Tom Horne
Superintendent
of Public Instruction

Providing the latest dish on Child Nutrition News and information
Volume 2, August 2004

“Scoops”
is published quarterly by the
Arizona Department of
Education, School Health
and Nutrition Team
2005 North Central Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona
(602) 542-8700
ade.az.gov/health-safety/cnp/
Mary Szafranski
Director Health & Nutrition
Services
Holly Mohr MPH RD SFNS
Program Director
School Health & Nutrition
Patricia Johnson RD SFNS
Scoops Editor Professional
Development Coordinator
Tristine Bogle SFNS
Summer Food Coordinator
Kacey Frey RD SFNS
Summer Food Coordinator
Katrina Klatt RD SFNS
CRE Coordinator
Stacey Patterson SFNS
SMI Coordinator
Traci Grgich RD
FSMC & Team Nutrition
Grant Coordinator
Lynn Ladd RD SFNS
STEPS Grant Coordinator
Nicholas Dunford
NSLP Training Coordinator
Teresa McCormack
Administrative Assistant

Welcome back to another important year in School Health and Nutrition. As we
wrap up another successful season of summer feeding we look forward to the coming school
year and the many positive changes brought about by Reauthorization and new leadership.
Mary Szafranski, former Program Director of Food
Distribution, has been appointed the new Director of Health and
Nutrition Services. Ann Hart, the previous Director, has accepted
an exciting new position as the Arizona Department of Education,
Director of the Superintendents Discipline Initiative.
Mary brings with her eleven years of state agency experience
and a strong commitment to customer service. She is keenly aware
of the vital connection between the Arizona Department of Education
and other organizations working towards improving the health and nutritional environment
of Arizona Schools. Mary plans to work in a collaborative partnership with these organizations
to make these visions a reality.
Arizona is already a step closer towards making health and nutrition a priority in
schools. The Healthy School Environment Model Policy developed by the Arizona Action
for Health Kids team is in full swing at eight selected pilot schools this year. Arizona is
leading the pack in addressing students’ nutritional health and well-being and is right on
track to providing a healthy nutritional environment for all students.
We look forward to working hand in hand with our many sponsors this coming year
as they make the move towards a healthy school environment. Please take advantage of the
various training opportunities provided by the Arizona Department of Education. You
may register on line for all ADE Classes at: www.ade.az.gov/onlineregistration.
Good luck to each of you as you embark upon another academic year and please join
the entire Health and Nutrition Services Unit in welcoming our new State Director, Mary
Szafranski!
Sincerely,

Holly Mohr
Program Director, School Health and Nutrition

Another Successful
Summer Food
Service Season!
As the summer rays beat
down, many of you
continued working to
ensure that children
received
healthy
nutrition while school
was out. Ice-cold milk,
refreshing sandwiches,
and fresh fruit and
vegetables were just a
few of the scrumptious
summer food offered to
the hungry youngsters.
Total state Summer
Food Service Program
(SFSP) site participation
increased from 683 sites
in 2003 to 724 sites in
2004. This equates to a
6% increase in SFSP site
participation.
As
summer winds to a close
and you are gearing up
for a new school year,
the Arizona Department
of Education would like
to congratulate you for
a successful Summer
Food season. Your hard
work and dedication is
appreciated among the
Arizona Department of
Education
School
Health and Nutrition
staff and, most of all,
among the many
families that benefited
from the SFSP.

2

Important Direct Certification Update
There are now three new additional Direct Certification Enhancements available for your use.
•

Upload File - SAIS ID Search
SAID ID Search allows school districts to upload SAIS ID numbers only. The system does
not check for SAIS enrollment within your district when utilizing this option.

•

DES Decision Date
The Upload File and State Match options will report a DES Decision Date that will provide
a means to filter or sort match results to exclude ‘old’ information from previous uploads.
DES Decision Date is the date DES determines the student to be eligible for DES benefits.
The DES Decision Date may not be used as the first day of eligibility unless it falls on the
same day as the SFA approval date. Instructions on sorting begin on page 35 in the CNP
Direct Certification Manual.

