One thousand four hundred forty. 1440. If you had $1440 – what would you do with it? We each have 1440 minutes in a day – whether we are a worker or a slacker. Make the most of each one of them and be a positive force for children. The right amount of sleep is a positive use of a fair chunk of 1440 so that you can be positive and productive in the rest of those minutes!
How’s your walking/biking/swimming/running – whatever movement to get you to conference coming along? One person bikes (stationery) and says she has been to Aberdeen and back several times already! Another has reported walking the distance to Aberdeen already! Some of us are still working on just getting there. Miss a day? Miss a week? Get back on track and try again. We don’t want to see you and I don’t want you to see me (figuratively) laying in a ditch on the way to conference or resting by a sign trying to thumb a ride. Exercise is something you cannot do for me – I have to get up on my own two feet and do it on my own.
Plans are well underway for Certification Institute June 20 – 25 on Augustana College campus in Sioux Falls. Some positive changes have been made to track 1 to accommodate taking the ServSafe test earlier in the week and they will be done at the same time at the end of the week. Mailing announcing this went out in early March. It is a gold color newsletter format.
Team Nutrition Workshop announcements have also been mailed out. This is a 3-fold blue on white brochure. The workshop is June 28 – 30, also in Sioux Falls. These are not to “pick on food-service” but to look at the whole nutrition environment at school – the curriculum, vending, meals, a la carte sales, extra sales from other agencies, messages, and advertising. Offer to be a part of the team if your school is sending a team.
Child Nutrition Reauthorization Legislation is making its way through US Congress. See more detailed article in the bulletin. Marlyce and I were able to attend Legislative Action Conference in early March with Sheryl Schoenfelder, SDSFSA President and Joni Davis, SDSFSA Legislative Chairperson. It is truly awesome to see how we as individuals in our country can have access to our legislators and impact what happens.
The food service manager said: “Last year I replaced our old dish-washer with the new fast and energy-efficient kind. This week I got a call from the contractor complaining that his work has been completed for a whole year and I had yet to pay for them.
“Boy, oh boy, did we go 'round. Just because I'm in food-service doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid. I proceeded to tell him just what his fast talking sales guy had told me last year... ‘that in one year the dish-washer would pay for itself!’
There was silence on the other end of the line so I just hung up and I haven't heard back. Guess I must have won that silly argument.”
Watertown Middle School Recognized for Total Physical Education Program
Watertown Middle School will be among only 12 schools across the United States named as a charter STARS recipient in recognition of their outstanding physical education program by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). They will be honored at the National Convention of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) on April 1 in New Orleans. Go to the following link at http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/ to read the national press release and find out how your school can apply.
Congratulations to Watertown School District. Keep up the good work.
Child Nutrition Reauthorization Legislation is making its way through US Congress. The US House of Representatives on March 24 passed H.R. 3873, the "Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act" by a vote of 419 to 5. A summary of the Child Nutrition Improvement & Integrity Act can be viewed at http://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/108th/education/childnutrition/billsummary.htm.
Included in the bill is a provision originally proposed by Rep. Ric Keller (R-FL) to reduce the stigma among children receiving free and reduced-price lunches by helping schools make technological improvements - such as automated "meal card" systems that keep students' financial status confidential - to increase the efficiency of program operations.
The bill also includes an initiative proposed by Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Ron Kind (D-WI) to strengthen partnerships between local agriculture and schools to ensure fresh, local produce can go from farms to schools. In addition, the Child Nutrition Improvement & Integrity Act extends and allows for the expansion of the popular Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program through the discretionary appropriations process. The Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program currently provides free fresh and dried fruits and fresh vegetables to children in 25 schools in each of four states and one Indian Reservation. The Child Nutrition Improvement & Integrity Act also reauthorizes the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
During the last week of March, the Senate and House passed S. 2241, a bill, "To reauthorize certain school lunch and child nutrition programs through June 30, 2004." This bill extends authorization for several programs: 1) privatized military housing, 2) for-profit child care centers participating in CACFP if at least 25% of the enrolled children meet the income eligibility criteria, 3) continues authority for schools and community organizations to operate the SFSP, 4) continues the operation of special pilot programs in 14 States that reduce paperwork requirements and increase the number of low-income children who receive free meals and snacks during the summer months, 5) allows the Secretary to purchase commodities above the original allocation, if needed, to ensure that sufficient levels of commodities are available for CN programs, and 6) the bill also extends the provision which allows the Secretary to use section 32 funds to reimburse States for removal of commodities if the Secretary determines that donated commodities pose health or safety risks. The bill goes to the president for signature.
