2026 School Lunch Hero Day
In honor of National School Lunch Hero Day, FCPS Food and Nutrition Services celebrated the kitchen managers and staff who serve more than 100,000 student meals a day. Their dedication ensures every student is well-nourished and ready to learn.
Each year, operations specialists nominate standout kitchens — not only for their technical excellence but for the genuine, student-centered connections they foster within their school communities. Twelve kitchen teams were selected for excelling in health and safety standards, operational adaptability, exceptional customer experience, collaborative leadership, and increased program participation.
School kitchens that were recognized this year include:
Annandale High School
Annandale High School’s kitchen staff (pictured above) serves more than 1,000 breakfasts and lunches each day. They also often serve as a community feeding site during inclement weather and special events. Each day, they ensure that every student receives high-quality, nutritious meals, regardless of circumstances, while providing exceptional customer service.
Their daily work reflects the core values of Food and Nutrition Services — serving wholesome food with a smile in a safe and healthy environment. The team’s hard work, dedication, collaboration, and commitment to students are evident and deeply appreciated.
Brookfield Elementary School
Brookfield Elementary School's kitchen staff’s commitment is evident not only in the quality of the food they serve, but also in the kindness and respect they show every student who comes through the serving line. Their work and dedication behind the scenes maintain high standards of organization and efficiency, all while creating a space where students feel valued and cared for. Their efforts truly make a difference in the daily lives of the students.
Hayfield Secondary School
The Hayfield Secondary School distribution kitchen team consistently demonstrates outstanding dedication, professionalism, and teamwork. They are extremely hard-working, flexible, and responsive, always adapting quickly to changes and operational needs.
What stands out most is their willingness to go above and beyond without being asked, whether that means covering additional schools, supporting multiple managers, or stepping in wherever help is needed.
Their work supports many schools across the area, and they do so with reliability, care, and a strong sense of responsibility. The drivers are consistently on time, dependable, and committed to doing what is right for students and schools.
Herndon Elementary School
Each day, the Herndon Elementary School team ensures that all students receive high-quality, nutritious meals — day in and day out — no matter the circumstances. They provide exceptional customer service each and every day. Their daily routine and their health inspection scores are constantly 100%. Their hard work, dedication, teamwork, and commitment to students are deeply appreciated.
Katherine Johnson Middle School
The Katherine Johnson Middle School program has achieved a 12% increase in breakfast and great strides for lunch, a true testament to the team’s hard work, creativity, and focus on student satisfaction. They provide high-quality, nutritious meals with kindness, respect, and genuine care for every student they serve. Their perseverance and team spirit truly embody what it means to be a School Lunch Hero.
Lemon Road Elementary School
The team at Lemon Road Elementary School constantly demonstrates dedication, teamwork, and an amazing presentation of their foods. But most importantly, they provide a remarkable experience for all the customers who join the kitchen line. The cashier knows almost all of the students by name, giving a personal, remarkable experience to all. The server makes sure all the students have fresh fruits/ veggies and also hot food at the line.
Lynbrook Elementary School
The Lynbrook Elementary School kitchen team of six works in a kitchen made for three and truly demonstrates what teamwork is. They serve Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) snacks three times a week, and are the only elementary school to serve hot meals for after-school programming four days a week!
They also have a robust early childhood program and a busy breakfast and lunch program that serves approximately 450 students from one serving line. They do all of this with smiles, grace, and adaptability.
Mount Vernon High School
The Mount Vernon Distribution Kitchen staff work well together, are consistently positive with each other, and are always ready and willing to take on new challenges. They operate two serving lines for breakfast; second chance breakfast in two locations; and have four serving lines for lunch.
The drivers also take care of delivering and serving food to Bryant High School and Quander School on top of doing their daily deliveries. The staff also have no problem supporting other Area 6 schools when needed and are constantly praised by other managers for their work ethic and general positive attitude when they are there.
Orange Hunt Elementary School
The Orange Hunt Elementary School team works together to operate two serving lines efficiently, ensuring that every student is served in a timely manner. The manager and staff support all areas of the kitchen to maintain smooth daily operations, consistently collaborating and assisting one another to complete tasks effectively, even on short-handed days.
Together, they demonstrate a strong commitment to ensuring students receive nutritious, well-prepared meals in a warm and positive environment. Their teamwork, flexibility, and dedication play a vital role in the success of the cafeteria and the well-being of students each day
Spring Hill Elementary School
The Spring Hill Elementary School cafeteria team does an amazing job each day, ensuring that every student who comes through the serving line for breakfast and lunch is well taken care of. The genuine care they show for the students by providing excellent customer service, great food quality, and relentless focus on customer satisfaction shows this team’s true dedication.
Union Mill Elementary School
The Union Mill Elementary School kitchen manager and staff consistently demonstrate sincere appreciation for their crucial role in supporting students' health, well-being, and daily success. They create a welcoming atmosphere where students feel safe and supported. Their dedicated efforts behind the scenes and friendly smiles make a meaningful difference each day.
Woodburn Elementary School
The Woodburn Elementary School Kitchen Team consistently operates at an exceptional level of efficiency and professionalism. Their work reflects not only strong productivity but also a well-organized and refined system that allows them to meet demands with precision and care.
Beyond efficiency, the team takes great pride in their environment. The kitchen, office, and storage areas are always spotless and meticulously organized, creating a safe and welcoming workspace that reflects their commitment to excellence.
Most importantly, this team goes above and beyond in how they serve students. They treat every child with kindness, respect, and genuine care, ensuring that each meal is not only nutritious and high-quality but also delivered with warmth and compassion.
