My Favorite Place for Lunch

[flickrslideshow acct_name=”lrei-photos” id=”72157625419303254″]


Dear Families,

The other day I bumped into an alumni parent. We talked about his son and the changes at LREI in the years since his graduation. We also spoke of how the Village has changed in recent years.  He asked if there were any good new places for lunch.  While I could tell him where each of his son’s classmates had ended up, I had no idea of neighborhood places for lunch as I eat in the same place, my favorite place, every day—LREI’s cafeteria.

Each day, in our two cafeterias, we provide a hot entrée, a vegetarian alternative, a homemade soup, a sandwich of the day and a variety of choices of salads and sandwich fixings at our salad bar.  Add yogurt, fresh bread and a variety of beverages and you have the makings of a healthy, delicious lunch.  Each day at lunchtime, early childhood students enjoy a selection of these choices in their classrooms.

As you may know, LREI contracts with Cater to You, a full service food service and catering company, to prepare lunch for over 700 people per day.  In addition to lunch, our dedicated kitchen crew, led by head chef Jorge Lema, provides breakfast for LREI’s employees, daily snack in all three divisions and for Afterschool and often prepares food for evening events.

For over ten years, LREI has had a very productive and collegial partnership with Cater To You (CTY.)  A few years ago in a conversation with Anthony Trentacosti, founder and owner of CTY, we decided that he would try to find a source for local New York State apples rather than buying Washington State apples.  This brief conversation about the quality and source of our provisions led to a variety of changes. These include:

  • The elimination of trans fats and high fructose corn syrup from virtually all menu items.
  • Meals are prepared with the ingredients from traceable and reputable partners
  • The elimination of prepared, frozen entrees.
  • The use of many local produce items including apples, pears, carrots, onions, cider and many other seasonal fruits and vegetables.
  • The purchase of local free range, antibiotic and hormone free, locally sourced eggs from Featherstone Farms and Knoll Crest Farms
  • Beef from Creekstone Farms
    • Antibiotic & hormone free beef
    • No growth promoting drugs
    • No artificial ingredients
    • 100% vegetarian diet
    • Sourced verified to ranch of birth
    • Humane animal handling practices
  • Chicken products are purchased from Bell & Evans Poultry
    • Antibiotic & hormone free poultry
    • Air- chilled
    • Fed an all-natural diet
    • Hydrogenated oil free
    • Hexane gas free
  • Milk, in the cafeteria and the early childhood classrooms is from Ronnybrook Farms Milk – closed herd, grass fed, free range cows
    • Grass Fed
    • Antibiotic – hormone free
    • Local NY State dairy
    • Low temp pasteurized
    • Not homogenized
  • Fish for entrees is purchased from Litchfield Farms Organic & Natural Seafood:
    • Seafood that is sustainable, traceable, healthy and always fresh
    • A small company that values and treats our customers as partners and friends.
    • Litchfield Farms Organic & Natural is the leader in a new “cultural sustainability” movement. Their products reflect the best practices in sustainable seafood, and recognize and supports local producers and communities. Think Slow Food meets fish!
  • BARE – paper products
    • BARE is eco-friendly: renewable plates, compostable plates, recyclable cups and compostable cups.
    • Plant-based renewable materials.
    • Bare plates contain renewable resources
    • Bare plates are made with post consumer recycled material

Other sources for provisions noted above, include:

  • Source Local Produce : Glebocki Farms
  • Partnership with Basis Foods – Sourcing local produce items from the Tri-State Area
  • Partnership with Regional Access- Sourcing New York State Produce and Dry Goods
  • Serving Stonyfield Organic Yogurt
  • Snack Items provided by United Natural Foods- NY State Premier Natural Item Distributor
  • Bread and rolls served in the cafeterias are from Rose & Joe’s, a local, family owned bakery in Queens.
  • Sausage – Chicken and Pork from Faiccos on Bleecker Street

Other products and procedures of note:

  • Eliminating canned foods – except canned tomatoes
  • Soups made with vegetable based stocks
  • Salad dressings are made in our kitchen.  The balsamic vinaigrette is amazing!
  • Jorge’s ever popular hot sauce is homemade
  • Eliminating Frozen Vegetables to stay within our seasonal based menus.
  • All natural and organic snacks – distributed through the largest distributers of natural foods in the U.S. – United Natural Foods

Sincerely,

Phil

* * * * *

LETTERS FROM LOWER SCHOOL TEACHERS

(click on the links below to view and print notes from teachers)

Luise & Bianca’s Kindergarten: Click here to hear the Kindergartners’ thoughts on what Thanksgiving is and  learn about a tradition that the class is taking part in.

Elizabeth & Samson’s Kindergarten: Click here to hear about the Kindergartners’ upcoming Occupations/Hobby  unit and what they’ll be baking next week.

Gina & Emily’s First Grade: Click here to read a letter from the first grade teachers about “book bags” and the new Thursday reading homework.

Galen & Christine’s First Grade: Click here to read a letter from the first grade teachers about “book bags” and the new Thursday reading homework.

Rebecca & Jessi’s First Grade: Click here to read a letter from the first grade teachers about “book bags” and the new Thursday reading homework.

Dina & Farrah’s Fourth Grade: Click here to read about the important work that the fourth graders have been doing in social studies and hear about their upcoming trip to the Weeksville Heritage Center.

Kate & Nicole’s Fourth Grade: Click here for a message from Kate & Nicole about their recent study of biographies and symbolism.

* * * * *

LOWER SCHOOL REMINDERS AND EVENTS

For the most up-to-date information visit the school’s online calendar at www.lrei.org/calendar. Click here to download the one-page 2010-11 school calendar.

