December 2014

CHARTWELLS’ NEW LOOK

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REFRESHED CAFÉS!

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BE-A-STAR page 14

K12 magaz i n e

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HELLO,You may have noticed some of the changes that have been taking place at Chartwells over the past few months. We are excited to have introduced our new look and we have a reenergized focus on our eat.learn.live. philosophy in all that we’re doing. As you will see throughout this magazine, all of our efforts moving forward will focus on the Chartwells eat.learn.live. philosophy of building strong bodies, sharp minds and healthy hearts. We come to work and school each day ready to extend our passion, dedication, knowledge and enthusiasm into serving each student delicious and nutritious meals.

We could not be more pleased with where Chartwells is headed and we appreciate the support we have received from each and every one of you so far. We also want everyone to feel like they have a voice and that someone is listening. I welcome any and all comments and feedback that can make us even more successful. Thank you!

Rhonna CassPresident Chartwells K12

Refreshed Look! Chartwells has been successfully serving school lunch for many years and, for the last decade, aligned around our eat.learn.live. philosophy. Now we have built upon the idea that great food, nutrition education and community engagement can plant the seeds for a lifetime of health, wellness and happiness.

Our new apple icon is symbolic of learning and education, while the three seeds are symbolic of the Chartwells philosophy - the unyielding passion for building strong bodies, sharp minds, and establishing the foundation for a long, healthy life.

But beyond the logo change, our new look is all about creating and living our philosophy every single day. It’s about nourishing students; giving them fresh, delicious and nutritious foods that they love – while also feeding and fueling their growing minds and bodies. It’s about

bringing fun and food to the forefront; and being a part of the education process by teaching the benefits of proper nutrition and healthy cooking in new and engaging ways. And it’s about encouraging balanced and healthy living and giving back through volunteer and sustainability efforts that make a difference.

You will continue to see us bring our eat.learn.live. philosophy to life in the cafés and our school districts in new and exciting ways. Read on for some of the latest examples!

ContentsLetter from Rhonna 2

Refreshed Look 2

We Like It! 3

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School Successes 4

Healthy Snacking On-the-Go 5

Good Food On the Move 5

Refreshed Cafés 6-9

l e a r n .

Nutrislice 10

It’s All Good, Simply Good 11

Cornell Smarter Lunchrooms 11

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Growing Strong Bodies and Sharp Minds with School Gardens 12

Rally Against Bullying 12

Diversity Dynamics 13

Be-A-Star 14 Watch our video!youtube.com/simplygoodk12

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We Like It! We recently hit a celebratory milestone on social media when our Facebook page hit 10,000 likes! We are also in the process of building up our Instagram and Pinterest pages with delicious food and recipes, while also showcasing the events and nutrition education programs that districts across the U.S. are implementing in their schools. We know this is how students (and even parents) want to communicate and we love that these channels are giving us a new way to engage with our customers. You too, can join in on the fun on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

New Look! New Web Site!

Learn more about our philosophy and initiatives

on our new web site at:

www.ChartwellsK12.com

facebook.com/ChartwellsK12

youtube.com/SimplyGoodK12

pinterest.com/ChartwellsK12

twitter.com/ChartwellsK12

instagram.com/ChartwellsK12

Facebook Instagram Pinterest

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SCHOOL SUCCESSES

Chartwells is very excited about the momentum we have seen in the 2014-’15 school year so far. We added over 300 new schools to our family and are achieving our eat.learn.live. philosophy in a variety of ways across the U.S.

ea t . Over 50 cafés have been refreshed to showcase the food that is being served and help us engage even further with our student customers.

Our new On-the-Go a la carte program offers wholesome foods using real ingredients that taste good. After all, a snack is nothing more than a mini-meal and we are taking advantage of the small bites and tapas trend.

