Partners in Helping Students Succeed Since July 2006

Annual Report to the Board of Education

June 2017

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Introduction Sodexo has successfully managed the District’s food service program for the past ten years. During that time, we have introduced innovative breakfast, lunch, a la carte, summer and catering programs. Through our partnership with Francis Howell, we will continue to provide healthful menus based on feedback from District students and staff. Program Highlights

Innovation • Held Student Focus Groups at every school to gather student feedback • Continued “Simply to Go” healthful grab and go areas at all high schools • Continued “Fast Takes” healthful grab and go areas at all middle schools • Continued “Breakfast Buzz,” reading a story to students and discussing the

importance of eating breakfast each day • Continued the “Fine Dining” program, serving small groups of elementary

students a formal lunch to teach table etiquette • Introduced fresh sushi program at high schools • Increased the use of locally sourced produce • Revamped the image of half of the Elementary Schools with “The Clubhouse”

theme • Continued the “Tasty Tuesdays” program at elementary schools where students

get to experience, taste, and help design the menus we will serve them next year

• Maintained Bronze status under the Alliance for a Healthier Generation at four middle schools

• Completed the ninth annual “Culinary Throw Down” cooking competition held with culinary arts teams from Howell, Central, North and Union high schools

• Implemented online meal applications

Community • Provided $15,000 in culinary scholarships given to 15 graduating seniors in May • Provided $2,000 donation for Culinary Arts student trip to Paris • Provided $5,000 donation to Proposition Howell • Provided meals for Senior PALS events • Provided monthly dinners at the Ronald McDonald House • Attended Employee Wellness meetings • Collected 310 pounds of canned foods for the Sts. Joachim and Ann Food Bank • Provided team to load food at the St. Louis Food Bank Outreach • Raised $191 for Susan G. Komen Foundation

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Student Education • Supported students in annual “Culinary Throw Down” • Held student taste test at Francis Howell Middle School • Provided classroom nutrition education to multiple classrooms by Chef Karin • Worked with Culinary Arts students to prepare meals for the Board of Education

meetings • Provided culinary training of students at Union by Chef Karin • Assisted students with dietary consultations

Employee Engagement

• Conducted 3rd annual Employee Satisfaction Survey with higher overall scores • Conducted “Biggest Losers” competitions with 172 pounds of combined weight

loss • Continued Sodexo Stars immediate recognition program • Supported Sodexo employee with $1,000 of Disaster Relief funds • Continued extensive employee training program

We look forward to our continued partnership as we face future changes in the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) and bring ongoing enhancements to your foodservice program. It is our intent to continue providing excellent service and good tasting, nutritious meals at a reasonable cost. Our relationship with the District is a true partnership and we value your confidence in us.

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Food Service Department Mission, Vision, and Values

Our Mission To provide well-balanced, nutritious meals for students prepared in sanitary conditions by well-trained professionals. Our Vision To be the most highly qualified group in the educational dining service arena. Our Core Values

Listen We listen attentively to complaints and accolades. Respond We respond to concerns as quickly as possible. Achieve We achieve superb results for our customers and therefore ourselves. Educate We educate students in proper eating habits. We train employees in the latest food preparation, presentation, sanitation and safety procedures.

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Organization & Support

146 Employees

Off Site Support

District Manager .......................................... Mike Griffith Operations VP ............................................. Deb McLaughlin Human Resources Director .......................... Lisa Stanek Sanitation Director ....................................... Matt Jenkins Safety Director ............................................. Stuart Howser Finance Director .......................................... Tiffany Sandt Accounting ................................................... Thea Harris Marketing Director ...................................... Katina Strange Director of Product Development ................. Roxanne Moore

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Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) began in 2010. Listed below are the HHFKA changes made to the food programs offered to students. Francis Howell implemented higher nutrition standards before HHFKA began and our students accepted the mandated changes more quickly and with less disruption than those in other school districts. There is discussion at the federal level of relaxing some of the HHFKA standards. Francis Howell and Sodexo remain committed to providing students with nutritious, good tasting meals that also help students develop habits that lead to a healthier life. HHFKA Summary of Significant Changes 2011-12

• Schools must increase paid lunch prices each year to achieve parity with federal reimbursement rates

• Water must be offered during lunch • Milk must be only fat-free flavored or 1% or lower unflavored

2012-13

• 50% of grains must be whole grain • Limits placed on total grains, calories, meat, and sodium • Further increases added to paid lunch meal prices • New vegetable categories introduced - dark green, red/orange, beans/peas, starchy • Maximums set on calories, grains, and meat • A fruit or vegetable must be taken with every meal • Additional $.06/meal in funding added to cover $.12/meal in additional costs • New dietary specifications implemented for calories, sodium, and fat

