Balance
Healthy Dining
Dining In at CDS
For the school's first 43 years, most CDS parents packed lunches for their children. We dreamed of one day having a proper cafeteria space with a permanent food service provider. That dream finally came to fruition in September 2015 as the CDS community gathered together in its new state-of-the-art Niczowski, Temovsky, Arrigo Dining Hall.
Since the grand opening that fall, our students, faculty and staff, and alumni and parent guests have enjoyed homemade meals that vary from grilled marinated flank steak and gnocchi with butter sage sauce, to butter chicken and baked flaxseed chicken fingers. These delicious healthy meals are made from scratch with locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible. Dietary needs are easily accommodated by the kitchen staff and we offer our youngest students a little extra help since they are not quite ready to serve themselves.
Since the grand opening that fall, our students, faculty and staff, and alumni and parent guests have enjoyed homemade meals that vary from grilled marinated flank steak and gnocchi with butter sage sauce, to butter chicken and baked flaxseed chicken fingers. These delicious healthy meals are made from scratch with locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible. Dietary needs are easily accommodated by the kitchen staff and we offer our youngest students a little extra help since they are not quite ready to serve themselves.
Meals are delivered to our Kindergarten classrooms and students in Grades 1 to 3, while students in Grades 4 to 6 serve themselves marché style from the food stations and eat alongside the Junior School faculty. Junior, Middle, and Senior School students eat at separate lunch times so to maintain a pleasant flow through the food stations.
Daily snacks are delivered to the Junior School, and nutritious snacks and fresh fruit are available in the Middle and Senior Schools throughout the day.
Daily snacks are delivered to the Junior School, and nutritious snacks and fresh fruit are available in the Middle and Senior Schools throughout the day.
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* For weeks that begin on a Tuesday, the Monday menu will be served on Tuesday, with the rest of the week’s menu shifting accordingly.
FAQ's
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With such an emphasis on nutrition and variety, does that mean the Niczowski, Temovsky, Arrigo Dining Hall strives to offer organic and local foods wherever possible?
Yes, our Dining Hall program reflects CDS’s commitment to sustainability and our kitchen serves organic chicken and local produce whenever possible through a partnership with the Greenbelt Fund and an organization called 100km Foods Inc., allowing us to make use of local products in peak season. -
How do you ensure that CDS students embrace all of the healthy offerings and not just queue up at the pizza oven every day? Does the kitchen staff help guide the students to try new things?
Our Aramark kitchen staff are experts at what they do. Pizza is only served once a week, and we use menu planning to ensure that the choices are laid out in a way that encourages students to sample and eat a variety of foods. Some of the new items this year included a beef burrito bowl, ramen bar, dumplings, and empanadas with beef wild rice and pico de gallo. -
My child is a fussy eater and while all of these different stations and options sound amazing, how can I be sure there is always something he/she wants to eat?
Throughout the year, students are introduced to such a variety of food choices that they can’t help but acquire a taste for a much broader range of foods. We make use of our marché stations to ensure that on any given day, there are a number of more broadly enjoyed foods available. In the case of the most difficult eaters, or severe allergies, our chef will meet with families individually to tailor a program that works. -
My child is only 8 years old, how will they handle the marché style set up?
Meals are delivered to the classroom for students in JK-Grade 3 where students are served “family style” with their teachers. Students in Grade 4 and older learn to quickly navigate the servery with lots of guidance in the beginning. -
How will the Niczowski, Temovsky, Arrigo Dining Hall accommodate my child's food allergies and/or sensitivities? Will I have an opportunity to speak with the new kitchen staff in advance so that I am comfortable with what the daily offerings will be?
We have a dedicated Aramark employee, the PAL (Purple Allergy Leader), who is easily identifiable by a light purple jacket and is ready to answer questions about food allergy concerns in real time. Our PAL has received specialized advanced training in allergen management and has extensive knowledge of CDS menus and food offerings to help students navigate with ease.
