“Chicken Pickens,” “Patchogue Pizza”,” Cafe Olé”, and “Today’s Choice” each period, these are the names of the four lunch counters that thousands of Pat-Med students can choose from as they flood the cafeteria to eat every day.
Hot, fresh food served in less than a minute, all thanks to the agility and culinary skills of the lunch ladies behind the counters. But how many students stop to think about these incredible individuals?
Upon talking with these ladies and asking questions, we learned so much more about their bustling careers and interactions they’ve had at the high school.
What brought you to Patchogue-Medford High School?
“The hours. I was looking for a part time job so that I could get my daughter on and off the bus. Normally I wouldn’t have chosen this, but you know it was perfect, and I decided to to think outside the box, so I’ve been here ever since.” – Mrs. Josephine
“Well, I just needed a change, let’s put it at that. I needed a change, and my kids were in this high school, and I needed part time, and I was like okay! Why not? I love kids, and I love helping.” – Mrs. Michelle
“I needed money. Somebody told me that they could get a part time job here, so I did,” – laughed Mrs. Fran.
“I’ve always loved serving food, and I love being around kids. Kids inspire me and food drives me.” – Mrs. B
“They were hiring!” – Mrs. Joanne
How long have you been working at the high school?
“I will be here six full years in November.” – Mrs. Josephine
“Five years already!” – Mrs. Michelle
“I’m working here one year.” – Mrs. Fran
“I’ve been here three years.” – Mrs. B
“One year here.” – Mrs. Joanne
What are some of the tasks of a lunch lady?
“We stock, we help one another, coordinate, serve, handle three courts at a time, hop on dishes especially so that one person isn’t stuck doing dishes at the end of the day. We try to do them throughout the day, we try to take turns and cooperate in the kitchen. We all will wear multiple hats.” – Mrs. Josephine
“We have to put trays in the oven here, put them under the warmer, do dishes, make sure the milks and juices are out, plates, anything like ranch dressing, vegetables, ketchup and mayonnaise.” – Mrs. Fran
“We come in, we prep, we serve, and we run around like chickens without heads- with a smile on our face! Helping each other out is key. As my supervisor said, you don’t have to like each other, you just have to get along. So that’s what we do, we work together and try to get along.”- Mrs. B
“Prepare the food, serve the food, stock the refrigerator, wipe down the tables and clean our stations.” – Mrs. Joanne
“We all have to cook, prep things, we all have to clean, it’s basically everything you would do at home when you cook, except for buying the ingredients. We all have to take turns and do each station.” – Mrs. Michelle
Mrs. Josephine, Mrs. Michelle, and several of the other lunch ladies have children of their own, ranging from elementary school to college age. Being a mother and working in the cafeteria both add to the amazing capabilities of these women, as well as emphasize the hard work they do just to make one period of our day run smoothly.
“I have one daughter, and one son, my heart and soul,” says Mrs. Michelle.
“I have five kids, three of them in college.” – Mrs. B
“My daughter is now eighteen, going on nineteen, and then a freshman in college. Technically I don’t have to work here anymore, but why leave?” Mrs. Josephine asks, smiling.
Mrs. Josephine shares that the group, as well as one of their coworkers, Laura, calls them “the dream team“.
“I feel that everyone here is just so nice, and it makes me feel like we’re a family, you know. That, to me, is special.” -Mrs. Michelle
Mrs. Michelle is known by the cafeteria staff as well as the students as “Mrs. Happy,” for her cheerful smile and optimistic demeanor every day.
Did you know that you wanted to work with food? With kids?
“No, I did not actually.” – Mrs. Josephine
“Yes, I love kids. I used to, and do now cook a lot. I used to cater and work parties with my sister when I was younger, around 24.” – Mrs. Michelle
“Yeah, I like working with kids.” – Mrs. Fran
“Yes, I was specifically looking to work in a school.” – Mrs. Joanne
“I did! It’s always been a passion. Didn’t know it would be combined.” – Mrs. B
What is the most interesting thing you’ve seen/experienced in the cafe?
“Some interesting kids once in a while. You never know what you’re going to get, every day is a different thing. Even amongst ourselves, you never know what’s going to happen here.” – Mrs. Josephine
“I love to see everyone helping each other and being kind to one another. You know, I see kids buying snacks for their friends, and I love that. To me that’s what life’s about. Sharing, caring, giving.” – Mrs. Michelle
“I get all the tea. That’s interesting because I don’t expect that during fast serving periods, you know? I get a lot of tea. If you know, you know,” says an anonymous employee.
“You never know… you guys go through a lot. Home, schoolwork, everything. And to serve you guys without getting aggravated and making you guys miserable, that’s our joy. When you come in here, you come in to eat and relax,” Anonymous adds.
“That most of the kids are nice, but sometimes they want more than we can give them.” – Mrs. Fran
“How much everything has changed over the years.” – Mrs. Joanne
“When I first came here, I saw a couple of fights. But then I have not seen another fight in the past three years, so that’s great.” – Mrs. B
Why do you feel your job is important to the school?
“The job is important because you kids need to be fed, that’s probably the most important aspect.” – Mrs. Josephine
“Well, I hope that I bring some joy to kids and I’m happy to give them food. It’s a good feeling, because there’s a lot of people out there and I love that I’m actually serving them. We all feed off of each other and you know, get the joy. I like to serve and make people happy.” – Mrs. Michelle
“To have things ready for the lunch periods, and make sure that the kids can have a nutritious lunch.” – Mrs. Fran
“Because all kids need to eat.” – Mrs. Joanne
“Well, we only work part-time, and we do it because we care about the kids, that they have to get fed. Some people go home, and they don’t even have a meal. If we weren’t passionate about what we do, kids wouldn’t get the proper treatment, especially the kids that don’t have something to eat.” – Mrs. B
Mrs. B went on to explain how the cafeteria staff had to perform at their absolute best last school year in order for Patchogue-Medford to qualify for free lunch and breakfast. The Federal Food Administration observed the cafeteria staff to ensure that each student was receiving the proper fruit and vegetables that go with their meals. In doing so, the entire district received funding towards full meals without charge for every student.
Thus, the jobs of the lunch ladies who work here are many, and of the utmost importance to the wellbeing of our student body. So, next time you enter the cafeteria here at Pat-Med, be sure to thank and appreciate these heroes who make our lunch super.
