SY25-26 Press Release - Back To School Letter
Welcome back, students and families!
We are excited to let you know that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has extended
its commitment to the State’s FREE Breakfast & Lunch program. Leverett Elementary
students will continue to receive reimbursable school meals this year at no cost to our
families. Children who bring home lunch may purchase milk for $.50, billable at the end
of each month.
Please note that even though meals will be free for all, it is very important for families to
still complete the household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the
2025-2026 school year. If you need an application, please call Leverett Elementary at
(413)548-9144 or email Stephanie “Chefanie” Conrod at [email protected].
We strongly encourage ALL families to submit this form as it allows us to serve families
nutritional needs most effectively and help the school district determine if families are
eligible for other programs in our community.
If you are interested in receiving monthly financial assistance to purchase groceries,
please consider applying for SNAP, the federal nutrition program that supports eligible
residents. More SNAP information can be found at gettingsnap.org or by calling Project
Bread’s FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333.
As part of both the National School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch
Program, our district is required to follow USDA meal pattern requirements for complete
meals for breakfast and lunch.
Breakfast includes - a whole grain, dairy, meat/meat alternative, juice/fruit. It’s important
for your students’ nutritional needs to choose at least three breakfast items per day,
including juice or fruit.
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays breakfast includes a choice of cereal that are
made with whole grains and reduced sugar and salt, yogurt and/or cheesestick, a juice
and/or applesauce cup and milk. Tuesdays and Fridays breakfast includes a hot
breakfast or cereal, yogurt and/or cheesestick, a juice and/or applesauce cup and milk.
Examples include:
● Cereal, Cheesestick, Applesauce
● Cereal, Milk, Juice
● Apple Cinnamon Muffin, Cheesestick, Milk, Juice
● Egg & Cheese Sandwich, Juice, Milk
Lunch includes - meat/meat alternative, grain, fruit, vegetable, dairy. We also have a
salad bar with a variety of offerings including: romaine lettuce, cucumbers, corn, chick
peas, carrots, etc. We ask that your students pick at least 3 of the 5 offered food
groups INCLUDING a serving of fruits/vegetables.
Examples include:
● BBQ Chicken or BBQ Tofu, Whole Grain Mac & Cheese, Diced Carrots, Mixed
Fruit, Milk
● Beef Nachos or Three Bean Nachos with Whole Grain Corn Tortilla Chips, Mixed
Veggies, Sliced Apples, Milk
● Sloppy Joe or Veggie Sloppy Crumble on a Whole Grain Bun, Steamed Broccoli,
Strawberry Cup, Milk
We have posters for breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria to help students understand
what their healthy meal choices look like.
In accordance with state regulations, medical documentation is required for Leverett
Elementary to offer a meal modification for any student with a disability including food
allergies or intolerances that require dietary modifications or substitutions. We do our
best to make every accommodation possible to feed your child. Signed documentation
from your physician should be submitted to Nurse Leah Hirshberg
[email protected] and must include:
▪ Information about the child's physical or mental impairment that is sufficient to allow
the district to understand how it restricts the child’s diet
▪ An explanation of what must be done to accommodate the child’s disability
▪ The food or foods to be omitted and recommended alternatives, in the case of a
modified meal.
It is our privilege to provide breakfast and lunch to your children, supporting them with
nourishing and healthy meals to power through the school day! We can’t wait to serve
them this school year. By participating in Leverett Elementary’s Meal Program, you not
only ensure nutritious meals for your children, you support our program and our school
community. Please reach out with any questions or concerns that you may have.
Best
Stephanie J Conrod
Food Service Director
[email protected]