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Bulletin Board – Random Informational Postings from SNA-WI
The Wisconsin School Breakfast Programs Website has moved!
For more updated resources on school breakfast programs and a new and improved site, please visit: (note the ‘old’ website is no longer valid… if you have included the old website in any of your resource databases, please update it with the new URL).
http://fyi.uwex.edu/wischoolbreakfast/
Wisconsin School Breakfast Programs is also on FACEBOOK.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Wisconsin-School-Breakfast-Programs/370095184703?ref=ts
A bill pending in the U.S. Senate would improve nutrition standards for school meals, and administrators are on board
By Kathy Walsh Nufer • Post-Crescent staff writer • April 5, 2010
Fox Cities school administrators, food service directors and parents see legislation to raise the level of nutrition, access and safety of school lunches as a hopeful sign for the kids they educate.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which was passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee on March 24 and is headed to the Senate floor for a vote this spring, pours an additional $4.5 billion into child nutrition programs over the next decade, and is touted for sweeping changes it would make.
Among key provisions in the bill, which updates the Child Nutrition Act initially passed in 1966, are a directive to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to set new nutrition standards for not only school lunches but food served in school vending machines.
It also includes such safety initiatives as faster warnings to schools about recalls of contaminated food and improved training for cafeteria staff that participate in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs feeding close to 31 million U.S. children per day.
Monica Pomasl, Aramark food service director with the Appleton Area School District, said the bill bolsters many of the efforts already under way to improve school lunches.
"Overall, it's really moving in the right direction," she said.
Getting word out
The bill comes at a time when nutrition is getting a lot of press and more people with clout are paying attention to what children eat in school, Pomasl said.
"I think there's a lot of awareness being brought to the table because of Michelle Obama's initiative to prevent childhood obesity and (chef) Jamie Oliver's 'Food Revolution,'" she said. "School nutrition is so much in everybody's face right now, which is not a bad thing."
Dr. Bill Farrow, a Kaukauna parent, dentist and long-time advocate for improved nutrition in his district's lunches, agreed the bill is a solid start.
"Anything to move us in that direction is a positive," he said. "You don't have to look around much to see very important health concerns, from childhood obesity to tooth decay.
"We're seeing a lot more issues than we should (in dentistry) and a lot of it is diet-related."
Greater focus on early nutrition has long-term implications for the health of society, Farrow said, and health care reform.
"Improving children's diet and exercise and their overall outlook on what it means to eat healthy foods can pay dividends and put less pressure on our health care system, and it often starts in the school setting," Farrow said.
Already on radar
Several Fox Valley school systems have been working toward healthier lunches and a healthier school climate.
Appleton, for example, has been gradually building participation in breakfast programs, started a summer meals program in 2009 and has improved its menus to include less fat, more fresh produce and more whole grains wherever possible.
The school district's nutrition policy does not allow vending sales of sugary snacks and soft drinks on school grounds, and nonvending sales of candy and sugary drinks is allowed only outside the school day.
Much groundwork has been laid up to now, said Pomasl, "But I think we will be looking deeper into menu development overall" as a result of this bill.
Doug Dahm, principal of Clovis Grove Elementary School in Menasha, sees the benefits of Menasha's initiatives to improve nutrition, healthy eating education and access, and thinks the new bill could move things along even faster.
He cited efforts to grow breakfast program participation and classroom education on healthy food choices, plus "programming" menus so kids have an opportunity to try new foods.
"I think it (legislation) would reinforce what we're doing already," said Dahm, adding that for schools to do their job, "It is important for us to have every kid come to class fed a nutritionally balanced meal."
Sound nutrition is that important to learning and well being, he said.
"A healthy breakfast and lunch are absolutely essential to make a difference in the level of performance for kiddos," he said.
Chartwells, which provides school meals in the Menasha and Kaukauna school districts, said in an e-mailed statement it agrees with the changes.
"Chartwells is pleased that the U.S. Congress is addressing childhood obesity. We look forward to our continued partnership in the health and well-being of students in the communities in which we serve."
Getting agreement
As for safety initiatives in the bill, Pomasl said Aramark has stringent guidelines now, and the support of local agencies and health departments.
"All staff go through food safety training to make sure food is handled properly," she said. "Aramark suppliers and primary vendors meet and exceed standards for procurement. But we can always be more safe."
There are concerns about details still to be worked out in the bill, particularly when strengthening nutrition standards.
"There could be a lot of debate on what the nutrition standards should be," Pomasl said.
Schools that adopt and implement the new standards would get an additional 6 cents per meal added to their federal reimbursement rate.
That will be a challenge, Farrow said. "People are very sensitive about what they eat and how much. It's hard to get people to agree."