Thanksgiving Break: School closes for Thanksgiving at 12 pm on Wednesday, November 24th for 2nd-4th grades and at 11:45 am for 4s-1st. There is no Afterschool on Wednesday, 11/24. School reopens Monday, 11/29.

Thanksgiving Food Drive: LREI has a longstanding relationship with the St. John’s Food Pantry, which provides bags of groceries to over 700 hungry people each week.  Following a second grade trip to the pantry in which students learned about this important service and bagged apples to be distributed the following day,  all lower school students are asked to bring canned and boxed goods to the Thanksgiving Assembly on Wednesday, November 24.  All items will be donated to the pantry.  For a list of requested food, please click here.

Third and Fourth Grade Farm Breakfasts. Parents are invited to attend a celebration and sharing of farm experiences in the classrooms.

  • Mon, Nov 22, 2010, 8:30am: Dan and Jessica’s Farm Breakfast
  • Tue, Nov 23, 2010, 8:45am: Dina and Farrah’s Farm Breakfast (Kids arrive at 8:30 am to prepare and grown-ups please come to the room at 8:45)

3rd Gr. Music Assembly: Wednesday, December 1st: at 8:45 am in LS auditorium

Photo Re-take Day: Re-take day for students who were absent on photo day will be Monday, December 6th. Photos will be taken indoors.

* * * * *

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

LREI SPIRIT CLUB! Grab a friend and come out to cheer for our Varsity Girls Basketball Team in their first home game of the season on Monday, November 22nd, at 4:00PM. Get into the spirit with the following fun activities at 3:00PM at the Thompson Street Athletic Center:

* Make your own noisemakers, pom-poms, flags and more!
* Face painting and Knights tattoos too!

All are welcome to join the fun, but lower school students and fifth and sixth graders must be accompanied by a caregiver or parent. All home games and activities are held in the gym at 145 Thompson Street. Please see attached flyer for upcoming Spirit Club dates.
Then bring your pom poms, noisemakers and more friends, and come out to root for our Varsity Girls basketball team at another exciting game, on Tuesday, November 23rd at 4:00 PM at the Thompson Street Athletic Center.
Please see click here to view a flyer for upcoming Spirit Club dates. GO LREI KNIGHTS!


* * * * *

PARENTS ASSOCIATION MEETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

All parent association meetings are held in the LS Cafeteria at 8:45 am, unless otherwise noted

Fri, Nov 19, 2010: Literary Committee Meeting
Mon, Nov 22, 2010: Multi-Cultural Committee Meeting
Tue, Nov 23, 2010: Red is Green Comm. Mtg.
Tue, Nov 23, 2010: PA Exec. Mtg.
Wed, Nov 24, 2010: Adoption Comm. Mtg.

The Literary Committee invites you to its annual Literary Evening on Tuesday, December 7, 7-9:30 PM, at the Charlton St. PAC. This year’s evening, entitled Prime Cuts, will feature writers who focus on food (and drink!) in their work: Josh Kilmer-Purcell (The Bucolic Plague), Garrett Oliver (The Brewmaster’s Table), Monique Truong (The Book of Salt), Brett Martin (Top Chef: The Cookbook), and Zarela Martinez (Food from My Heart). Our MC is Daphne Rubin-Vega. Please join us for an appetizing evening. Tickets will go on sale after Thanksgiving; click here for more information.

Community Service Committee: “Dollar for Thanks” action to help local soup kitchens bring Thanksgiving dinner to people in need. Look for the big roasting pan piggy bank Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday November 22nd, 23rd and 24th at drop off in Sixth Ave. lobby, and, as always, use the action as a learning opportunity for your children. Happy Thanksgiving!

* * * * *

LOWER SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES

All Lower School Assemblies are held in our Auditorium at 8:45 a.m, unless otherwise noted.

Wed, Dec 1, 2010: 3rd Grade Music Assembly
Fri, Dec 17, 2010: 10:15am, Lower School Winter Assembly
Wed, Jan 19, 2011: 9:00am, LS MLK Jr. Assembly
Wed, Feb 23, 2011: 9:00am Families Assembly
Wed, Apr 13, 2011: First Gr. Assembly
Wed, Apr 20, 2011: K’s Music Assembly
Wed, Apr 27, 2011: 2nd Gr. Assembly
Wed, May 4, 2011: 4s/4k Assembly
Wed, May 11, 2011: 3rd Gr. Assembly
Wed, May 18, 2011: 4th Gr. Assembly
Wed, May 25, 2011: K’s Movement Assembly
Wed, Jun 1, 2011: 4s/4k Movement Assembly

* * * * *

LOWER SCHOOL PARENT REPRESENTATIVES 2010-2011

Beth’s Fours Maren Berthelsen, Becca Markley

Fours/K Marjorie Goldner,
Sara Taplitz

Elizabeth’s K Juliet Burrows,
Carmen Lenzi

Luise’s K Shannon Barden,
Yael Goverover

Gina’s 1st Diane Hoffman,
Ceci Van Blerkom

Galen’s 1st Dawn Eig,
Christine Boyle

Rebecca’s 1st Hilary Meltzer,
Mishi Hosono

Tasha’s 2nd Mary Gerzema,
Linda Phillips

Deborah’s 2nd A.M. Homes,
Fia Hatsav,
Julia Wilbur

Dan’s 3rd Hillary Butler,
Holly Glass,
Denise Roederer

Vonick’s 3rd Heather McMaster,
Beth Dary

Dina’s 4th Connie Butler,
Lara Olivieri

Kate’s 4th Susan Harris,
Liselotte Vince

Comments are closed.