What is the purpose of sending notices prior to the reimbursement checks?
Some agencies may feel these are unnecessary, since they already know how much their reimbursement will be.
First, the notices give agencies details of what comprises their reimbursements. Should there be a difference from what the agencies were expecting, they can determine exactly where the variance lies without having to call our office. This saves our office staff time by avoiding calls inquiring about their reimbursement.
Some agencies have several nutrition programs that need to be accounted for separately from the School Lunch Program, such as Severe Need Breakfast, Summer Food Services and Child and Adult Food Program. The notices we send out give a breakdown by program so the agencies can account for the revenues appropriately.
Reimbursement checks are mailed to agencies directly from the state’s auditors office. These checks may include reimbursements from other departments within the state. These amounts may not have sufficient information to identify everything included with the check. The notices we send out identifies what portion of the reimbursement is from the Food Nutrition Programs.
Some agencies have personnel other that the business office submit their nutrition reimbursement claim forms. The notices aid business managers in determining what is reimbursed and how to code the reimbursement.
The notices, can also aid auditors as a source of outside verification for revenues.
In the ideal world, were the amount reimbursed is always the same as what is expected, and all business mangers are aware of what the reimbursement check are comprised of, there would not be a need for the notices.
We do have plans to have the claim forms and reimbursement notification to be processed over the internet, therefore, eliminating the necessity of mailing out separate notices. At present, the system we have does not allow this. Hopefully, we’ll be able to have the new system in place within a couple of years.
Schools, child care centers, and other local agencies can honor long-time employees or retiring employees with an appreciation certificate. To order a certificate, contact Linda Jarvis at 773-3413 or by e-mail to linda.jarvis@state.sd.us. We need to know correct spelling of the person’s name, number of years in food service (specify if at different districts/agencies), and what school/agency employed at currently. Also advise if we are to send the certificate to the employee or if it should be mailed to someone else. Please plan for a couple weeks for processing and delivery.
2004 South Dakota Child Nutrition Program Certification Institute
Remember EARLY BIRD Registration Deadline is APRIL 30th!
The 40th annual South Dakota Child Nutrition Program Certification Institute will be held June 20-25, 2004 in Sioux Falls at the Augustana College campus. 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. Registration deadline is Friday, May 14th! In order to guarantee your enrollment, send in your registration form and payment as soon as possible!
Registration Information was mailed out the last week of February to Food Service Directors and Authorized Representatives. You can also print the information and registration form from the Certification Institute link on the CANS website.
Don’t forget to turn in the Certification Institute Scholarship Application if you are eligible.
Continue to watch the monthly Nutrition Bulletin and CANS website for Certification Institute updates!
Let’s Go on a Spring Field Trip!
When faculty at your school take students on a field trip over the noon hour do they let you know? It can be costly to the food service programs when the kitchen plans for the normal expected daily participation but at noon they find out the entire fifth grade class isn’t in school because they went on a field trip.
How can you avoid these frustrating circumstances? Be willing to attend district staff meetings and let the teachers and administrators realize the importance of being forewarned. Draw up an example of what daily food and labor costs are on an average day and illustrate how it can quickly cause your month to go in the hole when adequate planning cannot happen. Your program needs to operate like a business. Look for ways to be sure to keep participation up.
Do you know that if you plan sack lunches that meet the NSLP meal pattern you are eligible to collect reimbursement for those meals? Inform teachers and administrators that if class trips are planned the teacher must file an Off-Site Meal Request Form with your kitchen. The field trip needs to be an educational type activity to qualify for reimbursement. The Offsite Meal Request Form can be located in NSLP Memo #26. The food service staff must send the request form into CANS via fax or mail prior to the event for advance approval. Request teachers to give the kitchen enough time, 1-2 weeks minimum, to plan food purchases for the sack lunch menu and for CANS to have time to approve the request and send back an approval.