2013-14

• 100% of grains must be whole grain • Further limits placed on sodium • Further increases added to paid lunch meal prices • Audits frequency changed to every 3 years – (FHSD audited in 2013 -14) • New breakfast requirements

2014-15

• Further limits placed on sodium • Further increases added to paid lunch meal prices • Students required to take fruit at breakfast • New Competitive Food standards called “Smart Snacks” regulate all food served in

the school buildings (including fundraising activities) • More stringent nutritional requirements, including:

o <200 Calories, <35% Calories from fat, <10% Calories from saturated fat, Zero Trans fats, <480 mgs of sodium for entrees, <200 mgs of sodium for side dishes, <35% Calorie from sugar, <35% Weight from sugar

2015-16

• Further limits placed on sodium • Further increases added to paid lunch meal prices • Professional Standards training requirements initiated for all personnel

2016-17

• Further limits placed on sodium

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Food Safety Program Food Safety The safety of our students is of utmost importance to us. Francis Howell School District students are provided hot,well-balanced, nutritious meals prepared under sanitary conditions utilizing Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) guidelines by dedicated food service personnel. Our employees are provided monthly sanitation and food safety training, and the results show with an average St. Charles County Health Department inspection score of 99.8%. HACCP HACCP is a concept that was first used by the Pillsbury Company to ensure the safety of the food prepared for astronauts in the NASA space program. Sodexo developed a HACCP program that addresses the specific needs of our company. This program complies with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code. HACCP is a comprehensive food safety and self-inspection system that goes beyond routine inspections of equipment and appearance and helps uncover and solve dangerous defects in food handling. HACCP looks at the flow of potentially hazardous foods - the path that food travels throughout the food service operation. We must follow this path from recipe development through delivery of products, storage, preparation, holding or displaying, serving, cooling and storage of leftovers for the following day, and reheating foods. The HACCP program helps eliminate the risk of contamination due to the mishandling of food items. The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) is contracted by Sodexo to provide third party surprise audits reviewing food safety (HACCP) as well as physical safety. The audit scores are Gold, Green, Yellow, and Red. Red is the lowest score. NSF audits were conducted at five Francis Howell schools this year. All five audit sites received high passing scores of Green or Gold. ServSafe Certification ServSafe is a set of standards set forth by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. It provides classes and a ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification Examination, which is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Conference for Food Protection. Sodexo requires supervisory employees to successfully pass and receive certification every three years; this exceeds the ServSafe standard of recertification every five years. The cafeteria leader and at least one other member of each cafeteria staff at each school are ServSafe Certified. This provides a certified backup person at all times, even in the cafeteria leader’s absence. Sodexo encourages all employees, including substitute workers, to become certified by paying for the course. Today all necessary employees are certified, including two substitutes.

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Sanitation Inspections Sanitation inspections from St. Charles County and the City of St. Peters are based on a starting score of 100 points. Points are deducted during the inspection for items found to be in need of correction. The number of points deducted is related to the potential seriousness of the deficiency. It is important to note that a low score does NOT mean it was unsafe to eat in the inspected establishment on the day of the inspection. When a cafeteria or restaurant is found to pose an imminent threat to public health, it is closed. This is a rare occurrence. An establishment that does pose such a threat would not be allowed to continue operations until all identified deficiencies had been corrected. Restaurant scores are a tool to help the health department communicate with owners and managers of food establishments. They are in the business of serving the public and are as concerned with food safety and sanitation as we are. We work in a spirit of consultation and partnership so that together we can ensure a safe and healthy dining experience.

Fall Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring 2014 2015 2015 2016 2016 2017

Francis Howell High School 100 100 100 100 100 100 Francis Howell Central 100 100 98 100 98 100 Francis Howell North 100 100 100 100 100 100 Barnwell Middle School 100 98 100 96 100 100 Bryan Middle School 95 100 100 100 100 100 Francis Howell Middle School 100 100 100 100 100 100 Hollenbeck Middle School 100 98 96 100 98 100 Saeger Middle School 100 100 100 100 100 100 Becky David Elementary 100 100 100 100 100 100 Castlio Elementary 100 100 100 100 100 100 Central Elementary 100 95 100 100 100 100 Daniel Boone Elementary 100 100 100 100 100 100 Fairmount Elementary 95 100 100 100 100 100 Harvest Ridge Elementary 100 100 100 100 100 100 Henderson Elementary 100 100 100 100 100 100 Independence Elementary 98 100 100 100 100 100 John Weldon Elementary 100 100 100 100 100 95 Warren Elementary 100 100 100 100 100 100

Average 99.33 99.50 99.67 99.78 99.78 99.72

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Charts and Trends Since our first year with the District (school year 2006-2007), we have focused our menu offerings towards healthier, more nutritious and value-driven USDA meals. As a result, secondary students are being educated on the new regulations and acquiring new tastes. Student focus group meetings are conducted to obtain input concerning new meals and food items. The chart below shows the change in meal prices since 2004-05. Most of the recent changes in meal prices are attributable to federal mandates in the HHFKA.

