Meals are an important part of a child’s education. Without a time to unwind while filling their bellies with much needed nutrition, a child’s physical, mental and emotional needs are not being fulfilled. At Little Dreamers Academy, we place a high priority on meeting the needs of the whole child… that’s why we teach and love our jobs so much! We are all about the children! We model the behaviors that we expect from our students and in return, the children learn how to be self-reliant, well-mannered and are given productive skills that are necessary as they continue their journey through life.
Little Dreamers Academy follows the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) nutrition and practice guidelines for meals and snacks. Children are served nutricious foods including whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat or fat-free dairy products and lean proteins. Foods that have low nutritional value and are high in fat and sugar are not served. Children always have access to safe drinking water and are encouraged to drink water throughout the day. Nutrition and physical education are included in each classroom's weekly curriculum.
MEAL-TIME PROCEDURES
Little Dreamers Academy encourages family-style dining. We strive for a relaxed yet educational meal experience. Our teachers practice rich vocabulary using open-ended questions to promote extended learning. It is important for our teachers to sit with the children at their assigned table to model the expected behavior during meals.
Each table is assigned one teacher that is responsible for serving the children at their table. As the children have washed their hands, they will be guided by a teacher to their place setting, where they will be served. Once all hands are washed and all children have been seated and served, the assigned teacher will sit with the class, say a prayer blessing over the food and enjoy a meal with the children. The teacher will continue to meet the needs of the children at her table, while sharing in the meal. During the meal, she will promote learning conversations about foods, meal etiquette, etc. The kitchen staff will continuously fill the bowls and place them in the window, or on the tables, for those lunch shifts who do not have an extra person to serve meals.
CLEANLINESS
It is our goal to maintain a calm, healthy, nurturing environment. The State of Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, as well as USDA Guidelines, prohibit staff from entering the kitchen area. The kitchen door is to be closed and lock any time children are present. We require that teachers knock and wait for the door to be unlocked and then that their entry is only to the hand-washing sink and back supply room area. While food is being prepared, staff may not enter into the area of food preparation.