In case you missed the Compass newsfeed item, the following information is provided regarding the recent survey of the canteen service at Holy Name. Thank you to everyone who competed the recent survey about our school canteen. We had around 25% of families contribute.

On Tuesday, I met with the team from Plunge to go through each of the responses, looking at the positives and negatives and then discussing the possibility of changes that would address the feedback from both our families and the Plunge team. 

I include the following information in response to some of the questions raised:
1. The canteen menu is based on the NSW Government Health Guidelines for school canteens. These guidelines were developed in response to the health statistics of Australian children.
2. The reason our school canteen closed at the end of 2019 was because it was not financially sustainable. We didn’t have enough student orders to cover the wages and overheads and this was communicated to our families over the last 2 years via our P&F and consistently through our school newsletter.
3. We have not had many volunteers for at least 4 years supporting the canteen but are very grateful to the volunteers who have come forward.

In response to your feedback and the feedback from the Plunge team, the following changes will commence from the start of next week (Week 7) and continue for the remainder of the term.

1. The Plunge team will continue to provide a service to Holy Name School for the remainder of this term. The canteen will remain open for Term 2 only if the canteen is financially viable. If this happens, the school may not have a canteen.

2. The canteen will open for 3 days each week - Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The canteen will no longer be open on Monday or Tuesday.

3. Orders can be made online using QuickCliq or by a paper bag lunch order with cash. Both types of orders need to be at the canteen by 9am. No orders will be accepted after this time.

4. The canteen will serve the ordered food at 10:45 am during Lunch 1.

5. A few everyday items will be available using cash at the window pending volunteer availability between 11:00-11:15 and at second lunch between 1:00-1:15pm.

6. The menu will change dramatically to reflect some of your suggestions. There will be less of a variety and more of the types of foods suggested by the families who completed the survey. The menu will be online from next week.

7. We are looking for volunteers between 9:30-11:15 and 12:45 - 1:30pm. Please contact the school office if you can help. The Plunge team may make contact with a couple of our regulars.

8. A visual menu will be developed and made available in different places eg at the school canteen and online if possible. 

I hope that our families can see the effort made to address the feedback received. If the canteen is supported and runs smoothly over the last 5 weeks of term, we will continue to offer a canteen service during Term 2.

This interesting clip about lunchboxes was recently shared with me via one of our parents.

Lunchbox nasties