Lunch Menus/Nutrition Services

Each K-5 and K-8 school site (Holy Spirit Catholic School, St. Francis of Assisi School, St. John the Evangelist/St. Pius X School) provides a federally subsidized lunch program that is regulated and monitored through the Food and Nutrition Program of the Minnesota Department of Education. Additionally, the Olmsted County Public Health Department inspects each site’s food preparation areas twice per year.

All lunches are priced at $3.05 at Holy Spirit School and St. Francis School.  St. John's School and St. Pius School lunch price will be $3.10.  This includes milk (white skim, 1%, and chocolate skim). Students are also welcome to bring a nutritious lunch from home and purchase milk separately for $.50. The “Offer versus Serve” concept is used where meat, grain product, vegetable, fruit, and milk is offered. The student must take at least 3 of the 5 items, with one item being a fruit or vegetable. Students are allowed to take additional servings of fruits and vegetables.

The meal accounting process is a pre-paid system. Parents/guardians are asked to keep a minimum balance of $15 in the family account. Lunch payments may be made by check, cash, or on-line via the Infinite Campus parent portal. Low Balance reminders will be sent by email weekly when the account falls below $15.

To obtain the daily activity and current balance, logging into Infinite Campus parent portal is a convenient way to view daily activity and make on-line payments.

All RCS lunch accounts with Infinite Campus will be separated into individual accounts instead of family accounts. Each student will now have a separate account balance which will have to be maintained separately. If you pay online through the Infinite Campus parent portal, you can make a single payment with a single transaction fee for all your students, regardless of what RCS school they attend. You can decide what amount to put in each of the accounts and the payments are automatically routed to the correct school. For those wanting to pay by check or cash, place it in an envelope and give to the school office.

Policy for Negative Lunch Balance
Students are allowed to charge five meals. Once five meals (-$15.25) have been charged to a student’s account without reimbursement, they will be provided with a cheese sandwich and milk until payment is received. Students will not be allowed to purchase any a la carte items if the account is negative. This policy is not intended to 'identify’ or make an example of children whose parents have not kept their child’s lunch account current, but simply a way to keep Rochester Catholic Schools financially strong while still providing a meal for the child.

Policy for Nonsufficient Funds (NSF) Checks
You will be advised, by letter, if a NSF notice is received. The service charge from the bank will be added to the NSF debt. Rochester Catholic Schools will accept cash only for all NSF checks. If the debt is not paid in full within five days, the student’s lunch account will be closed until the balance is paid in full. If not resolved, the debt will be turned over to a collection agency and the collection agency fee will be added to the NSF amount.

Applications for Educational Benefits
Applications for free or reduced priced school meals are available and can be filled out any time throughout the school year. Children can receive free or reduced price school meals if the total household income is within the limits shown in the letter that is with the application for Educational Benefits. Children in households receiving SNAP, MFIP, and FDPIR benefits and foster, homeless, migrant, and runaway children can receive free meals without reporting household income.

Application
 

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410
2. Fax: (202) 690-7442
3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Diet Disability Plan
This form needs to be completed by your child's physician. It gives Rochester Catholic Schools Nutrition Services direction on appropriate meal substitutions for a child's special diet (e.g. food allergies that result in severe, life-threatening (anaphylactic) reactions).

Food Intolerances Allergies
This form provides guidelines for your child’s classroom and special area classrooms. If your child will be eating school meals and/or taking a beverage and will be needing substitutions due to a food intolerance or allergy, please contact your child's school front office.

Taher Foods, Inc. manages the food program for students and staff at Lourdes High School.

The students and staff of Lourdes High School have many fresh and home-made item to choose from on a daily basis. The scheduled menu has two main entrees to choose from each day. Students also have the option to purchase Grab and Go Salads, Subs, and Wraps as well as a choice of Pizza Parlor Pizza, Cheeseburgers and Chicken Sandwiches, Salad Bar and Soups.

Breakfast options such as scones, muffins and bagels are available each day. If your child has a food allergy, please contact Heidi Osterhaus, Food Service Director, at hosterhaus@rcsmn.org or call (507) 361-6312 and we will do our best to accommodate your child’s nutritional needs.

About Taher

Taher’s corporate philosophy is very simple. While our clients, who range from kindergartners to retirees, pursue an incredible variety of personal and professional goals, we focus exclusively on food. We know it, we love it, and we're dedicated to making sure all of our customers have one important thing in common: eating outstanding meals, every single day.|

Our staff cook from scratch with fresh, quality ingredients. We partner with farmers who are committed to sustainable practices and humane standards. Our licensed dietitians stay current on advancements in nutritional knowledge, and continuously weave these into our menus – like the addition of more whole grains, and the complete phasing out of all trans fats. We also reach around the world for culinary inspiration to keep our menus growing, changing, and fresh.

Taher Website

Heidi Osterhaus is the Food Service Director at Lourdes High School. Heidi has worked with Taher, Inc. for 8 years and is very excited to serve the Lourdes community.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Heidi Osterhaus at hosterhaus@rcsmn.org or calling at (507) 361-6312.

The meal accounting process is a pre-paid system. Lunch payments may be made by check, cash, or on-line via the Infinite Campus parent portal. An email notification will be sent when the account balance has been zeroed-out. To obtain the daily activity and current balance, logging into Infinite Campus parent portal is a convenient way to view daily activity and make on-line payments.

All RCS lunch accounts with Infinite Campus will be separated into individual accounts instead of family accounts. Each student will now have a separate account balance which will have to be maintained separately. If you pay online through the Infinite Campus parent portal, you can make a single payment with a single transaction fee for all your students, regardless of what RCS school they attend. You can decide what amount to put in each of the accounts and the payments are automatically routed to the correct school. If you pay by check, you will have to send a separate check to each school that your students attend and you may need to provide instructions on which student’s account should get what fraction of the deposit. Please be patient as we learn this new procedure.

Lourdes High School provides healthy meals each day. The average hot lunch costs between $3-5 per meal. Lourdes High School and Taher, Inc. help to pay for school meals, so all students who are approved for the Angel Fund Food Assistance Program will receive financial assistance to pay for school meals in the form of a daily allowance of $5.50.

Application
Your children may qualify for school meal assistance. To apply, click here to access the Application for Angel Fund Food.  A new application must be submitted each year.

Return your completed Application for Angel Fund Food Assistance to the Lourdes High School front office or mail to: 2800 19th Street NW Rochester, MN 55901

Who can get free school meals?
Children can get a daily allowance for meals if their household income is within the maximum income shown for their household size on the instructions.

I get WIC or Medical Assistance. Can my children get free school meals?
Children in households participating in WIC or Medical Assistance may be eligible for a daily allowance. Please fill out an application.

Who should I include as household members?
Include yourself and all other people living in the household, related or not (such as grandparents, other relatives, or friends).

May I apply if someone in my household is not a U.S. citizen?
Yes. You or your children do not have to be U.S. citizens for your children to qualify for the Angel Fund Food Assistance Program.

What if my income is not always the same?
List the amount that you normally get. If you normally get overtime, include it, but not if you get overtime only sometimes.

Will the information I give be checked?
Yes, and we may also ask you to send written proof.

How will the information be kept?
Information you provide on the form, and your child's approval for school meal benefits, will be protected as private data. For more information see the back page of the Application.

If I don't qualify now, may I apply later?
Yes. Please complete an application at any time if your income goes down, or your household size goes up.

If you have other questions or need help, call 507-289-3991.