NORTH JEFFERSON —
Katrina Creel went from a pharmacy career to a lunchroom worker at Bryan Elementary School three years ago.
But, if you ask her about it, she’ll tell you she didn’t really change jobs.
“I’m still making sure kids are healthy,” she said. “I just concentrate on their nutritional health, now.”
Creel said her job as a lunchroom worker has been a fun and rewarding experience.
“We try to be friendly and upbeat. You don’t know what kind of day they’ve had when they come in here. Maybe they had a tough morning or they had a bad test; whatever it is, we want to make the day a little better,” said Creel.
She said the menu Jefferson County Schools serve to their students is mostly determined by the board of education, but lunchroom workers do have a few decisions to make. She said the daily menu has to have one meat, two vegetables, one bread and one dairy. Creel said the workers were responsible for making sure the students took at least three of those five things.
“When I was growing up, the lunchroom ladies cooked whatever they wanted to... I think this is a good menu,” she said. “For some kids, the biggest meal they eat during the day is at lunch.”
Creel and her coworkers also serve breakfast in Bryan’s cafeteria. She said there’s always cereal and toast, but they also try to serve at least one additional dish. Wednesday was the first day of school, and Creel and the others greeted students with grits, eggs, bacon and toast.
Creel said it was important for students, especially elementary students, to not skip meals.
“Breakfast gets them going, and lunch keeps them going,” she said. “It’s very possible that kids are burning more calories than they’re taking in, and they need those calories for growth.”
On of Creel’s favorite things to serve is pizza, because all of the students like it. She also likes the people she works with.
“I have a daughter that goes here, but I also feel like I have 740 other kids,” she said.
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Katrina Creel takes a student’s tray for cleaning at the Bryan Elementary School cafeteria.
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