To act on another hot trend, we’ve introduced some mobile food trucks into our mix. These mobile options are a great way to serve food to students in a fun environment and they also help us make tasty foods part of community events.

l e a r n .Our Simply Good program is back and it is stronger than ever! This year we have expanded our monthly food focus in an effort to encourage students to try seasonal and nutrient-rich foods. The program also provides nutrition education on select food topics throughout the school year.

We are very excited about our exclusive partnership with Nutrislice that gives parents and students greater access to school food information, including dynamic ways to access information via web, a mobile app and email.

Through our research with the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (B.E.N. Center), we learned about specific techniques to increase consumption and reduce waste including serving healthy foods in multiple locations, naming healthy foods with fun descriptors and adding detailed nutrition labels to menu items.

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Gardens are a great way to educate students about the origins of food sources and they also provide additional educational opportunities. Chartwells is pleased to partner with the National Garden Association to expand upon this great initiative.

We are also pleased to partner with Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA) to help address the growing issue of bullying behavior in schools. Through this partnership, we will work to raise awareness of in-school bullying nationwide.

The Chartwells Diversity and Inclusion Action Council (DIAC) has been redeveloped to help create and support strategic goals that promote diversity and inclusion awareness, as well as education and employee engagement across our internal organization and with clients and business partners.

Please read on to find out more about these initiatives and how Chartwells is making the eat.learn.live. mission come to life in our schools!

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Healthy Snacking On-the-GoOn-the-Go snacking is gaining popularity among students. Many new snack items are being introduced in school cafés this year, served in a tapas-style approach, for either a smaller mealtime option or for a mid-day snack. Students can also choose from smoothies, flavored popcorn, yogurt parfaits, salad shakers, lettuce boats with hummus and fresh vegetables, pita sandwiches, a variety of baked goods made from scratch and much more. Snack time has never been so delicious!

Good Food On the Move

To act on another hot trend in the school foodservice industry, Chartwells has introduced several new lunch items that meet the HUSSC (Healthy US School Challenge) Gold Standard for lunch. Customized food trucks are fully equipped with

refrigerators, freezers, warmers, ovens and a grill. Trucks will be used for grab-and-go breakfasts, field days, school carnivals, athletic events, new food product introductions and much more.

To help launch the new food truck program in Duval, Florida, Chartwells-Thompson devised a contest for Duval County Public Schools students. The contest encouraged students to design the wrap of the truck based on how they interpret the Chartwells “eat.learn.live.” philosophy. The winning design was submitted by Jillian Cruickshank, a freshman at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. Her signature and design are featured on the current food truck wrap, and she also received a $500 gift card to assist in her future artistic endeavors. Keep on truckin’!

Schools set up build-your-own yogurt parfait

bars for a quick snack or breakfast break.

in the café

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@BrainFood

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in the café

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REFRESHED CAFÉS! Chartwells has always supported the health and wellness goals of our students by serving fresh, wholesome food that tastes delicious. However, a big part of getting students excited about nutritious foods is how the food is presented. Chartwells is taking a new approach in our cafés with versatile, student-centric food stations that allow schools to customize their facility and equipment needs and enhance their culinary offerings.

One of the new, customizable café concepts is Balance Kitchen. This is an approach that embraces a “culinary culture” by building professional culinary methods into products, recipes, menus, food presentation and making it all about the food. Chartwells is working with many districts to refresh and update cafés with this new approach that embraces the latest child nutrition requirements while also placing an increased emphasis on freshly prepared and great tasting food that students want to eat.

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Amarillo before

Amarillo after

Amarillo, TX: Balance Kitchen

Amarillo Independent School District (AISD) is the first school district to be refreshed with Chartwells’ new Balance Kitchen concept. Balance Kitchen is a culinary café model that supports student health and wellness through fresh, wholesome and delicious foods. It highlights nutrition and sustainability and utilizes restaurant-style serving stations.

Three of the AISD area high schools – Amarillo, Palo Duro and Caprock – took big steps in revamping mealtime by offering a complete remodel of the schools’ cafés. The result was a high-end food court with a fully remodeled back-end kitchen area that prepares and serves fresh and delicious food offerings. A full-service coffee and snack bar station was also implemented where students can gather to start (and end) their day with freshly brewed coffee, cappuccinos and homemade baked snacks.

