January 29, 2010 -- Don’t miss out on exciting pre-conference sessions at SNA’s Legislative Action Conference (LAC)! Join your colleagues at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington D.C., February 28-March 3, 2010 to have your voice heard on Capitol Hill as Congress reauthorizes the Child Nutrition Act. Come one day early, and this year’s pre-conference sessions will help you learn new ways to manage challenging issues facing school nutrition programs:
9:00 am – 12:00 pm Special Meals for Special Kids: Providing Meals to Students with Special Diets Food allergies and intolerances encompass far more than just peanut allergies. School nutrition programs must also serve students with special dietary needs, including gluten-free diets, phenylketonuria (PKU - protein deficiency), and liquid diets. In this session, learn about food allergies, intolerances, and special dietary concerns and understand the legalities of providing meals for students with special dietary needs. In the final hour, a school nutrition director’s panel will discuss their strategies for providing meals to students with special diets. CEUs: 3 Key area: 1
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Fiscal Challenges, Budgeting Solutions and Grant Procurement Do you struggle with the controversial question of how to manage delinquent meal charges and the havoc they wreak on your school foodservice budget? Do you grapple with escalating indirect costs? Are you scrounging for new ways to secure funds and stretch every penny to maintain your program's fiscal integrity? You're not alone! Find out how these challenges are impacting school foodservice programs across the nation, hear how some school districts are rising to the challenge, and learn unique tactics for controlling costs, maximizing your resources and securing new funds by developing your skills in writing successful and effective grant requests CEUs: 3 Key area: 1
Don’t feel left out – make your reservations today! Register for LAC by visiting http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Level2_LAC2010.aspx?id=13204.
January 28, 2010 - President Barack Obama mentioned First Lady Michelle Obama’s campaign against childhood obesity during last night’s State of the Union address. The acknowledgement came as the President discussed his plans for healthcare reform. “I want to acknowledge our First Lady, Michelle Obama, who this year is creating a national movement to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity and make our kids healthier,” the President stated, drawing a standing ovation for the First Lady from members of Congress.
By mentioning the First Lady’s campaign against childhood obesity, President Obama reiterated his support for children’s health and programs to help reduce overweight and obesity. This spring, Congress will consider the 2010 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act. The President has pledged to support a strong reauthorization bill that provides children nationwide with healthy and nutritious meals each school day. Last year, the President included $1 billion for the child nutrition programs in his budget, further indicating his support of these programs.
This morning, the First Lady and Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin presented the Surgeon General's Vision for a Fit and Healthy Nation, a series of recommendations to combat overweight and obesity in the United States. Included in the recommendations is a section on creating healthy schools. The plan calls on schools to provide healthy and nutritious food options that include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and water. Schools are also recommended to include more physical activity for students.
To view a complete copy of the State of the Union address and the Surgeon General's plan, please visit the links below.
State of the Union Address Transcript
Surgeon General's Plan for a Fit and Healthy Nation
January 26, 2010—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new “Know Your Farmer, Know Your School” program is currently accepting applications for visits by the USDA Farm to School Tactical Team. The Tactical Team is comprised of Food and Nutrition Service and Agricultural Marketing Service staff members.
The team works with local and state authorities, school districts, farmers and community partners to provide guidance and develop mechanisms for assisting schools in accessing local markets, enabling food producers to work with local school and facilitating communication between interested stakeholders. In 2010, the Tactical Team will visit nine schools that represent diverse demographics and characteristics and offer the following:
During these site visits, the team will seek to learn about a school district's Farm to School efforts including, but not limited to, how the activities first began; the relationship between growers and the school district; what obstacles exist or were present along the way; and the effects the activities have had on the school and the community.
Districts have until January 31, 2010, to send in a request for consideration at www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/F2S/email.htm.
For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/F2S/f2stacticalteam.htm.
Farm to School Tactical Team
Farm to School Tactical Team Application Form
January 25, 2010 - LAC 2010 has a phenomenal line up of speakers and conference sessions that SNA encourages members to participate in. Attending LAC 2010 will gives SNA members the unique opportunity to listen to several key players in the Child Nutrition arena. SNA is proud to announce the following speakers:
Under Secretary Concannon will address conference attendees during the 3rd General Session on Monday, March 1, while Deputy Under Secretary Thornton will take part in the 4th General Session that afternoon. Both provide oversight for the federal child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.
Secretary Vilsack and Congressman Tonko will close out the conference during the final general session on Wednesday, March 3rd. In numerous press conferences and Congressional hearings, Vilsack has voiced the Obama Administration’s support for a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill. Tonko, a first term member of the House Education and Labor Committee, is establishing himself as a champion of child nutrition. He introduced H.R. 4325, The Universal Classroom Breakfast Expansion Act, legislation which would create grant opportunities for expanding classroom breakfast programs.
