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School Nutrition Bulletin 2223-32

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Announcements from the WI DPI School Nutrition Team (SNT)

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

USDA Policy Memorandum SP 12-2023: Oversight and Monitoring of the School Meal Programs - Information Regarding Onsite and Offsite Strategies and Options

The Department of Health and Human Services has announced that the planned end date for the COVID-19 public health emergency is May 11, 2023. To prepare for the expiration of nationwide onsite monitoring waivers impacted by this date as well as offsite monitoring waivers issued to individual States, FNS is issuing memorandums for the Child and Adult Care Program (CACFP), the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the School Meal Programs. These memorandums provide guidance on oversight and monitoring of these programs once the public health emergency ends. Please note the attached appendix accompanying each program’s memorandum as they present onsite and offsite strategies and options for State Agencies to incorporate in their reviews.

Updates from the DPI School Nutrition Team
 

Seamless Summer Option (SSO) in Summer 2023

Eligible schools that would like to operate the SSO must request an SSO application by emailing SSO@dpi.wi.gov. Final applications must be submitted by May 24, 2023. For more information about all 2023 summer meals programs see the Summer 2023 Program Operations Bulletin.

Registration Open: Lifecycle of Farm to School - Serving Local Foods Workshop!

Searching for ways to drum up excitement and participation in your school meal programs? Wondering how to educate your students about where their food comes from? Looking to learn from successful schools? If so, join us for our final Lifecycle of Farm to School workshop, Serving Local Foods.

Attend this engaging workshop to learn different ways to market and promote the local foods served at your school. Hear from engaging presenters like Team Nutrition, AmeriCorps, and UW-Extension to learn about the best practices for promoting local foods and using resources such as Harvest of the Month and Nutritious, Delicious Wisconsin!

The free Serving Local Foods Workshop will be held virtually on Thursday, May 4, 2023 from 1:30-4:00 PM. Mark your calendars and Register for the Serving Local Foods Workshop!

SNACS Software Demonstration

Are you interested in learning more about the free school nutrition software solution, SNACS? The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team invites you to join us for a live demo of SNACS on Wednesday, April 19 from 2 -3:30 PM* or Thursday, April 27 from 9 -10:30 AM*.

*demos will not be recorded.

Please note, these demos will not cover the Administrative Review module. If you are interested in learning more about the review module, we recommend attending AR & You through School Nutrition Summer Training (SNST). Additional trainings on the review module may also be available during School Year (SY) 2023-24.

During this demo we will highlight the following features of SNACS:

  • Processing Free and Reduced Meal Applications
  • Online Free and Reduced Meal Application
  • Direct Certification
  • Verification
  • Student Management

We will also answer questions about SNACS and how to access the software! We look forward to sharing all SNACS has to offer with you!

Register for the demo on Wednesday, April 19th from 2 -3:30PM
Register for the demo on Thursday, April 27th from 9 -10:30 AM

If you have any questions about SNACS, please email DPISNACSSupport@dpi.wi.gov.

Other Updates and Information

Happening Today! Grant Opportunity From Action for Health Kids Webinar

Action for Healthy Kids is offering competitive grants, up to $150,000 per School Food Authority (SFA), as part of a cooperative agreement to implement the USDA Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative. Small and/or rural SFAs participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program are eligible to apply.

Through the grant, SFAs will receive support and technical assistance to implement strategies aimed at improving the nutritional quality of school meals and meet the Healthy School Meals Incentives Recognition Award criteria.

The Grant Application Portal is open from April 10, 2023 through May 26, 2023. For more information, visit the Healthy Meals Incentives webpage or check out these resources:

For questions, contact: support@healthymealsincentives.org.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Updates for Schools on the 2022-2023 P-EBT Programs

The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ends on May 11, 2023. In the months following the end of the Public Health Emergency, the Department of Health Services will be working to close out its P-EBT programs. The end of the Public Health Emergency on May 11 means that there are some changes to the information you should collect during the last few weeks of the 2022-23 school year and share via the Student Information Portal.

To provide an update on the closing out of Wisconsin's P-EBT programs and the steps you need to take as a representative of your school district, the Department of Health Services will be hosting an online forum on Wednesday, April 26 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM. During this time, we will share important information about your ongoing role in the P-EBT programs. You will then be able to directly ask us questions.

Medicaid Director Jamie Kuhn will join us at the beginning of the forum to thank you for the work that you have done to ensure that your students had access to food benefits when their learning was impacted by COVID-19. We will be hosting the Online Open Forum via Zoom. No advance registration is necessary. You do not have to attend the entire forum. When your inquiry is answered, you may either log off or remain online to hear questions and answers from other school food authorities.

Meeting Time: Wednesday, April 26 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM CST
Meeting URL: https://dhswi.zoomgov.com/j/1604732727?pwd=UzBsZTI1Y0lKaTJPUnBBYTlzbk1nQT09
Meeting ID: 160 473 2727
Passcode: 855077

Other Student Information Portal Resources

We recommend that you review the Instructional Video about the portal before uploading any student information. You'll also find detailed written instructions within the portal to guide you through uploading student information. Finally, the P-EBT Support Team is available to answer your questions via email at SchoolPEBT@wisconsin.gov.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Jill K. Underly, PhD, State Superintendent
125 S Webster Street
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 266-3390 • (800) 441-4563