The refreshed cafés were introduced to the district’s 6,000+ high school students at the start of the 2014-’15 school year in an effort to increase in-school lunch participation among sophomore, junior and senior students, who are allowed to leave campus for lunch. “Our new, fully-loaded kitchen allows for more scratch cooking utilizing lean meats, low-fat cheeses, fresh vegetables and whole grains. We are bringing what students like to eat outside of school inside to our cafés, with a nutritional twist,” said Brent Hoover, Resident District Manager of Chartwells.

What’s Next?

Future plans for the district include renovating a fourth high school in the Fall of 2015 and the middle schools in 2015 and beyond.

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in the café

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...More Refreshes!Duval, FL: Elementary & Secondary

Duval County Public Schools refreshed their cafés to increase the interest and participation in school lunches, as well as to increase the healthy and nutritious options available to the students. Three secondary schools at Duval were revamped with new food station concepts, and new touches that brightened the spaces, improved the food presentation and created a more lively atmosphere. New menus with more options such as grab-and-go salads and parfaits, pizza and panini’s and ethnic foods including Asian, Latin and vegetarian selections made their way on to the 2015 menu as a result of the research and testing.

The district is finding that students are choosing healthier options when the ingredients are part of foods they regularly eat and love. After the refresh, there was an immediate positive bump in overall participation. The real story, however, is in customer satisfaction. Results show an average of 19 percent increase in factors of variety, quality, freshness and presentation. The “likeability” of the menu increased an average of 41 percent!

At the elementary school level, a customized brand, MOSAICS, was developed for the district. The MOSAICS brand platform is positioned around nurturing the whole child with focuses on: nutritious foods, student engagement, conscious environments and community collaboration.

All of these efforts are bringing more students into the cafés on a more regular basis. Future refreshes include installing the Balance Kitchen concept at four high schools.

Washington County, FL: Outdoor Kiosk

Washington County is introducing an additional food kiosk as an alternative service point within the café. They know high school students are looking for quick service that allows them to get back to socializing or school

work faster. This additional point of service will allow for exactly that!

Inside, a cityscape wall graphic was hung to personalize the café and bring the local area to life inside the school. Staff participated in enhanced training on food presentation and style in order to make the food more appealing and offer outstanding customer service to students. A three percent increase in participation resulted from the refresh.

19 41% %

Customer Satisfaction Increase

Initial year on year comparison:

“Likeability” Increase

3 %Participation Increase

Since the Refresh:

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14 %Overall Sales

Increase

Since opening:

Cheltenham, PA: Senior Lounge

The high school in Cheltenham, PA turned an empty atrium area into a trendy dining area fully equipped with a food kiosk and new, modern furniture to make the space more welcoming to high school students. The goal was to encourage seniors

to participate in school lunch. Since the refresh, customer satisfaction has increased and the senior class has taken ownership of the newly refreshed space.

The kiosk created an entirely new destination point with an upscale grab and go menu and a lounge area where students can enjoy mealtime with friends. The atmosphere lends itself to a coffee bar environment with the high-top tables and quick and easy to access food options. Homemade pizzeria foods, fresh salads and sandwiches, snacks and beverages complete the bistro menu and contributed to an increase in overall sales of 14 percent since opening.

According to the school principal, the café meant a lot to the class of 2014 since they were an integral part in planning the space which allowed them to feel empowered to be a part of something important.

Spartanburg, SC: Elementary & High School

The goal for Spartanburg, SC School Districts was to increase student engagement and participation. This was achieved by refreshing café spaces in five school districts as well as putting an enhanced focus on nutrition education. New touches were made to brighten the café spaces, improve food presentation and create a more lively atmosphere. Plus, new kitchen equipment was added to enhance the scratch cooking process. The schools also hung educational and promotional signage around the cafés to create a warm feeling and teach students about healthy ingredients and nutritious foods.

