Dear Parents/Guardians,

All cafeterias in the Dyersburg City School system participate in the National School Lunch

and Breakfast Programs.  Students at Dyersburg Primary School will be receiving a Healthy Snack through funding provided by the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program for the 2021-2022 school year.  Dyersburg Intermediate School and Dyersburg Primary School students will participate in the Breakfast in the Classroom Program.

The Healthy, Hungry-Free Kids Act of 2010 provided new guidelines that focus on balancing calories with physical activity and encouraging students to consume more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products and less sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and refined grains.

Research shows eating a healthy breakfast is associated with improved memory and academic performance as well as classroom behavior.  If mornings are hectic at your house, the alarm doesn’t go off, the kids don’t want to get up, there’s no time to eat breakfast before it’s time to go or maybe your children are just not ready to eat at that time, we have good news for you.  Breakfast is served daily at every school and it is affordable.

The Offer versus Serve program is offered to K-12 students.  Students may choose all five items offered each day at lunch but are required to take at least 3 of the foods from the 5 groups (protein, fruit, vegetable, grain, dairy).  Students may choose all four items offered each day at breakfast but are required to take at least 3 of the food items.  A fruit or vegetable must be selected with each breakfast and lunch.

All students will receive a FREE breakfast and lunch meal for the 2021-2022 school year. However, we will still be collecting free and reduced price meal forms. It is very important that you still complete the form as it may qualify you for other programs (ex. PEBT benefits). To approve your family application correctly, it is important to list ALL household members and accurate income information on the application. Applications are available in the school office, the cafeteria, Dyersburg City Schools Central Office, 509 Lake Road and online at www.lunchapplication.com.

We encourage parents to send money on a weekly or monthly basis if you would like for your child to be allowed to buy extra items. We also offer a secure online payment system, www.k12paymentcenter.com. We strongly encourage you to utilize this system for student payments. A la carte purchases such as ice cream and extra juice/milk and fruit are only allowed when students have money in their lunch account.

As a partner in education, the Dyersburg City School Nutrition Department contributes to a successful educational experience and encourages a lifetime of healthy eating by providing each student with the opportunity to enjoy meals that are nutritious, appealing and served by caring professional staff in a safe and pleasant environment. We look forward to serving your children this school year.  

Kristen Bird

School Nutrition Director

kbird@dyersburgcityschools.org  

731-286-3600

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