Articles in the September 2006 Issue

From Sandra’s Desk:

The new program year is about to begin.  The Child & Adult Care Food Program does not have any changes to implement this year and, as far as we know, none are on the horizon.  It will be nice to operate on an even keel for a change.  The School Programs are beginning implementation of the policies and procedures developed in the last year.  This will involve folks at all levels as they log temperatures, monitor processes, implement various pieces of the wellness policies and plan for measurement and evaluation.  Remember, it takes the whole team. 

  • Together

  • Everyone helps children

  • Achieve

  • Maximum health and ability to learn

Keep us posted on the events that you hold, the challenges and successes of attempts to keep the children in South Dakota healthy and ready to learn.

Back to Top

Training for New Managers

Those first months can be pretty overwhelming to a new kitchen manager who soon realizes their job responsibility includes a lot of paper work and reports and is more than just being sure all students are fed a proper meal. If you have a new manager who has not recently attended certification institute sponsored by CANS in June or did not have the opportunity to enroll in the New Manager’s pre-conference class at Fall Conference in August, they will have another opportunity to get some training.  A 1 ½ day class is being planned for presentation in Pierre on October 12 & l3.  Who should consider attending this training?  Anyone who is new to being a kitchen manager or the person responsible for completing required paperwork pertaining to the lunch and breakfast programs within the last year or two.  Further information will be sent to your schools.

Back to Top

National School Lunch Week October 9-13, 2006

This year’s National School Lunch Week will be unlike any you may have experienced in the past.  For the first time, School Nutrition Association (SNA) is introducing an interactive element, asking that students literally “Vote for School Lunch”.  Starting in mid-August, students will be able to vote for their favorite school meal entrees online at www.voteforschoollunch.org  The accompanying promotional campaign will mirror all the familiar aspects of democratic elections, with candidates, platforms, debates, rallies and of course, individual voting.  Five of the nation’s most popular entrees will be the ‘candidates’ to choose from which includes Pete Pizza, Rocco Taco, Heddi Spaghetti, Ricky Chicken, and Sally Salad. The promotion will be a fun way to get students aware and involved in the voting process, especially in this important election year.  The voting polls will close on October 6th. During National School Lunch Week SNA will announce the nation’s winning entrée.

A promotional NSLW booklet designed to help create enthusiasm for promoting awareness of National School Lunch Week and good nutrition was prepared by CANS.  The booklet was distributed to attendees at the Fall Conference held in August in Sioux.  For those that were not at the fall conference the promotional booklet was mailed to the school food service directors. 

Back to Top

FNS Launches New Eat Smart. Play Hard. Kids' Web Page and Healthy Lifestyle Web Page for Parents

The USDA, Food and Nutrition Service recently launched two new web pages that will help kids, parents, and caregivers to Eat Smart and Play Hard™.  The new resources will also assist in putting the new Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid recommendations into action.

The Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ kids’ web page connects kids to healthy eating and physical activity experiences within the community.  It provides kids with interactive learning and skill-building experiences in a virtual community setting. The web page encourages and motivates kids to make better lifestyle choices using kid-friendly entertaining techniques.  Power Panther, the campaign spokescharacter, leads kids in exploring the Town Library, Theater, Fitness Center, Power Tunes Store, Post Office, Eat Smart Grill, Fun Times Arcade, and Travel Center.  Behind each door in this virtual community, kids learn healthy lifestyle skills through geography, music, reading, and science activities.  This web page is filled with songs, experiments, activity sheets, comics, clipart, worksheets, games, posters, e-cards, recipes, and other materials that help to form and reinforce healthy behaviors.

The new Healthy Lifestyle web page provides parents and other caregivers with tools for healthy living including tasty, low cost menus and recipes that meet the new food guidelines.  The web page has a handy Calorie Burner Chart, the MyPyramid Tracker, and the ESPH Tracking Card. FNS developed these resources to help parents make the MyPyramid guidance a part of their daily lives and set a good example for kids.”   

