July 30, 2009—The arrival of August means the start of back to school season and an opportunity for a fresh start. The August issue of School Nutrition, SNA’s award-winning flagship publication, takes a look at programs and policies that you might consider implementing or tailoring for your own district’s needs.
In this issue, you’ll also meet Dora Rivas, SNS, the 2009-2010 SNA president. Rivas, who currently works in Dallas, Texas, brings a passion for child nutrition and a desire to mentor up-and-coming leaders to her new role. Get to know SNA’s talented new leader in “From Farm to School.”
Next, take an in-depth look at charge policies and the challenging moral and ethical dilemma they pose for school nutrition professionals in “Final Notice!” Learn what techniques other directors have employed and how you can address questions from parents and the media on the subject of your district’s policies.
When it comes to food trends, some of the hottest these days—sometimes literally!—are Hispanic dishes. In “Got Tacos?” discover why, unlike most other ethnic cuisines, there is nothing inherently unhealthy about Hispanic cuisine. Also, check out some creative ways that you might consider serving some of the culture’s popular dishes to your students.
School Nutrition - August 2009
July 29, 2009 - The Government Accountability Office released a report on Friday, July 17th that detailed the findings of a study it conducted on states and school districts that eliminated the reduced price category (ERP) for school meals. The report found that in most cases, participation in the school nutrition programs increased among students who are eligible for reduced-priced meals when the $0.40 fee was eliminated. Implementing ERP also caused a decrease in the burden placed on staff to collect unpaid meal fees.
While the states and districts that implemented an ERP program were required to absorb the cost of the reduced price fees, the study found that increased participation brought in additional funds from federal reimbursements. Those funds offset the costs of providing the program.
To view a full copy of the report, please visit the link below.
GAO Report: School Meals Programs – Experiences of the States and Districts that Eliminated Reduced-price Fees
July 23, 2009 - The USDA’s Economic Research Service released two reports that look at the federal child nutrition programs.
The first report examines participation in the School Breakfast Program. The report found that participation in the School Breakfast Program is much less common than participation in the National School Lunch Program, even among children with access to both programs. Students are more likely to participate when breakfast is served in the classroom, when time available for breakfast in school is longer, and when they come from lower income or time-constrained households. Children with access to the School Breakfast Program are more likely to eat breakfast in the morning and that program access may enhance food security among families at the margin of food insecurity.
This report looked at third grade public school students using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey – Kindergarten Cohort and from the Wisconsin School Food Security Survey. This report. The study was conducted by the University of Wisconsin – Madison under a cooperative research agreement.
The second report focused on the relationship between school meal participation, dietary patterns and childhood overweight. Using data from the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment (SNDA) III Study, the report examined the relationship between school meal participation and a student’s body mass index (BMI). The report found that National School Lunch Program participation was not significantly related to BMI. The report also found that students who participated in the School Breakfast Program had significantly lower BMI than non-participating students.
School Breakfast Program: Participation and Impacts
School Meal Program Participation and its Association with Dietary Patterns and Childhood Obesity
July 22, 2009 -- All good things must come to an end and, unfortunately, so did this year’s Annual National Conference (ANC) in Las Vegas. If you were among the many school nutrition professionals in attendance, you know that this year’s event was filled with fresh ideas, good times, new and old friends and, most importantly, fond memories. To help you preserve these memories for years to come, this year SNA and EZ Event Photography are offering keepsake print photos of ANC activities, exhibits and other conference excitement. With hundreds of images to choose from (sorted by event), you may find candids of yourself, your coworkers, your friends and many of your favorite moments. You can select either print photos (8x10, 5x7 or 4x6) or digital files (via e-mail or CD). To view and order photos, visit www.ezeventphotography.com/login.php, and type in “ANC” as both the login and password. Also, if you didn’t make it to every session you wanted to at ANC, handouts of many of this year’s education session presentations are still available online for download. To print handouts for your favorite sessions or ones you missed, visit the ANC 2009 Presentations page. Finally, be sure to mark your calendar for ANC in the Big D, July 11–14, 2010, and stay tuned to SchoolNutrition.org for conference information!
