Meet the Caf Crew!

“I don’t have a specific role, I do a little bit of everything: getting all the lines ready for serving, getting all the utensils and everything else we need, making sure we have all the sides and the carrots all set out. I do the dishes, I serve, I’ve worked all the lines; right now I’m doing mostly the main lunch.”

– Deborah Pojani

“I’m the cook. I cook all main lunches and the soups. I also come in and do breakfast in the morning.”

– Betsy Swallow

“Besides cashier, I assist the cook and help with a la carte. Basically, I back everyone up.”

– Theresa Johnson

“I do the pizza. I’m the pizza lady. I’m Mama Mia.”

– Norene Cooley

“I am the baker. I bake all of those cookies that we sell; I bake 300 a day. I make everything from scratch. A lot of my time is [spent] making the dough and making those cookies.”

– Leslie Foley

“I’m the cashier and I take care of the milk coolers; I [also] help Kellie with the pretzels.”

– Maria Cavicchi

“I do the pretzel stand, the Corner Cafe. I love it. I would say [the Corner Cafe started] three and  half years ago.”

– Kellie Blakesley

“I’m the manager. I do all the ordering, I make sure we safe serve food, that everything is clean and that it’s washed and sanitized in the right way… I deal with the Board of Health when they come in and do their inspections. I do the menus; when somebody’s out sick I fill in their spot. It’s a little bit of everything.”

– Dianne Cofer

“I’m on the register, I regster the main line, and I’m in charge of the condiments. I fill up the water and also the utensils carts.”

– Karin West

“I prepare the alternative meal line, the hot sandwich line, or the a la carte line.”

– Jill Araujo

Photo Flickr

Hardest part of the job?

“I suppose when I’m baking something else [other than cookies] on that same day. It’s just meeting the deadline to be all ready to cashier when first lunch starts. But I don’t find my job very stressful; I really enjoy my job.”

– Leslie Foley

“Making sure the food is hot for all three lunches.”

– Jill Araujo

“I’ve been doing this for twenty years; I don’t stress. It’s just routine; there are certain lunches I can do in my sleep.”

– Betsy Swallow

“The most stressful is getting everything ready on time. But not really, this isn’t anything as stressful as what I used to do. I worked for the phone company.”

– Maria Cavicchi

Photo Flickr

Best part of working in the cafeteria?

“I would say talking with the kids. And also the camaraderie with the coworkers. But I love up there at the pretzel stand [where] I have my regulars, and I know their names, and what they get.”

– Kellie Blakelsey

“I like doing the register. I like seeing the kids coming through. I also like chatting with the ladies after lunch.”

– Karin West

“My favorite part of the job is that I had four kids go through here, and I love love the kids and faculty and staff. I’ve made friends over the years with faculty and staff. People think high school kids: ‘Oh, isn’t that a little tough to work with?’ I have to say: ‘Nicest kids, I’ve never been disappointed here ever.'”

– Theresa Johnson

“My favorite part, or favorite particular moment, is when [the school] had just come back from construction, and I made turkey dinner, and I got a standing ovation. [The students] had been so restricted during the whole construction period on what they got for lunches that when we finally came back and started cooking as a normal kitchen again, and they had their turkey dinner, they were so excited.”

– Betsy Swallow

“The students. I love talking with the students.”

– Dianne Cofer

“Interacting with the students and watching them grow up from freshman year to senior year.”

– Jill Araujo

“The people. I love working with the women I work with, they’re all really nice, the teachers that come in are really nice, and the kids are really nice. They’re all nice people.”

– Deborah Pojani

Photo Wikipedia

Fun Facts!

1. The cafeteria sold 12,013 chocolate chip cookies from the beginning of the school year to November 19- approximately 300 cookies a day.
2. Approximately 3,000 chicken nuggets are prepared every Wednesday.
3. The kitchen has two large kettles holding more than 20 gallons each, where pastas, sauces, rice, and soups are made.
4. Top school lunches: chicken nuggets, pasta day, and macaroni and cheese.
5. 5,153 pizza slices were purchased from the beginning of the school year to November 19.