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School Nutrition Bulletin 2122-01

Thursday, July 8, 2021

Announcements from the WI DPI School Nutrition Team (SNT)

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

 

Evaluation of the FY 2016 Team Nutrition Training Grants

In September 2016, FNS awarded Team Nutrition Training Grants (TNTG) to 14 state agencies that administer the USDA’s National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and Child and Adult Care Feeding Program (CACFP). This TNTG cohort was different than previous cohorts because, for the first time, grantees were asked to outline a plan to evaluate the interventions they would implement with grant funding. To support this evaluation, they were asked to partner with a social scientist, and FNS provided technical assistance for evaluation. This report summarizes the evaluations of interventions funded by the FY 2016 Team Nutrition Training Grants and the evaluation findings, and provides lessons learned from the experience and recommendations for improving the quality of evaluations under future grants.
 

Child Nutrition Program Operations Study II (CN-OPS II) SY 2016-17 Report

The Child Nutrition Program Operations Study II is a multiyear study designed to provide FNS with information on current state agency and school food authority policies, practices, and needs related to school nutrition service operations, financial management, meal counting, eligibility, nutrition standards, and personnel. Results inform CN program management and policy development.
 

School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study Materials: Video and Infographics

The School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study is the latest study in a series of nationally representative, comprehensive assessments of the school meal programs. The study, conducted in school year (SY) 2014-2015, is the first evaluation of the programs since nutrition standards were updated and began being phased in during School Year (SY) 2012-2013.
 

Back to School: Watch Out for Water Safety!

As schools prepare for School Year 2021-2022, ensuring water safety is an important part of back-to-school plans. When reopening a school building after any closure, it is important to check the safety of the water. Actions may need to be taken to ensure the water is safe for drinking, handwashing, and meal preparation.
 
What are the risks?
When a building is closed for an extended period, or when less water is used because fewer people are present, the safety of the water may be affected. When water doesn’t move through the plumbing, molds and harmful bacteria may grow, including Legionella, a bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease. Additionally, if plumbing is made from certain metals, such as lead and copper, and pipes are corroded, these metals can leach into the water.
 
What should schools do?
Protecting public health by providing safe drinking water is a team effort.
Partner with others in your school community to:
  • Flush the water lines to remove water that has been standing in the pipes and replace it with fresh water.
  • Test your water if there is any concern that lead, or other contaminants, may have accumulated in your water system while the plumbing was not in full use.
  • Document everything you have done to prepare the water system before reopening or increasing capacity in your building. This will help you and others decide if more action is needed and will help you communicate to others that you have taken water safety seriously.
How can my school create a water safety plan?
Does your school have an established plan that tells you exactly what to do and who to contact in any emergency involving water safety and access? This plan should be specific to your site, and cover closures of any length, whether planned (such as mid-year break) or unplanned (such as a public health crisis). It can also cover weather events such as hurricanes or tornadoes when water supplies can become contaminated or plumbing is damaged. A water safety plan can be a useful tool to guide you in making timely, critical decisions about how best to provide safe water. The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) offers water emergency resources for school nutrition programs to assist with planning, maintaining operations, and recovering from a loss of water service.
 
 

Everything You Need to Know about GS1 GDSN! Accessing Nutrient, Allergen, and Ingredient information for USDA Foods in Schools

FNS will release a new initiative that will allow States and school districts to access up-to-date, vendor-specific nutrition, allergen, and ingredient information for direct delivered USDA Foods. The GS1 GDSN project will inform the ordering decisions of FNS stakeholders and will help manage meal planning to meet USDA nutrition standards and provide safe meals for students with food allergies and other special dietary needs. Register for this webinar to learn more about how this information will be made available and when USDA Foods vendors will be required to submit nutrition, allergen, and ingredient information. This webinar is intended for States and school districts that serve direct delivered USDA Foods for Child Nutrition Programs.
 
Date and Time: August 5, 2021 at 1:00 pm CST
Event Number: 199 850 4565
Event Password: P5aE4qwbjH3
 
 

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

 

IMPORTANT: USDA Foods- State Processing Product Voluntary Recall

Our team recently received an important product recall from one of our State Processed Product (c-code) Processors. Tyson Foods issued a voluntary recall, and an immediate hold is placed on all C511-Chicken Fajita Strips (Tyson code P7089). The affected cases are marked with batch dates 0051DXT10 and 0751 DXT10 on the case label. It is advised not to serve, distribute, or transfer this product. Do not dispose or destroy the product unless otherwise instructed by DPI. SFAs who received the products should hold the cases on hand at their own facility until further guidance is provided by DPI.
 
SFAs who participate in State Processing should mark any existing cases, especially if you are expecting more C511-Chicken Fajita Strips product for September delivery. Keep these cases separate until SFAs received next steps from DPI. It is important to share this information with your distributor or any agency that may have received this product as a donation or transfer. If your SFA participates in USDA Foods Direct Diversion or have purchased product that is affected with this recall through a commercial distributor, reach out directly to your broker or sales representative for their recall or crediting process.
 
Visit the USDA Foods-Hold, Recall, and Safety Page for updates about this product recall.
 

IMPORTANT: Public Notification for School Meals Under the Seamless Summer Option (SSO)

USDA recently provided guidance SP 15-2021, CACFP 13-2021, SFSP 08-2021 for the upcoming school year (SY) regarding the public notification for meals under the Seamless Summer Option (SSO). Schools operating SSO must provide public notification regarding the availability of school meals and eligibility criteria at or near the beginning of the school year, as provided in 7 CFR 245.5.3. For SY 2021-22, schools participating in SSO should notify households that all meals will be offered free through SSO. The SY 2021-22 Public Release has been updated on the DPI SNT Free and Reduced Meal Eligibility Webpage to include the SSO information.
 

SNSDC: July Session Registration Deadline July 12, 2021

The School Nutrition Team (SNT) reminds anyone interested in attending the July SNSDC 2021 live courses virtually this summer to register by July 12, 2021. Registration will close after this date for the July SNSDC courses. These live courses are free of charge, but registration is required. For more information, please visit the SNSDC Webpage.
 
Register Here for the live July courses.
Register Here for the live August courses. Registration for August courses closes August 2.
 

Other Updates and Information

 

The Wisconsin School Garden Network Announces “Teaching in Nature’s Classroom!” in Spanish Registration is OPEN!

¡Estamos emocionados de anunciar una versión en español del aclamado curso GRATIS, Enseñanza en el aula de la naturaleza! Conéctese con otros educadores y desarrolle nuevas estrategias y maneras de ver el aula al aire libre. Es una gran oportunidad tanto para educadores nuevos a la enseñanza al aire libre y educación basada en el jardín como para los más experimentados en esta práctica. Lea Más y Regístrese Aquí.
 
We are excited to announce a Spanish language version of the acclaimed free course, Teaching in Nature’s Classroom! Connect with educators and develop new strategies and ways of seeing the outdoor classroom. This class is a great opportunity for educators new to outdoor and garden-based learning, as well as educators who are experienced in the field. Learn More and Register Here.
 
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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