VSCA offers a range of resources to help you to happy munching in your school canteen, wherever you are in Victoria.

For more information on any of these resources, please contact VSCA.

Please note that charges apply to some items. VSCA members may order goods on account. A tax invoice will be issued. Prepayment is required for non VSCA members. Payment may be made electronically, or by phone by Visa or MasterCard, or by cheque or money order (payable to "VSCA").

To download a VSCA Order Form (special items listed with prices), click here [pdf, 180 kB]

To download a VSCA Order Form (blank, multi purpose), click here [pdf, 114 kB]

PLEASE NOTE: All VSCA resources are copyright and must not be copied or reproduced in any way in any form.
For information on resources available from VSCA, click on any of the underlined items here, or scroll down the page to view the complete list.

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1. Membership of the Victorian School Canteen Association Inc

$55 per campus per year

For more information and membership application form, click here

VSCA is run by school canteen people for school canteen people.

Membership of the Victorian School Canteen Association Inc (July 1 to June 30) entitles school canteen representatives to professional advice, assistance, newsletters, networking with other canteens, sharing of information, peer support, free or discounted entry to VSCA events ... and much more.

Join VSCA to gain all the special membership benefits enjoyed by representatives of hundreds of primary, secondary and P-12 schools around Victoria.

You will also add your voice to VSCA's advocacy on behalf of all those working in Victorian school canteens.

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2. Victorian Government Policy for School Canteens and Other School Food Services

For more information and details, click here

The latest Victorian government policy for school canteens and other school food services was launched in October 2006. To be implemented in Victorian government schools by 2009. Includes a comprehensive 'Go for your life' Healthy Canteen Kit.

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3 (a) VSCA Online Buying Guide

For more information and details, click here

Free access at your fingertips, for anyone, anywhere, any day, any time, to the latest information on suitable products and services for Victorian school canteens.

The VSCA Online Buying Guide is updated continually during the year.

It lists VSCA Registered Products and Services in different categories:
- Breads & Cereals
- Drinks
- Fillings & Toppings
- Frozen Snacks
- Fruit & Vegetables
- Hot & Cold Prepared Foods
- Snacks
- Non Food Items

It also lists contact details of VSCA Registering Companies so that school canteens can make inquiries, obtain samples and purchase items.

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3 (b) VSCA Buying Guide (downloadable, printable version)

For more information and details, click here

Twice a year, VSCA publishes a downloadable, printable version of the VSCA Online Buying Guide.

This environmentally friendly version of the VSCA Buying Guide can be accessed free of charge via the VSCA website.

Please note that school canteen people can see and sample VSCA Registered Products and Services and meet representatives of VSCA Registering Companies during the year at VSCA events and activities such as the VSCA School Canteen Expo and the VSCA Annual Canteen Rewards Evening.

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3 (c) VSCA Rating

To assist you to implement Victorian government policy in your school, VSCA Registered Products are carefully assessed and a "VSCA Rating" is allocated in accordance with the Victorian Government Policy for School Canteens and Other School Food Services.

The VSCA Rating is listed in the VSCA Buying Guide and the VSCA Online Buying Guide.

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4. Victorian Canteen News 'n' Nibbles

Free of charge for VSCA members!

VSCA's quarterly snail mail news and information pack for VSCA members. Each edition includes flyers/samples of VSCA Registered Products and Services and details of VSCA events, activities and resources for school canteens

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5. Management $ense Food Sense
The essential guide to food service in your school

Special price for VSCA members: $11.00 plus $11.00 postage/handling (GST incl)
(Original price: $50.00 for members / $80.00 for non members plus postage/handling. Published in 1997 pre-GST but all basic information is still relevant.)

A comprehensive canteen operations manual geared to good business management and profitability as well as the promotion of nutritious foods. Includes CD.

Contains practical and valuable information on all aspects of operating a school canteen - staffing, sample job description for a manager, working with volunteers, canteen policy, committees, purchasing, pricing, accounting, food preparation, menus, marketing, equipment, safety, hygiene, canteen layout, security etc.

Ideal for anyone and everyone, whether you are setting up a brand new canteen or revamping an existing canteen that has been operating for many years, or anywhere in between!

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6. VSCA Tuckshop Treasures

$16.50 incl postage/handling (GST incl)

A collection of school canteen price lists, policies and other items of interest shared with VSCA during the past 12 months by schools around Victoria.

Ideal if you are looking for sample menus, model policies, new ideas, ways to revive your canteen, finding out what works for other schools, checking how your prices compare, etc. No need to reinvent the wheel - see VSCA Tuckshop Treasures to find out what other Victorian schools are doing!

