Monday, November 20, 2023
Announcements from the WI DPI School Nutrition Team (SNT)
- Updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Updates from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team
- Other Updates and Information
The DPI School Nutrition Team is thankful for you and everything you do to keep children around Wisconsin nourished! Happy Thanksgiving!
Updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Celebrating National Native American Heritage Month with Team Nutrition
November is National Native American Heritage Month (NAHM). Nationwide, there are about 664,000 American Indian and Alaska Native students in the U.S. public school system. In honor of NAHM, we encourage you to take time to reflect on how Indigenous food, culture, and traditions brighten and contribute to the overall culture and richness of America. Check out the following Team Nutrition resources and activities that support the offering of traditional Indigenous foods in Child Nutrition Programs (CNP).
Crediting Tools for Serving Traditional Indigenous Foods in Child Nutrition Programs
In addition, the webpage, Serving Traditional Indigenous Foods in Child Nutrition Programs, provides a consolidated hub of technical assistance resources and policy guidance for crediting traditional Indigenous foods in CNP. This webpage houses technical assistance resources including the updated TA 01-2024, the Crediting in CNP Tip Sheet series, Crediting Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program, FBG, Gardens in Tribal Communities fact sheet, Tribal Foods and Traditions Fact Sheet, and USDA standardized recipes.
Coming Soon! Updated policy memo on Procuring Local Meat, Poultry, Game, and Eggs for Child Nutrition Programs will offer guidance to reduce potential barriers to accessing domesticated and wild game animals including buffalo. The updated question and response will remind CNP operators to comply with any applicable Federal, State, and local, including Tribal, laws and regulations.
Craving Cranberries
Thanksgiving is around the corner. Use popular holiday ingredients, like cranberries and turkey, to serve up a tasty and festive breakfast at home or child care. Check out the Orange Cranberry Quick Bread and Turkey Sausage with Sweet Cran-Apple Topping recipes with portions for children ages 3-5 and 6-18 in the Institute of Child Nutrition's Child Nutrition Recipe Box.
Nutrition Education Connection
- Share these Nibbles for Health Newsletters with parents of young children to provide helpful tips for preparing healthy meals:
- Make homemade applesauce while learning about the important nutrients in apples! Check out this Activity Guide, Skills Video, and Family Handout from the Team Nutrition Cooks! series of cooking-based nutrition education activities for children ages 8-12.
MyPlate Resources
MyPlate Kitchen features over 1,000 “MyPlate-inspired” recipes and resources to support building healthy and budget-friendly meals. In the last year, we’ve added new recipes that feature Native foods. In honor of Native American Heritage Month, we are highlighting three of the new MyPlate Kitchen recipes:
Interested in learning more?
The USDA Foods Nutrition Education Resource Library, which houses program-specific resources for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) administering agencies, has been updated to include new resources such as posters, recipe cards, magnets, shelf talkers, stickers, and brochures. The resources are downloadable for nutrition education needs. Try using one of the new recipe cards as you cook one of our new MyPlate Kitchen recipes!
Updated Team Nutrition Resources for the Child Nutrition Programs
USDA’s Team Nutrition initiative is pleased to announce the release of five slightly revised Team Nutrition publications to assist Child Nutrition Program operators with serving meals in their programs. The resources have been updated to remove guidance related to the COVID 19 Pandemic, update images, and reflect the current USDA isobar and Team Nutrition URL.
The titles of the publications for school meals are:
- Offering Meats and Meat Alternates at School Breakfast
- Offering Smoothies as Part of Reimbursable School Meals
- Serving School Meals to Preschoolers
Updates from the DPI School Nutrition Team
Free and Reduced Eligibility Reminders
Direct Certification (DC)
School food authorities (SFAs), except for SFAs operating the Community Eligibility Provision at all participating sites and non-pricing RCCI, are required to conduct a full enrollment DC at least four times a year as outlined in the Calendar of Program Requirements.
- First Run: at the beginning of the year, between July 1 and the first day of school
- Second Run: three months after the first run, between October and December
- Third Run: six months after first run, between January and March
- Fourth Run: between March 15 and April 1 for the CEP proxy report
Students matched via DC with S, T, O, E, G, or M cods are eligible for free meals. Students matched with a Z code are eligible for reduced price meals. As a reminder, students found eligible for free or reduced price meals in DC during the current school year remain eligible for the remainder of the school year, plus the first 30 operating days of the following school year.
In the unlikely event that a student is found eligible for free or reduced price meals in DC, but on a subsequent DC run is found to have a lesser eligibility within the same school year, please make sure that the student’s eligibility does not change. If you think there is a problem in DC with a student’s eligibility decreasing, first verify the change in eligibility in each student match file and then call the School Nutrition Team to discuss at 608-267-9228. Do not send student eligibility information via email.
Effective Eligibility Date
Students are eligible for meal benefits on the day their application is approved, matched on a DC run, or the determining official receives communication of homeless or migrant status. Households may submit applications at any time during the school year; however their benefit status cannot be backdated to the beginning of the school year. Meal benefits cannot be retroactive unless your SFA has prior state agency approval. Meal benefits extended through DC are effective when the SFA is made aware of the situation, not on the date of the original DC run. SFAs are responsible for maintaining an accurate benefit issuance (BI) list, including effective eligibility dates and changes to student eligibility throughout the school year.
Verification
The verification process must be completed annually by November 15. If your SFA has not completed the verification process yet, please do so as soon as possible. The SNT recommends submitting the verification collection report (VCR) as soon as your SFA completes verification, however it is not due until February 1.
