Nutrition manager describes job as a ‘great profession’
Wonda Redden is the manager of the nutrition staff at Eastside Elementary, located on Prospect Road in Rockmart.
She began her 3rd year in 2015 and continues to be a part of school nutrition due to her love of children and joy of going to work each day.
“This is a great profession,” she said. “I get holidays and summer off and time to spend with my family.”
Redden began her nutrition duties with Polk School District as a food service assistant at Young’s Grove Elementary in Cedartown. Thereafter, she assumed her current position at Eastside.
Prior to that time, she drove a school bus in the Rockmart area for more than 10 years. She also worked as a pharmacy tech at Rockmart-Aragon Hospital, Morgan Hardware and AT&T in Cedartown.
Since her decision to enter the field of school nutrition, Redden has completed several classes such as the O.N.E. training, Manager in Training, and the ServSafe class.
However, she believes the children teach her greatest lessons.
“They teach me something new each day,” she said. “I will never forget their sparkling eyes and smiling faces.”
As manager, she lauds the teamwork of the nutrition staff at Eastside.
“I always anticipate arriving here to complete another day of serving nutritional food to about 730 Eastside students,” she said. “We know that it is an important part of the school day for them.”
She arrives at 5:45 a.m. and helps prepare the “Breakfast in the Classroom”. A meal is sent to the 34 classrooms with juice and milk in a cooler for each child.
Serving for lunch begins at 10:45 a.m. and usually ends at 12:55.
Oct. 12-16, 2015 was observed as “National School Lunch Week”. The theme was “School Lunch Snap Shot.”
A special menu was prepared on Wednesday. Entrée choices were: Bulldog BBQ Sandwich, Yellow Jacket Hot Dog (with ketchup and mustard) and Panther Pizza. Side choices were: Broccoli and cheese, fries with ketchup, peaches and strawberry cups.