Lunch service is not provided by GCA. Parents must provide a sack lunch, which is a great opportunity to teach healthy eating patterns. In addition, the lunch period is “closed”, meaning that students may not leave campus with others for lunch at their own free will. Students should bring their own utensils and not expect to use plastic ones from the school. If students do have to use school issued silverware, they will be expected to wash and dry the silverware after their meal. Do not send knives or any dangerous kitchen utensils. Food that needs a sharp knife needs to be precut at home.

Because students who maintain a healthy, stable metabolism function the best throughout the day, fruit, vegetables, and healthy proteins and grains are an expected part of student lunches. These are important for a healthy diet as well as a productive school day. On the other hand, less healthy or very sweet lunches with high concentrations of sugars are common contributors to hyperactivity, obesity, and mood swings. As a result, sugary, sweet snacks or other junk food type items should be kept to a minimum (we recommend only one per day). For K-5th grade, a healthy mid-morning snack is needed. *Healthy snacks include: fruit, raisins, crackers, vegetables, yogurt, etc.

As a policy, lunch supervisors who notice an unhealthy pattern (more unhealthy items/lack of healthy items/no lunch or snack brought to school) in a student’s lunch will notify the administrator, who will notify the parents of the student’s eating patterns. Parents will be contacted with the expectation that they will help their child pack a healthy, well-balanced lunch/snack for the future. This expectation will be treated the same for all students.