Kelsey Kaufenberg: Food Service Manager, Cologne Academy
What does your role entail and what do you enjoy most about it?
My role entails a variety of different things – mostly cooking! But my favorite part is seeing the kids every day!
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Spending time with family! In the warmer months, I like being outside spending time in my garden and obsessing over my flowers. In the winter, I love spending time inside trying new recipes.
If you were a fruit, what would you be and why?
I would be a kiwi because it’s Lily’s cat’s name. 🙂
Lily Arel: Kitchen Manager, Stars Early Learning Academy
What does your role entail and what do you enjoy most about it?
My job includes fueling little scholars at STARS with fresh meals, keeping the kitchen clean and running efficiently, and working alongside the CA Kitchen Manager to ensure smooth food service operations at both sites.
What I enjoy most about my job is seeing the little smiling faces, eager and excited when mealtime arrives!
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy adventuring with my family, spending time outdoors, and trying new foods.
If you were a fruit, what would you be and why?
If I was a fruit, I’d be a mango. To me, mangos are a happy fruit! They are bright, bold, and full of life.
Full Onsite Operations
Cologne Academy is a public charter school participating in the School Nutrition Programs and serving Pre-K through 8th grade students. The school partners with STARS Early Learning Academy, which is just across the parking lot, to provide before-and-after school and summer care.
Food operations are out of the same kitchen located in the STARS building. The kitchen functions as a full onsite cooking operation. This means that as CKC Good Food team members, Kelsey and Lily, work on site and they handle everything from ordering to doing recipe-based pep to cooking to serving meals. (Learn more about the different types of serving models here.)
To operate efficiently and best meet the needs of students at each location, Cologne Academy follows an Offer vs. Serve (OVS) style of service, giving students choice on food items they put on their trays, while STARS follows the Serve style of service to ensure students receive the full, standard meal components.
This set up requires coordination, teamwork, and dedication – Kelsey and Lily do all of that very well together.
Examples Of Meals Served
- Roasted beef sandwich (shredded philly style beef and swiss cheese on WG bun)
- Steamed green beans
- Banana
- Choice milk
- Sweet & sour chicken
- Steamed seasoned rice
- Roasted broccoli and cauliflower medley
- Chilled peaches
- Choice of milk