DINING AT RA

Our goal is to empower students to make healthy choices. Food is a fuel that is necessary for proper development, well-being and academic success. When we educate students on the utility of food, access to diverse options, and cross curricular education, we create confident food eaters.
~ Director of Dining Services Paul Desiano

LOCAL SUPPLIERS

Hickory Farms
Arethusa Dairy Farm
Baldor Specialty Foods

RA sources organic and locally produced foods whenever possible.

 

RA's two dining halls offer nutritious homemade lunch options including fresh soups and a robust salad bar. Meatless Mondays and International Wednesdays provide students the opportunity to expand their knowledge of and experience with new foods and cultures.

Lunch is available Monday - Friday for all students in PS - Grade 8. Our daily menu offers a variety of wholesome and nutritious foods with both hot and cold options. In fact, 90% of the hot offerings are made from scratch in our kitchen. RA is confident in dealing with a variety of allergies and dietary restrictions students may have such as dairy, gluten, and nut allergies.

Students eat cafeteria style meals with mixed seating that is assigned and rotates regularly, which allows students to get to know other students they might not otherwise have.

From Kindergarten through grade 8, it is tradition for students and faculty to stand before lunch to ring the school bell and pause to reflect before receiving their meal.
 

Interconnected Meals

Dining services are integrated with the programs RA offers and takes advantage of our campus. As students get older, teachers occasionally integrate dining experiences with their classroom lessons. For example, Grade 8 English teacher Patricia Carrington hosted a Book Club. During this time, students sat with both one another and a teacher who helped facilitate conversations about the book they were reading.


The community can gather to eat outdoor lunches all together, music teachers might even conduct student band performances, and faculty compete with students in a friendly competition of Friday trivia once a month.