Register today for LAC 2010! SNA needs your help in the pursuit of congressional support for important legislative priorities, especially the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act. So bring your expertise, your passion and your stories to Washington and help us be heard! We look forward to seeing you!
LAC 2010
January 25, 20010 - Congratulations to the Stillwater Public Schools (Ok) School Nutrition Services. They were selected to receive the 2009 School Nutrition Foundation Winston Industries Equipment Award. The award of ten pieces of commercial kitchen equipment will be utilized throughout the Stillwater District. The district will receive kitchen equipment including Holding Cabinets, Holding Drawers and Steamers from Winston Industries, Inc. - a leading foodservice equipment manufacturer located in Louisville, Kentucky.
Director of Child Nutrition Krista Neal, MS, RD, LD applied for the Equipment Award for Stillwater Public Schools to replace outdated operational equipment that is a barrier to meeting the school nutrition services department mission. “Stillwater Public Schools has three elementary school kitchens that have not been updated since the schools were building in the mid-1950s. The 60 year old equipment is not always reliable. The challenge with intermittent functionality is the inability to plan and making sure that we have easy-to prepare foods on hand, just in case equipment stops working in the middle of lunch service” explains Neal. “The Winston equipment will allow us to update equipment in all of schools and more effectively produce the larger number of meals needed to meet growing enrollments. The new equipment will also allow us to serve a wider variety of foods including locally farmed chickens.”
“With the assistance of the School Nutrition Foundation we feel we have identified a very real economic situation and need in school foodservice. This type of assistance provides Stillwater Public Schools the opportunity to make a great nutritional impact in the community and serve students quicker and more efficiently. Winston Industries is delighted to be able to offer this support for the third year,” said Jill Conklin, Director of National School Accounts for Winston Industries. “The schools will be able to take another step in providing nutritious meals and a nurturing environment where children can grow and learn.”
For more information on the Winston Equipment Award Grant program, visit www.schoolnutrition.org/snf.
January 22, 2010 -- Each year the members of the School Nutrition Association present Congress with the critical issues facing school nutrition professionals and the more than 30 million children that are provided safe, healthy meals through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. As Congress prepares for debate on the 2010 Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, emphasis on the school nutrition programs is greater than ever before. The 2010 Legislative Issue Paper focuses on several important areas SNA would like to see Congress address through the child nutrition reauthorization process. SNA’s top priorities include:
Download a complete copy of the 2010 Legislative Issue Paper (pdf).
The Legislative Issue Paper is based on input from SNA members and is drafted by members of the Association’s Public Policy and Legislation Committee. After final approval from the Board of Directors, the paper is used to guide SNA’s legislative actions. School Nutrition Association members will take the messages of this year’s Legislative Issue Paper to Congress, as part of the 38th annual SNA Legislative Action Conference (LAC), to be held February 28 – March 3, 2010 in Washington, DC.
2010 Legislative Issue Paper Talking Points (pdf)
January 21, 2010 - Even though the air outside is cold, school nutrition programs across the country are preparing for summer. The end of the 2009-10 school year is only a few short months away, making January the perfect time to plan on becoming a Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsor.
Congress authorized the Summer Food Service Program in 1975 to ensure that children in lower-income areas continue to receive nutritious meals during long school vacations, when they do not have access to a healthy school lunch or breakfast.
Over nearly 20 million children receive free or reduced price meals daily during the school year. Come this summer, however, only 2.9 children will participate in the Summer Food Service Program, according to the Food Research and Action Center’s (FRAC) 2009 report, “Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation.” While there was a very modest increase in participation, many eligible children are still not receiving adequate nutrition during the summer months.
There are resources for school nutrition programs looking to sponsor the SFSP. FRAC has a toolkit that helps summer feeding sponsors expand program participation. The November 2008 issue of School Nutrition magazine has several great articles on operating a summer feeding program. Additionally, SNA will be releasing a summer feeding toolkit later this spring.
It’s easier for many school nutrition programs to operate the SFSP! The Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Act, which was signed into law two years ago, extends the cost accounting procedures commonly known as the “Simplified” Summer Food Service Program. Twenty-six States and Puerto Rico have been operating under the simplified procedures. This Act extends these simplified procedures to all sponsors in all States. As of January 1, 2008 all SFSP sponsors receive the maximum “meals times rates” operating and administrative reimbursements without regard to their actual costs.
Sponsors may combine their reimbursements to pay for any allowable cost, whether operating or administrative. Under these new procedures:
The summer 2010 reimbursement rates were published this week in the Federal Register. The maximum allowable operational reimbursement for lunch or suppers in the continental U.S. is $3.2475, up to $1.8475 for breakfast, and $0.7625 for snacks, depending on the type of service and location. Higher rates apply in Alaska and Hawaii.