Additionally, a student-friendly signage system alerts those with allergies to foods that they need to avoid. Kitchen staff and CDS staff are also widely aware of students with food allergies and are proactive in making sure certain foods are avoided. All menus are available well in advance in easily accessible form, and our staff are happy to meet with any families with allergy concerns. -
What will happen when my child travels to an off-campus sports game or class field trip during school hours?
If your son or daughter is on a CDS field trip or at an away athletic game (with the exception of extended or overnight trips) a healthy and safe boxed lunch will be provided. -
My children are involved in clubs that meet at lunch. Will there be a place in the Niczowski, Temovsky, Arrigo Dining Hall for students to have "working lunches" with faculty advisors similar to what they are accustomed to?
Absolutely. The Dining Hall has plenty of seating and will have a variety of table styles to meet the needs of groups conducting a working lunch, and will also be open for group work/study throughout the day. Student clubs are also encouraged to get a Bento box (takeout) to attend meetings not held in the Dining Hall.
Meet The Staff
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Julie Axford, Head of Operations
Julie Axford is CDS's new Head of Operations (food/housekeeping) and comes to us from Pickering College where she was Director of Food Services for the past seven years. Prior to that she had worked for a number of other independent schools in the GTA as an Executive Chef, including Trafalgar Castle and Bayview Glen, as well as Toronto French School and Branksome Hall. Before returning to Ontario 17 years ago, she studied at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in BC where she worked at various Vancouver restaurants, and for private charters as a personal chef for families and celebrities touring some of the most remote areas of Alaska.Read More -
Richard Perks, Executive Chef
Richard Perks, CDS's new Executive Chef, was born and raised in southwest England and attended culinary school in Italy. He traveled and worked throughout Italy exploring his passion for food and love for Italian cuisine. Most notably he learned to make gelato and Italian pastries with renowned chef Corrado Assenza at Caffè Sicilia a Noto and mastered the art of pasta making with the ‘Salami King of Italy’ Massimo Spigaroli in Parma. Richard continued his formal training in the UK where he was fortunate to work with one of Canada’s top chefs, Malcolm Campbell. In addition, he has trained under world renowned and Michelin-starred chefs in Europe. Richard followed his passion to Hong Kong and to Perth, Australia, where he fine-tuned his culinary talents at fine dining establishments.Read More
"My kid's eat better than I do!" - JS Mom of 3
"We love the variety each day, even though my kids are picky eaters, they can always find something they like" - MS Parent
"My favourite is the steak" - SS Student
We Welcome Your Feedback!
Nutrition Info
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Engagement & Education
Communicating health, wellness and sustainability information to students is just as important to us as it is to providing wholesome and delicious food.Multimedia LCD screens will be used on a daily basis to provide nutrition information related to a monthly health and wellness theme. At least once a month an interactive Health for Life booth will be held by a nutrition scientist to engage students in current health topics, as well as nutritious food sampling. Students will also get the chance to meet local farmers, food suppliers and artisans, and connect with gues chefs on Local food Days. -
Local & Sustainable
To Help support our commitment to sustainability and reducing environmental impact, we are excited to bring forward a "farm to market" program with local partnerships with farms, such as the Yorkshire Valley Farms, Pine River Cheese, Carron Farms and Slegers Greenhouses.In an effort to expand our opportunities with small to medium size local producers, we are also working in partnership with the Greenbelt Fund on a local 100km Food Hub pilot that provides additional access to local farms. -
Scratch & Seasonal
Our seasonal menus - not cycle menus - are a core part of our commitment to sourcing local and keeping things fun, fresh and interesting.Local vegetables and fruit will be clearly identified within our menus and change with the seasons. A continued force on scratch cooking will also guide menu development - including our sauces, salsas, dressing, soups, stocks, pastas, pizzas, desserts and more!
Chef's Recipes
List of 8 news stories.
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
Junior, Middle and Senior Schools
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
