Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Announcements from the WI DPI School Nutrition Team (SNT)
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Updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Updates from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team (SNT)
- Other Updates and Information
Updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
New feature alert for the Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool!
A new feature is now available on the Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool (PSTTT). Team Nutrition appreciates receiving your feedback on the PSTTT and works to make continuous enhancements to the tool. In response to user requests, Team Nutrition has added a new capability for school director users. School directors may now request additional access to manage and log employee training for multiple districts, including districts in different states. PSTTT users who would like to utilize this new feature may do so by using the “Contact Us” feature available under the “Help” tab on the tool.
Track your professional standards required training hours today using USDA’s free Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool!
Updates from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team (SNT)
Survey Request: Honoring School Nutrition Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic
The School Nutrition Team and other state partners would like to honor the amazing work that school nutrition professionals have accomplished during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please consider completing this short survey by Tuesday, March 30th to share your successes and challenges.
Small Victories
The Small Victories Training for Spring will be available virtually starting March 24, 2021. This training is intended for staff dealing with the unique situations smaller schools and districts face. The training topics will include information on the Farm to School Program and serving line essentials. On April 28, 2021 at 1:00 pm there will be a one hour live session that will be available for food service professionals to join. The link to access this Live session will be available in a few weeks on the Small Victories webpage.
Other Updates and Information
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NEW! Drinking Water Fact Sheets from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the publication of two fact sheets: 1) Ensuring Drinking Water Quality in Schools During and After Extended Closures and 2) Ensuring Drinking Water Quality in Child Care Facilities During and After Extended Closures. These fact sheets provide guidance on maintaining drinking water quality during extended closures and recommend start-up procedures when reopening to ensure that drinking water is safe for consumption.
The factsheets are part of the EPA 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools and Child Care Facilities (3Ts) ToolKit. The School factsheet includes information for schools that are served by public water systems (PWSs). The Child Care factsheet is intended for facilities specializing in early care and education programs, including center-based and family child care homes, pre-kindergarten programs as well as Head Start and Early Head Start Programs. Additional considerations are included for child care facilities that are non-community water systems (NCWSs), and child care facilities served by a private well.
NEW! Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition
The USDA and the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) have collaborated to create the Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition (CICN), a new division of the ICN. The CICN will provide a variety of resources for school nutrition professionals to assist them in developing healthy and flavorful meals that are student-approved. Check out the new CICN website for access to these resources, including recipes, videos, and monthly webinars.
CICN Culinary Webinar Series: Starting April 1st, the CICN will host a one-hour monthly culinary webinar series that occurs on the first Thursday of each month and focuses on culinary topics that enhance the overall cafeteria experience, including “Visually Marketing Foods”, “Scratch-made Salad Dressings and Condiments”, and “How and When to Use Fresh Herbs”. Click here to register for the April webinar!
The MixUp Podcast Series: In this podcast series, Chef Patrick Garmong, Associate Director of Culinary Education and Training at the CICN, interviews School Nutrition Program chefs from around the country to take a peek inside their kitchen operations and see how they are inspiring child nutrition. Check out the MixUp Podcast series!
Coming Soon - Grab & Go Recipes: The CICN will launch a series of scratch-based cooking recipes for grab & go meal service that can be easily produced in School Nutrition Program kitchens nationwide using foods that are readily available and with minimal equipment. Each recipe card will feature standardized recipes in 50 and 100 serving quantities as well as visual step-by-step instructions for production of the recipe.
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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