Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions
of students and parents.
- How can my child pay for lunch?
- Why is a Meal Pay Plus Account Required?
- What is Meal Pay Plus?
- How does the cafe know if my child will buy a lunch?
- The Cougar Cafe is an Offer vs. Serve Traditional Menu Plan. What's that?
- My child has always packed lunch and now wants to buy?
- What is a Rocket or Comet Bag?
- What if my child checks in for lunch and then goes home sick?
- What if my child gets to school late? Can they still buy a lunch?
- How can I check my child's cafe balance?
- What is an ala cart item?
- Can my child have a guest/guests join them for lunch?
- How do I volunteer in the cafeteria?
- What are International Days?
- How do I make suggestions for the cafe?
How can my child pay for lunch?
The Cougar Cafe operates on a pre-paid non profit system. To help
maintain an effective procedure for accounting, every family will
be required to set up a Meal Pay Plus account. When you send a
check or money order to the cafe, the funds will then be credited
to your child's cafe account number. When your child comes
through the lunch line their account will be debited $2.50 if
buying lunch, and .50 if buying milk. Assuming there are 20 days
of school per month, if your child buys the full lunch every day,
typically lunches will cost $50.00 per month per child.
Why is a Meal Pay Plus Account Required?
Every child, including those who pack lunch and only buy milk are
required to set up a Meal Pay Plus account. Children with
negative cafeteria accounts has been an ongoing problem. As a
result we simply are unable to meet our budget contraints and pay
our vendors in a timely fashion. Therefore, we are unable to
serve lunch to any child with a zero or negative account. If a
child signs in for lunch in the morning and has no funds, they
will be asked to call home to have a check brought in or a packed
lunch. Please, please be aware of the funds in your child's
account, we greatly appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
What is Meal Pay Plus?
Meal Pay Plus is an independent system whereby you can add funds
to your child's account. You have the convenience of using a
credit card through the secure site online. You will be provided
a private password that only you will know. The cafe will never
have access to any personal bank or password information at any
time. Be aware that there is a 4% fee per transaction when
loading your child's accout via credit card transfer. Please
remember you are always welcome to send a check or money order
(no cash please)to the cafe with no processing fee. When setting
up your Meal Pay Plus account you will be asked if you want to
have an email alert sent to your personal email when your child's
funds dip below $10.00. This gives you four days to add money
before your child's account is depleted. We urge you to select
this option to avoid having you bring your child a lunch during
school hours.
How does the cafe know if my child will buy a lunch?
Each morning your child will need to check in for lunch. They
will do this in their homeroom and they may choose the hot
entree, peanut butter and jelly, plain peanut butter, a rocket
bag, comet bag, or milk only if packing. Every child buying lunch
will be offered all side items and a milk regardless of whether
they choose the hot entree or peanut butter and jelly.
The Cougar Cafe is an Offer vs. Serve Traditional Menu Plan. What's that?
The U.S. Ohio Department of Education's National School Lunch
Program requires five food components to be offered at each meal.
These consist of: *one bread/grain, *one meat or meat alternative
(such as cheese), *one fruit, *one vegetable (or two different
fruits or two different vegetables), *and milk. Your child is
required to take the entree and their choice of at least two
other side options. Milk is considered a side option, NOT a
requirement. For example, on pizza day, if the side items are a
salad, peaches, and milk, your child could choose pizza and
peaches to meet the standard requirements for lunch. The three
components are: 1.the pizza crust(bread), 2. the meat alternative
(cheese), and 3. fruit (peaches). Your child is always free to
choose all five offerings at every lunch. The Cafe is required to
charge the same price for lunch regardless of whether your child
picks three, four, or all five components. The government put
these guidelines in place in an effort to reduce wasted food. We
encourage you to review the menu options with your child and
guide them with what to choose. The cafe staff is unable to
demand that your child have all five offerings on their tray, but
we are required to see that they have at least three.
My child has always packed lunch and now wants to buy?
Great! Your child simply needs to check in for lunch in their
homeroom. This will be done just after attendance is taken.
What is a Rocket or Comet Bag?
Many children pack because they either do not care for the hot
entree or do not wish to wait in the lunch line. We are now
offering a solution! The Rocket Bag will have a bagel and cream
cheese, a fruit like an applesauce cup, a vegetable, like a
bag of baby carrots, and milk. The Comet Bag will have the same
components except it will have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
These will all be prebagged so your child can grab and go! They
will line up in front of the hot lunch buyers, with no waiting
for a tray, pick up the bag lunch, and milk and go. The only
thing they need to do is give their cafe account number so they
can be charged and then be seated. We hope this will help parents
who have kids with particular palates and little time to
pack lunches happy, too:)
What if my child checks in for lunch and then goes home sick?
Your child will only be charged for lunch when they come through
the line regardless of whether they have checked in earlier in
the day.
What if my child gets to school late? Can they still buy a lunch?
If your child arrives at school after homeroom check in, which is
usually by 9:00, they will need to go to the office and get a
tardy slip from our lovely Mrs. Laudeman. Your child will be
asked to bring the slip to the Cafe to place their lunch order,
we will place a check mark on it acknowledging that we have
receiveed the order. The child will then go to their classroom,
turn in the slip, and proceed as usual.
How can I check my child's cafe balance?
When you register with Meal Pay Plus you will be able to choose a
private password to access your child's account. You may then see
how much money your child has left in the account, as well as day
by day charges from the Cafe. If your child buys an extra
sandwich or featured item it will appear as an ala cart item.
Extra milk purchases will appear as well.
What is an ala cart item?
Ala Cart items can be anything from peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches, milk, extra noodle bake, baked rice, or cookies, etc.
Occasionally the Cafe will make an extra amount of a popular item
primarily to ensure that there is plenty to around the first
time, but can result in extra for the next day. It is then sold
as ala cart. These are very popular with the kids, so please be
sure to let your child know if you do not wish them to buy extras.
Can my child have a guest/guests join them for lunch?
Yes! We love guests and welcome them. Please have your child
remember to check guests in along with themselves in the morning.
We ask that this be done to make sure we have enough food
prepared for everyone. Also, please be aware that students cannot
charge guest lunches to their account even if its a parent.
Guests will need to pay for their lunch as they come through the
line, and because we want to welcome guests, we will make an
exception and accept cash payments at the time of purchase, and
only for this reason. Guest lunches cannot be charged to your
child's account due to government tracking forms we are required
to submit. At this time we do not have the software capability to
separate the two. Thanks for your understanding in this matter.
How do I volunteer in the cafeteria?
Our favorite question!!!! Please contact Kelly Pund to let her
know the days you are available. We are always grateful for the
help:)
What are International Days?
Two years ago we introduced this concept in an effort to
encourage the children to try new foods. We have had such themes
as Italian Day with hoagies, minestrone soup, and cannolis.
Chinese day with home made stir fried rice and egg rolls.
Mexican build a burrito day with fresh corn, black bean, and
cilantro salsa and lime infused rice. French Day with French
onion soup, home made chicken salad, grape clusters, and a
baguette.Mardi Gras Day with Jambalaya, and much more. We are
always striving to make lunches nutritional, educational, and fun!
for the latest additions.
How do I make suggestions for the cafe?
Please feel free to let us know how we are doing. It is our goal
to offer a well balanced and nutritious lunch that tastes good.
Please understand that we do our best to please the majority, but
realize not every lunch will be every child's favorite. We try
to listen to all the children and make a sincere effort to please
them all.