Simplified Summer Feeding ToolkitFederal Register Notice – SFSP Reimbursement Rates School Nutrition: Summer FeedingSummer Food Service Program
The 20th annual Child Nutrition Showcase: Best Practices in School Nutrition Research will take place during SNA’s Annual National Conference (ANC) in Dallas, July 11-14, 2010. This is your opportunity to submit a “poster” display that describes successful research or best practices in school foodservice and nutrition. Awards will be given in the categories of research and best practices.
Reflect on achievements your school nutrition operation has made that are worth sharing with others. For example, poster displays might address local school wellness policies, food safety efforts, marketing and customer service innovations, nutrition education activities and environmentally friendly practices
The call for posters is open to anyone interested in presenting a display during the Child Nutrition Showcase at ANC. To submit your poster idea online, click on the following link:
Submit a Poster Proposal
You can find out more about the Child Nutrition Showcase on the ANC 2010 section of the website (see Related Links Section to take you directly there). The deadline for submitting poster ideas is March 19, 2010.
Additionally if are a graduate students or faculty member at a college or university and submit a poster presentation, you could be eligible to apply for the Kathleen Stitt Award. This monetary scholarship helps defray travel expenses incurred to attend the conference.
Child Nutrition Showcase
Kathleen Stitt Award
January 19, 2010 -- National School Breakfast Week (March 8-12, 2010) is just two months away! Is your school “Ready, Set, Go!”? The SNA Emporium is the only place for official merchandise and decorations featuring the “School Breakfast – Ready, Set, Go!” logo.
For kids - pencils, bookmarks and more… For you - aprons, t-shirts, buttons and more… For decorating - balloons and fun posters
Take a look today at http://emporium.schoolnutrition.org
Remember to order early for your materials to arrive in time for NSBW and we hope you have a fun packed celebration!
Don’t forget to include the FREE “School Breakfast – Ready, Set, Go!” backpack brochures in your Emporium order. The full color “Ready, Set, Go” backpack brochures are available in packs of 100 and you just pay for shipping.
Phone: 1 800 728 0728 Online: http://emporium.schoolnutrition.org Fax: 703 654 3001
January 15, 2010 – School Nutrition Association Executive Director Barbara Belmont joined Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, National Dairy Council CEO Tom Gallagher and National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell at a New York City public school today to support Fuel Up to Play 60, a campaign to fight and defeat childhood obesity. A unique partnership between USDA, the National Dairy Council® and local Dairy Councils® and the NFL has produced a new school-based program that empowers students to make smart choices about their nutrition and physical activity. SNA members who have signed up for the program’s free activation kits are playing a critical role in bringing this innovative campaign into schools.
The program’s free kits, available at www.FuelUpToPlay60.com (one per school), include colorful displays as well as online access to easy- to-implement activities. These were designed to inspire students to “fuel up” with the food groups kids don’t get enough of – low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, fruits, vegetables and whole grains and to “get up and play” for 60 minutes a day. Fuel Up to Play 60 can be used to complement an existing school wellness program, or to help a school get started.
SNA members can earn CEUs (Continuing Education Units) when implementing Fuel Up to Play 60. To find out more about earning CEUs, visit www.schoolnutrition.org/fueluptoplay60.
Click here to read the National Dairy Council’s press release on the Fuel Up to Play 60 campaign.
Dear Friends,
I know you join me in sorrow over the loss and suffering of thousands of victims of Tuesday’s catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who are affected including those providing aid in the relief efforts and those who are desperate for news of family and friends.
School nutrition professionals have a long history of community action and support in response to the emergencies that follow natural disasters. I encourage all of you to continue in that spirit of support and compassion by donating through your local churches, the Red Cross, the World Food Programme, or other agencies rushing to help our neighbors in Haiti. Click on these links for more information about essential relief efforts and ways you can help today.
Contribute online to the Red Cross.Doctors Without BordersUNICEFSave the ChildrenFriend of the World Food ProgrammeLearn about other charities working in Haiti from Charity Navigator.
Thank you,
Dora Rivas, SNSPresidentSchool Nutrition Association
January 14, 2010 -- Please join GCNF on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 for the 7th annual A Possible Dream Gala at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Each year this event honors the champions of child nutrition and is conducted during the School Nutrition Association’s (SNA) Legislation Action Conference.
A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the Gene White Lifetime Achievement Award (GWLAA) to Dan Glickman, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, former Congressman and long-time champion of child nutrition causes worldwide.
In addition GCNF will be honoring SNA’s Individual Industry Member of the Year, Chuck Ainsworth, SFSPac Food Service Sanitation Systems and the Outstanding Director of the Year, Wanda Grant, Palm Springs Unified School District.
