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School Nutrition Bulletin 2223-6

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Announcements from the WI DPI School Nutrition Team (SNT)


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

Now Available! School Meals Programs Comparison Table of Flexibilities for School Year 2021-22 and School Year 2022-23

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has developed a comparison table to assist State agencies and Program operators as they transition from school year (SY) 2021-2022 operations under COVID-19 nationwide waivers and flexibilities to operations designed around their own unique circumstances for SY 2022-2023. This at-a-glance comparison chart provides an overview of how specific Program flexibilities have changed since SY 2021-2022, and the flexibilities available for the upcoming school year to support Program operations.

You are invited to a Webinar! Unpaid Meals: Best Practices to Ensure Student Access to Meals
 

Date: Wednesday, August 24, 2022
Time: 1 - 2 PM CST
Description: The goal of the school meal programs is to provide nutritious meals to children during the school day. Children who qualify for free meals may receive breakfast and lunch at no cost to them; however, sometimes, children who are not certified for free meals enter the cafeteria without the funds needed to purchase a breakfast or lunch. This is a difficult situation for the child and school nutrition staff. This webinar will feature panelists who will share proactive strategies to prevent and manage unpaid meal charges as schools return to standard counting and claiming in SY 2022-23.

Participants will also have an opportunity to engage in a question and answer session after the presentation.

Do you need an alternative format or accessibility tools to help you participate in this event? The USDA Child Nutrition Programs would like to share that this webinar will be offered with closed captioning. Participants who require a different accessibility tool to participate in this webinar, please reach out by Friday, August 19, 2022 to Sheila Kopczynski, FNS-RAC, our event accessibility point of contact for assistance at sheila.kopczynski@usda.gov or (208) 202-2811.

If you have questions about webinar logistics or content, please contact LaTasha Beasley at latasha.beasley@usda.gov.

Target Audience: State Agencies and Local Program Operators
 

Start the School Year with New Team Nutrition Resources and Trainings!
 

Engage Students with New Nutrition Education

Check out the 7th Grade: What's Your Healthy Eating Style and 8th Grade: The Truth About Snacking and Sodium grade additions to Team Nutrition’s Fueling My Healthy Life middle school nutrition education lessons!

This standards-aligned and inquiry-based collection of educational resources will engage students using a variety of learning styles. Materials for each grade have a specific nutritional focus and are designed to raise awareness of the importance of healthy food choices.

Get the Latest Crediting Tip Sheet

Crediting Meats/Meat Alternates in the Child Nutrition Programs is a simple, easy-to-use reference that highlights the basics of crediting for the meats/meat alternates meal component. Visit our website for previously released tip sheets on Crediting Fruits and Crediting Vegetables. Printed versions of the tip sheets will be available at a later date.

Sign Up for Meal Talk: Local School Wellness Policies Webinar
Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2022
Time: 2-3:00 PM CST
Description: Team Nutrition staff and guest speakers from South Carolina’s Local Wellness Policy State Technical Assistance Team and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will share how to energize, strengthen, and assess local school wellness policies. Participants will leave with new ideas for increasing engagement and excitement about school wellness in their communities, including among administrators, teachers, parents, students, and more. Register here!

Reminder for Team Nutrition Schools

Don’t miss the opportunity to request new back-to-school materials (coming soon) for Team Nutrition Schools! Be among the first to know about these materials by updating your school’s information in the Team Nutrition Schools Network!

Plan Your Professional Development
The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) has prepared a Back-to-School Toolbox for returning, new, and aspiring school nutrition professionals. You can plan professional development for you and your staff using ICN's toolbox, conveniently organized by staff categories: Front-Line Staff, Managers, Menu Planners, and Directors. Each category provides links to ICN Trainings, iLearn Online Courses, Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) opportunities, and ICN Resources for download.

Available in Print for School Year 2022-23
Program operators and sponsoring organizations that participate in the USDA’s Child Nutrition Programs can request free printed copies of our materials. Place your order today!

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program participants are eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program, a discounted broadband program. This benefit program helps ensure eligible households can afford internet service for work, school, healthcare, and more. To learn more and apply online for benefits, please visit the Affordable Connectivity Program website.

Updates from the DPI School Nutrition Team
 

Hiring: Public Health Nutritionists

The School Nutrition Team is hiring three, full-time Public Health Nutritionist Positions. Anyone in the public can apply. The deadline to apply is Thursday, August 18, 2022. Please forward to anyone you think might be interested. Thank you!

ServSafe Classes

Registration is open for ServSafe ® class in Laona, WI on August 16-17! Please see the ServSafe® Menu on the SNT’s Training Webpage to register. Space is limited and registration will be on a first come, first served basis.

Please note that the cost of the course is $50 plus an additional $50-70 if you need to purchase the 7th Edition ServSafe® Manager coursebook.

We plan to offer additional ServSafe classes and proctoring of exams throughout the 2022-23 School Year.

Finding Whole Grain-Rich Products

The School Nutrition Team recognizes that finding whole grain-rich products may be a challenge in the upcoming school year. Some ideas for locating whole grain-rich products include:

  • Consider purchasing from a local source. Bakeries in the community may offer whole grain-rich products such as breads, rolls, muffins, or tortillas. Keep in mind that crediting information, such as a recipe and the weight of the product must be obtained in order to credit these items towards the meal patterns. Your school may also purchase from local grain producers that sell items such as rice, oatmeal, or flour. Visit the Wisconsin Local Foods Database to find grain producers who sell to schools.
  • Purchase USDA Foods. USDA Foods are usually formulated to be whole grain-rich. Examples include whole wheat flour, rolled oats, whole grain-rich pastas, and brown rice. The breading on items such as chicken nuggets is also whole grain-rich.
  • Try something different! Whole grain-rich pitas, English muffins, and naan are ideas for alternative whole grain-rich sources.
  • We understand that scratch-cooking may be difficult right now but if possible, try cooking and baking grains from scratch. This allows you to formulate your products to be whole grain-rich. Check out the Let’s Cook, Wisconsin School Meals Rock webpage and the ICN Child Nutrition Recipe Box to find recipes for whole grain-rich biscuits, cornbread squares, and dinner rolls.
  • If you need assistance crediting a new whole grain-rich product, see the Worksheet for Crediting the Grain Component or contact a Public Health Nutritionist.

Training Opportunity for New Food Service Directors!
 

Great Beginnings Academy is a training series intended for food service directors and managers who are new to school nutrition. We will meet each Thursday in September from 1-3pm using the virtual platform of Microsoft Teams. Guests speakers will join us throughout the month to discuss topics related to school nutrition with the goal of increasing confidence in operating the USDA School Meal Programs.

Registration can be found on the Training Webpage under the Great Beginnings Academy accordion.

Other Updates and Information
 

Grant Opportunity: Get Schools Cooking

The Chef Ann Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to scratch cooking in schools, is announcing a new grant opportunity: Get Schools Cooking. This grant is an assessment & strategic planning program and is now accepting applications.

Get Schools Cooking (GSC) is a 3-year comprehensive grant program designed to guide districts through the process of becoming a sustainably-run, scratch-cook operation. The program includes detailed district assessments, strategic planning, technical assistance, evaluations, and a systems grant to cover items like equipment, staff training, and data solutions.

We've created Messages and Graphics to share! This grant opportunity is open to school districts across the country.

The Chef Ann Foundation is hosting a 45-minute webinar. If you want to learn more about GSC, check out the webinar on Wednesday, September 7 at 10 AM CST. Please register for the Webinar Here.

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