You can also contact VSCA if you are looking for specific information on a particular aspect of your school canteen operations. We will do our best to help. Please note a fee may be charged to cover copying and postage costs.

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7. VSCA Can Chat

Subscription is free!

VSCA's free monthly e-newsletter for Victorian school canteens.

Includes information, ideas, hints, titbits and a featured product or service as the "Flavour of the Month".

Circulated free of charge to subscribers in Victorian school canteens, health professionals, allied organisations, food industry representatives, etc.

To subscribe, email subscribe@vsca.org.au with "Subscribe" in the subject line and your name, position and school/organisation in the body of the message.

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8 (a) VSCA Frig Magnets for Volunteers

Special prices for VSCA members: $0.99 (GST incl) each plus postage/handling

Bulk price: $19.80 (GST incl) for 25 magnets of one design plus postage/handling

2 designs are currently available, as shown below. To order, please state design number and quantity of each.

VSCA Magnet Design #1: "Volunteers are priceless"

(Text on magnet reads: "VOLUNTEERS ARE NOT PAID, not because they are worthless, but because THEY ARE PRICELESS!")

VSCA Magnet Design #2: "A bouquet of forget-me-nots"

(Text on magnet reads: "A bouquet of forget-me-nots for you. Remember to congratulate yourself today for the wonderful work you do in your school canteen!")

A small token to express your heartfelt appreciation for those precious volunteers who assist in your school.

Ideal for presentation at any time during the year. You may like to include a VSCA frig magnet when you send out your canteen roster, or pop one in with a thank you note at the end of term or end of year or when a volunteer retires (see VSCA Cards & Posters for Volunteers).

Do you have a favourite message you would like made into a VSCA frig magnet? Please contact VSCA to discuss your ideas and requirements.

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8 (b) VSCA Cards and Posters for Volunteers

Exclusively for VSCA members

A range of original VSCA Cards and Posters suitable for

• recruiting volunteers
• welcoming new volunteers
• thanking those who have helped in your canteen
• thanking those who have helped in your school (eg. guest speakers, or those who have helped in office, library, classroom, or with excursions, fundraisers or special days etc)
• encouraging hygienic food handling

A VSCA Volunteer Cards & Posters Catalogue (with full details of the current range) is available on request exclusively only for VSCA members.

All VSCA cards and posters are printed in black ink on coloured paper or card.

A variety of designs, messages and colours is available. Any quantity may be ordered. The design of your choice from the range can be supplied in a mixed variety of colours or in a colour of your choice.

Prices for VSCA Cards:

$0.44 (GST incl) per card without envelope
$0.66 (GST incl) per card with envelope
(Extra charge for postage/handling - subject to size of order - POA)

Cards are available with or without envelopes.

Optional extras for cards are available on request:

• A standard by-line or a by-line of your own choice may be added - no extra charge
• Your school logo may be incorporated onto your cards - extra cost $0.11 (GST incl) per card
• Your own personalised message may be included on your cards - extra cost $0.11 (GST incl) per card

Prices for VSCA Posters:

$2.20 per A4 poster incl postage/handling (GST incl)

Posters can be supplied laminated on request (double price).

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9. VSCA Safe Food Kit

$9.90 (GST incl) - price includes postage/handling

Information on basic food handling, basic hygiene rules for food handlers, cleaning, pest control, bacterial causes of contamination, sources of foreign objects in food.

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10 (a) VSCA Happy Munching Recipes

$POA (GST incl)

Make more profits for your school canteen by making your own items to sell.

You can use VSCA's "canteen friendly" recipes to help you to happy munching in your school. Also suitable for use at home!

These recipes and ideas have been collected over the past 25 years at VSCA events, from VSCA members in school canteens around Victoria, from friends, from the food industry and from "canteen friendly" professional chefs.

All require only basic equipment and facilities and are simple to prepare. All are quick, easy and nutritious and will appeal to the taste buds of students at primary and secondary levels.

If you have recipes or ideas you'd like to share with other school canteens, please send them to VSCA by email, fax or snail mail.

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10 (b) Good Food Recipes and Ideas for School Canteens CD

$125.00 (GST incl) - price includes postage/handling

Over 100 delicious, tried and tested recipes from Natural Kitchen Strategies, specially formulated to suit primary and secondary school canteens.

Includes hot main meals, soups, salads and sandwiches, muffins and scones, snacks, drinks, frozen treats, breakfasts. Step by step instructions and full colour photo for every recipe.

This is no ordinary CD of recipes. It also contains much more extra information ... ideas for cultural days and festivities; suggestions for canteen menu design, marketing and promotion; and samples of canteen menu, canteen survey, canteen policy and canteen manager job description.

