Caption: Adriano Silva surveys the food supply during the busiest lunch period of the day. [by Dr. Cristina Meier]
by Felipe Candido
One of the things that PACA can be proud of is a full-service kitchen that serves hot, fresh Brazilian style meals to their students, staff and visitors on every school day. The kitchen and cafeteria is conveniently located on the far side of the campus near the gyms, the swimming pool and a common area for students to relax during the lunch hour.
Every day begins with a similar routine. Adriano Silva, one of PACA’s chefs, takes a moment to survey the food service area during the busy lunch period at PACA. This is an important part of his day, and he stays busy throughout all the lunch shifts to make sure that plates, silverware and food items are replenished as they are used.
Each day, they provide food for staff, teachers, and students from pre-k to grade 12. The youngest students have their lunch served first. Kindergarten students to second grade students start lunch at 11:15am. The third through fifth grade students eat from 11:40 to noon.
The middle school students get a four minute head start during the secondary lunch period. They are dismissed for lunch at 12:15 and the high school students wait for the lunch bell to ring at 12:19. This is the busiest time of day for the cafeteria as most of the teachers also eat their lunches during this time.
This school year brought new menus, new service equipment, and a new organization for the provision of meals at PACA. These changes came after careful review and feedback from different people in the community.
With all these changes, one thing is still the same from past years. Our chefs have a commitment to provide healthy and balanced food every day. Chef Adriano Silva and Chef Priscila Nascimento provide some insight into their jobs at PACA.
Priscila Guimarães, one of the cooks, said, “If we are doing a job, we have to like it. I like to cook.”
Guimarães also explained that working in the kitchen is more than just preparing meals. She loves being part of the PACA community, especially serving the students and contributing to their well-being.
(Interviews are translated from Portuguese to English)