•

Pending Result
Results that report “pending” are still in process, therefore the student is not eligible to
receive free meals through Direct Certification until a “match” result is reported.

For more details on these enhancements, please refer to the CNP Direct Certification Manual.
CNP Direct Certification Computer Based Trainings are now available.
Please view the training schedule online at:
www.ade.az.gov/health-safety/cnp/nslp/computertraining.asp

Recognizing Excellent Efforts in
School Health & Nutrition Programs
Arizona schools take pride in meeting federal and state regulations and most importantly in
making sure their students are provided with a nutritious meal. As a result of the food service
staff ’s hard work, we will be awarding exceptional schools for their dedication in continuing
excellence in the School Health and Nutrition Programs. The two awards that will be presented
are, “Outstanding Administrative Review Award” and the “Outstanding School Meals Initiative
Award”. Through these awards we are expressing our gratitude and appreciation to the food
service staff that go above and beyond making a difference in the School Health and Nutrition
Programs. The two award winners will be presented plaques at the Arizona School Food Service
Association Conference in November.
Nominees for Initial Reviews conducted in the 2003-2004 School Year include:
Outstanding Administrative Review
Bisbee Unified District
Casa De Los Ninos
Challenge Charter School
Littlefield Unified District
Naco Elementary District
Sahuarita Unified District
St Johns Unified District
Sunnyside Unified District

Outstanding School Meal Initiative
Parker Unified District
Rough Rock Community School
Santa Cruz Valley Unified District
St. Johns Unified District

KidsCare and The Multi-Use Application
Currently, in the State of Arizona, one in every five school age children lacks health insurance.
Sadly, this has an effect on over 253,000 students. It has been shown that a substantial number
of these children come from low-income families who are either eligible for, or participate in, the
National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The fact that so many of these children are connected
with NSLP is the reason that Governor Janet Napolitano, Superintendent Tom Horne, and
KidsCare have collaborated in an attempt to provide KidsCare information specifically to these
ideal candidates. Additionally, there is strong evidence that shows children with adequate health
coverage are more likely and to attend school regularly, which equates to higher attendance and
an overall increase in your meal participation.
The NSLP’s multi-use application for free and reduced-price meals was chosen as the best
means to disseminate information to Arizona families due to its current wide spread use among
Arizona schools. Also it is believed that incorporating KidsCare into an existing application would
make this program simple and inexpensive for sponsors to implement. Fortunately, the theories
seem to be correct with schools already reporting minimal labor increases and only small copying
expenses when implementing the KidsCare program.
The Food Service Directors are the key component in the success of this program and that is
why it is important for there to be full participation in utilizing the new multi-use application
with KidsCare. The new application will come with the following updated procedures:
➫ Download and complete the AGREEMENT BETWEEN SCHOOL FOOD AUTHORITY AND AHCCCS
REGARDING IDENTIFICATION OF CHILDREN online at: www.ade.az.gov/health-safety/cnp/nslp/
parentforms/2004-2005.
➫ The Determining Official of the School Food Authority MUST sign the agreement and the
agreement must be kept on file with the SFA.
➫ Examine all returned applications to determine if the KidsCare field of the application has
been completed.
➫ Make copies of all applications that have both questions in the KidsCare field check marked
YES, and the signature of an adult household member.
➫ Mail all application copies to: KidsCare Mail Drop 500920 E.Madison, Phoenix, AZ 85034

Calendar of Events
Date
8/26/04
9/7/04
9/8/04
9/9/04
9/9/04
9/15/04
9/16/04
9/16/04
9/17/04
9/20/04
9/21/04
9/22/04
9/22/04
9/28/04
10/3/04
10/7/04
10/12-13/04
10/18/04
10/21/04
11/2/04
11/3/04
11/3/04
11/3/04