Discover the Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ kids’ web page at: www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhardkids and

Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ Healthy Lifestyle web page at: www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhardhealthylifestyle

Back to Top

Snack After School School Monitoring Requirements

If your school or agency participates in the Snack After School option there is a monitoring requirement.  The school food authority (SFA) must review the operation of the program twice per program year.  The first on-site review must happen within the first four weeks of operation annually and a second review to be completed at least one more time before the end of the program year.  The form that should be used to complete the on-site review can be found in National School Lunch Memo #36.  The purpose of the monitoring review is to be sure each serving site is complying with the required counting and claiming procedures and the snack meal pattern.  After completion of the review, the SFA should keep the documented information filed with other program records.  It will be reviewed by the State Office during a Coordinated Review Effort (CRE) program review.

If your school does not participate in the Snack After School option, but would be interested in knowing how your site(s) could receive federal reimbursements for snacks served more information can be found at www.fns.usda.gov./cnd/Afterschool/factsheet.htm or contact Marlyce or Jean at the CANS office.

Back to Top

Updated Guidance on Determining Farm and Ranch Income Due to Drought Conditions

While some of the extremely dry areas of South Dakota have started to receive rain, it is too late for most crops, pastureland, and stock dams for this year.  Farmers and ranchers often use their 1040 from the prior year to demonstrate eligibility for free and reduced price meals.  That would not be an accurate indicator this year for those in the drought areas as some will have no or limited income from their usual sale of grain and have had to sell off herds due to the conditions.

Families that have been approved for food stamps or TANF will be categorically eligible for meals in School Lunch and Child Care as the family will have a case number to provide to the agency.

When farm and ranch families apply for free and reduced price meals, they must include income from any outside sources.  This income cannot be offset by losses in farming & ranching. The following guidance applies to determining their income from crop and livestock production and other agriculture activities.  There is no one set way to do this as the situations vary from one place to another.  A number of suggestions are made including possible sources of documentation if these situations are on an application selected for verification.  We recognize that the families often turn to the school for ideas on how to determine the income.

Refer to pages 32-41 of the green Eligibility Guidance for School Meals (light green cover, issued August 2001).   Remember to take the applications at face value until they have been chosen for verification.  If chosen for verification, then they would need to provide you with more specific information on how they are estimating their current monthly income.   Use community partners for additional ideas, including banks, lending agencies, farm service agencies, insurance agencies, and cooperative extension service.  These partners were either contacted directly or were mentioned as additional resources by those who were contacted.  It is generally recommended that farmers and ranchers use the IRS quarterly estimates when the prior year’s 1040 is not an accurate indication. 

If quarterly estimates are not being done, then they should use the best estimates of what their income currently is - whether it's outside income from farming, rental or sale of farmland, buildings or equipment to others, insurance payments, drawing on savings, etc.

If they report a drastic change  - such as selling off half of their herd, or a large part or all of the crop was destroyed, one method would be to look at the most recent income tax and have them identify where the income and expenses that have changed would be listed.  For example if the Schedule F shows income from sale of livestock and they indicate they have now sold half of their herd, take that income by 50%, also look at 50% of their feed, vet, etc. deductions that are directly related to the cattle.  It is an estimate but is the best that can be done at this time. 

Crop producers-most have revenue based crop insurance that will help pay the crop input costs but often gives them nothing to live off of for the year.  The local crop insurance agents would know more about what crop conditions and what local losses are for their clientele. The agents may be able to write a letter for verification documenting the losses.

If there is any salvageable crop that they can sell off, that would be income.  The family would have stubs/receipts from that for verification.

The family could use the producer’s proposed cash flow for the 2006 year.  They should all have this in conjunction with their lenders.  They would need to subtract the proposed income from crop sales, but then add in the income received from crop insurance.  The schools should then consider the net farm income the producer would have, not their gross.  If needed for verification, the school could request a copy of the appropriate section of the proposed cash flow or possibly the lender could write a letter for verification purposes.

Farmers and ranchers who have to sell off part of their livestock base due to the drought (beyond the normal culling of the herd and sale of stock) may elect to defer that as income.  Additional information on sale of livestock is available at http://agbionews.sdstate.edu/News/newsrelease.cfm?id=2554.

