This school year has seen many exciting developments in the kitchen. PHS recently hired a new Opaa! Director Shelby Sloan has implemented several changes to the food, including a junior chefs program, a new cooking club, and adding more variety to the lunch and breakfast options.

Sloan recently began her job before school began. Before that, she worked as an Opaa! Director at Crawford County Schools.

“I’ve actually been with Oppa for going on a year now. I was working at a surrounding school, and I had the opportunity arise when they told me, ‘Hey, Paoli needs some help. We need somebody with a lot of drive to get in there and get it going’ and then they asked me if I was interested,” said Sloan. “It was a no-brainer. Of course, to bring good nutrition and get my daughter an amazing education,” said Sloan.

Since Sloan joined PHS, the most significant impact she has made is on fresh food.

“The biggest change that I tried to personally implement this year was fresh food. Make sure that we have fresh, all the way around, nice, hot food, good quality, because if I wouldn’t feed it to my children, personally, it’s not gonna be fed to any of the kids here,” said Sloan.

Sloan has enjoyed her time at Paoli Schools. 

“This is definitely a career for me. I plan on staying for the long haul. I actually was just telling the staff that I love this. This is my calling, between feeding the kids and having a nutrition background myself. I come from a strong business background, so running this sort of program is definitely my forte. Plus, I’m a sucker for kids, whether it be from pre-K all the way up to the seniors. I hold up like a cheap tent when you guys need anything. So it’s truly a pleasure,” said Sloan.