Wondering how you’re supposed to host the perfect party to show your lunch heroes how much you care? There are so many ways! We’ve drawn up a list of ideas with suggestions for festivities, no matter who you are—the principal, a teacher, a student, a parent, a supervisor or a coworker.

  • Share the proclamation. Customize and print the official proclamation. Be sure to post it somewhere everyone can see it, such as your school’s front office.
  • Invite guests. Encourage the communities support by notifying principals, teachers, and parents. Make sure they all know about SLHD in advance, so they too can join the party. Point them to themed activity sheets and cards that are available to download.
  • Announce it. Make signs for the hallway or put it on the marquee outside your building. Give the lunch heroes a shoutout on morning announcements.
  • Decorate your space. Add some decorations to the serving and dining areas to make the party festive! Visit the SNA Shop, for balloons and other decorations. Please allow plenty of time to order materials, to ensure on-time delivery.
  • Prepare entertainment. Consider having speeches, presentations, or other fun activities during the party to acknowledge the teams’ achievements and hard work.
  • Get social! Download the official graphics featuring the Lunch Lady herself from the books that inspired our annual observance. Find them here.
  • Make cards. We have printable thank-you cards in English and Spanish, so it’s easy to deliver a small token of your appreciation.
  • Give gifts. Official Lunch Hero swag makes a perfect present for your favorite foodservice workers. Check out the SNA shop here.
  • Visit them in their element. Give students an up-close look at what your teams do every day by letting them tour the school kitchen and see all the work that goes into meal planning, plus the prepping, storing and (of course) serving.
  • Let them teach for a day. Invite your lunch heroes to take over another classroom besides the cafeteria. They can talk to students about good nutrition and trying new foods, or they can incorporate another subject into foodservice work. For example, recipes are a great way to learn about math, while global cuisine can be a fun social studies lesson.
  • Serve them! School Lunch Hero Day can be a day for letting your principals, teachers or even your students serve the meal to your foodservice staff. Make it extra special with table dressings and decorations.
  • Applause, applause, applause! When students go to the cafeteria on School Lunch Hero Day, take a moment to introduce your school nutrition team and have the students give them a well-deserved round of applause.
  • Have fun! The most important aspect of the party is to have fun and celebrate your School Lunch Heroes’ dedication and hard work. Make sure to enjoy the food, the company, and the festivities!

Want to share your own ideas? Email marketing@schoolnutrition.org, and your suggestions could appear on the official SNA celebration list.