If the family receives an insurance payment, lump sum payments, such as insurance, are not considered income at the time of receipt.  (Page 36 Eligibility Guidance for School Meals Manual).  If that lump sum payment is put into a savings account and the family draws from that for living expenses, the amount drawn is counted as income.  The stub from the insurance check or a letter from the government or insurance company would document that they received payment for loss for verification.  While you are not counting that as income, it could be verification documentation for the reason they have no income or a greatly reduced income.

Some may be operating with a loan.  However, this would not count as income.  Refer to page 35 of the Eligibility Guidance for School Meals Manual.

Some may report zero income.  However, they do need to meet month to month expenses and somehow there needs to be a way to do that whether it's through outside employment, food stamps, or other means.  The school will need to follow up every 45 days to determine if the situation has changed or a determination has been made to satisfy that they, indeed, have no income that will count, such as the fact that they are meeting their expenses through a loan.  Outside employment must be reported.

If there would be a disaster declaration for the area from the President, disaster relief payments would likely be excluded from consideration as income for determining F&RP Eligibility.   So far, that declaration has not been made. 

Sometimes the farm and ranch families are reluctant to apply.  It may help to remind them that this is also a USDA program and it is meant to help folks during tough times, which is exactly what they are going through.  We would always hope their crops and livestock are good enough that they do not need help. 

Back to Top

Governor Rounds Rewards Schools for Healthy Practices

Three South Dakota schools and one school district are the recipients of $5,000 awards under Governor Rounds’ healthy schools recognition program.

This year’s winners of Governor Rounds’ Healthy School Awards are Stanley County Elementary in Fort Pierre, Lead-Deadwood Middle School, Sturgis Brown High School in Sturgis, and the Madison Central School District.  The awards were presented at the Joint Convention of school administrators and school board members Aug 10 in Sioux Falls.

“These schools should be extremely proud of their efforts,” said Gov. Mike Rounds.  “They are going the extra mile to create an environment that encourages students to make healthy choices in all that they do.”

Winning schools were chosen for their efforts in areas such as health promotion for staff, health education, family and community involvement, school-based nutrition programs, health services, physical education, healthy school environment and counseling services.  This program rewards schools that promote healthy practices with $5,000 and a banner to display at the school.  Winners are chosen at four levels:  elementary school, middle school/junior high, high school, and school district.

Finalists for the awards each receive a plaque.  This year’s finalists included Chester Elementary School, West Middle School in Rapid City, Edison Middle School in Sioux Falls, and the Brookings and Arlington School districts.

Back to Top

The Power Panther is Touring South Dakota

The Power Panther costume from the USDA can be a great resource to promote nutrition and physical activity at your school, but he can be hard to get when you want him--we checked recently and he was available only in November, February, and April.  We decided to nab him while we had the chance and offer schools a chance to have him visit while he is in South Dakota.  He will be arriving on November 6th and will depart on November 22nd.    He is planning to visit Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, the Corn Palace, and other great South Dakota attractions while he is in South Dakota in his efforts to promote the Eat Smart. Play Hard Campaign. We will be posting pictures of his trip on our website.  

Would you like for him to visit your school?  If so, please let us know and complete a brief sign-up sheet available on our website at  http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans/nutrition/resources.asp.  CANS will work to coordinate getting the costume from town to town and CANS, Team Nutrition and Action for Healthy schools staff will accompany him on parts of his journey.

The Power Panther would fit well into nutrition and/or physical activity events at your school or after school program.  Please don’t hesitate to apply even if he would only stop in for a few minutes at the cafeteria during breakfast or lunch to help promote school meals or to stop in for a short pep assembly to lead a few cheers and/or physical activity/dance to Power Panther songs or to build enthusiasm for a walk that a teacher, principal or foodservice might lead with students. 