If the kitchen does not have picnic coolers, request the teacher(s) to provide adequate number of coolers to transport food so food is kept at proper temperatures (don’t forget to add a thermometer to the cooler for safety concerns). A class roster must be used to check off at point of service which students received a sack lunch. After the field trip the roster must be returned to the food service staff to be included in meal counts for the day.
If everyone understands the rules of the game it is a win win day - “win” for the students to have a nutritious meal, a “win” for the kitchen staff to keep participation numbers up, and a “win” for the teachers to have the food conveniently planned and prepared by the school food service staff.
CANS Celebrates School Breakfast Week
Child and Adult Nutrition Services celebrated National Nutrition Month and National School Breakfast Week by meeting with the SD State School Board during their monthly meeting which was held at the Ramkota in Pierre. Staff from the CANS office presented a power point informative program to explain how the USDA child nutrition programs are administered through our office. Since we were not allowed to serve breakfast to the board since they were meeting in the Ramkota complex, we gave the board samples of USDA commodity items that can be especially used in the school breakfast program. Board members asked good questions and thanked us for our informative presentation. Following the presentation the Superintendent from Pierre Public Schools asked if CANS could come talk to the Pierre District Administrators to explain the school breakfast program, the snack after school program and the summer feeding program. It is exciting to report that the Pierre School District has decided to pilot school breakfast at their middle school in April and May.
School Breakfast Programs are Expanding in SD
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During the month of March the CANS office signed on four new school districts to implement the school breakfast program. In addition a couple districts expanded their present programs to include more sites. The following school districts signed amended agreements to add school breakfast:
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Gettysburg School District 03/22/04 K-12
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Garretson School District 04/05/04 K-12
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Brandon Valley School District 04/05/04 K-5 (2 sites)
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Pierre School District 04/12/04 7-8
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Yankton - added one more elementary building
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Spearfish - added high school site
Mislabeled Smucker's Uncrustables Products
It has been brought to our attention the nutrition facts on the cases of many of the 4.8 ounce Uncrustable Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches from Smucker’s are mislabeled. The nutrition facts are for the smaller (2.8 ounce) sandwich. This affects both the 4.8 ounce grape and the 4.8 ounce strawberry products.
The correct nutrition fact sheet for the larger Uncrustables is included below. The information is the same for both items.
We have been in contact with the J. M. Smucker corporate office. They indicated they will be sending corrected labels. When received, the warehouse will place the correct information on the mislabeled cases. In the meantime please use the nutrition fact sheet provided below.
Click here to view fact sheet.
Professional Development Opportunities
National Food Service Management Institute
Satellite Seminar:
Coaching Employees: Will you make a difference?
April 28, 2004
2:00pm-3:00pm
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
For additional information go to the National Food Service Management website, www.nfsmi.org, and click on Educational Opportunities.
Sponsored by Iowa State
University
downlinked at six South Dakota sites by the Department of Health
Satellite Videoconference: Metabolic Syndrome: Prevention & Treatment
Challenges
April 29, 2004
10:00 am – 4:00 pm CT
- Provides critical review of research efforts to define, diagnose, and characterize the primary contributors to the 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 the Metabolic syndrome
For more detailed information and to register online go to www.state.sd.us/doh, click on site index and then calendar of events.
Food Allergies in
Children: Prevention and Intervention
June 2, 2004
12:00 pm-4:00 pm CT
Conference will address diagnosis and treatment of food allergies in children. There will also be a discussion of food allergies and school policies. More information will be posted on the DOH website as it becomes available.
DAIRY PRODUCTS MAY AFFECT CHILDREN’S WEIGHT
Calcium’s role in building strong and healthy bones is well-known, and new research shows consumption of calcium-rich food items like dairy products may be associated with lower body fat in children.
The December issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association published the study in which researchers examined eating habits of children ages two to eight and their mothers, finding that kids who consumed smaller amounts of calcium had generally higher body fat than children with high calcium intake.