A key goal of the bill is to increase the number of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Access has been a frustration, said Pomasl, because lower-income families that don't quite meet the poverty threshold don't qualify for free and reduced-prices meals.
"I do think it's a good thing to expand this when you look at the number of children out there who aren't getting meals because they fall just outside (income criteria) to receive assistance, but there are still hardships at home."
An intriguing "green" possibility in the bill is its farm-to-school initiatives to bring more locally grown food into schools.
"One of our goals is to incorporate more of that concept into our school district and we're just starting to make connections," Pomasl said.
Kathy Walsh Nufer: 920-993-1000, ext. 290, or knufer@postcrescent.com
U.S. Rep. Kind rolls out comprehensive obesity bill
4/6/2010
Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) will unveil his recently authored bipartisan legislation to comprehensively fight obesity, during a statewide event Tuesday, April 6, at 10:30 a.m.
According to the Center for Disease Control, 73 percent of adults and 43 percent of children in this country are overweight, obese, or severely obese. In 2008, 32 states reported obesity rates of 25 percent or more.
The Healthy CHOICES Act is the first legislation of its kind that brings together the grocery industry, the health care industry, and government to comprehensively fight the obesity epidemic. The bill is also significant in that it takes a holistic approach to combating obesity with provisions that address various sources contributing to unhealthy lifestyles. Provisions include: i ncreasing access to the tools and education to make healthy choices, updating nutrition guidelines and providing more nutritious food in schools, increasing access to nutritional information and healthy, affordable foods in rural and low-income urban areas, improving access to and opportunity for physical activity for adults and children, and providing more opportunities to participate in outdoor physical activities, including as a means of transportation
Kind Introduces Comprehensive Legislation to Tackle Obesity
Helps Make the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice
Washington, DC. – U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) today unveiled his recently authored bipartisan legislation to comprehensively fight obesity, with local stakeholders during an event in La Crosse.
“Making the healthy choice the easy choice for our families is essential to ensuring our quality of life,” said Rep. Kind. “Easier access to the tools and education to prevent and treat obesity; affordable, nutritious food to promote a balanced diet; and an increased emphasis on physical activity to maintain our overall health is critical to achieving a healthy lifestyle. I am pleased to work on legislation that helps us do this and excited that the Administration is focusing on this important issue this year.”
The Healthy CHOICES Act, (The Healthy Communities through Helping to Offer Incentives to Everyone in Society (CHOICES) Act), is the first legislation of its kind that brings together the grocery industry, the health care industry, and government to comprehensively fight the obesity epidemic, currently affecting the lives of over 60 percent of adults and over 9 million children nationwide.
The bill is also significant in that it takes a comprehensive approach to combating obesity with provisions that address various sources contributing to unhealthy lifestyles. Provisions include: increasing access to the tools and education to make healthy choices, updating nutrition guidelines and providing more nutritious food in schools, increasing access to nutritional information and healthy, affordable foods in rural and low income urban areas, improving access to and opportunity for physical activity for adults and children, and providing more opportunities to participate in outdoor physical activities, including as a means of transportation.
Rep. Kind was joined by local stakeholders Linda Lee, La Crosse County Health Department; Alida Herling, Assistant Professor Nutrition/Dietetics at Viterbo University; Bill Soper Executive Director YMCA La Crosse; Melanie Healy the instructor of “Creating a Healthy and Active Lifestyle” within the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse Department of Exercise and Sports Medicine; and Theresa Marquez from Organic Valley.
“I applaud Congressman Kind’s efforts to address the obesity problem in our nation in a comprehensive fashion,” said Linda Lee, Nutrition Manager, La Crosse County Health Department. “Obesity is a multifaceted health issue thus no one strategy offers a solution – a coordinated approach at many different levels of our society is needed to address the issue.”
“The La Crosse Area Family YMCA is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our community and has been engaged in this work through the Pioneering Healthier Communities initiative,” said Bill Soper, Executive Director/CEO La Crosse Area Family YMCA. “There is a nationwide epidemic of physical inactivity and poor nutrition and we agree that providing community based organizations like YMCAs both here and across the country the opportunity to improve the heath and wellbeing of their communities makes sense. We look forward to expanding our reach and impact in the community through the Healthy CHOICES Act”.
“We are honored that Congressman Kind has chosen UW-L as a site for this important announcement,” said University of Wisconsin La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow. “We too share concerns about childhood obesity and are eager to do all we can to help solve this critical issue.”
“The enormity of the obesity problem in the U.S. today clearly tells us it is not longer an individual problem but a societal program requiring a comprehensive approach,” said Theresa Marquez, Chief Marketing Executive Organic Valley. “Congressman Kind’s Comprehensive Obesity bill provides critical support toward reversing the alarming obesity trend. Unprecedented childhood obesity is of particular concern. Obesity shortens one’s life, compromises quality of life and is expensive! We must join forces to reverse this trend.