If you do want to put together some kind of event while he is in South Dakota, consider asking your school wellness team to help you.   Others that you could ask include teachers, nurses, counselors, secretaries, janitors, principals, parents, and local health personnel such as doctors, dentists, and dietitians.  Local businesses might help by donating healthy foods such as fresh fruits and veggies for children to taste test.    

Join the EAT SMART. PLAY HARD in South Dakota Tour!

GO POWER PANTHER!!

Back to Top

Special Diets

As school starts, you may be getting requests for special diets.  There is guidance from the USDA as well as from Child & Adult Nutrition Services (CANS) office.  Accommodating Children with Special Dietary Needs in the School Nutrition Programs:  Guidance for School Food Service Staff has guidance about who is responsible for paying for costs associated with special diets as well as information to help you determine which diet requests are required by law and which diet requests are encouraged, but not required.  If you cannot locate a copy of this resource at your school, you may request a copy from the CANS office.  NSLP memos # 47.1 and # 60 from CANS also give guidance to help you know what to do to make sure you have the needed paperwork and information collected from the child’s health care provider as well as which health care providers are allowed to write diet requests. 

Carb counting is one special diet topic for which we have received several requests for guidance from schools.  If you have a diabetic child that is unable to count the carbohydrates (carbs) for insulin shots they receive, your school nurse may be able to count carbs for the child.  They are licensed for health care and this duty will likely fall within what their licensure qualifies them to do.  If they do not feel they are qualified or a school nurse is not available, the child’s physician needs to give very specific written instructions for how to fill the child’s plate for each meal or the physician needs to write in the diet request that a registered dietitian be hired to help foodservice.  If you use a cycle menu-the dietitian may not be needed very often-- possibly a one time consultation to review all the menus to determine how much of each food item to give the child each meal and then hired again when new menus are offered or if the doctor changes the diet order to a different amount of carbohydrates.  

Reading labels is very important for food allergies and many foods have many different names when used as ingredients in food products.  Fortunately, a new law went into effect recently that requires allergy labeling for eight of the most common food allergens.  Ninety percent of people with food allergies have an allergy to one of these eight foods.  With the new labeling law, the product must state if it contains the food item and also if the product was prepared at a facility that prepares a food allergen.  This new requirement makes it easier to read labels when watching for the following food allergies:  egg, milk, wheat, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, and soybeans.  However, there are many other foods that children and adults are allergic to that are not required to be listed on the label in a form that is recognizable by consumers and many children and adults with allergies are not able to recognize the ingredients that were derived from food allergens.   If you have a child with a food allergy other than the eight listed above, it is important to have a list of all the possible ingredient names that are composed or derived from the food allergen.  You can then use this list to check against any food products you plan to serve to the allergic child.  Please contact the CANS office if you would like a list of food ingredients to watch for on product labels when serving foods for special diets. 

Sometimes a student will come in with a special diet for which there is not much published information or the guidance is not clearly stated from the USDA.   It is always good to contact our office if you are in doubt how to accommodate special diets and we will help you meet the child’s needs.  

Would you like to learn more about food allergies and food intolerances?  Medline Plus is a government site with excellent information written in easy to understand language and links to many additional sites with more specific information on various aspects of allergies and types of allergies.  The direct link for food allergy information at Medline is      http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/foodallergy.html.

Back to Top

Food Safety Program

While working on your food safety programs, a number of questions have been raised.  One of the most commonly asked questions is:  “How do I know what I need to have in my food safety program”.  There are 3 parts to this: 

1).Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and menu items categorized using the Process Approach to HACCP;

Process Approach Categories:

  • Process 1.  No Cook Process

  • Process 2.  Same Day Service 

  • Process 3.  Complex Process

Click Here for Sample SOPs

REMEMBER:  these are just SAMPLES!! They need to be changed to reflect how you do things are YOUR facility!

(Remember:  Foods are categorized according to how many complete trips a food makes through the temperature danger zone.)

2). Food safety records that support the written program (i.e. Freezer/Cooler Temperature Log, Dishwashing Temperature Log, Food Temperature Log, etc.);

3).  Employee training records that show employees understand their responsibilities in food safety and are actively participating to implement the program (see sample training record below).