The GWLAA was created in 2004 to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions toward the worldwide dream of ending childhood hunger.This prestigious award is given in the name of Gene White, who has dedicated her life to the nutrition and well-being of children.
Over many decades, Gene has worked tirelessly in her efforts to improve the health and educational opportunities of children in our country and around the world.
Distinguished past recipients of the Gene White Lifetime Achievement Award include:
The A Possible Dream Gala helps to raise awareness and funds for the Foundation's efforts to combat global child hunger through sustainable school feeding programs. Each year, over 600 SNA officers and members, executives from many of our most supportive industries, high level officials from international NGOs, the U.S. Congress, USAID, USDA, and other key agencies working in reducing hunger, come together in an evening of tribute to outstanding champions of child nutrition.
We hope you can join GCNF in honoring the champions of child nutrition.
Click Here: For Corporate Sponsorship of State Tables (pdf)Click Here: For Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities (pdf)Click Here: For State Association Sponsorship Opportunities (pdf) Click Here: For Individual Reservations (pdf) For any questions or concerns please contact Nicole Bernard, Operations Coordinator, at (800) 877-8822 or nbernard@schoolnutrition.org
January 11, 2010—While temperatures plunge to historic lows in north Florida, the nearly 400 school nutrition operators, industry representatives, government personnel and child health advocates gathered at the Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra Beach for the School Nutrition Association’s annual Child Nutrition Industry Conference (CNIC) provide a living testament to the heat that can be generated through a progressive attitude toward change and a common commitment to kids.
The variety of complex and challenging “new world expectations” for school meal programs requires an audacious response by all key stakeholders: operators, school administrators, industry and government. And a common theme echoed by many speakers at this year’s event is the critical importance of raising awareness about the bold and exciting initiatives already being explored in many districts—and among many partners. “It’s critically important to talk about what we are doing,” said Michael Eugene, chief operations officer for Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, Florida. “I wed myself to media and media outreach…looking for opportunities to sell our credibility and to sell our competency.” Eugene’s reflections on the “day in the life of a big-city chief operating officer” kicked off this year’s meeting.
“You must reach out to local media in your community,” said Deputy Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Janey Thornton, PhD, SNS, in a challenge to all attendees. “If all Congress sees in the media are reports that are not wholly accurate or representative…well, I’ve already heard some of them say, ‘We’ve got to stop throwing money at bad programs.’”
From the conference’s general sessions to its new product “Innovation Station” overviews to the 21st annual FAME awards, CNIC made it abundantly clear that the school segment is rich with dynamic and committed professionals who are busting all myths and misperceptions about school meal programs on a daily basis.
Following are just a few of the many highlights of the conference, which concludes on Tuesday afternoon, January 12:
And CNIC attendees aren’t content to rest on their considerable laurels. An “ideation session” led participants through a positive and proactive brainstorming activity that generated literally hundreds of ideas.
The messages about such bold and exciting projects being shared at CNIC are also being shared with the public through a blog available on the Food Channel’s website. See the link below to access more details about this year’s CNIC.
2010 FAME Award Winners Announced
Tackling the Toughest Issues Facing School Nutrition- Food Channel Blog
Hurry, the Early Bird registration deadline for SNA’s 2010 Legislative Action Conference (LAC) is drawing near—January 15th. Register now and save!
The voices of school nutrition always ring out loud and clear during LAC, and this year will be no different. Bring your expertise, your passion and your stories to Washington, D.C., and prepare to shape and define national policy relating to school nutrition. SNA’s 38th annual LAC will take place February 28-March 3, 2010, at the JW Marriott Hotel, in the heart of the nation’s capital.
Considered one of the most productive and exciting events in school nutrition, LAC has it all:
These are just some of the wonderful opportunities that await you at LAC 2010, so make plans now to come and spend some time with SNA. The Early Bird registration deadline is January 15, 2010.
January 5, 2010—If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to learn about efforts you can make to go green, or if you’re just curious about the latest in green goings-on, the January issue of School Nutrition, SNA’s award-winning flagship publication, is for you. The issue explores some best practices for going green recommended by school nutrition colleagues, as well as how companies are putting sustainable conservation practices into play and how you can make such a shift in your everyday life.
“Presenting an Eco Alphabet” offers a letter-by-letter approach to what school nutrition professionals and other groups are doing to care for Planet Earth.
In “Greening a Corporate Conscience,” learn about how some companies serving the foodservice business are incorporating sustainable initiatives into manufacturing and other corporate processes.
“How Green Is Your Routine?” provides practical solutions you can implement at home, work and around town to become a better environmental steward.
School Nutrition – January 2010