Saco PreK -

For many students, the meals they eat at school provide a significant portion of their daily nutrition, making school cafeterias an essential part of supporting their health, development, and readiness to learn. That responsibility also presents an important opportunity: to provide the highest-quality ingredients and nutritious, irresistible menu options a public school can offer. With breakfast and lunch available at no cost to Maine public school students, the Biddeford, Saco and Dayton School Departments are taking a fresh look at how to make every meal count.

The three districts have welcomed Caroline Trinder, RD, SNS, as Director of School Nutrition and Victoria Currie-Girard as Executive Chef, bringing together expertise in nutrition, school food-service operations, and professional culinary arts. Their work will focus on elevating meal quality, expanding nutritious and student-friendly choices, strengthening scratch cooking and menu development, and helping students get the greatest nutritional benefit possible from the meals available to them each school day.

Trinder, a Registered Dietitian (RD) and School Nutrition Specialist (SNS), brings 13 years of leadership experience in K-12 school nutrition programs, ranging from small rural districts to large urban systems serving more than 42,000 students. Her experience includes USDA Child Nutrition Programs, menu development, procurement, financial and operational management, special dietary accommodations, staff development and strategic planning. She previously served as Food and Nutrition Services Director for RSU 23 and was named the 2024 Maine School Nutrition Director of the Year.

“School nutrition is such an important part of a student’s day. It’s not only about providing the energy and nutrients students need to learn and thrive, but also about helping them develop a positive relationship with food and learn how the foods they eat can fuel their growing bodies,” says Trinder, current Maine School Nutrition Association Vice President. "As we continue to expand our locally sourced and speed-scratch meals, we’re supporting our local economy while also giving students the opportunity to experience new foods and flavors. Maine is a leader in school nutrition, and I’m excited to be part of that work. We have a great opportunity to continue innovating, building on what’s already being done, and keeping our students at the center of everything we do.”

Currie-Girard brings more than 18 years of distinguished culinary and hospitality experience to her role as District Chef for the Saco, Biddeford, and Dayton school districts. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Boston, she has extensive expertise in classical French cuisine, coastal ocean-to-table gastronomy, and high-volume culinary operations. Her professional experience includes executive chef leadership roles with premier restaurants and luxury hospitality properties throughout Massachusetts and Maine, including boutique hotels in Kennebunkport and most recently the Westin Portland Harborview Hotel, where she oversaw a large-scale culinary operation and seasonal menu development. Her expertise encompasses menu development, kitchen operations, staff training, food-cost management, culinary leadership, and hospitality. In her role as District Chef, Currie-Girard brings this experience to school food service, working across all three districts to develop nutritious, scratch-cooked meals, support and train kitchen teams, and create fresh, flavorful, and approachable dining experiences that encourage students to develop healthy eating habits.

“Students eat with their eyes first, just like the rest of us,” said Victoria Currie-Girard. “We have an opportunity to take nutritious ingredients and use culinary techniques, presentation, and flavor to create food that students are excited to see on their trays. I’m also looking forward to working alongside our school nutrition staff, sharing techniques and building on the tremendous work already happening in our kitchens.”

This initiative is made possible through school nutrition funding provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the shared-services model among Biddeford, Saco and Dayton School Departments. By sharing specialized staff across the three districts, the schools can maximize available resources while bringing high-level nutrition and culinary expertise to multiple schools and thousands of students. Federal school nutrition funds are restricted to the operation and improvement of school meal programs and cannot be redirected to unrelated district expenses.

“This is an exciting opportunity to take an already important program and make it even better for our students,” said Jeremy Ray, Superintendent of Schools. “Every child deserves access to meals that are nutritious, appealing and give them the fuel they need to learn, and bringing Caroline’s nutrition expertise together with Victoria’s culinary skills gives us an opportunity to really elevate what we are serving. Just as importantly, sharing these positions across Biddeford, Saco and Dayton allows all three school communities to benefit from that expertise and maximize the impact. Investing these restricted funds into the quality of our nutrition program is not only important for our students but a responsible use of the limited funding available to us.”

For educators, the connection between nutrition and learning makes the effort about much more than what appears on a lunch tray.

“Nutrition is an important part of creating the conditions students need to learn,” said Dr. Mandy Cyr, Director of Curriculum and Innovation for Biddeford and Dayton School Departments. “When students have consistent access to nutritious meals, they are better positioned to focus, engage and make the most of their time in the classroom. Maine’s commitment to providing school meals at no cost also removes a barrier for families and gives every student the nourishment they need to learn throughout the day. Our responsibility is to make that access as meaningful as possible by serving nutritious meals students will actually want to eat.”

With Trinder and Currie-Girard working alongside existing school nutrition teams, the districts will continue evaluating menus, student preferences, food preparation and professional development with a simple goal: make every school meal count — nutritionally and for students.