Newport Schools

At Your Service

Special Info

The Sodexo Difference for 2009/10

There can be no tradition without innovation.
—Earle Hitchner

If you’ll all take your seats, we’ll begin.

Welcome back, one and all, to another school year and all its challenges, promises, and rewards. Once again we renew our commitments to expand our knowledge of the world around us, to understand the past and prepare for the future, and to enliven our minds, fortify our bodies, and enrich our spirits.

All of us at Sodexo are honored that you’ve chosen us once again to prepare and serve the meals that will nourish our children during the school day.

What’s more, we accept the responsibility to meet the economic challenges of our time by implementing a three-part service strategy that encompasses

Global Resources
Statewide Efficiency
Local Control

Think of it this way: Sodexo’s global presence brings nearly unlimited human and financial resources to the most efficient statewide purchase and distribution of products and services that always will be controlled by the local districts we ultimately serve.

Here is a small sampling of what’s new for Newport AND what we’ve accomplished to date for the Newport district:

Newport has been chosen as District of the Year by the Rhode Island Healthy Schools Coalition. The honor will be bestowed later in September.

Newport also will offer Veggie Bars daily, featuring Rhode Island-grown tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, and other vegetables.

But wait, there’s more:

Sodexo has made the requisite capital investments to move its production kitchen to the high school.
We created (in response to Fire Department mandates relating to code compliance) new serving set-ups in three schools, moving cafeterias from basements.
We offered innovative salad and sandwich entrees in response to this venue change and its limitations on hot meal preparations.
We utilize local produce whenever possible.
We offer fresh fruits and whole grains daily.
We regularly introduce new vegetables on our menus.
We have worked with Sullivan Elementary to earn a Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant.
We are “going green” with all our cleaning chemicals.
We endeavor to serve off washable trays.
We place all lunch items on every child’s tray.
Sodexo is committed not just to meet, but to exceed the most stringent and cutting-edge standards for service.

In short, we’ll work together to preserve and expand our tradition of excellence – one that is founded upon the relentless pursuit of innovation.

And speaking of innovation, we are very pleased indeed to welcome you to our newly re-conceived website, www.sodexori.com.

These pages represent what we like to think of as a work in and about progress. Over the school year we’ll be offering a blend of tried-and-true functions and all new, cutting-edge applications.

Our website already serves as your primary source for essential information about menu selections, nutrition, community resources, calendar events, and a full range of municipal services and happenings. And that’s just for starters.

This will be a truly interactive and educational website. We expect lively contributions of ideas and content from administrators, faculty, staff, students, and parents. Thanks to the Internet’s global reach, the people, places, histories, and values of the cities and towns served by Sodexo will become familiar to people from the farthest corners of the world.

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When it comes to eating right and exercising, there is not “I’ll start tomorrow.” Tomorrow is a disease. – V. L. Allineare

Let’s get the ball rolling. As some of you may know, Rhode Island has implemented new nutrition requirements (RINR) for all public schools. Sodexo applauds these standards, and we remain committed to meeting and even exceeding them.

Here’s what to expect:

Grains – All grains served (rice, breads, pasta, cereal, pizza etc.) will be whole grain or wheat products.

Fruits/Vegetables – Students will be offered three servings of fruits and vegetables at lunch: one serving will be dark green or orange, and another will be a fresh or raw vegetable or fruit

Cooked Legumes – One or more servings of cooked legumes (dried beans, peas or lentils) will be offered each week.

Sodium – Lower the sodium intake will be accomplished by serving low sodium products.

Milk/Juice – The following choices will be available each day:

A. 1% or skim, non-flavored milk.
B. Flavored milk with 1% or less fat and no more than 4 grams of total sugar per ounce.
C. 100 % juice

The sales of extra entrée will no longer be available.

A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.
—George Bernard Shaw

It’s time to get to work. So we’ll conclude this Welcome Back message by recalling what we believe is the most revealing aspect of our service to the community.

**Sodexo did not come into our state. Sodexo comes out of Rhode Island.**

This inescapable truth may be expressed simply:

The overwhelming majority of Sodexo employees live where they work.
Most were born where they work.
Most own or rent homes where they work.
And most have children enrolled in the schools where they work.

Sodexo has called Rhode Island home for close to 20 years. When our partnership began, no one could have predicted with any degree of certainty the social, economic, and cultural changes that would impact our lives so powerfully over the next two decades. All we could know with confidence then was that significant, systemic change would take place and that, working together, we would spare no effort or expense to guide our youth and indeed our communities safely through whatever lay in store.

Our hands are on the helm. Our course is true.

Let the work – and the fun – continue!