Breakfast/Lunch Pricing History (Increases Mandated by HHFKA after 2010)

Breakfast Lunch

Year Elementary Middle and High School Adult Elementary Middle and

High School Adult

2004-2005 $0.80 $0.90 $1.05 $1.50 $1.80 $2.10 2005-2006 $0.90 $0.90 $1.05 $1.60 $1.80 $2.10 2006-2007 $0.90 $0.90 $1.05 $1.60 $1.80 $2.10 2007-2008 $0.90 $0.90 $1.05 $1.60 $1.80 $2.10 2008-2009 $0.90 $1.00 $1.15 $1.75 $1.95 $2.25 2009-2010 $0.90 $1.00 $1.15 $1.75 $1.95 $2.25 2010-2011 $0.95 $1.05 $1.20 $1.80 $2.00 $2.30 2011-2012 $0.95 $1.05 $1.20 $1.85 $2.05 $2.35 2012-2013 $1.00 $1.10 $1.25 $1.95 $2.15 $2.45 2013-2014 $1.10 $1.20 $1.35 $2.05 $2.25 $2.55 2014-2015 $1.20 $1.30 $1.45 $2.15 $2.35 $2.65 2015-2016 $1.30 $1.40 $1.55 $2.25 $2.45 $2.75 2016-2017 $1.40 $1.50 $1.65 $2.35 $2.55 $2.85 2017-2018 $1.50 $1.60 $2.05 $2.45 $2.65 $3.20

During the 2014-2015 school year, à la carte and snack items became subject to federal government regulations. Regulated calorie restrictions have limited the sale of à la carte entrees. With further student education and greater variety of nutritious foods, we have now increased à la carte sales by 2.3%; both breakfast and lunch meal participation have also increased. In addition to contributing to healthier meals, we served more reimbursable breakfast and lunch meals which benefits our program by allowing the District to utilize more commodities provided by the National School Lunch Program. Issues with meal charges have been in the news recently. Francis Howell has implemented[GC1] a method for notifying families of past due balances. School counselors help communicate with families and encourage the use of meal benefit programs. Families have the ability to see and control student spending in the cafeteria and can now apply for free and reduced meals electronically.

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The charts below show the average participation by meal type. The number of reimbursable student meals for both breakfast and lunch increased this year. Overall, the program is serving 342 more meals per day.

10.8% increase

31.4% increase

6.67% increase

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Average Daily à la Carte Sales

# of Students Approved for Free and Reduced Price Meals

2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Dollars Per Day $11,513 $10,910 $10,848 $11,098

Year Free Reduced Price Total

2005-06 1,456 414 1,870 2006-07 1,524 483 2,007 2007-08 1,591 500 2,091 2008-09 1,863 534 2,397 2009-10 2,151 606 2,757 2010-11 2,435 571 3,006 2011-12 2,692 601 3,293 2012-13 2,635 501 3,136 2013-14 3,280 544 3,824 2014-15 2,952 561 3,513 2015-16 3,144 497 3,641 2016-17 3,053 450 3,505

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Innovation “Simply to Go” healthful grab and go areas are very popular in all high schools. Student focus groups requested and were provided with packaged healthful foods. “Breakfast Buzz” involves reading a story to students and discussing the importance of eating breakfast each day. The time was also used to gather feedback from students regarding the breakfast menu. “Fine Dining” for selected elementary students for a fifth consecutive year. The program’s purpose is to expose students to the appropriate use of utensils and table manners while attending a formal dining affair. The program also instructs the students in the proper use of utensils[GC2]. Elementary students are chosen for displaying positive behaviors by their classroom teachers and are served a special lunch and dessert provided by Sodexo as a reward. The program also includes a short lesson on manners.

Student Focus Groups are held at every school to gather student feedback. Students complete a survey and engage in open dialog. Results are logged and program changes made based on feedback.

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Clubhouse at Central Elementary

Increased Locally Sourced Produce Sodexo brought in a new produce vendor with more locally grown fresh produce. Students were treated to locally grown fresh peaches on the first week of school.

“Tasty Tuesdays” is a program at elementary schools where students get to experience, taste, and vote to help design the menus we will serve them next year.

Bronze status under the Alliance for a Healthier Generation at four middle schools.