Update from DPI
As you know there was an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant in 2009 for school food service equipment.You may have heard that USDA has now made funding available for a 2010 school food service grant to our state. However, the eligibility criteria are presently being discussed by Congress. Therefore, the WI DPI has decided to wait for guidance prior to making applications available. We would hate to have a SFA’s spend time completing applications and then find out they weren’t eligible in the first place and had wasted precious time. As soon as the guidance is given to us we will post the application and send a mailing to the Authorized Representative of the NSLP at eligible schools. Keep watching the website for further details. www.dpi.wi.gov/fns/usdaeg.html. Thank you!
Healthy Classrooms Symposium 2010
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
5-8pm
Health Sciences Learning Center
750 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705
Followed by the Implementation Fair and Grant Recipient Panel
Visit http://www.hc-foundation.com/registration.htmlfor more information and to register for free online!
Evers announces winners of the Wisconsin School Breakfast Challenge
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Contact: Patrick Gasper, DPI Communications Officer, (608) 266-3559
MADISON—State Superintendent Tony Evers today announced winners of the 2009 Wisconsin School Breakfast Challenge, an effort to increase the number of school breakfasts served by 50 percent during the 2008-09 academic year.
“Last fall, the Department of Public Instruction, in partnership with the UW-Extension, encouraged all school districts to take part in this challenge,” said Evers. “We had tremendous response, and we congratulate all the schools that won.”
More...
State Improves Participation in School Breakfasts
The most important meal of the day is being dished out in a growing number of Wisconsin schools.
Long shamed by its history of trailing the country in breakfasts served in schools, the state has recently made strides in increasing both the number of schools serving breakfast and the percentage of students making that their first meal of the day
More...
Commodities Update
The PDF below includes important update regarding commodities from the DPI.
Download PDF
FIGHT CHILD HUNGER!
As someone who is passionate about child nutrition,
I invite you to join ConAgra Foods' effort to fight child
hunger. Understanding that child hunger can't be solved
alone, ConAgra Foods Foundation is building a community
of people passionate about ending child hunger.
This week, we launched a new Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation) where we will provide a place for individuals committed to ending child hunger to connect with each other; learn more about what ConAgra Foods is doing to help end child hunger; and how they can get involved in their own neighborhoods.
For every person who becomes a fan of ConAgra Foods Foundation's Facebook fan page through Oct. 10, ConAgra Foods Foundation will give another $10 to Feeding America. The goal is to raise a total of $100,000 for Feeding America's efforts to fight child hunger. If you have a Facebook page or know others that do, I hope you'll join us in this effort and become a fan of ConAgra Foods Foundation (www.facebook.com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation).
Thank you for your continued efforts in supplying nutritious foods to our children.
Sincerely,
Chris Meinerding
ConAgra Foods School Foodservice Marketing Director
Healthy Edge Training
October 12-13
2:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.
OR
October 28
8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Onalaska Middle School
705 8th Ave N
783-6251
$15.00 per person
Bring your own Healthy Edge Manual
Write checks out to: School Nutrition
To register, call 783-6251 and register with Kay – school nutrition secretary
Date: October 14, 2009
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Wisconsin Dairy Council is offering a FREE cold milk training opportunity to all Wisconsin school foodservice professionals from director to service staff. Please plan to join us October 14th with your entire team of employees. Each registered school foodservice professional will earn 1 CEU (Continuing Education Unit) from SNA (School Nutrition Association) for attending this training!
- Recognize student perceptions toward school milk and the importance of serving milk that is fresh, cold and good tasting
- Use HAACP guidelines to help identify potential problem areas that can be overlooked
- Discover new ways to improve upon the handling of milk
- Complete a cold milk quality checklist to see how your cafeteria is doing
Register now to participate in this valuable webinar.
Focus on childhood obesity research, advocacy and current hot topics in the field. There are 12 webinars, all are free, and scheduled at 11 am Central time every Thursday beginning September 10, 2009.
Pick the topics that are of most interest to you or that you can fit into your schedule. The RWJF funds many projects to prevent childhood obesity including many that are environmentally focused. For more information or to register for one or more of these webinars, see http://www.reversechildhoodobesity.org.
http://dpi.wi.gov/eis/pdf/dpi2009_52.pdf
Awards are given to schools in recognition of their effort to develop programs, policies,
and resources that support students’ academic achievement and long-term physical health.
(Posted 6/1/09)
Article
Video
Gloria Lubenau
Fall River School District
Winner of J.T.M.’s
Recipe for Rennovation
$5,600 Accutemp Steamer
(posted 4/1/09)
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