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11 (a) VSCA Menu Assessment

Exclusively for VSCA members - $POA (GST incl)

Are you interested in offering healthier choices in your school canteen? How does your menu measure up against government policy for school food? Would you like your menu assessed by a professional? Looking for some suggestions on simple improvements you could make to your school's canteen menu?

VSCA can help! We can colour code your menu into green, amber and red items. We can show you basic areas for improvement. We can make canteen friendly suggestions.

Contact VSCA for more information.

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11 (b) VSCA Canteen Review

Exclusively for VSCA members - $POA (GST incl)

Is your canteen operating as efficiently, as smoothly, as safely and as profitably as possible? Is there room for improvement - greater efficiency, more profits?

If your school is a VSCA member, you can invite VSCA as an objective outsider to visit and comprehensively review all aspects of your canteen operations.

Contact VSCA for more information.

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12. Rates of Pay and Conditions of Employment for Canteen Workers

As a school canteen worker, you are entitled to the correct rate of pay and basic conditions of employment. You are at risk of exploitation if you, and/or your employer, are not fully aware of your correct rates of pay and employment conditions. VSCA acts as an advocate on behalf of school canteen workers.

VSCA strongly promotes fair remuneration for work done and ethical conditions of employment for school canteen workers.

Click here for up to date information on rates of pay and conditions of employment for Victorian school canteen workers.

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13 (a) VSCA Canteen of the Year Awards - Winners and Highly Commended

$16.50 incl postage/handling (GST incl)

Full print out of all the information from the winning and highly commended entries in the latest annual VSCA Canteen of the Year Awards.

Ideal for school canteens looking for ideas and inspiration to revise, review or improve their canteen menus and operations.

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13 (b) VSCA Canteen of the Year Honour Board

To view all the winners and highly commended entries in all categories of the VSCA Canteen of the Year Awards since they began in 1999:

Click here for the Primary School Division

Click here for the Secondary/P-12 Division

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13 (c) VSCA Canteen of the Year Awards - Nomination Information

Free for VSCA members

For more information about award categories, conditions of entry and how to nominate your canteen manager or your school canteen for a VSCA award, click here

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14. VSCA Printed Lunch Order Bags

Especially designed by VSCA for Victorian school canteens

VSCA Printed Lunch Order Bags are printed in black ink on brand new, hygienic, recyclable, unbleached, environmentally friendly, brown paper bags.

Use VSCA Printed Lunch Order Bags to save time in your canteen and improve food handling. All of your customers' lunch orders will be written in standard format with open end of bag to top, spaces for name and year level, and lines and columns to assist younger students with writing and adding up.

You can use VSCA Printed Lunch Order Bags as a fundraiser for your school. Sell them in bundles of 50 or 100 bags to your school families, make extra profits for your school and encourage the use of these bags for safe food handling and to streamline your canteen operations.

Choice of 2 sizes and 2 designs available:

14 (a) VSCA "3 Long" Printed Lunch Order Bags

$15.95 (GST incl) per 500 bags plus postage/handling for orders of less than $100.00 in total value

Suggested selling price: 5c each (or $2.25 per 50 or $4.50 per 100 as canteen fundraiser)

"3 Long" bag size is approx 295mm high x 200mm wide (approx A4 size)

Available in Design #1 only (see 14 (c), below)

14 (b) VSCA "4 Square" Printed Lunch Order Bags

$22.00 (GST incl) per 500 bags plus postage/handling for orders of less than $100.00 in total value

Suggested selling price: 10each (or $3.00 per 50 or $6.00 per 100 as canteen fundraiser)

"4 Square" bag size is approx 300mm high x 275mm wide

When ordering 4 Square VSCA Printed Bags, please state your choice of design (Design #1 or Design #2).

Available in Design #1 or Design #2 (see 14 (c), below)

14 (c) Designs for VSCA Printed Lunch Order Bags:

Design #1 (above): Space for name at base of bag so that name is not obscured when the bag is later filled and folded down

* Available in sizes 3 long or 4 square

Design #2 (above): Space for name at top of bag

* Available in size 4 square only

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15. VSCA Canteen Merchandise - Aprons, T-Shirts, Carry Bags, Tea Towels

Upgrade your canteen's image with your staff wearing VSCA printed aprons and T-shirts. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to look like the professional organisation that you are!

Remember, all purchases support VSCA and help us to help you! (Thanks to our VSCA Committee models.)