Clubhouse Comes to FHSD Becky David, Castlio, Central, Fairmount, and Harvest Ridge all received the new “look” of “The Clubhouse.” Students appreciated the bright new appearance. The program will be added to the remaining Elementary Schools next year.

Taste Testing Sodexo uses blind taste tests to gather student feedback to guide program decisions. This taste test was held at FHMS in February to try different spaghetti sauces.

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Annual “Culinary Throw down” Iron Chef Competition held at Francis Howell Central High School with high school teams on November 15. Three guest chefs attended as judges and assisted students during the event. The winning team from FHN was treated to a visit to VB Chocolate Bar to learn how they make chocolates. The video of the event, created by the FHSD Communication Department, was recognized by the state.

Winning “Chef’s Choice” team awarded a tour of VB Chocolate Bar Restaurant

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Community Involvement Culinary Scholarships Five $1,000 scholarships, were awarded by Sodexo in May at each high school.

Plus, Sodexo contributed $2,000 to the FHC Paris trip.

St. Louis Foodbank

Sodexo employees helping by distributing food to the community.

Jeans Day Every Friday, food service employees are encouraged and allowed the right to dress in blue jeans by making a donation. Employees have donated over $191 in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.

Canned Food Drive As a part of Sodexo’s ongoing Servathon program, 300 pounds of food was collected for St. Joachim and Ann food bank. This is the sixth year of participation.

Ronald McDonald House Francis Howell food service employees traveled to the Ronald McDonald House five times this year to prepare meals for the residents. The feedback from guests is “This is the best meal we ever had.”

Proposition Howell Sodexo contributed $5,000 to the efforts

Thankful Day at John Weldon-

Food service supported the community Thanksgiving luncheon. 1,114 meals were served.

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Student Education

Wellness Education: Chef Karin teaches students about healthful meal options at John Weldon, Warren, and Becky David. Students had the opportunity to “build” a healthful plate and try on the “fat vest” to feel what it is like to carry 20 pounds of fat. Parents were also provided Wellness Education at Parent University in September.

Culinary Arts: Chef Karin supported the culinary arts classes at all high schools as well as co-taught the newly established course at Union High School for five weeks. Culinary Arts students from each high school came to showcase their talents by preparing dinner for the school board.

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Employee Engagement

Employee Survey - Conducted electronically, 35 questions cover a variety of areas including, training, compensation, engagement, leadership, and more. Twenty-three employees (17%) participated in the survey. Feedback showed improvement in all areas and higher overall employee satisfaction.

• Increased base pay rates for all positions • Improved onboarding process • Continued Sodexo Star recognition program • Revision of department organization

Sodexo Star Program rewards and recognizes individuals for displaying spirit and exceptional work performance in all areas including, work performance, safety, HACCP, team work, customer service, job skills, efficiency, appearance, attendance, etc. Each recipient is given a star sticker to collect in their own book. The stars can then be redeemed for a large variety of gifts from an online catalog.

Sodexo Employee Disaster Relief Fund monetary assistance helped a FHSD employee in January 2017.

Employee Recognition Throughout the year, we recognize success including opening luncheon prizes for all and the annual “Inner Chef” Award.

Extensive training includes 2-day start-up and monthly sessions covering topics such as customer service, sanitation, safety, USDA program standards, Civil Rights, cash handling, culinary arts, supervisory skills, and more. Training time is far in excess of the 8-hour standard required by the 2015 HHFKA Professional Standards. Aside from the food itself, training the right people is the most important component of a successful food service program.

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Summary In partnership with Francis Howell School District, Sodexo is committed to operating a fully compliant food service program that focuses on enhancing healthful food choices for all students by providing healthful, tasty, and appealing meals. Meal participation in both breakfast and lunch meals increased. The addition of new healthy choices à la carte participation has also increased. It is the feedback provided by the students that drives this change. Some of our plans for next year include building on our successes by continuing proven past practices and implementing new programs. These include revised beverage choices and enhancements to the merchandising of à la carte choices. We are also working on plans for the introduction of brand new concepts and improvements including:

• Purchase by Sodexo of a centralized frozen storage unit for USDA food • Expansion of “The Clubhouse” to the remaining Elementary Schools • Continuation of the Sodexo “Capture” program where students submit favorite

food images • Conversion to new “Primero Edge” nutritional analysis software at all buildings • Further increases to employee compensation • Increased locally sourced produce • Providing Professional Development activities for HHFKA • Continued support of community events such as Senior PALS • Improved on-line meal payments and account tracking

We will also continue to grow healthful à la carte choices for elementary students. Our ongoing effort to improve communication with school staff, parents/guardians and students is a top priority for us. With these strategies and a constant effort by all of our employees, we feel confident that we will be able to continue to increase student participation next year. We value our partnership with the District and are committed to providing outstanding food and service.