• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Subscribe
Program Guide
Watch Live

CCX Media

Skip NavigationMenu
  • News
    • Close
        • CCX News
          • CCX News Home
          • News Stories
            • CCX Daily Newcast
          • CCX News Special Reports
          • CCX Media Schools
        • Feature Segments

          • Business Matters
          • School Spotlight
          • Standout Student
          • Weekend Showcase
          • Newsmakers
        • News Tip

          Send us a story idea or news tip!
          Facebook Instagram Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
        • Apple News
    • Close
  • Sports
    • Close
        • CCX Sports
          • CCX Sports Home
          • Sports Tips
          • Hall of Fame
          • Upcoming Event Coverage
          • Play of the Week
        • Sports Coverage

          Adapted SportsAdditional SportsBaseballBasketballFootball
          GymnasticsHockeyLacrosseSoccerSoftball
          Swimming & DivingTennisTrack & FieldVolleyballWrestling
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter Instagram
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
          Shop/Order
    • Close
  • Cities
    • Close
        • CCX Cities
          • CCX Cities Home
          • The Connection
          • In The Community
          • Our Town’s Story
          • Community Resources
          • CCX Media Schools
          • City Meetings
        • Your City

          Brooklyn Center Local News and Events
          Brooklyn Park MN Local News and Events
          Crystal
          Golden Valley
          Maple Grove
          New Hope
          Osseo
          Plymouth
          Robbinsdale
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Create
    • Close
        • CCX Create
          • CCX Create Home
          • Channels
          • Resources
          • Meet The Create Team
          • CCX Create Virtual Tour
        • Get Creative

          • Make Your Own Show
          • Free Classes
          • Contact Us
          • Polka Spotlight
          • Diversity Minute
        • RueShare

          • Member Login
          • Member Guide
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter Instagram
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Subscribe
  • Program guide
  • Watch Live

Osseo’s Retiring Tom Pellegrino Writes Lunch Lady Tribute

4:53 PM | Wednesday, May 30, 2018

If you’ve ever heard Tom Pellegrino talk about school lunch, you’d know he is very passionate about his job. He believes students should have a healthy, nutritious lunch served up by people who care. His passion is evident to the many lunch ladies and a few lunch men that work under him.

“This cafeteria has 17 employees and six permanent openings. We’ve had that for two years,” says Tom Pellegrino, director of food and nutrition services. He stopped by the Park Center school cafeteria right before lunch on Wednesday. “These lunch ladies are the unsung heroes. They are artists, hidden artists in our schools.”

Tom Pellegrino will retire from Osseo Area Schools after almost 30 years. As a parting gift to his many staff, he wrote a tribute called “A Lunch Lady’s Untold Story.” The letter went out by email and straight into the hearts of his staff.

“It validated us,” says Melanie Gates, kitchen manager of the Park Center High School lunch room. “It was endearing and spot on. I saw myself in that letter. I saw our staff in that letter and I saw our district’s mission statement.”

Pellegrino’s letter mentioned that lunch ladies often begin the day by going through a back entrance of the school before daylight. Then, they face the challenges of preparing a fresh meal on a strict budget and with strict dietary guidelines….all on a deadline.

“He’s not here at 5:30 in the morning with me,” explains Gates. “He’s not here every day while we are doing this, but he knows what goes on in his kitchens and it is validating.”

Tom Pellegrino remembered for meeting needs of students.

The Park Center High School kitchen space recently got a renovation. Students can choose to eat a variety of foods, each presented in an appealing way. Staff members knew Pellegrino was passionate about not only the staff, but about meeting the needs of the students.

“He cares about the kids and cares about the food,” says Angelina Smith, the assistant kitchen manager at Park Center High School. “His big thing is he wants to make sure it’s nutritious and it looks good the kids. And that it’s fresh.”

Pellegrino’s legacy will be that he was a big cheerleader for his staff. He will retire in June and his replacement has already been hired. Jeff Ansorge will come to Osseo Area Schools after 30 years in St. Paul Schools.

Want to read the full letter?  Pellegrino’s Lunch Lady Tribute

Shannon Slatton, reporting
Park Center Senior High School

Related Stories

Power Outages from Storms Push Some Schools into E-Learning Days:  Park Center High School and… Read More
Birch Grove Elementary Student Joshaviah Kawala on Stage in Guthrie’s ‘A Raisin in the Sun’:  … Read More
Rice Lake Elementary School Addition Complete:  Staff and students are enjoying more elbow room at… Read More
Cooper HS’s Eric Zuccola, District 287’s Jon Fila Named Teacher of the Year Finalists:  Cooper… Read More
Fight at Osseo Middle School Leads to Lockdown:  Osseo Middle School Lockdown Lasts About 50… Read More
Osseo School District Voters Will See Two Funding Requests on Fall Ballot:  The Osseo School Board… Read More

Footer

NAVIGATE

  • CCX Media
  • NEWS
  • SPORTS
  • CITIES
  • CREATE
  • Job Opportunities
  • Meet the CCX Media Team
  • ABOUT CCX MEDIA
  • Annual Programming Reports
  • CABLE COMMISSION

SUBSCRIBE

Get email updates for daily story previews. “Week in Review” video links, and programming previews.

Subscribe Today

CONNECT

HAVE A NEWS TIP? CALL OUR TIPLINE AT:  763-533-1710
Send us story ideas and comments!
Get in touch with us
               
 NEWS   SPORTS
 SHOP/ORDER

LOCATION

CCX Media
6900 Winnetka Avenue North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

Main Phone:  763-533-8196

CCX Media serves the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, including Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale.
Copyright © 2022 CCXMedia | All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement
Web Design and Development by CEL Marketing PR Design and BizzyWeb | Log in