The researchers also found that children’s dietary preferences - which generally carry over into adulthood - are established very early, many times by age five.
This study presents more support that children should be encouraged to regularly include calcium-rich foods and drinks in their diets.
Building for the Future with the CACFP
Upcoming Training Events –
CACFP/SFSP Operational Workshops
May 12 – Rapid City –
Youth & Family Services
– 120 E. Adams
May 20 – Pierre – Home Federal Savings Bank
– 322 S. Coteau
May 27 – Sioux Falls – Department of Transportation
– 5316 W. 60th St. N. (Hwy 83)
Plan now to attend the annual CACFP Training Workshop this May. While the workshop is not currently mandatory, it is likely that in the future, annual attendance at training will be mandatory. This is an excellent opportunity for that training. For more information please contact Melissa Halling at (605) 773-3566 or by email at melissa.halling@state.sd.us.
Monkey Toast
Adapted from Physical Activities and Healthy Snacks for Young Children; Team Nutrition Iowa.
Toast bread (whole wheat or other whole grain variety). Spread low-fat whipped cream cheese on the bread and top it with sliced fresh fruit (choice of bananas, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, kiwi, etc.) or fresh vegetables. Children may prefer steamed but still crisp vegetables.
Arrange the fruit or vegetable pieces on the toast in shapes, designs, or faces and talk about the shapes or textures of the fruit. Or use canned fruit available in animal shapes.
Snack Idea (1-5 year olds):
½ slice of Monkey Toast (with toppings, see recipe above)
½ cup 100% berry juice
Monkey Toes
Adapted from Physical Activities and Healthy Snacks for Young Children; Team Nutrition Iowa
Arrange the children in scatter formation. The children follow and sing or chant with you. They touch the body part as they say the words.
Sing or chant the following words: “Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees
and toes” (a bit faster on knees and toes the second time) “watch how fast
the monkey goes, monkey goes” (run in a circle). Repeat.
This report lists commodities that were to be delivered monthly and the USDA value of the products. It will be mailed to you in mid May. The history report is often used by the firm conducting a school’s audit to determine the dollar amount of commodities received during the accounting period. Please make certain a copy is provided to the appropriate administration official(s).
If the report is misplaced and needed at a later date there will be a $10 (ten dollar) charge for a replacement copy.
Results of Nutrient Analysis are Shared
In conjunction with the onsite Coordinated Review (CRE) or National School Lunch Program review, a nutritional analysis of the menus for the sites involved in the review is conducted. This process will occur once every 5 years. CRE visits will continue to be done by the Department of Public Safety with the majority of nutritional analyses completed by the state agency.
Attached are charts showing the results from menu analyses completed for 2001 and 2002.
As you can see by looking down through the chart, two of the nutrients that we need to continue monitoring are sodium and fat. Beginning with the 2001 school year, the required level of sodium was increased from 800 mg to 1300 mg at lunch and from 600 mg to 800 mg at breakfast. This increased level of sodium, while still representing a significant reduction in overall consumption, remains an attainable goal for schools to reach. If at all possible try to reduce or eliminate the salt without affecting the quality of the product. Keep in mind that processed ready-to-eat items and canned food items will contribute higher levels of sodium to the meal.
Gradual reductions are best when moving toward reduced fat levels as well. Comparing fat levels when selecting products, modifying recipes by reducing the amount of fat or substituting part of the fat with fruit puree or offering jelly or honey with sliced bread or dinner rolls rather than “buttered bread” are a few ways to help reduce fat without affecting student acceptability. Offering one percent and skim milk is also a simple way to start lowering fat.
The fiber standard was recently changed as well to be more in line with the National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Dietetics Association recommended guidelines for children’s needs and their developmental cycle. The new formula is the child’s age plus 5. For example, a five year old child would need about 10 grams of fiber per day, 5+5=10. This formula allows for the increased need for fiber as the child grows. Therefore, an average level of fiber for each grade group was determined based on this formula.
Offering a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as multi-grain or whole grain grains/bread items daily will help to increase and/or maintain levels of fiber.
South Dakota schools have shown great efforts toward meeting the USDA Dietary Guidelines. Keep up the good work!