Helpful Resources
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month
November is Native American Heritage Month. Please visit the Traditional Foods in Wisconsin webpage to view available resources to celebrate including the American Indian Traditional Foods Toolkit. USDA also just released TA 01-2024: Crediting Traditional Indigenous Foods in Child Nutrition Programs to encourage all operators of child nutrition programs to consider sourcing locally grown and raised foods.
Turkeys' Journey from Farm to School With the Howard-Suamico School District...Just in Time for Thanksgiving!
Check out this video of how an AmeriCorps Farm to School member helped the Howard-Suamico School District source some local turkeys for their school meal program.
If you are interested in sourcing local food for your school food authority, visit the Wisconsin Local Foods Database to learn more!
Announcing the 2024 Whipping Up Wellness, Wisconsin Student Chef Competition!
Wisconsin Team Nutrition and the School Nutrition Association of Wisconsin are excited to announce the twelfth annual Whipping Up Wellness, Wisconsin Student Chef Competition!
Who: Middle and high school students at schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
What: Recipe Contest and Cooking Competition
When: Applications are due by March 14, 2024
Applications must include:
- An original recipe
- A nutrient analysis of the recipe
- A photograph of the finished dish
- A completed student questionnaire
Recipes will be judged on:
- Creativity
- Recipe presentation
- School food service reproducibility
- Culinary skills utilized
- Level of application completion
The top five finalists from the recipe contest will be invited to compete in the Cooking Competition in Madison on Thursday, May 16, 2024!
Other Updates and Information
Madison Area Master Gardener Association Grant Opportunity
Applications for gardening and horticulture grants from the Madison Area Master Gardener Association (MAMGA) are being accepted for the 2023-24 school year. The grant application period begins December 1, 2023 and closes March 1, 2024.
The purpose of these grants is to help support school garden and public or nonprofit community gardening projects located within the Dane County area. The project must be sponsored by a MAMGA Master Gardener. Grants cannot be used to benefit individual home gardens or private businesses.
MAMGA grant applicants must complete the following sections and include each heading as listed in bold. Individual grant applications may request up to $500. Grant funds may be used for seeds, plants, fertilizer, mulch, tools, garden infrastructure, and information and education of students and the community; funds may not be used for paid labor.
Visit the UW Extension’s Master Gardener Training and Certification Program website for information about how the Master Gardener Program and the MAMGA website for information about the Madison Area Master Gardener Association.
Grant Opportunity! Partnership for Local Agriculture and Nutrition Transformation in Schools (PLANTS)
The PLANTS Grant seeks to transform school food supply chains. Projects should build and strengthen relationships among community-based food system stakeholders and school food authorities (SFAs) as well as expand scratch cooking in schools to build more nourishing school meal programs. Grants will be awarded between $500,000 and $600,000. Consider registering for the PLANTS Grant Launch Webinar on November 29, 2023. This 60-minute webinar will provide an overview of the funding opportunity, a deep dive into the PLANTS application, and a Q&A.
2023 SNA-WI Partnerships in Industry Conference Registration is Open!
What was previously known as the SNA-WI Fall Conference is now the SNA-WI Partnerships in Industry Conference. This conference is still combined with the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Direct Diversion (DD) education but will look a bit different this year. We hope you like the new and improved format!
In addition to MORE educational sessions the Partnerships in Industry Conference will feature a FULL Industry Show. DD products will be featured but other non-DD items, along with other resources, equipment, and services, will be available.
Also NEW this year: Can't come for the full two days? Attend just Tuesday or just the Show on Monday afternoon! Please check your selections carefully when registering. See below for all options:
- Direct Diversion + Industry Food Show: This one-day ticket is for you! Includes a 2.5 hour training hosted by the WI Department of Public Instruction plus entry to the Industry Show in the afternoon.
- Show Only: The 2.5 hour afternoon Show will feature Direct Diversion products and processors as well as many other SNA-WI industry members' products, equipment and service providers!
- Full Conference: Join us for 2 days of learning, sharing ideas, building relationships and peer-to-peer networking.
- Tuesday Only: Hear from Experienced Industry Members along with learn from experts in the field with this one-day option.
Individual registrants do not need to be members of SNA-WI to attend. Join Us!
To book a hotel room at The Wilderness/Glacier Canyon, call 1-800-867-9453 and state that you are with SNA-WI, Leader #A07023. Hotel state INCLUDES waterpark passes!
2024 Youth Garden Grant
Since 1982, the Youth Garden Grant has supported school and youth educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life for students and their communities. In 2024, fifty programs will receive award packages consisting of a cash prize and a variety of gardening tools and supplies.
Application Period: Nov 6 - December 15, 2023
Award Announcement: January 19, 2024
November STAR Webinar: Strategies for Motivating Your School Nutrition Team
Date: Thursday, November 30, 2023
Time: 2–3:00 PM CST
Understanding effective strategies to inspire and engage your team is essential for achieving excellence in your program. This webinar will aim to empower school nutrition professionals with proven strategies to establish a motivated and high-performing team. The webinar will provide practical insights to elevate morale, productivity, collaboration, and overall success to help create an environment where the school nutrition team thrives.
SNA Key Area(s): 3 – Administration
USDA Professional Standards Code(s): 3400 – Human Resources and Staff Training
Learning Objective(s): By the end of this webinar, attendees will be able to identify at least five strategies to enhance team morale, productivity, and collaboration among members of a school nutrition program.
For more information, including detailed competition requirements and the application, visit the Whipping Up Wellness webpage.
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Jill K. Underly, PhD, State Superintendent
125 S Webster Street
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 266-3390 • (800) 441-4563