Watervliet City School District > Departments > Food Service

Food Service

    Menus

    Students need a nutritious breakfast and lunch every day to keep them healthy and to help them stay focused on learning. Children who develop healthy eating habits and are physically active have a greater chance of being healthy for life and are more likely to do better in school.

    The Watervliet Food Service Department offers healthy food choices in compliance with the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The legislation was developed to improve nutrition and focus on reducing childhood obesity, in part by asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to set national standards for school lunch meals, which include:

    • Increased servings of fruits and vegetables
    • Set maximum calorie targets
    • Use of whole grains in breads/grains served (pasta, tortillas, etc.)
    • Reduced sodium, saturated fat and trans fat 
    • Offer only 1 percent or fat-free milk and fat-free flavored milk

    Access to Digital Menus through LINQ Connect

    Families now have the option to access the menu digitally through LINQ Connect and view the main option, alternate options and all ingredients and allergen information. Visit https://linqconnect.com/public/menu/VMDFYV

    Meal Modification Statement/Notification

    Meal Service to Children with Disabilities: Federal regulations require schools and institutions to serve meals at no extra charge to children with a disability which may restrict their diet. A student with a disability is defined in 7CFR Part 15b.3 of Federal regulations, as one who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual, a record of such an impairment or being regarded as having such an impairment. All Food Service Areas will also be accessible to any/all individuals.

    The School Nutrition Program’s regulations require that meals offered in the schools meet the meal patterns identified in the program regulations. Food substitutions may be made for medical or special dietary needs on a case-by-case basis if supported by a statement signed by a recognized medical authority. A recognized medical authority may include physicians, physician assistants or nurse practitioners. A request for a Meal Modification can also come from one of these persons.

    The School District will review any requests for modification and accommodate wherever possible. If the exact request is not achievable, an alternate modification may be proposed. Families will have the opportunity to review the proposed alternate modification and file a grievance with the District’s 504 Coordinator. If necessary an impartial hearing can be requested in order to review standard and alternative procedures.

    Your child’s health is very important to us. Please have your medical authority complete and submit a notification to the school district’s School Lunch Director containing the required information needed to accommodate your child.

    • The School Nutrition Program utilizes the Offer vs. Serve meal service at our elementary, middle and high schools, but not any pre-k buildings. This means that your child may be able to make choices for their meal and choose something else to which they are not allergic to. School Nutrition personnel will make every attempt to accommodate your child’s dietary needs at no cost to the family.
    • Please know that the School Nutrition Program is able to handle vegetarian and/or religious (i.e. no pork) dietary requests. Requests must be made through Food Service. Any major allergen requests must be made with the Nurse on Site.
    • Parents and students are able to view school menus on the school website.
    • Your child’s signed Notification Form will stay on file until the school nutrition department receives written notification to remove it.

    TITAN is LINQ Connect, as of May 2023 

    In May 2023, TITAN Family Portal, the system our food service department had used, was upgraded to LINQ Connect. There is no need to change your username and password. All your information will be transferred to the new platform. View FAQS about change to LINQ Connect

    Download the app up today!

    The “LINQ Connect” app is available in the Google Play Store now and the Apple App Store available soon to download. Just log in with your existing username and password. If you use a web browser, visit LINQConnect.com to log in.

    LINQ Connect allows you to set up one-time or recurring payments for your student’s meal. You can also view previous transactions, set spending limits, transfer funds between students, set low-balance notifications, and more. It’s an easy way to manage meal payments without the hassle of sending cash.

    If you have any difficulties accessing your LINQ account, please contact LINQ support at support@linqconnect.com.

      All Watervliet students to have access to free school meals

      Complete a Household Income Eligibility Form online This form is also available at each school if you don’t have access to it online. Please return completed forms to school with your student to the attention: Darryl Whited, WCSD Cook Manager.

      The Watervliet City School District has implemented a meal certification option to our schools – Watervliet Elementary School and Watervliet Jr.-Sr. High School – participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

      What does this mean for me and for my children who attend the school(s) identified above?

      All students enrolled at Watervliet City School District are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household each day of the 2023-24 school year. Your child(ren) will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit a meal application.

      Do I still need to complete a Household Income Eligibility Form?

      Yes, you still need to complete a form. Our school is eligible to receive additional state and federal funds based on the number and/or percentage of students enrolled who reside in households that meet established federal income guidelines. We use the Household Income Eligibility Form to collect household information. The form also helps our school district qualify for education funds and discounts. Complete a Household Income Eligibility Form online

      Please contact Darryl Whited, WCSD Cook Manager at 518-629-3261 or email dwhited@vlietschools.org, if you have any questions.

      Sincerely,
      Watervliet City School District Food Service Team

      Non-Discrimination Statement

      In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

      To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

      1. mail:
      U.S. Department of Agriculture
      Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
      1400 Independence Avenue, SW
      Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

      2. fax:
      (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

      3. email:
      program.intake@usda.gov

      This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

      Watervliet schools eliminate peanut butter from menu

      As of September 2021, Watervliet City Schools no longer serves peanut butter as part of our school meals program.

      This move is in the interest of the health and safety of all students, as food allergies continue to be a growing concern in schools throughout the country. The Food Service program currently offers sun butter as an alternative. Sun butter is made from sunflower seeds and is free of major food allergens, including gluten.

      The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that one in 13 children has a food allergy. The CDC reports that nearly 40% of these children have experienced a severe allergic reaction, with many of these incidents occurring at school.

      Healthy snack options offered by food service department for in-school celebrations

      During the school year, parents of elementary school students can order healthy snack options from the district’s food service department for their child’s classroom celebrations. Orders can be placed in the elementary school cafeteria, and should be made two weeks in advance. Payment is in cash or by check only; order form must accompany payment [Download Celebration Order Form]. Questions? Contact Cook Manager Darryl Whited by phone at 518-629-3261, or email dwhited@vlietschools.org.

      Find Meals For Kids When School Is Closed

      https://www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids

      Hunger Free America operates the National Hunger Hotline on behalf of USDA. The hotline is a resource for individuals and families seeking information on how to obtain food. The National Hunger Hotline staff connects callers with emergency food providers in their community, government assistance programs, and various social services.

      Find free food near you by calling the USDA National Hunger Hotline at 866-3-HUNGRY (866-348-6479) or 877-8-HAMBRE from Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, or by visiting our online database of food pantries and soup kitchens.

      You may also text “97779” to the automated service with a question that may contain a keyword such as “food”, “summer”, “meals”, etc. to receive an automated response to resources located near an address and/or zip code.

      To receive updates about the status of Pandemic-EBT benefits in your state, text “PEBT” to 97779.

      Follow Hunger Hotline on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more resources.