August 8, 2012 – All good things must come to an end and, unfortunately, so did this year’s Annual National Conference (ANC) in Denver. Were you among the 7,000+ school nutrition professionals, industry partners and advocates in attendance? If so, you know that this year’s conference was filled with plenty of fresh and innovative ideas, new and old friends and unmatched learning opportunities—as well as the chance to let loose and have fun in the "Mile High City."
If you didn’t make it to every session you wanted to at ANC, handouts of many of this year’s education session presentations are still available for download. ANC audio recorded education sessions are also available for purchase! For instructions on placing your order and how the sessions can be used toward SNA certification, please visit www.schoolnutrition.org/ancaudio.
To relive your favorite ANC memories, be sure to check out all of the conference photos posted on SNA’s Flickr page. Also, don’t forget, out social media sites are a great way to stay connected with SNA and your colleagues throughout the year. If you haven’t already done so, consider “Liking” SNA on Facebook or “Following” SNA on Twitter.
Finally, be sure to mark your calendar now for ANC in Kansas City, July 14-17, 2013! If you're interested in submitting a proposal to present a session at ANC 2013, click here. Stay tuned to the SNA website for the latest conference information.
ANC 2012 Presentations
ANC 2012 Audio Recordings
ANC 2013 Call for Proposals
August 7, 2012—It’s back-to-school time, and for many school nutrition operations, that means changes in the size of their school districts or a different calendar than what many of us experienced when we were in school. The August issue of School Nutrition, SNA’s award-winning flagship publication, explores some of these challenges faced by many school nutrition professionals around the country. Also included are an interview with new SNA President Sandra Ford, SNS, and a look at the STEPS Challenge, a new personal wellness program from SNA.
Sandra Ford, SNS, may have begun her foodservice career “by sheer accident,” but her path through the profession has been long and varied. Get to know SNA’s new powerhouse leader as she details her travels through the school nutrition profession, the delight she has found in a Florida lifestyle and her plans and goals for the year ahead in “Ford’s Focus.” Bonus Web Content: If you or someone you know is interested in reading this profile in Spanish, you can find a translated version online.
It’s hard enough to predict meal counts from day to day, but it can be even harder to manage a school nutrition program when there are significant changes in the number of students from year to year. “Sizable Shifts” explores some of the ups and downs, literally, of managing such changes.
Academic and economic pressures are prompting school districts to make creative calendar decisions. Find out the impact these decisions have on some school nutrition operations in “Calendar Daze.” Bonus Web Content: Don’t miss additional perspectives from school nutrition operators who made creative adjustments as a result of changes to the school year calendars in their districts.
Last month, at SNA’s Annual National Conference in Denver, President Sandra Ford, SNS, announced the launch of an exciting new personal wellness program developed especially for school nutrition professionals. Learn about the STEPS Challenge, how it works—and how you can sign up—in “Taking STEPS to a New You”!
Many school nutrition professionals are finding that some of the global cuisines that more and more students are eagerly embracing are key to healthier diets. In addition to offering some innovative ways to serve rice, “Get Rice to It!” provides a helpful primer on how to purchase, cook and store this versatile grain. Bonus Web Content: Check out a detailed chart of rice bowl ideas from the USA Rice Federation and menuing suggestions from previous winners of the USA Rice Federation’s Healthy Rice Bowls contest for school nutrition professionals.
School Nutrition –August 2012