Employee Food Safety Training Record

 Date: _____________________________

   Location:  __________________________

Directions:  Use this form to record food safety training provided to employees.   Maintain this record for a minimum of 3 years plus the current year.

 

Employee Name

Length of Training

Training and Materials Provided

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Top

Commodity Processing Items with Whole Grains

We are introducing the following processed items with whole grain breading for your monthly commodity ordering.  We encourage you to try them with your students and let us know how they are accepting them.  These new whole grain breaded items will help you start incorporating whole grains into your menus as recommended by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

TYSON: Whole Grain Breaded Chicken Patties:

Each 3.08 oz fully cooked, breaded chicken patty provides 2.00 oz equivalent meat/meat alternate and 3/4 serving of bread alternate for Child

Nutrition Meal Pattern Requirements.   This is a change from the  regular patty you ordered last year.  Where the breading met one bread alternate.

Whole Grain Breaded Chicken Nuggets:

Five 0.61 oz fully cooked, breaded chunk shaped chicken patties provide 2.00 oz equivalent meat/meat alternate and 3/4 serving of bread alternate for Child Nutrition Meal Pattern Requirements.  This is a change from the regular chicken fingers you ordered last year where the breading met one bread alternate.

Coming Soon:  Café Favorites & Horizon Turnovers will be available in whole grain.

Back to Top

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program continues to operate in 10 schools on the Pine Ridge Reservation.  Children are receiving an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout their school day.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are offered throughout the day to students in many different ways.  Foodservice staffs deliver fruit and/or vegetables to the elementary classrooms often as a morning or afternoon snack.  Middle school and high school students usually have “fruit stations” set up in various areas of the school where they can enjoy fruit/veggies throughout the day.  Most of the schools have salad bars which are after the point of service.  This has proven to be a great place to offer unusual or unrecognized fruits and vegetables for taste testing.

This program is gaining popularity.  South Dakota’s congressional delegation has been asked to support expansion of this program and they are in favor of it….they just have to find a way to fund it.  Hopefully South Dakota will soon be able to offer many more schools the opportunity to participate in the fresh fruit and vegetable program.  In the mean time, be thinking of ways that you could offer students fresh fruits and vegetables.  Maybe once a week you could do a fruit distribution to the elementary schools, then the following week to the middle school and then to the high school.  Could you incorporate some kind of a “tasting tree” area in your cafeteria where students would have the opportunity to taste a new or different type of fruit or vegetable?  Use the “Eat Your Colors” idea and offer white fruits and veggies one week, blue/purple fruits and veggies the next, and so on using red, green, and yellow/orange.  Check out this website to help you get ideas on fruits/vegetables to offer:    http://www.5aday.org/html/colorway/colorway_home.php

Back to Top

MyPyramid Corner: Legumes 

In the guidance for the vegetable group, the new Dietary Guidelines suggest that we eat more dried beans and peas as well as more dark green and orange vegetables.  In the guidance for meat and bean group, the Dietary Guidelines suggest that we choose low fat or lean forms of meats and poultry prepared without added fat by such methods such as baking, grilling, or broiling and that we eat more fish, nuts, seeds, beans and peas.  The typical South Dakota diet of meat and potatoes does not include beans very often but they are a very healthy choice and they can be used as a protein source as the Dietary Guidelines are suggesting.  Beans and rice are an example of a low fat dish that is very healthy and also works for any vegetarian students you may have.  You may already be serving your students beans in foods such as baked beans, soup (chili, black bean soup, split pea soup) refried beans for tacos and burritos, in salads or on the salad bar.  If you would like more information about beans including how to cook them and ideas for how to incorporate them, visit our website at http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans/nutrition/resources.asp.  Once at this Resource page, please scroll down to brochures and click on Power of a Bean.  An additional source of ideas and recipes is the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Handout available at http://www.uwex.edu/ces/wnep/teach/nfspdfs/Beans.pdf. 

Back to Top

Meet Cody Stoeser

Hi, my name is Cody Stoeser.  I am taking over as the new Education Program Specialist for Bob Adams.  Here is a little information about myself.

