CTES Kitchen: Lunch, Smiles Served Here
We’re taking you on a virtual field trip to Cedar Trails Elementary today, as part of our continuing coverage of National School Lunch Week. In the Cedar Trails kitchen, it’s just before the first lunch service, and teammates Holly Hasselbalch and Lisa Crisp are nearly ready to serve lunch to the Wolves.
“It's just a matter of working together and getting these kids fed. That’s our goal,” said Crisp, the school’s baker. “I’m grateful every day for working with Holly. We work really well together, and our minds work the same way.”
This month, the kitchen is adorned with pumpkins and fall-themed decor, and on this day, Crisp and Hasselbalch are both wearing sage green shirts, further underscoring their partnership.
Crisp started working in the Food Services department 16 years ago when she heard about open positions during an announcement at curriculum night. All five of her own children attended Issaquah schools, including Discovery and Sunny Hills Elementary, Pine Lake Middle School and Skyline High School. She worked in several kitchens before helping open Cedar Trails. Hasselbalch joined the department in 2009 after her youngest child started kindergarten, and after hearing good things through the years from Crisp, a longtime friend. At the time, Hasselbalch and her husband owned a business in Bellevue,* but working for the district offered the opportunity to receive full benefits, something they had been paying for out of pocket. She’s now the kitchen manager at Cedar Trails.
As the first few classes enter the cafeteria, the two chat warmly with students and staff. It’s clear they enjoy their work and each other’s company.
“It’s not even really like going to work. It’s like hanging out with my friends,” Hasselbalch said. That includes the students, who love the kitchen team and tell them so, in person and in thank you notes that hang in the kitchen office.
Crisp said they feel very appreciated by families, who often express their thanks for the meals prepared and served to students.
As for the Cedar Trails Wolves, they seem to enjoy the food, from this day’s turkey sandwich to the salad bar and fresh plums – but they particularly adore the cakes and desserts. After students who purchase hot lunch go through the line, students who brought lunch from home are able to purchase a dessert as well. It’s a popular option, particularly on days when Crisp serves chocolate chip cake.
“They just think it’s so fun to get a little something,” Crisp said. “They always wave and say ‘Hi.’ Yesterday, one student said, ‘Hey, Ms. Lisa, what’s cooking?” (Don't tell the kids, but she was working on oatmeal, which is the secret ingredient in the chocolate chip cake)!
As the two turn back to serving students and cashiering, a new group of students comes through. “Thank you,” multiple students say as they move through the line. “Thank you!”
Please join us in thanking the Food Services teams throughout the district during #NationalSchoolLunchWeek!
*Editor's note: This article has been updated since its original publication to correct an error about Hasselbalch's business.
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