ANC 2009 Photos ANC 2009 Session Handouts ANC 2010
July 20, 2009 — SNA has learned of the passing of school nutrition advocate Robert J. Freiler, on Saturday, July 18, in Pottsville, Pa. Freiler was 87. For six decades, Freiler was a champion for children through his service in a variety of state and federal government positions. He served as director for the Pennsylvania Bureau of Government Donated Food from 1959 to 1971, when he joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 1972, he was named Mid-Atlantic Regional Director for Special Nutrition Programs.
Under Freiler's leadership, Pennsylvania had the first state distributing agency to enter into a processing contract for the National School Lunch Program. Participation in this program—which has swelled to approximately $1 billion in USDA commodities--gives schools access to a broader selection of nutritionally sound, well-accepted meal items while keeping labor costs to a minimum. He also played a key role in making fresh, fluid milk available to schools in Puerto Rico, helping to negotiate an agreement that would provide for milk coolers and refrigerated trucks. For these and other innovations, Freiler was named 2004 Silver Friend of Child Nutrition by the FAME (Foodservice Achievement Management Excellence) Awards selection committee.
Freiler also was a corporal in the U.S. Army, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and helping to liberate concentration camps in Germany. He received three Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. Online condolences may be sent to bestlifetributes.com.
July 17, 2009 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it will purchase up to $14.7 million worth of cultivated blueberry products for the federal nutrition assistance programs, including the school nutrition programs.
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) purchases a variety of high-quality food products each year to support the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program and the Emergency Food Assistance Program. USDA also makes emergency food purchases for distribution to victims of natural disasters.
Government food experts work to ensure that all food items purchased are nutritious and healthful. Items are required to be low in fat, sugar, and sodium. Food items must also meet specified grade requirements for and be USDA-certified to ensure quality. Only products of 100% domestic origin are purchased.
Secretary Vilsack Announces Purchase of Up to $14.7 Million of Blueberry Products for Federal Nutrition Assistance Programs
July 15, 2009 -- USDA's Food and Nutrition Service has published the reimbursement rates for the 2009-10 school year. The rates are effective as of July 1, 2009.
The basic rate (Section 4 and Section 11 funds) for lunch in the 48 contiguous states is 25¢ - an increase of one cent from last school year. Free lunches will be reimbursed at $2.68 per meal - up from $2.57 last year. Reduced price lunch reimbursement is now $2.28 up from $2.17 last year.
Paid breakfast reimbursement rates went up one cent to 26¢ and free breakfast is now $1.46 while reduced-price breakfast is now $1.16 in non-severe need districts. In severe need districts, free breakfast is now $1.74 and reduced-price breakfast is $1.44. Paid breakfast is reimbursed at $0.26 a meal.
To review the rate charts and notices including new reimbursement rates for Alaska and Hawaii, please see Related Links.
SY 2009-2010 Reimbursement Rates
June 26, 2009 – “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade,” encourages a popular cliché, offering a solution for looking on the bright side when things seem less than ideal. In the wake of the current economic downtown, making lemonade is just what the School Nutrition Association (SNA) did in 2008-09.
SNA announces the release of its 2008-09 Annual Report. The report details many of the year’s highlights, including SNA’s legislative work on Capitol Hill. SNA’s efforts helped to ensure that the federal economic stimulus package passed early in 2009 included $100 million in grants for school kitchen equipment. In addition, to bring home the importance of SNA’s priorities in a reauthorization year for federal child nutrition programs, SNA’s legislative team held numerous briefings about its reauthorization priorities with congressional staff and committees, as well as key allied organizations.
