Food and Nutrition services are provided to all schools within the Town of Wethersfield.  These schools include the districts five public elementary schools, Silas Deane Middle School, Wethersfield High School, CREC Discovery Academy,  CREC PreK Annex and Corpus Christi.

The Department of Finance and Operations is responsible for the following:   contract negotiations,  contract execution, facilities management by the vendor who provides food service management, compliance with state and federal reimbursement,  nutritional guidelines, triennial cafeteria fund audits, processing, certification, random audit and appeals for free and reduced-price lunch applications.

Wethersfield Public Schools announces its participation in the Community Eligibility Program for the 2024-25 school year.  This means that all students enrolled in any of the schools in Wethersfield listed above will receive one free breakfast and one free lunch per day through June 2025.  Please be aware that A La Carte items (chips, cookies, water, etc.) will still incur a cost.   

Household applications are no longer required to receive free meals for the 24-25 school year.  Alternate income forms are available on line and in school to collect household income data for other programs that require this information.  The CEP is part of the federally funded National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.  

Nutritious meals are the foundation of any healthy eating plan and the school breakfast and lunch meals remain the cornerstone of all school based child nutrition programs. It is the position of Chartwells School Dining Services that we become active participants in fostering healthy school environments in the communities that we serve. Creating a healthy school environment involves the collaboration of many, including Administrators, Parents, and School Dining Managers. At Chartwells, we take this responsibility very seriously and aim to be an integral part of the wellness solution.

Chartwells employs more food and nutrition specialists serving the academic community than any other food service company.   All of our recipes, menus and nutrition programs are designed by a network of Registered Dieticians and professional Chefs.  This team provides local support for every school district we serve. 

Since students spend a significant portion of their day in the school environment, schools are uniquely positioned to convey the fundamentals of good health to students. Teaching students about wellness during the school aged years, builds a foundation for a healthy and productive life.

At the elementary level, the Chartwells Eat.Learn.Live. characters, Theodore Eat, Sydney C. Learn, and Ava Live focus on the importance of balanced meals, physical activity and nutrition education.

The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) developed the Connecticut Nutrition Standards in response to Section 10-215e of the Connecticut General Statutes, which requires the CSDE to publish a set of nutrition standards for foods offered for sale to students separately from a reimbursable school lunch or breakfast. The Connecticut Nutrition Standards focus on

• limiting fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and sugars;

• moderating portion sizes; and

• promoting increased intake of nutrient-dense foods such as such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat/nonfat dairy products, lean meats, legumes, nuts and seeds.

The nutrients addressed in the Connecticut Nutrition Standards are based on current nutrition science and national health recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and national organizations, such as the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Dietetic Association and American Academy of Pediatrics. They are supported by 28 health and education organizations in Connecticut.

What is the difference between Health & Wellness

Health refers simply to a physical body being free from diseases, but wellness is an overall balance of your physical, social, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, environmental, and occupational well-being. Wellness is a lifestyle and is not an end to be achieved. Wellness means that one strives for balance throughout his whole life. On the other hand, health would be that a person wants to lose weight and lower blood pressure. Once he does this, he is considered healthy. Health is a goal one can achieve while wellness is a dynamic concept that continues for a lifetime.

Informational Links:

Local School Wellness Policy (LSWP) Summary

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 - Public Law 108-265 108th Congress Act Public Law 108-265) required that schools participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child Nutrition Programs (National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, After school Snack Program and Special Milk Program) establish a school wellness policy by the 2006-07 school year. The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) conducted a review of school wellness policies in Connecticut schools using a school wellness policy assessment tool developed in partnership with the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University.

Wethersfield participates in Healthy Food Certification with the CT State Department of Child Nutrition (HFC) under section 10-215f of the CT General Statues. By complying with Healthy Food Certification, our program sells only snack items that meet the Connecticut Nutrition Standards which focus on limiting fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and sugars, moderating portion sizes, and promoting increased intake of nutrient-dense foods such as whole grains. The nutrients addressed in the Connecticut Nutrition Standards are based on current nutrition science and national health recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, MyPyramid and national organizations, such as the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Dietetic Association and American Academy of Pediatrics.