I was born in Pierre and grew up on a farm 10 miles north of Hayes in Stanley County.  After graduating from Stanley County High School in Ft. Pierre I attended Huron University receiving scholarships to play football.  After one year I transferred to South Dakota State University due to football injuries.  At SDSU I studied economics with a specialization in business.  I graduated from college in December 2004 and started working for the Department of Education in March of 2005. I recently moved from the Data Collection office to the Grants Management office where my new position is.  A few of my hobbies are golfing, playing softball, and Jet Skiing.  I am looking forward to working with all the schools in the state. 

Back to Top

CACFP Basics

Enrollment Forms in the Child and Adult Care Food Program – The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimburses centers and homes for serving nutritious meals to the children or adults in their care.  Many different facilities operate the CACFP, all sharing the common goal of bringing nutritious meals and snacks to participants (Child Care Centers, Family Child Care Homes, After-School Care Programs, Shelters, and Adult Day Care Centers).  Our CACFP Basics this month will cover the topic of enrollment forms.

Each institution is required to establish procedures for collecting and maintaining documentation of the enrollment of each participant at child care centers (except outside school hours centers) and adult day care centers.  For child care centers, such documentation must be updated annually, signed by a parent or legal guardian, and include information on each child’s normal days and hours of care and the meals normally received while in care.  Current enrollment forms containing this information must be collected for all enrolled children (except outside school hours centers).  For the purposes of this requirement, an enrolled child is any child whose meals are claimed for reimbursement.

Two prototype forms have been developed for the collection of this information and the updating of this information on an annual basis.  These prototype forms can be found by clicking on Annual Updating of CACFP Enrollment Forms on the website http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans/cacfp/formsdocs.asp.  The use of either of these forms is optional as long as the form used by the institution is in compliance with the information now required on the forms and as long as they are updated not less than annually.

Back to Top

Kids in the Kitchen -

Wholesome Herbed Pasta

Adapted from Golden Grain Mission pasta web site; as published in Physical Activities and Healthy Snacks for Young Children; Team Nutrition Iowa;

  • 8 oz. egg noodles

  • 3 Tbsp skim milk

  • 1 Tbsp. margarine

  • ¼ cup chopped parsley

  • 1 clove garlic, minced or ¼ tsp. garlic powder

  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning blend

  • ½ tsp. onion powder

1)      Cook noodles according to package directions.

2)      Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepan.  Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minute, stirring occasionally.

3)      Toss with pasta and serve immediately.

Snack Idea (1-5 year olds):

            ¼ cup Wholesome Herbed Pasta and ½ cup strawberries.

Back to Top

Kids on the Move -

Mulberry bush

From Physical Activities and Healthy Snacks for Young Children; Team Nutrition Iowa;

Arrange the children in a circle with 2 feet or more between children.

For the chorus sing “Here we go around the mulberry bush, mulberry bush, mulberry bush, (repeat twice), this is the way we _________, so early in the morning.”  Alternate verses and the chorus.

  • Touch our toes

  • Hop on one foot

  • Jump in the air

  • Run in place

  • Bend our knees

  • Twist our hips

Back to Top

Initial Carryover of Previous Year's Eligibility

With the start of school, school officials are busy determining household eligibility for free and reduced price meals. As a reminder, once approved for free or reduced price benefits, a household will remain eligible for those benefits for a maximum of 30 days after the first operating day in the subsequent school year or when a new eligibility determination is made in the new school year, whichever comes first.  As in the past, a new eligibility determination in the current year supersedes the carryover eligibility.  This provision does not apply when the initial eligibility determination was incorrect or when verification of household eligibility does not support the level of benefits for which the household was approved.

The household is no longer required to report changes in circumstances, such as an increase in income of $50 per month ($600 annually), a decrease in household size or when the household is no longer certified eligible for food stamps or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). 

