QUICK LINKS

OVERVIEW
VOLUNTEERING
FUN LUNCH FRIDAYS
HOW TO ORDER
FINANCIAL SUPPORT PROGRAM
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

hot lunch 2024/2025

Foodie Kids is returning as our primary hot lunch provider in the 2024-25 school year. Lunches will run every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, starting October 1st. Additionally, PAC will be running Fun Lunch Fridays on select Fridays this year - see below for dates and themes.

For more information and last-minute reminders, join the PAC mailing list here.

Program Overview

Foodie Kids prepares, packages, and delivers hot lunches to our school three times a week, offering a variety of entrees, sides, desserts, and drinks. They have gluten-free and vegetarian options, and themes rotate daily, giving families access to a diverse range of cuisines. Popular kid favourites like chicken strips and burgers can be ordered any day on their “always available” menu. 

Please note the order deadline is Thursday every week at 9:00 am for lunches in the following week. 

IMPORTANT: CUTLERY IS NOT PROVIDED. PLEASE SEND CUTLERY TO SCHOOL WITH YOUR CHILD.

See our detailed food menus and photos here.

FUN LUNCH FRIDAYS

This volunteer based program runs on select Fridays starting October 4th. Volunteers are needed to make this program run successfully. Please see the volunteering section for details on how to sign up.

Returning vendors include: Panago Pizza, Kisokoma Sushi, White Spot, Agra Tandoori, and Bosa Foods. We are excited to announce two new vendors this school year: Chicken Box (November 15th) and Subway (January 31st)!

We’re always looking for new vendors, so please reach out if you have suggestions. 

Participation in these programs is completely optional. For those that do order lunch, we thank you for supporting our fundraising goals each year.

volunteering

Fun Lunch Friday is only possible with parent volunteers to help sort and serve food. An average lunch requires 7-10 volunteers and shifts last around an hour. If you can help occasionally, please provide your contact details  on this form which will also allow you to view dates and add yourself to our volunteer schedule.

UPCOMING FUN LUNCH FRIDAYS

ORDER DEADLINE REMINDERS

If you want to receive deadline reminders on your phone, you can subscribe to our hot lunch calendars. There is one for Foodie Kid reminders (Mon, Tue, Wed) and one with reminders to order for Fun Lunch Fridays. Subscribe to one or both on the calendar page.

Please note: the calendars are set as an appointment at 7:00 pm the evening before cut-off day and do not have an associated alert/pop-up. We are not able to accept late orders after the deadline has passed.

How to Order:

Click here to login or create a new MunchaLunch account.

Ordering for all dates until January are now open on MunchaLunch. More dates will be added in the new year. See below for how to order.

Financial Support Program

To give every child in our school an opportunity to participate in our Friday lunches, the PAC has created a fund to support families experiencing financial hardship. 

If your family would benefit from this program, we encourage you to follow the steps below to register your child free of charge. If you do not have access to the internet, please contact the Hot Lunch Coordinators or the school office to register. 

REGISTRATION PROCESS:

  1. Go to MunchaLunch to log in or create a new account

  2. Under the My Family menu, select My Children to add a new child and/or update their current teacher/division for this school year.

    This step is VERY IMPORTANT to ensure food is delivered to your child.

  3. Email hotlunch@simonfraserelementary.com with the subject “Hot lunch financial support program” and include the following:

    • No. of children attending Simon Fraser

    • Email address used to register for MunchaLunch

    • Parent/guardian first and last name, as listed on your account

  4. Once your email is received and reviewed, a credit will be applied to your account based on the number of children in your family attending Simon Fraser. You can expect enough for 1-2 lunches per month per child. Credit allocation is based on available funds and number of students participating in the program.

    Please allow 3-5 days for a response. Once credit is applied, a confirmation email will be sent to you.

  5. Once you’ve received your confirmation, log back into MunchaLunch and click Order Lunch! to place an order for as many Friday lunch dates as your credit will allow. As long as the order value does not exceed your credit, no payment will be required during checkout. If your cart total exceeds the credit, you can either: a) remove items to reduce total value, or b) make a payment for the difference.

    You must fully checkout for the order to be submitted.

For any questions or concerns, contact the Hot Lunch Coordinators at hotlunch@simonfraserelementary.com. Please include a contact number in your email.

Credits are issued per term, based on available funds. To maintain access to the program, we suggest reapplying each year.

We aim to ensure that every family can benefit from this program. Your feedback, questions, or suggestions are always welcome.

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS MUNCHALUNCH?

