Free Super Snack after school beginning February 1st for Waynesville R-6 students in grades kindergarten through 12 grade who participate in after-school activities

Waynesville R-6 students in grades kindergarten through 12 grade who participate in after-school activities, including tutoring, robotics, coding, sports, clubs, organizations, Club Tiger and WIN* will receive a free Super Snack after school beginning February 1st. “This is fantastic news for our students who stay after school, regardless of the school they attend,” said Dr. Billy Cobb, executive director of operational services. To qualify for this Super Snack program, the district must provide regularly scheduled educational or enrichment activities after school in a supervised setting and have at least 50% of the students at a unified attendance center, such as the sixth-grade center, middle school or high school, qualify for free or reduced meals. “We just reached the required 50% threshold at the Waynesville Sixth Grade Center, which makes us eligible districtwide,” Cobb said. Super snacks will be provided through funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Child and Adult Food Care Program. OPAA!, which provides food services for the district, will prepare the super snacks as well. In addition to helping provide food, a high percentage of students receiving free and reduced meals helps the district receive more state funds for programs, such as Title 1 reading teachers, and be eligible for more grants.
“I cannot overstress the importance of our families completing the free and reduced meal forms each year,” Cobb said. Each super snack includes a fruit, vegetable, grain, protein, and dairy serving. At the elementary school, a super snack might include yogurt, whole grain snack crackers, apple slices, carrots, and milk. At the middle and high school levels, a super snack might include a ham wrap (ham, cheese, and a tortilla), apple, carrots, whole grain snack crackers, and milk.
According to Cobb, what they need now is a free after-school program at Waynesville Middle School and Waynesville High School, which is in session Monday-Thursday for grades 7-12.