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School Nutrition Bulletin 2021-11

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Announcements from the WI DPI School Nutrition Team (SNT)

Updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

 

Published on Friday, September 11, 2020, this nationwide waiver allows school food authorities (SFAs) to be reimbursed through the National School Lunch Program’s Seamless Summer Option (SSO) or Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) back to the start of the school year (SY) 2020-21, even if your SFA had a start date (in-person or virtual) prior to August 31, 2020.
 
This is NOT a requirement. However, if you decide to do this, here is what needs to be completed:
  • An SFA must refund any student meal charges in order to claim under SSO or SFSP.
  • Update your SSO application to note the change.
  • For SSO, if you have already submitted your August claim and it has been paid, then a claim amendment is required.
  • If you haven’t already submitted a claim for August, but would like to submit claims under SSO starting the first day of school, please go into Online Services and delete the August lunch and breakfast claims, as applicable, no later than today, Tuesday, September 15. A new August claim will be submitted under SSO and all students are claimed as free. For questions about deleting a claim, contact Jacque Jordee at Jacqueline.Jordee@dpi.wi.gov.
  • For SFSP, you should have received an email from Amy Kolano about the process.
USDA also released a new set of Q&As this past Friday. Of importance, guidance now allows schools to operate closed enrolled sites at locations providing in person and/or virtual school in addition to non-school sites. A closed enrolled site ONLY serves enrolled children. If wishing to serve siblings of enrolled students and/or other children in the community, not yet enrolled in school, these sites should be classified as open or restricted open as previously instructed.
 
You are strongly encouraged to review the USDA memos in their entirety and let us know if you have any questions.
 

Updates from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team

 

Serving Meals During SY 2020-21 Office Hours
Come to the next office hour to get your questions answered by a member of the SNT. If you cannot attend, each meeting will be recorded and can be accessed using the join links. Information for the third meeting is below. Additional dates and times are posted under the Stakeholder Calls & Office Hours heading on the School Meals Programs COVID Information webpage.
 
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (1 hour)
Join or call (608) 620-9781 (Conference ID: 813 761 699#)
 
Q&As
The DPI SNT has created two Q&A documents; one for those school food authorities (SFAs) participating in the National School Lunch Program (found on our School Meals Programs COVID Information webpage) and one for those SFAs participating in the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) or Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) (found on our Emergency Summer Meals COVID-19 Information webpage).
 
Updates to the Q&A are forthcoming based on new USDA guidance above.
 

Other Updates and Information

 
Institute of Child Nutrition STAR Webinar —
Food Safety from Beginning to End: Follow the Flow of Food
Thursday, September 17, 2020
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST
 
Learning Objective(s): Attendees should be able to: identify foodborne pathogens commonly associated with retail foodservice operations; describe three critical food safety practices used throughout the flow of food to mitigate foodborne disease; identify safe transporting methods and documentation procedures; apply recommended traceability systems necessary to conduct a product recall; and explain answers to frequently asked questions from previous USDA Office of Food Safety webinars.
 
The ICN’s September STAR webinar will be done in conjunction with the USDA Office of Food Safety in celebration of National Food Safety Month. The webinar will highlight a bird’s eye view of your food safety plan from beginning to end, as we aim to mitigate risks throughout the flow of food from purchasing to serving to transporting and traceability. Speakers will include Cyndie Story (Culinary Solution Centers) and Lauren McClean (Food Safety Specialist with the USDA/FNS Office of Food Safety).
 
 
A continuing education certificate will be available after completion of the webinar.
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, there will be a recording of the webinar available on our website 24 to 48 hours after the live webinar. The recording will be located on the ICN website here: www.theicn.org/STAR.
 
Webinar Professional Standards Learning Objectives
SNA Key Area(s): 2-Operations
USDA Professional Standards Code: 2000
 
2020 Great Apple Crunch
Thursday, October 8, 2020 or anytime in October!
 
Join the 2020 Great Apple Crunch to celebrate Wisconsin farmers, healthy kids, and strong communities this October. Participating in the Crunch is simple: buy, serve, and Crunch into locally grown apples! Since 2014, we have highlighted National Farm to School Month and our local farmers with MILLIONS of Crunches across the region. We know the Crunch will look different this year AND we are still excited to creatively Crunch together. Register your Crunch to make it official, add to the Crunch count, get the scoop on serving local apples during COVID-19, and receive the Crunch Guide and weekly newsletter. Schools, ECE sites, hospitals, colleges, groups, and families are invited to Crunch to reach our goal of TWO MILLION CRUNCHES this year!
 
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
 
This is a communication from the WI Department of Public Instruction, School Nutrition Team.
You can contact the School Nutrition Team at dpifns@dpi.wi.gov. To subscribe to schoolmealsnews, please send an email to dpifns@dpi.wi.gov.
dpi.wi.gov/school-nutrition #WISchoolMealsRock