VSCA Apron - Popover or Bib $15.40 (GST incl) Available in either popover (tabard) style with white trim, or in bib style. (Both styles have a pocket.) VSCA logo in white on front. Choice of colour: Bottle Green, Burgundy or Navy. Aprons are machine washable but should not be tumble dried.	Left: bib style (burgundy pictured - other colours available) Right: popover style (bottle green pictured - other colours available)
VSCA T-Shirt $19.80 (GST incl) 100% cotton. Navy blue with VSCA logo in white on front. Fair wear "no sweat" manufacture. Choice of size: Extra Small, Small, Medium (approx size 16), Large, Extra Large
VSCA Cloth Carry Bag $9.90 (GST incl) Navy Blue drill. 3 handles for hand or shoulder carry. Outside pocket with VSCA logo in white. Reusable for shopping, meetings, canteen papers, etc. (Your purchase of this item supports "Stitches & Prints", a business service of Bega's Tulgeen Group offering supported employment and vocational training for people with a disability.)
Jumbo Tea Towel $2.50 (GST incl) 100% quality cotton. Approx 60 x 90 cm

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16 (a) Apple Slinky Machine

$39.00 (GST incl)

Increase sales of fresh apples at your school with an Apple Peeler Corer Slicer. Easy to use, simple, quick and a fun way to create "apple slinky" fruit spirals. Can be adjusted for peel on or peel off. Great for all students - even those with wobbly teeth or orthodontic braces! A must have item for every school canteen!

Also suitable for use at home. Ideal as a practical gift. You can sell these to school families as a fundraiser. Contact VSCA for more information.

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16 (b) Sushezi Sushi Maker

$30.00 (GST incl)

Making delicious sushi in your canteen or at home is now just so easy with the Sushezi Sushi Maker. Simple step by step instructions and recipes supplied to guarantee a popular, high profit and nutritious item for your canteen menu or family dinners.

Create perfectly formed, round, bite size sushi quickly and reliably with no guesswork and no trial and error - make perfect sushi in minutes, any time, every time!

Dishwasher safe and easy to use. It is so easy to use that even children can make their own sushi! An ideal gift for family or friends.

Sell these to school families as a fundraiser. Contact VSCA for more information.

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16 (c) Safe Food Handling Equipment for School Canteens

Various prices - contact VSCA for details
Tax invoice on account for VSCA members. Prepayment required for non members

VSCA has a large range of safe food handling items for school canteens: sanitising hand gel, thermometers, thermometer wipes, cutting boards, knives, food handling gloves, disposable caps, sandwich cutting guides, and many more miscellaneous items to help you in your canteen foodservice.

See VSCA Order Form (with items and prices) for examples of VSCA's range.

Please contact VSCA for more information about your specific needs.

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16 (d) Packaging for School Canteens

Various prices - contact VSCA for details
Tax invoice on account for VSCA members. Prepayment required for non members

VSCA has a wide range of packaging items suitable for school canteens: bags, cups and containers & lids, cutlery, wrappings, serviettes and much more in all sizes and shapes, in paper, plastic, foil, etc

See VSCA Order Form (with items and prices) for examples of VSCA's range.

Please contact VSCA for more information about your specific needs.

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17. Links to Other Organisations & Services

PLEASE NOTE: These links are provided in good faith as community information and do not constitute an endorsement by VSCA of any organisation, entity, program or enterprise. All care is taken to ensure links are correct - please contact VSCA if you encounter any difficulties accessing the linked websites.

Association of School Councils in Victoria (ASCIV) click here

Centre for Health Promotion (South Australia) click here

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (Victoria) click here

Department of Health and Ageing (Australian Government) click here

Department of Human Services (Victoria) click here

Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) click here

Federation of Canteens in Schools (FOCiS) click here

Food Safety (Victorian Government) click here

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) click here

'Go for your life' click here

'Go for your life' Healthy Canteen Kit - Canteen Manual click here

'Go for your life' Healthy Canteens Advisory Service for Victorian primary schools click here

Kids - 'Go for your life' click here

New South Wales School Canteen Association click here

Nutrition Australia click here

Parents Victoria click here

Queensland Association of School Tuckshops click here

Tasmanian School Canteen Association click here

The Parents Jury click here

Victorian Council of School Organisations (VICCSO) click here

Victorian Home Economics & Textile Teachers Association (VHETTA) click here

Victorian Schools - listings of addresses of every school in Victoria click here

Volunteers click here

Western Australian School Canteen Association click here

FROM A COMPANY? Click here to find out more about participating in VSCA events. VSCA registration is cost effective and offers companies unique opportunities to participate in VSCA events and VSCA publicity and to be listed in the VSCA Buying Guide.

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