School lunches should be fun, not simply students moving through a line and picking out their food.
That’s why Mary LaMarche, satellite kitchen assistant at Bel Air Elementary School, puts so much into her job and leads her team at the school to come up with creative ideas to make students’ breakfasts and lunches more appealing.
“[School lunch] shouldn’t be like an institution and you get through the line,” LaMarche, who has been at Bel Air Elementary for six years and the lead for four. “It should be a fun experience. I think food is fun.”
She’s started the Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Breakfast, the Instagram account for the school meal program and food samples for Back to School Night, and things as simple as whipped cream on top of fresh strawberries, pretty displays of green vegetables for St. Patrick’s Day or a special display for a special food.
For her efforts, LaMarche has been named the Employee of the Year by the national non-profit School Nutrition Association. She will be honored July 14 during the Red Carpet Awards Ceremony at the School Nutrition Association’s 73rd Annual National Conference in St. Louis.
The award recognizes the valuable contribution of school nutrition employees, ones who exhibit a remarkable commitment to both their school meal program and the students they serve, according to the association.
Nominated by Harford County Public Schools, LaMarche won at the state and regional levels before being considered for the national award; she was notified last week she had won.
“It’s great. It makes everything worth my time and it shows it does affect people,” LaMarche, who lives in Bel Air, said. “I hope to teach others with what I do and I hope to learn from others. I don’t know everything about the business — I like to learn and see what everybody else does.”
Bel Air Elementary School Principal Dyann Mack sang LaMarche’s praises Thursday.
“She creates an experience for the kids, they’re all very excited,” Mack said. “She does such a good job with the presentation of food.”
Fourth-grader Addison Foskey picked up one of LaMarche’s special sandwiches during lunch Thursday.
With some provolone cheese they don’t normally have, LaMarche made a ham and cheese sandwich and cut it into four triangles, placing them like a star facing away from a fruit cup in the center.
“I’ve had it before and I love provolone,” Addison said as she grabbed the sandwich.
“She always tries new things,” LaMarche said about Addison.
LaMarche was more than happy to accommodate Nathan Lucke’s request for extra cheese on his nachos grande meal — his favorite.
“I’ve known her since first grade, she’s always nice,” Nathan, a third-grader, said.
She accommodates other requests, too, like putting a salad on top of the nachos grande to make a taco salad.
LaMarch is one of three on the cafeteria staff at Bel Air Elementary and during lunch, they are busy bustling around the kitchen. Typically they have four staff members but one left recently and likely won’t be replaced before the end of the school year, she said.
As the satellite kitchen assistant, LaMarche is responsible for making sure the food is prepped for the day, placing food orders two weeks ahead of time or longer and working the lunches — either serving, ringing up sales or cleaning up as students leave.
A school of about 520, Bel Air serves 45 to 60 breakfasts and 200 to 240 lunches each day.
LaMarche, who spends many hours at home coming up with new ideas, enjoys her job.
“My whole family, my extended family, everything revolves around food. My daughter is older, I can’t do these kinds of things at home. So I can come in here with everybody else’s kids and have fun,” she said. “I want to work with students to get a taste they might not have ever [had]. We just want to make everybody happy.”
As a way to promote the school meal program at Bel Air Elementary, LaMarche created a dedicated Instagram account, posting photos of fresh fruits and vegetables, promotional events, entrée meals and other features.
She also organized and hosted a free food show during Back to School Night, where parents, students and siblings were invited into the cafeteria to sample fresh fruits and vegetables, popular hot entrée items and favorite sandwiches. While visiting the cafeteria, parents were able to watch a video about the program, pick up program literature and were asked to “follow” their Instagram account.
To gather student feedback, she offers a comment box, publishes daily menus on her themed bulletin board and encourages sampling of new menu options.
An integral part of the planning and execution of annual meetings and events, LaMarche spearheads many of her local School Nutrition Association events. She organizes the annual toy drive, coordinates the department to march in the town Christmas parade and has handed out treats at the local Trunk or Treat in the past. LaMarche also works with the district’s Future Links program for high-functioning special needs adult students, teaching them career skills and making them feel connected to the school community.
“Mary LaMarche has provided a consistent and positive link between her community and her school nutrition department,” SNA President Gay Anderson said. “She is committed to the health and happiness of her students, while actively promoting the importance of school meal programs to everyone in her community. We are proud to have her represent SNA both within and outside of school walls.”
The Employee of the Year Award was created to recognize outstanding school nutrition employees who influence the quality of school meals through customer service, an interest in young people, cooperation, work attendance, creativity, participation in professional development and their willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty, according to the SNA.