CALL FOR PRESENTERS and EDUCATIONAL SESSION PROPOSALS for the
2023 OSNA STATE CONFERENCE
Have a topic you are an expert at?! We are looking for YOU! We are looking for speakers for breakout sessions at the OSNA Conference March 10 and 11 2023!
The OSNA board is seeking educational session proposals related to child nutrition programs. We are looking for Disney themed topics from customer service, food safety, dealing with difficult conversations, USDA meal pattern, procurement, and everything in between. If you have an idea you think would benefit the school meal community, LET’S HEAR IT.
If you are interested in organizing and presenting an educational session, please submit the form below:
If you have never done a presentation, don’t worry. We are here to help walk you through the process and give you strategies so your session shines!
Please be aware that OSNA does not pay for educational session speakers. We are a non-profit volunteer organization committed to the education and training of our members. We do offer free registration for our speakers and the gift of giving back to the school meal community in Oregon.
We have a Rolling Deadline, submit your proposals early!
The 2023 OSNA board will review all proposals and will inform the proposal contact person by end of November 2022, if the proposal has been accepted. If you have any questions regarding the program proposal submission process, please email your question to: kleung@ttsd.k12.or.us
Thank you for your time and consideration in helping further and advance school meals in Oregon!
In July, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service served up this inspiring story on Prospect Charter School’s experience obtaining new cooking equipment for their school kitchen:
As any parent can attest, the ability to get nutritio
us food on the table fast is key. But when you’re cooking for not just your family but a whole school – efficiency is everything.
That’s why something as simple as some new, highly efficient cooking equipment can make a world of a difference for school nutrition professionals, dedicated to getting healthy and tasty meals to the children in their care each day.
Prospect Charter School, a small school district in the southern part of Oregon, received a U.S. Department of Agriculture National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grant for fiscal year 2019. These funds allow schools to purchase equipment to serve healthier meals and improve food safety.
The school district had tried to use the grant funding before the deadline, but due to supply chain issues, they were unable to get the equipment in time. Despite this, the Oregon Department of Education’s worked with Food and Nutrition Service to come up with a way to extend the funding so the school could use their grant to purchase a new stove.
“The staff love the new stove! Much more efficient. Instead of 45 minutes to boil water, it is 10,” said the school’s Business Manager Sheri Eary. “They have access to four burners now and two ovens that actually work!”
School meal programs help provide critical nutrition to students, while exposing them to healthy foods and nurturing healthy habits they can carry throughout their lives. Equipment grants are one of many resources USDA offers to help schools operate successful meal programs.
Oregon Department of Education Child Nutrition Specialist Jennifer Parenteau said, “My personal goal for equipment grants is to award every dollar to Oregon sponsors who need equipment like Prospect [School District] did.”
ODE’s Child Nutrition Program is seeking a School Team Manager, Child Nutrition Program (Principal Executive/Manager D).
The position manages and supervises the School Nutrition Program Section of the Child Nutrition Programs and staff to ensure compliance with Federal and State requirements. This includes: implementation, monitoring, evaluation, coordination, and maintenance of programs; liaison with USDA Special Nutrition Programs at the region and headquarters level; assurance that the division conforms to State and Federal regulations; the production of policies and procedures affecting sponsoring organizations; development of cost control measures to assure expenditures are within budget; coordination with partners to ensure efficient and effective service delivery.
Apply online by Aug. 7.