MunchaLunch is an online ordering system used by the PAC for hot lunches and fundraising events. MunchaLunch is not a lunch provider (i.e. caterer or restaurant) but an ordering platform used to process payments and streamline our lunch program with accessible reports and labels. Questions about orders or your account should be directed to the Hot Lunch Coordinators at hotlunch@simonfraserelementary.com, NOT to the MunchaLunch support team.

ARE THE HOT LUNCH PROGRAMS A PAC FUNDRAISER?

Yes, our hot lunch program generates much-needed funds the PAC relies on annually to support many programs, purchases, and needs that benefit the school, staff, and students. It’s important to know hot lunch is completely optional and offered as a service to families while contributing to our fundraising efforts. We are grateful for your continued support.

IS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE?

If your family is experiencing financial hardship, please reach out to the school office. The PAC has funds set aside for students to participate in these programs that might not otherwise be able to, free of charge. The office can give you details on how to apply.

WHY DID MENU PRICES INCREASE SINCE LAST YEAR?

Most of our vendors understand we often collect payment months in advance and therefore cannot adjust prices during the school year. Most of our vendors revise their pricing over the summer and therefore, you may notice some changes every fall. We acknowledge that these increases can be frustrating at times and we therefore remind you that these programs are completely optional. We do our best to shop for cost-effective vendors but we also consider taste, variety, and sustainable packaging. 

I PLACED AN ORDER. HOW DO I KNOW IT WENT THROUGH? IF I ORDER IN ADVANCE, WILL I BE REMINDED OF THE DAYS I ORDERED?

If your order was submitted and paid for, you will receive an email confirmation with your order details. If the order was placed, but not paid for within an hour, you will receive an automatic notice that your order was cancelled. MunchaLunch sends a reminder the day before each lunch you have ordered.

ARE CANCELLATIONS AND CHANGES ALLOWED? WHAT IF MY CHILD IS SICK?

Orders can be cancelled  or changed until the cut-off date/time by logging into your account, selecting My Account > View My Orders, and clicking on edit. You can add or remove items but you must re-submit the order, even if no changes were made. If the new order total is higher, payment is required within one hour to finalize changes. If the new total is less, the balance will remain as a credit on your account and automatically be applied to your next order. Orders cannot be canceledcancelled or changed after the deadline, and no refunds or credits are permitted. You are always welcome to pick up your child’s lunch if they are sick.

WHY IS IT BETTER TO PAY FOR MULTIPLE LUNCHES AT ONCE?

To offer payments online the PAC is charged a 2.9% processing fee in addition to $0.30 transaction fee, which is substantial on small orders. The PAC prices items to account for this fee, but families can help reduce fees by placing multiple orders, for all children, as one single transaction. This means more money can go toward raising funds for the school.

I WANT TO VOLUNTEER, BUT I’M NOT AVAILABLE EVERY WEEK

Many volunteers join more casually and only help occasionally. The process is easy to learn and commitment is usually less than an hour. We’d love to have you join whenever you are available. 

To sign up, please complete this form to add yourself to our list. This includes a link to view dates and add yourself to the schedule on dates most convenient for you.

IS THE FOOD SERVED IN SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING?

Single use packaging and food waste are a big consideration when choosing a vendor to supply food to our school. Foodie Kids uses nearly all compostable or recyclable packaging, and food is delivered in reusable thermal bags. Cutlery is not provided to encourage families to use reusable utensils from home.

When selecting vendors for Fun Lunch Fridays, we prioritize providers that offer sustainable packaging and minimize the use of plastics.  

I’M MOVING. HOW DO I TRANSFER MY ACCOUNT TO A NEW SCHOOL?

This can be done easily here, by selecting Transfer My Account. Please do not contact MunchaLunch support.

If you are transferring in the middle of the year, log into your account and go to My Family > Transfer School 

I HAVE CHILDREN IN TWO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS. DO I NEED TO HAVE TWO ACCOUNTS?

Adding a new school to your account is easily done on your own here by selecting Add Second Account. Please do not contact MunchaLunch support.

I FORGOT MY PASSWORD. HOW DO I RECOVER IT?

On the login page click Forgot Password and the system will send a password reset link.

HOW DO I FIND OUT WHEN NEW DATES ARE ADDED AND AVAILABLE TO ORDER?

Your best source of information and updates for the program is by joining the PAC mailing list. Program information and last-minute reminders will be distributed via the PAC newsletters and emails. Click here to subscribe!

contact

Still have a question we haven’t answered? Reach out to the Hot Lunch Coordinators at hotlunch@simonfraserelementary.com. We’d be happy to help you out!

Warmly,

Lauren McEwen, Denisa Ardizzoni, Pamela Beyer, and Emily Pedlow
(Hot Lunch Coordinators for the 2024-25 school year)