This is School Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week and Friday, May 3 is School Lunch Hero Day and, to celebrate the recognition of our staff dedicated to keeping students well fed, the DMPS Food & Nutrition Department each year presents the “All About the Kids” Award. Think of it as their version of an employee of the year award.
On Thursday morning, not one but two people at Ruby Van Meter School were honored for 2024: Brian Wilkinson, the head cook, and Jill Gray, the school’s clerk.
The lunchroom at RVM was packed with students, teachers and staff who came to celebrate the good work that goes into the nutritional care and feeding that takes place at school. After Brian and Jill were named this year’s honorees it was time to share thank you cards and hugs and take some photos.
This was one more special event at RVM this year as they celebrate their 50th anniversary and a half-century of teaching and caring for students with special needs.
After announcing the honorees Amanda Miller, the Director of Food & Nutrition Services and Logistics at DMPS, shared the comments submitted by people at RVM in nominating Brian and Jill for the award:
JILL GRAY: She has a deep understanding of RVM’s student population. She’s a dedicated lunchroom leader and shows reliability with great attendance. She is patient, flexible, supportive, and accommodating when students need to change lunch requests. She always remains calm and understands their need for consistency. Predictability is especially important for students at this school, and she communicates and clarifies special dietary needs to ensure students get what they are expecting. Jill is helpful and caring and greets students with a smile to make sure they enjoy their school meals and their entire lunchroom experience. She engages and interacts with students even if there are limited responses from them. She knows students by name and shows them kindness and friendship to help them have better days. She serves healthy and delicious meals and promotes fruits and vegetables. She decorates the line with seasonal decorations and displays information and signage for menu changes or new menu items in a neat and appealing way. She is collaborative and informative with everyone in the building and is a delight to work with. She works with staff on modified and special diets and helps problem-solve student requests. She helps create a clean and efficient space for staff who help with blended diets. She is a wonderful asset to the building and staff feel lucky to have her as she makes their job easier and their day brighter.
BRIAN WILKINSON: Brian understands the student population at this school and that there is often a struggle with change. He shows consistency and reliability with his great attendance. He is professional, helpful, and knowledgeable when it comes to both staff and students, including knowing what foods typically blend better for our students needing modified diets. He is creative, helps problem solve, and enhances the care that is provided to students. He goes above and beyond to make sure students feel welcome, important, and special by giving them attention and greeting them all by name. He is personable and relatable with our students by remembering their interests to make their day better. He helps students work on their communication skills by giving them time to make their lunch selections in a variety of different communication forms. He has learned alternate forms of communication including some sign language and certain words in other languages to be able to effectively communicate with students. He is patient in his interactions, even when it may take longer for students to go through the lunch line due to their communication devices or if they switch their lunch choice. He’s accommodating, flexible, and committed to serving lunches with kindness and integrity, even on days when the schedule is disrupted. He provides information to office staff and signage for the cafeteria to remind students of menu changes and any new menu items. Brian has a calmness, that is essential for the building. He is a pleasure to work with and a huge asset to RVM. The kitchen staff at RVM work together with respect and unity.