Health & Nutrition Services Trainings
Preparing for your NSLP Administrative Review
Special Assistance
Business Basics
Food Distribution
Nutrition Basics
Business Basics
Food Distribution
Nutrition Basics
NuMenu Training
Special Assistance
Business Basics
Food Distribution
Nutrition Basics
Ethics
SUCCESS
Contracting with Food Service Management Companies
Serving it Safe (Class Fee required)
Preparing for your NSLP Administrative Review
Contracting with Food Service Management Companies
Business Basics
Food Distribution
Nutrition Basics
Contracting with Food Service Management Companies

Location
Tucson
Tucson
Tucson
Tucson
Tucson
Yuma
Yuma
Yuma
Yuma
Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix
Flagstaff
Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix
Tucson

Time
9:00 - 12:00
1:00 - 4:30
8:30 - 5:00
8:30 - 12:00
8:30 - 4:30
8:30 - 5:00
8:30 - 12:00
8:30 - 4:30
8:30 - 12:30
1:00 - 4:30
8:30 - 5:00
8:30 - 12:00
8:30 - 4:30
9:00 - 3:00
8:30 - 12:30
1:00-4:30
9:00 - 3:00
9:00 - 12:00
1:00 - 4:30
8:30 - 5:00
8:30 - 12:00
8:30 - 4:30
1:00 - 4:30

Register on line for all ADE Classes at: http://www.ade.az.gov/onlineregistration

Read All
About It!
School Districts to
Adopt Wellness Policy
Reauthorization of Child
Nutrition for 2004-2009
was signed by Congress on
June 30, 2004. One of the
new requirements of
reauthorization involves the
implementation of a local
wellness policy in every
school by July 2006.
This is good news for all
Arizona students! Many
school districts across the
United States have already
begun developing their own
wellness policies addressing
goals for nutrition education
and physical activity,
guidelines for food sold on
campus, and a plan for
effectiveness. Arizona is one
of those states.
In
conjunction with Action for
Healthy Kids Arizona State
Team,
the
Arizona
Department of Education
developed a Healthy School
Environment Model Policy.
A pilot test for the model
policy will begin this fall.
Stay tuned for training from
the Arizona Department of
Education on how to
implement the model policy
in your school.
Visit the link below at the
Arizona Department of
Education’s web site to view
the final draft.
Arizona Healthy School
Environment Model Policy:
http://www.ade.az.gov/
health-safety/cnp/
teamnutrition/Default.asp

3

Check Out the School
Health Index
Have you ever wondered how your school rates on nutrition,
physical activity, tobacco-free living, and safety? Let the School
Health Index, by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), be your guide to navigating the world of assessing where
your school stands on these important topics.
The new 2004 School Health Index (SHI) for Elementary Schools
and Middle/High Schools is a self-assessment and planning tool
to improve the effectiveness of your health and safety programs
and policies. Get parents, students, key faculty, and other
community stakeholders involved to join in the fun and be a part
of the SHI Team. This toolkit is easy to use and guides your team
through preparation, assessment, and taking action.
The Arizona Department of Education will soon be offering
trainings on how to implement the School Health Index.
Do not miss out on the opportunity to check in on the check up of
your school’s nutrition, physical activity, tobacco-free lifestyle, and
safety status by checking out the School Health Index. You can
order a free printed copy or download/print each module online.
Go to http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth to view the newest
edition of the School Health Index today.

Arizona Department of Education
1535 West Jefferson
Phoenix, AZ 85007

Congratulations
to Karen Johnson,
C h i l d Nu t r i t i o n
D i r e c t o r, Yu m a
Elementar y
District on her
installation as the
Na t i o n a l Pr e s i d e n t o f t h e S c h o o l
Nutrition Association.
The Arizona Department of Education of the State of Arizona
does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin,
sex, disability or age in its programs, activities or in its hiring and
employment practices. The following person has been designated
to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:
Debra K. Jackson, Deputy Associate Superintendent, Administrative Services, 1535 W. Jefferson, Phoenix, AZ 85007, (602)
542-3186
USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.

Printed in Phoenix, AZ by the Arizona Department of Education.
Copies: 700, Federal Funds: $974.78,Unit Cost: $1.39, Date: 8/04