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The OSNA Directory reaches the state’s 500 school nutrition directors, managers and buyers with distribution at OSNA’s October Industry Seminar & USDA Foods Show and its annual March State Conference. OSNA also makes available a digital version on its website. Advertisers receive: * Premium positions viewed by Oregon’s school nutrition directors and buyers all year long * Free Supplier Section listings, with live links to your website and email in the digital version posted on the OSNA website (www.osna.us) * Budget-friendly ad pricing and free assistance with graphic design The up-to-date and fully indexed OSNA Directory provides comprehensive contact information for Oregon’s public school districts, private schools and residential child care institutions enrolled in the National Lunch and Breakfast Programs. The Suppliers Section features full contact information and company descriptions, reserved for advertisers only. Showcase your company’s latest products and services to your target buyers with a well-placed advertisement in this year’s annual desk-top resource. Find out how by downloading the 2022-2023 OSNA Directory Advertising Order Forms today! OSNA Directory advertisers also have an exclusive opportunity to advertise in OSNA’s monthly e-newsletter, School Meal Scoop. Download the Digital Ad Specs Sheet here. |
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AD SPACE & MATERIALS DUE: August 26, 2022
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The North Santiam School District is searching for a dynamic leader with a wealth of knowledge in leading a successful district-wide nutrition services program. Successful candidates for the position of Director of Food Services will perform managerial and supervisory duties operating a district-wide food service operation, and collaborate with others in the school, school district, and community to operate a successful district nutrition program that complies with all state and federal regulations and district policy.
For a full job description and to apply online, click here.
Centennial School District has a job opening for an Executive Chef/Wellness Coordinator.
The purpose of this position is to provide a diverse, nutritious, and robust culinary experience for Centennial students, nutrition education opportunities for students, provide recipe development, training, and technical assistance to the food service staff and lead the District’s Healthy Active Schools Program. This includes coordination with all schools, internal partners such as SUN Community School Program, the school board, the PTA, student groups, and the school-based health center steering committee to develop, adopt, and/or implement school district policies and system/environmental changes that promote healthy eating and physical activity in school environments. The Executive Chef/Wellness Coordinator is responsible to set project goals that align with the Healthy Active Schools Action Plan; to coordinate the development, adoption and implementation of the project objectives; and to help monitor progress and quality outcomes.
Click https://centennial.tedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=2932 to apply online and read the full job description.
The OSNA Director’s meeting is rebooting in Bend on June 22!
This meeting is at no cost for member District Directors. Please register using this link.
The agenda will be emailed out to registered directors/admins and is slated to include a walk-through of the Bend-LaPine SD operations, updates from the Farm to School team, and more!
Register ASAP and before June 10.
Kudos to Gia Saporito and all of the McMinnville School District school nutrition heroes for getting a big shout out from USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in its May “At the Table: Western Region” newsletter! FNS wrote:
“In Oregon, the McMinnville School District celebrated National Nutrition Month and National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) by sharing photos on social media and showcasing elements of their awesome nutrition program. For example, all of McMinnville’s elementary schools offer breakfast in the classroom and use reusable bowls and silverware at lunch to help reduce paper and plastic waste. Additionally, McMinnville High School makes homemade, protein-rich entrees for breakfast every day; the Savory Egg Cup meal is a fan favorite. During NSBW, the school district raffled off a free pair of headphones at each of their middle schools and high school. The students were so excited that breakfast participation increased 40%! And for St. Patrick’s Day, the nutrition staff served green produce for snacks to elementary school students all week long via the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.”
In celebration of School Lunch Hero Day on May 6, the School Nutrition Association (SNA) recognized the widespread efforts of school nutrition professionals across the country who ensure all students have access to healthy meals.
School Lunch Hero Day (SLHD) is a chance to stop and recognize the year-round efforts of school nutrition professionals. Whether creating special menu items and decorating the cafeteria for spirit days or increasing opportunities for children to be nourished and being a supportive, friendly face in the lunch line, these women and men go above and beyond.
“Supply chain issues and staffing shortages have presented persistent challenges for school nutrition professionals, but it does not stop them from having a positive impact on their students and ensuring all who go through their cafeteria lines get a nutritious meal,” said SNA President Beth Wallace, MBA, SNS. “The dedication shown by these school lunch heroes during the last two years of the pandemic has been astounding and inspiring.”
As part of the celebration, school nutrition employees, managers and directors were nominated for awards at the state level, and those winners were considered for awards within seven regions across the country.
Of those regional winners announced on May 3, our own Lori Dyson, school nutrition director at Estacada School District, was awarded SNA’s 2022 Northwest Employee of the Year. Congratulations, Lori! Well-deserved recognition!