. “It’s all about talking and engaging with students.”
Whereas last year fries weren’t available, this year students can get them in curly, straight or sweet potato varieties. SunButter is available for PB&Js, for those with allergies. Watson plans to experiment with carrot waffles and broccoli nuggets and has a vendor who can let them try ramen.
“I’m thinking about Vegan Fridays,” she said. “We’ll still have our Pizza Friday because not everyone is vegan. But we’ll give everyone the chance to try the vegan option if they want to.”
Of course, classic options like burgers and chicken fingers are available. But you’ll find many students carrying out large plastic containers of customized salads the likes of which you would normally see in a restaurant.
Warring next
The designs for changes to Warring’s cafeteria are being tweaked and will soon be ready to be implemented.
The room will be light purple, with inspirational decals and a design wrapping around the perimeter. There will be a variety of tables, including accessible spaces, and some with convertible bench seating to offer back support to those adults sitting with the kids who may need it. Some of the tables will also have a graphic treatment using the school name.
“I just want it to be welcoming and warm for the students,” Watson said.
Two more school cafeterias, yet to be finalized, will be remodeled in the coming year.
Watson believes each school will likewise see a boost in meal participation, though she noted there is already a high percentage of students eating lunch and breakfast at the elementary level.
“These kids, this is going to be their first experience seeing something so nice. So colorful and vibrant. I feel like this will give them some excitement when they go to lunch,” she said. “If you go to school every day and you don’t eat food – how can you learn when your stomach is grumbly?”