As a result of the refresh, foods are more attractively displayed and new menu offerings such as fresh salads, yogurt parfaits, buffalo chicken pizza, black bean burgers and white bean chili have been added. Some new a la carte offerings include mini-meals such as pitas and hummus, and fresh fruit and veggie combo snacks. Since the refresh, breakfast, lunch and a la carte sales have increased across the elementary and secondary school levels.

“Shorter lunch lines mean more time with friends which I love!”

- Julia Cheltenham High School Student

We’ve also gone mobile - students can ‘skip the line’ and pre-order meals through a new

technology platform.

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in the classroom

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EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIPChartwells is excited to announce an exclusive partnership with Nutrislice, a digital platform offering real-time access to school menus and correlating nutritional information, while also engaging students and parents via communication channels they use every day.

This exclusive partnership enables Chartwells to integrate its proprietary, nutrition analysis Webtrition program with Nutrislice’s integrated technology platforms, so that menus and nutrition information can be viewable online and via a mobile app, making them more easily accessible, anytime, anywhere and from any device.

With Nutrislice, mealtime information is aggregated and communicated more efficiently for parents and students with easy-to-read information on meal prices, promotional events, nutrition education materials and tips, free and reduced meal applications, newsletter sign-up and much more. Research has found that when menu information is communicated more effectively, parents and students better understand the program and will be more likely to trust and choose school lunch.

The technology platform also includes allergy icons to make it easy to identify foods that contain a certain ingredient, especially for children who may not be able to read yet.

Each icon appears within the details for any food that is marked as having that allergen. A helpful allergy filter also helps parents quickly identify foods that have a certain ingredient to which their child may be allergic.

The Nutrislice technology will be rolled out to all Chartwells schools over the next year. Pilot locations are already underway. Stay tuned for more details!

Watch our Nutrislice video here. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSjsPGs-5_o) or visit www.nutrislice.com to learn more!

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Cornell Smarter LunchroomsWith more than 31 million students receiving school meals each day, ensuring access to healthy food choices at school can have a powerful impact on students’ overall health. Chartwells recently partnered with the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (B.E.N. Center) to study the impacts of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and how principles from the nationwide Smarter Lunchrooms initiative can help students embrace nutritious foods.

Chartwells is committed to implementing the key findings of this study in cafés across the country, which include:

• Serving in Multiple Locations

Offering fruits and vegetables in more than one area of the café resulted in higher fruit and vegetable selection and consumption. Hot vegetables were selected 27 percent more and cold vegetables were selected 48 percent more when offered in multiple locations. In addition, fruit offered in more than one location resulted in less fresh fruit waste.

• Naming Vegetables Adding fun descriptors like “Lean Mean Green Beans” and “Bring It On Broccoli” increased overall vegetable consumption by 18 percent, driven by a 50 percent increase in consumption of salad and cold vegetables specifically.

• Nutrition Labels

Displaying simple nutrition information for vegetables, including calories, fat, protein, and carbohydrate content, resulted in a 30 percent decrease in overall vegetable waste, which translated to a 35 percent increase in vegetable consumption among students who selected vegetables.

It’s All Good, Simply GoodThe Chartwells Simply Good program is back and it is stronger than ever! As part of the campaign, Chartwells implements a monthly food focus in an effort to encourage students to try seasonal and nutrient-rich foods. This year, the food focuses will include red and orange vegetables, dairy, whole grains, herbs and spices, lean proteins, fresh and dried fruits, leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, melons and more.

Chartwells has found that this program helps to expand students’ knowledge about healthy foods, encourages students to choose healthy foods in the cafés and also helps move conversations about healthy eating from the cafés into the classrooms, homes and communities.

