Kathy Cuthbertson
Dear editor:
To the students of Fort High!
My family and I have had so many people ask why I am not managing the FFHS caf anymore that I thought this letter might help you to understand the reason why I am not.
First of all, it has nothing to do with the nutrition policy. I had contacted a nutritionist from the Northwestern Health Unit to receive instructions on how to make sure recipes comply with the nutrition regulations the government was implementing this fall.
I made changes to my staffing, revised recipes, and added new choices that would comply with the government regulations because I planned to “apply” for the job of operating the caf again this fall.
But when the cafeteria “job” was posted in June (2011), it contained many new terms and conditions that I was expected to follow, including allowing the principal to tell me (at his sole discretion) to close over lunch.
Caf staff would have to be there from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. to serve snacks and drinks all day, but we would have to close at lunch so that other groups, including the hospitality class, fundraising groups, and other people who make food to sell, could come in and serve lunch.
This may seem like a really cool idea in some ways, and I do agree the hospitality class and fundraising groups could benefit a lot from this, but my business would have suffered. I still would have to pay wages on those days because it wouldn’t be fair to cancel shifts. And with no money coming in from lunch sales, I would be about $350 “in the hole” on these days (it would be like what happens to us on snow days!)
Therefore, I felt I had no choice but to not “apply.” I sent a letter to administration letting them know I would continue operating the cafeteria if some of the terms were changed or if no one else applied (which they knew was the case on June 29).
Instead of asking to meet to discuss this, I was told to remove my equipment and that the people who were in charge of this (Laura Mills and the principal ) would get together on Aug. 15 to look at their options (which included considering having the hospitality program run the caf).
Aug. 15 was only two weeks before school opened, so we continued to make ourselves available in the event we were needed to start out the school year. Instead, I was asked to turn in my keys for the kitchen.
I speak for my staff when I say we enjoyed working in the caf, and really miss it and your youthful enthusiasm! We feel bad that you have no choice now other than to dash out of school to get snacks and lunch (or to bring a cold lunch).
We hope that the hospitality program, and the teachers they hire to run the caf, can provide you with this soon—and the students in this class enjoy serving you!
Sincerely,
Kathy Cuthbertson
Fort Frances, Ont.