Other key milestones in 2008 included a record number of media impressions—SNA’s messages reached an audience of 137 million households—and the announcement of the winner of the three-year “Vote for School Lunch” National School Lunch Week campaign, Pete Pizza. SNA’s educational opportunities for its members also expanded during 2008-09, as both an internship program for students interested in school nutrition careers and an improved online education program, School Nutrition University (SNU), debuted.
To review these stories and more, see related links for a copy of SNA's Annual Report, available exclusively as a downloadable PDF. Print out your own copy today.
2008-2009 Annual Report (pdf)
July 7, 2009 -- The School Nutrition Association (SNA) Nominating Committee met last week in Las Vegas to select a slate of candidates for the 2009 election ballot.
After carefully studying the biographical information, supporting documents and goals for each candidate, the Nominating Committee selected the following official slate of candidates for the 2009 SNA ballot. Winners of this year’s election will serve on the 2010-2012 SNA Board of Directors and will be installed at SNA’s 64th Annual National Conference, to be held July 11–14, 2010 in Dallas.
If you have any questions about the SNA Board of Directors and Nominating Committee Regional Representatives election slate, please contact SNA.
Contact: Erik Peterson
(703) 739-7300, ext. 124
epeterson@schoolnutrition.org
Las Vegas, Nev. (July 2, 2009) – During the closing session of the School Nutrition Association’s 63nd Annual National Conference, over 5,500 members and participants welcomed a new president of the Association. Dora Rivas MS, RD, LD, SNS. Executive Director of Food and Child Nutrition Services (FCNS) for the Dallas Independent School District in Texas, became the 62nd president of the Association.
Rivas has worked in the school nutrition arena for 34 years. In January 2005, Dora began working for Dallas ISD after working for 27 years with the Brownsville, Tex. ISD school nutrition department and for 19 years served as Brownsville Independent School District’s Food & Nutrition Service Department Administrator.
Dora received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Food and Nutrition from Texas A & I in Kingsville, TX (now A & M) and her Master of Science degree in Institutional Management from the Department of Restaurant and Institutional Management at Kansas State University in 1980. She is certified with the Texas Association for School Nutrition and credentialed as a School Nutrition Specialist with the School Nutrition Association, and is also a Registered Dietitian with the American Dietetic Association.
Prior to becoming president of SNA, Dora served as President-Elect and Vice President of the School Nutrition Association after serving as a member of the Membership Committee in 2005-06. She has served as the Chair of the SNA Public Policy and Legislation Committee and was the 1995-1996 president of the Texas Association for School Nutrition, having been on Board of Directors for the organization as an officer since 1980. Dora is also a member of the American Dietetic Association, where she participates in the School Nutrition Services Dietetic Practice Group.
Under Dora Rivas’ leadership, Brownsville ISD Food Service Department was awarded the TSFSA’s Program of Excellence Award in 1991 and in 2001 the Texas School Food Service Association recognized the department’s renewal of “Program of Excellence” status. While at Brownsville, the department was also awarded a USDA Best Practice Award in the areas of innovative menu planning, strategic planning and increasing breakfast participation.
In 2000, Dora received the Foodservice Achievement in Management Excellence (FAME) Golden Star Award and Southwest Region & Texas Director of the Year Awards in 2005. Dora was a recipient of the Silver Plate Award in 2005, sponsored by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA.) In July 2006, the Dallas ISD FCNS under her leadership earned the designation of District of Excellence in Child Nutrition from the School Nutrition Association.
Rivas was named president at the final session of the SNA conference in Las Vegas. The SNA Annual National Conference, June 29 – July 2, 2009, featured over 5,500 school nutrition professionals and school foodservice industry members participating in over 80 education sessions, the school nutrition industry’s largest exhibit hall and guest speakers including best selling author Jeannette Walls.
SNA (http://www.schoolnutrition.org) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing more than 55,000 members who provide high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the country. The association and its members are dedicated to feeding children safe and nutritious meals. Founded in 1946, SNA is the only association devoted exclusively to protecting and enhancing children’s health and well being through school meals and sound nutrition education.
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