The Oregon Dairy Council‘s fall edition of the School Wellness Newsletter is available for download from the OSNA website. The theme is “Stepping into the New School Year” and articles highlight activity before, during and after school. Also, check out the tasty breakfast recipe from Food Hero. Links for more information are in bold print in the articles.
A Kitchen Manager position is available immediately at Sauvie Island Academy. This position is responsible for all aspects of the National School Lunch Program and Recordkeeping: Menu Planning, Recipes, Food Production Sheets, etc. This position will be responsible for ensuring kitchen and cafeteria sanitation, as well as complying with proper food safety standards and guidelines. The kitchen manager/cook will be given an annual budget for planning, ordering and production of daily lunches that meet the NSLP standards and guidelines.
This is a one school/one person kitchen position with management and oversight and implementation the National School Lunch Program, Commodities, opening and closing procedures of the kitchen, menu planning, weekly on-line ordering from vendors, daily preparation and serving of food for three lunches (approx. 125 lunches/day) and regular recordkeeping and reporting for the NSLP.
The position is full-time (183 days a school year), and the salary is $21,112 (negotiable depending on years/level of experience).
Visit the school’s Career page for more information and to download an application form.
We want encourage you to opt-in for the Oregon Farm to School & School Garden Grants, which will provide funds for your district to purchase Oregon foods! The deadline to opt-in is Friday, September 11, 2015.
It’s easy to sign up! First, watch the recorded training video. Second, fill out the survey application.
For more information, please visit the grant website.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Sept. 8 that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be awarding over $8 million in grants to help school nutrition professionals better prepare healthy meals for their students. Approximately $2.6 million dollars in grants will support implementation of new national professional standards for all school nutrition employees who manage and operate the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, and $5.6 million will go to help states expand and enhance food service training programs and provide nutrition education in school, child care, and summer meal settings.
“For the past three years, kids have eaten healthier breakfasts, lunches and snacks at school thanks to the bipartisan Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which made the first meaningful improvements to the nutrition of foods and beverages served in cafeterias and sold in vending machines in 30 years. Nearly all schools are successfully meeting the standards, and these grants part of our ongoing commitment to give states and schools the additional resources they need,” said Vilsack. “Parents, teachers, principals, and school nutrition professionals want the best for their children. Together we can make sure we’re giving our kids the healthy start in life they deserve.”
In February, USDA announced national professional standards for school nutrition employees that went into effect on July 1, 2015. These standards, which vary according to position and job requirements, ensure that school nutrition professionals have the training and skills they need to plan, prepare, purchase, and promote healthy meals. In addition to several built-in flexibilities intended to facilitate the first year of implementation and address the challenges faced by smaller school districts, USDA is providing a total of $2.6 million to 19 state agencies to develop and enhance existing trainings within their state that will allow school nutrition professionals to meet these standards. The Professional Standards Training Grants promote training in nutrition; operations; administration; and communications and marketing.
In addition, 19 states received a 2015 Team Nutrition Training Grant of up to $350,000 – $5.6 million in total – to support trainings that focus on encouraging healthy eating. Those efforts could include:
- using Smarter Lunchrooms strategies that use principles from behavioral economics to encourage healthy choices,
- meeting meal pattern requirements for school meals,
- delivering interactive nutrition education activities, and
- providing schools and child care providers with technical assistance to create and maintain a healthier environment.
Grants activities must be sustainable and achieve measurable outcomes. For example, the Oregon Department of Education will use the grant funds to hold 10 Smarter Lunchroom workshops on strategies for arranging the lunchroom that promote healthy choices. As a result, at least 120 school food authorities and child nutrition program sponsors will receive training and follow-up assistance. A summary of previous years’ grant activities by state can be found at the Team Nutrition Training Grants website.
The Team Nutrition Training Grants are awarded as part of USDA’s Team Nutrition initiative, which provides resources, training, and nutrition education lessons for schools and child care providers. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Team Nutrition initiative. In that time, Team Nutrition has provided nearly $90 million in grant funds to state agencies that implement USDA Child Nutrition Programs.
The National School Lunch Week theme, “School Lunch Snapshot,” is all about embracing photo-sharing to convey the message that today’s school lunches are healthy, appetizing, and feature fresh fruits and veggies.
OSNA members are encouraged to whip out their cameras and smartphones during Lunch Week to capture the spirit of school lunch – healthy foods, smiling faces, creative innovations, friendly staff, and balanced trays.
During the entire month of October, you can submit your best photos online for a chance to win a special prize pack. Photos will be judged by a panel of food photography and marketing experts. The winning photos will be published online to the SNA website and Facebook page!
The contest opens up on October 1. Visit the School Nutrition Associations website to download official rules and to submit photos online.
Enter the NSLW Feedback Sweepstakes online, and tell the School Nutrition Association about your plans for NSLW. When you submit your answers you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win over 700 NSLW stickers for your students!
At the end of September and October, SNA will randomly draw 10 prize winners. All winners will NSLW sticker sheets.
The deadline for all your feedback is October 31, 2015 – but enter by September 30 and your stickers will be delivered in time for NSLW. Members who participate may also have their event or idea selected to appear in School Nutrition magazine.
October 12-15, 2015 is the week to celebrate the nation’s school lunch program! This year’s National School Lunch Week (NSLW) theme is “School Lunch Snapshot.” It’s about sharing the best, real images of today’s school lunch—fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, milk, and smiling students. It provides a great opportunity for SNA members to capitalize on using social media to promote your program to parents and students, too!
The NSLW 2015 Toolkit is full of creative ideas, and tips to make organizing your celebration simple. Download it from the School Nutrition Association website today!