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CANS
March is National
Nutrition Month; celebrate good nutrition in
school
Schools are encouraged to
mark national nutrition month by celebrating School Breakfast Week during
March 8-12, 2004. The American School Food Service Association’s theme for
breakfast week is “Navigate Your Day with School Breakfast!” The American
Dietetic Association’s theme for National Nutrition Month is “Eat Smart, Stay
Healthy!” Carrying out the message of these slogans will help make your school
cafeteria and classrooms a festive and happening place during this exciting
month!
If you choose to promote
eating breakfast at school or at home, you will be helping your students
navigate whatever challenges lie ahead. A well-balanced breakfast and
well-balanced daily meals allow children to think more clearly and feel
healthier. A good breakfast can make the difference between listening to
their stomachs instead of listening to their teachers; achieving good grades
versus mindlessly spacing out; running around during recess or feeling sick on
the sidelines. In addition, recent studies indicate that kids who eat
breakfast are more likely to maintain healthy weights. That is welcome news
during this time of heightened awareness of childhood obesity. If you are a
school that sends home a monthly calendar, March is a great time to include
nutritional messages to help parents and students become more aware of the
importance good nutrition plays in their daily lives.
Surveys to determine topics for May food service training
Schools are reminded to return food service needs assessments
or to contact CANS staff in Pierre with ideas for topics that need to be on
the agenda of the upcoming annual Child and Adult Care Food Program / Summer
Food Service Program training in May. The dates and locations will be
announced later this month; more information will be sent to schools at that
time. For more information, contact Melissa Halling, voice (605) 773-3566,
email
melissa.halling@state.sd.us.
Child nutrition
program certification institute set for Sioux Falls in June
The 40th annual South
Dakota Child Nutrition Program Certification Institute will be held June 20-25
in Sioux Falls at Augustana College. All tracks are 5-day courses and qualify
for 30 continuing education credits from the American School Food Service
Association (ASFSA). All tracks have a size limit and will be filled on a
first come, first served basis. In order to guarantee enrollment,
registration and payment should be submitted as soon as possible!
Registration information
was mailed the last week of February; it was addressed to food service
directors and authorized representatives. If a packet has not been received
by March 12th, please call 605-773-4718 to let CANS staff know. The
information and registration form can also be printed from the Certification
Institute link on the CANS website at
http://www.state.sd.us/deca/CSCF/CANS/ .
More Certification
Institute updates can be expected in the monthly Nutrition Bulletin and on the
CANS website.
Guidance for serving
homeless children in school nutrition programs
In a growing number of
circumstances, schools enroll students who are living in households other than
their traditional family. It is sometimes difficult to know how to determine
their eligibility for free and reduced price meals. The circumstances can
vary greatly. While the Eligibility Guidance for School Meals Manual
answers many questions, school personnel do and should contact Child and Adult
Nutrition Services (CANS) in Pierre to discuss details of a child’s unusual
circumstances and together determine the best method for handling the
situation.
Children who are homeless
can be an example of a situation on which a school will want to receive
guidance. The most recent issue is homeless children. The National School
Lunch Program (NSLP) issued Numbered Memo: NSLP – 75 in December 2002. It
addresses the definition of “homeless” and how school officials and others may
streamline procedures for approval and documentation of free lunch and
breakfast or free milk eligibility for homeless children after consultation
with the school’s homeless coordinator in accordance with USDA policy.
A copy of the memo should
be in the agency’s “numbered memo” binder. It can also be accessed online at
http://www.state.sd.us/deca/CSCF/CANS/index.htm ; click on “Forms and
Documents” bullet. Look for the numbered memos section, find the number 75 in
the NSLP column and click on the title to read the memo. If there are
additional questions, please contact staff members in Child & Adult Nutrition
Services (CANS), 605-773-3413.
Professional
Development Opportunities
-
National Food Service Management Institute
Satellite Seminar: Coaching Employees: Will you make a difference?
April 28, 2004
2:00pm-3:00pm CST
Viewers will be able to identify the coaching relationship as a partnership or
joint venture. Ultimately the following objectives will be realized:
►Strengthening employee skills;
►Increasing productivity of the
employee, the tram, and the Child Nutrition Program;
►Enabling employees to excel and
achieve success
If you are interested in viewing this seminar, contact Sarah Straight,
605-773-4718, by March 31.
The SD Department of Health (DOH) is planning to downlink two satellite
conferences in the coming months across the state to approximately 6-10
sites. More information will be sent when it becomes available. Brochures
will also be posted on the DOH website calendar at
www.state.sd.us/doh. There will be no charge for these conferences. Save
the following dates:
►April
29, 10 am-4 pm CT, “Metabolic
Syndrome: Prevention and Treatment Challenges.” The goals of this conference
will be to:
--provide a critical review of research efforts to define, diagnose, and
characterize the primary contributors to Metabolic Syndrome;
--outline prevention and therapeutic strategies to alleviate the
physiological consequences of the Metabolic Syndrome by integrating physical
activity, nutritional, pharmacological, and psychological approaches;
--identify future directions for prevention and treatment of Metabolic
Syndrome.
►June
2, 12-4 pm CT, “Food Allergies
in Children: Prevention and Intervention.” This conference will address
diagnosis and treatment of food allergies in children. There will also be a
discussion of food allergies and school policies. |