2014-2015CHARTWELLSS C H O O L SFood Focus

Dairy | Tree Fruit | Red & Orange Vegetables

Fall SEPTEMBEROCTOBERNOVEMBER

Winter DECEMBERJANUARYFEBRUARY

Whole Grains | Herbs & Spices | Dried Fruit

Summer JuneJulyAugust

Spring MARCHAPRILMAY

Lean Proteins | Leafy Greens | Berries

Cruciferous Vegetables | Melon

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in the community

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Growing Strong Bodies and Sharp Minds with School Gardens

Many Chartwells districts have already implemented school gardens successfully, but Chartwells is ready to expand this initiative across a greater number of schools this year, and in the future, through an exclusive partnership with the National Gardening Association and KidsGardening.org.

The National Gardening Association and KidsGardening.org will help Chartwells put together an integrated and detailed eat.learn.live. school garden program so students can learn how to grow their own healthy meals, and so schools have even more access to fresh foods as well as a living, learning garden.

The pilot program will launch in 2015 and a turn-key program will be developed so other Chartwells districts can clearly and easily plant gardens in their own schools supported by a network of gardening experts. The focus of this partnership is to expand homegrown menu options, school gardens and community engagement.

Rally Against BullyingAt Chartwells, we are dedicated to fostering happy, safe and healthy childhoods at school and at home. We recently partnered with the Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA) to help address the issue of bullying behavior in schools. Through this partnership, we will work to raise awareness of in-school peer abuse nationwide while also working within our own schools to support bullying prevention in the following ways:

• Education

Educate students, parents and team members on the consequences associated with bullying behavior and the steps they can take to prevent, or stop it.

• Training

Train Chartwells teams on the impact bullying has on students and how Chartwells teams can play a role in preventing it.

• Talking

Talk about the issue in ways that will be impactful for students, in support of PCAA’s annual Pinweels for Prevention initiative in April.

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Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools celebrated World Milk Day with a calf at school!

As proud supporters of National Farm to School Month

and participants in Food Day, we celebrated all things local

in October. Check out more about our local

partnerships on Facebook and Twitter.

Diversity Dynamics Chartwells is pleased to announce the redevelopment and launch of the Diversity and Inclusion Action Council (DIAC) to help develop and support strategic goals that promote diversity and inclusion awareness, education and employee engagement across our internal organization and with clients and business partners.

Chartwells recently released our first ever Diversity and Inclusion Report to help bring to life the various faces behind our business and our success. The report includes personal stories from our employees and shows how we are dedicated to attracting, developing, engaging and retaining our great people from all types of backgrounds.

“Each of our business sectors have their own unique culture. At the same time, there is a basic framework of how business is done at Chartwells, along with a shared set of values,” said Rhonna Cass, president of Chartwells Schools. “Diversity is a reality at Chartwells and we embrace it. People want to be accepted for who they are and what they bring to the table. We want the best person for the job, and we want our people to achieve all they’re capable of, no matter their background.”

- Rhonna Cass President,

Chartwells K12

Biloxi Schools have been serving local foods in the café as part of the Farm to School Mississippi Y’All initiative, while teachers have

been sharing the health benefits and other fun facts in class.

Florida’s Washington County School District proudly serves up delicious school meals with fresh produce from the local

Main Street Market

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The national Be-A-Star winners represent the best of the best and were recognized at the Compass Night of Stars Celebration in Orlando, Florida, October 15-17, 2014, at the Hard Rock Live. We are thrilled to recognize the achievements of each of these individuals and team!

Nelquy Jimenez Hourly Associate of the Year Pembroke Pines Charter, East Campus Pembroke Pines, FL

Celebrating ten years with Compass!

Nelquy has a passion for the business and is known for going above and beyond the call of duty. Her creativity and superior customer service shine through daily in her interactions with students and teachers. By keeping her finger on the pulse of what her customers are looking for, Nelquy creates solutions that are customer focused and smart for the business. And the notes from her students that flooded our offices are a testament to how much she’s appreciated and loved (along with how great her pudding is).

