3 days equels 1 "week" of school

The first worker in at 6a, all others in 15 minuets after the other and last worker in at 7a. Breakfast in totes, on carts and loaded in the "lunch bus" off to deliver breakfast to the elementary school K-5th grades. Next off to middle school, unload the carts and leave 2 cafeteria worker there to serve/hand out breakfast and count the students that take the food. Now off to high school, unloading the breakfast carts, over the sidewalk into the commons area. Two cafeteria staff set up the breakfast serving area and count the students that take the food. Now the phone starts ringing, "I have 21 students you only gave me 18", OK, send a worker over with more food. Next call the teacher wants only white milk for breakfast, make note on work sheet. Only 60 out of 280 students take food at high school, pack uneaten food back on carts and load into the "lunch bus" back to middle school to pick up theses ladies, and food, yea they had 98 students out of 290 take food. Back to the cafeteria to unload all this uneaten food and the time? its 8:20a.! TIME FOR COFFEE, and maybe a breakfast cookie. 10 minutes goes by fast. the days not over, its time to get making lunch.
The first week of school is a"breaking in" week, I try to go easy on the cafeteria staff. I schedule only one hot food item at lunch. The rest of the year there will be 2 hot food chooses and ohter cold items on the side too.
There are 6 salad bars to be made, 300 students at the primary building, 400 students at the main dining room and 290 at middle school, just a little more than most people make for thanksgiving dinner, we do this 5 days a week.
Not only do the staff cook and pan up food for the lunch of the day they have to prep the food for the next day, look ahead and pull out meats for field trips and get meats thawing for two days from now tacos... a cooks work is never done.
At 10a load the lunch bus with the primary food and two "lunch ladies" and away we go... Back at the main cafeteria the other ladies are still getting food ready for middle school and the main dining room. Oh yea, of course you have to get your "lunch break" in too. Before you know it is 11a and the first group of students are coming thur the door. Middle school staff load their carts and then load into the bus and off they go, we also deliver lunch to a alternate school on the edge of town.
Students come in by grade, each grade is around 80-100 students, high school we serve 180, middle school we will serve 250-280 every day.
Of course we have to get all these students counted, the ones that take lunch any way. counting has taken on a new meaning this year. We have to count the students as they leave the salad bar or after leaving the hot table. This takes time, and 2 people at each school. six extra people that I don't have, we have to adjust and work out the schedule. after three days of adjusting the schedule, I think we have things worked out, with help form the teachers, other staff and the principals all giving their idea on how this should be done. By Friday I think we have it worked out. With a lot of understanding, compromise, and adjusting, and yes giving in and letting go of what I wanted, or thought was the best way of doing this job. In the end, it all comes down to feed the students a healthy meal, in a clean area.
Friday coundn't have come any faster this week! oh the first week is only 3 days. School started on Wednesday thru Friday. Thank goodness for the weekend and next week we will do this all again on Monday thru Friday.