Members of the Ellenville community gathered together on October 17 to celebrate the opening of the brand-new cafeteria at Ellenville Elementary School—a large, open, and inviting dining area with eye-catching, wall-length windows framing the nearby mountain. In attendance were members of the Ellenville Central School District Board of Education, administrators, food service workers, builders of the project, families, friends, and more.
“It’s so nice to have everyone here to appreciate this beautiful new space,” said Ellenville Superintendent Lisa Wiles. “When you compare where students used to eat lunch every day with this, it is just amazing.”
Before the official ribbon cutting, Board of Education President Philip Mattracion thanked the scores of people involved in getting this portion of the school district’s Capital Project completed, including the local taxpayers who voted for the referendum that made the construction possible. “We could not have done it without you,” he said.
The cafeteria project began last winter, with builders breaking ground in February, and was completed a few weeks into the 2023-2024 school year. When students enjoyed their very first breakfast in the new cafeteria, more than 100 extra meals were made to accommodate the excited crowd. “You should have seen their faces when they walked in here and saw that gorgeous mountain view,” said Mattracion. “It was like they had won the lottery!”
After the scissors were brought out and the ribbon was cut, everyone sat down to sample just some of the delicious and healthy array of food options that Elementary School students have been enjoying each day. On the menu, served up by cafeteria staff, was fresh salad and vegetables, fruit and cheese, General Tso’s chicken and steamed broccoli, and for dessert, chocolate chip cookies!
All who came to celebrate left happy and full, and appreciative of the results of a strong vision and months of hard work.
