AGHS’s lunch staff’s first priority is to ensure that students are well fed to tackle the school day. Maria Garcia is AGHS’s food service unit leader and starts her day around 6 a.m. preparing paperwork that needs to be documented. 

At 7 a.m., the rest of the crew start to prepare the pre-planned menu for the day. Once breakfast is done, they move on to preparing lunch and get a head start on next day’s menu if they have the chance. 

The school’s kitchen staff is also responsible for feeding kids from Branch Elementary, and Grover Heights Elementary, which triples the workload for the staff. They also take on catering orders for affiliates outside of school.

Over 500 servings of hot lunches are made and 120-130 servings of cold lunches such as salads, fruits, and vegetables. The school’s kitchen supervisor and director make the menu and the staff follow it. Monthly meetings are held between staff and the kitchen supervisor regarding whether students liked a new item or not. 

AGHS’s kitchen is the biggest in the district, because of the large student population and catering to other schools. Every day is busy for the kitchen staff and it is crucial that everyone collaborates to keep it running smoothly. 

“Everything that [the staff] do is as a team,” said Garcia.

When someone is gone for one day, it impacts the whole team. They all heavily rely on each other to ensure all meal and planning deadlines are met. 

The kitchen staff also prioritize providing breakfast and lunch alternatives to students who have allergies or need accommodations. They are open to any alternative requests from students. 

“We want students to keep coming and feel that they will find something for them even if they are allergic to any specific thing,” said Garcia. 

AGHS’s school director is constantly looking for new ideas and meals that meet the set requirements that they have to follow. It is difficult to find a balance between what the students like and the standards that have to be met. 

“We are trying [the] best we can to make [the food] good and I know it is always an issue but I want them to know that we are trying our best with what we can to make it reach their standards,” said Garcia.