Adele Leonard Salaried Associate of the Year Rockland Public Schools Rockland, MA

Celebrating 25 years with Compass!

Adele Leonard goes far beyond her Food Service Director title and shows heart, passion and seemingly endless dedication to the district and students. Adele is known as the “Energizer Bunny,” not only because of her early morning starts and being the last one to leave, but also because she is fast on her feet and can be seen throughout the district on any given day. Her enthusiasm and work ethic combined with her magical personality also make her a role model that kids look up to and also make her a key part of the Rockland community.

Katie Montgomery Culinary Leader of the Year MSD of Pike Township Indianapolis, IN

Celebrating two years with Compass!

Katie’s culinary creativity knows no bounds, and blended with her business savvy, it’s a recipe for success! Katie has taken the lead on collaborating with Pike Township’s performing arts center to create a successful dinner and play event— showing we’re not just about school lunch and helping her exceed her catering goal. Katie has also created recipes for the new On-the-Go program and nutrition education, and is a state leader for chef’s tables.

Amarillo Independent School District Account of the Year Brent Hoover Amarillo, TX

Celebrating eight years with Compass!

The Amarillo team is a shining example of teamwork, client partnership and community involvement. This group continually focuses on keeping it fresh for students and faculty, including promotions ranging from ‘Make Your Own Parfait’ and ‘Breakfast for Lunch,’ which both drove double digit increases in participation numbers. The Amarillo team also stays engaged with the larger community by giving back and partnering with a local food bank to sort 10,500 pounds of food which equals 8,750 meals in 2014.

2014 Be-A-Star: National Winners

in the community

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From left to right: Katie Montgomery; Rick Post, CEO of Contract Foodservices, Compass Group North

America; Adele Leonard; Rhonna Cass, President, Chartwells K12; Nelquy Jimenez; Brent Hoover

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We recognize that our greatest asset is our people.

We applaud your passion and dedication to playing a part in serving each student delicious and nutritious meals.

The Regional awards go to district, individual and culinary leaders that exemplify business

excellence and go above and beyond the call of duty in areas such as community service, financial performance, customer and client satisfaction, wellness, and diversity.

Each region evaluates nominations and recognizes three esteemed individuals and one team who go Above & Beyond the Call (ABC) of duty every day.

2014 Be-A-Star: Regional Winners

Region Hourly Associate of the Year

Salaried Associate of the Year

Culinary Leader of the Year

Regional Account of the Year

West Paula Hollenbeck Suislaw School District

Connie Vowels Ridgefield Schools

Joel Hauswirth Summit County School District

Salinas City Elementary Schools

Northeast Michelle Harnois, Theresa Creighton,

Shera Anderson, Debbie Williams

Laliberte Elementary Team

Adele Leonard Rockland Public Schools

Richard Imperati Westport Public Schools

Bridgewater Raynham Regional School District

North Central

Diane Carol Kimberly Area School District

Kate Zebert Wheeling School District

Mike Owen Arrowhead School District

Kimberly Area School District

Indiana Rodney Darden MSD of Pike Township

Dani Brooks MSD Warren TWP

School District

Katie Montgomery MSD of Pike Township Fayette Co. Schools

South Central

Lisa Steinmetz Johnston City School District

Carl Nowicki Kirkwood School District

Perry Cage Clayton School District

Amarillo Independent School District

Mid-Atlantic Tori Commack Woodbridge Public Schools

Chris Baratta Edison Public Schools

Joseph Piddington Neptune Public Schools

Big Spring School District

Great Lakes Cathy Hart Grand Blanc Public Schools

Colleen Johnson Muskegon Public Schools

David Rose Mattawan Consolidated

SchoolsKalamazoo Public Schools

South Nelquy Jimenez Pembroke Pines Charter

Schools

Lynne Privette RD, LDN, Chapel Hill-Carrboro

City Schools

Katie Self Duval County Public

Schools

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

1-877-586-9631www.ChartwellsK12.comchartwellsk-12schools@compass-usa.com