 Households may continue to apply for benefits any time during the school year.  This provision does not apply to households who are provided  “temporary” approvals.  We continue to encourage determining officials to approve households on a temporary basis when their need for assistance appears to be short-term, such as when the household reports zero income or a temporary reduction in income.  In general, a suggested time limit for temporary approval is 45 calendar days.  At the end of the temporary approval, school officials must re-evaluate the household’s situation.

Back to Top

Parent Outreach Brochure RE: Wellness Policy

Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) is an advocacy group for nutrition programs.  They created a Parent Outreach Brochure to encourage more parents to get involved in creating local wellness policies for their school district.

The brochure is located next to their  Wellness Guide at http://www.frac.org/html/federal_food_programs/programs/ school_wellness.html and was designed for parents who may not be aware of the opportunities that exist for them to get involved in this important process. 

Schools are now putting their policies into place, and all policies should be in a constant state of improvement and revision so there is still time to recruit more parents to get involved. We believe local wellness policies will be stronger and more effective if they include input from parents.

The brochure also emphasizes the importance of making afterschool and summer programming a part of the wellness policy.  If you would like a copy of the brochure in a Publisher format to add your own contact information, email abylander@frac.org.

Back to Top

Nutrition Class to be Offered Through SDSU

A one credit nutrition class is being offered through SDSU in partnership with Child & Adult Nutrition Services (CANS) called Nutrition Update through the Dakota Digital Network.  The class begins in September--we are in the site selection process with site applications due September 1st.  The class is a great way to learn more about nutrition, learn ideas for marketing nutrition to your students and gain skills for mini-grant writing.   The class begins September 21st and will be offered from 4:30-6:40 Central time for 9 weeks.  More information is available at http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans/nutrition/trainingandassistance.asp .   

Back to Top

Bimetallic Stem Thermometer

  • Place 2-2½" deep in thickest part of food

  • Can be used in roasts, casseroles, and soups

  • Temperature is averaged along probe, from tip to 2-3" up the stem

  • Cannot measure thin foods unless inserted sideways

  • Not designed to remain in food while it is cooking

  • Use to check the internal temperature of a food at the end of cooking time

  • Purchase models that can be calibrated; check with your vendor on specific models

  • Readily available in stores

How to Calibrate a Bimetallic Stem Thermometer

Fill a 2 qt. measuring cup/bowl with ice.  Add clean tap water to within 1 inch of the top of the container. Stir mixture well.  Let ice/water mixture sit for one minute.  Place thermometer stem through the stem sheath. (this is your calibration tool). The “hex hole” on the stem sheath will fit tightly around the hex adjusting nut. The thermometer should rest so that the sensing area of the stem is completely submerged (make sure it is over the dimple on the stem) a minimum of 2 inches into the ice water mixture.  Don’t let the thermometer stem touch the sides or the bottom of the container.  Keep the thermometer in the ice water mixture for a minimum of 30 seconds before adjusting.  Without removing the stem from the ice, and making sure that the stem sheath is placed around the hex nut, grab the head of the thermometer with one hand and turn the stem sheath with the other hand until the dial reads 32º F.  Repeat the process with each thermometer.  Record necessary information on your facility’s thermometer calibration log (see sample below)

Thermometer Calibration Log

Instructions:  Foodservice employees will record the calibration temperature and corrective action taken, if applicable, on the Thermometer Calibration Log each a time thermometer is calibrated.  The foodservice manager will verify that foodservice employees are using and calibrating thermometers properly by making visual observations of employee activities during all hours of operation.  The foodservice manager will review and initial the log daily.  Maintain this log for a minimum of 1 year.

 

Date

Thermometer

Being Calibrated

Temperature Reading

Corrective Action

Initials

Manager Initials/Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Top

The Bulletin Board

Check out the CANS homepage at http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans/index.asp.

FOR SALE:  Brand new convection oven.  Never used.  Contact Mary Kirk at 605-224-6603 from the Oahe Child Development in Pierre.

Check out School Success Stories on the Team Nutrition website for what schools across the nation and our state are doing to promote healthy meals and physical activity.

Don’t miss an important date.  Click here to check out the Calendar on the CANS website.

Back to Top