Celebrate Everyday! Use this list of special events to help jazz up your menus and increase the fun in the cafeteria! November Good Nutrition Month Peanut Butter Lover’s Month November 13th : Mom and Dad’s Day November 15th: America Recycles Day November 17th: Homemade Bread Day November 23rd: Thanksgiving Day December December 7th: Pearl Harbor Day December 10th: Human Rights Day December 12th: Poinsettia Day December 13th: National Cocoa Day December 16th: First day of Hanukkah December 20th: Games Day December 22nd: First day of winter December 25th: Christmas Day December 26th: Kwanzaa Begins December 31st: New Year’s Eve January January 3rd: Drinking Straw Day January 4th: National Spaghetti Day January 6th: Apple Tree Day January 8th: World Literacy Day January 9 : National Apricot Day th January 11th: International Thank You Day January 15th: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday January 20th: Cheese Day January 21st: Granola Bar Day January 28th: National Blueberry Pancake Day Bringing the MyPyramid to the Students In the April 2006 issue of the Well Street Journal, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) introduced MyPyramid for Kids, developed by The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Now that students and staff members have had the opportunity to become acquainted with this new tool designed to combat childhood obesity, it is time to utilize MyPyramid for Kids to its fullest. MyPyramid for Kids is primarily designed for school aged children to introduce a healthy lifestyle and assist in choosing foods that are reflective of that lifestyle. There are several tools for parents and educators to bring the goals of MyPyramid for Kids to the students at no cost. Educators can easily incorporate nutrition education and nutrition promotion into the classrooms and the cafeteria to bring the messages of MyPyramid for Kids to the students. Nutrition education has been found to be very successful in increasing awareness among students. As a result, USDA released My Pyramid for Kids classroom materials to include lesson plans for teachers in three different levels: Level 1 (grades 1-2), Level 2 (grades 3-4), and Level 3 (grades 5-6). All three levels include several interactive activities including games, challenges and sing-a-longs. The lesson plans are easy to administer and come with the necessary materials. These lesson plans have been utilized throughout the country and have been very successful. The materials can be downloaded at no cost at http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/resources/ mypyramidclassroom.html There are many different ways of implementing the MyPyramid for Kids goals into the cafeteria. Marketing a variety of healthy foods in the cafeteria and vending machines aids in the promotion of making healthy lifestyle choices. This can be accomplished by setting positive examples encouraging students to make healthy choices. Popular materials, including posters (see insert), focus on the MyPyramid for Kids message to increase consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while decreasing foods that are high in sugar and fat. In addition, there are many resources that aid in the promotion of the MyPyramid for Kids goals such as the 5-A-Day program, Go Low, and Make Your Move. Another way to promote a healthy lifestyle message that is consistent with MyPyramid for Kids is to have activities in the cafeteria such as wellness challenges. Challenges can be organized to encourage students to consume more fruits and vegetables. Lastly, wellness icons, such as Bobby B. Well and Power Panther, can be used to promote wellness and the consumption of healthy foods. More information can be found at http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/kids-pyramid.html and www. eatwellbewell.org/ ADE supports schools in bringing MyPyramid for Kids to all classrooms and cafeterias to help teach and encourage our children to adopt a healthy lifestyle. For more information please contact ADE, Health and Nutrition Services at (602) 542-8700. Date Calendar of Events Health and Nutrition Services Trainings Location Professional Development Sessions 11/28/2006 Environmentally Friendly Practices Phoenix 1/25/2007 Labor Management Phoenix 1/30-31/2007 Serving it Safe Phoenix 2/13/2007 SUCCESS Phoenix National School Lunch Program Sessions 11/1-2/06 A+ School Lunch Phoenix 11/9/06 Contracting with Food Service Management Companies Tucson 1/3-4/07 A+ School Lunch Phoenix 1/9/07 Commodity Ordering Web-Based Training Phoenix 1/10-11/07 A+ School Lunch Tucson 1/11/07 Contracting with Food Service Management Companies Phoenix 1/17/07 Commodity Ordering Web-Based Training Tucson 1/29/07 Commodity Ordering Web-Based Training Phoenix 2/8-9/07 A+ School Lunch Phoenix 2/15/07 Commodity Ordering Web-Based Training Phoenix 2/16/07 Commodity Ordering Web-Based Training Phoenix 2/21/07 Commodity Ordering Web-Based Training Flagstaff 2/21-22/07 A+ School Lunch Flagstaff Time 9:00-11:00 TBD 9:00-3:00 9:00-1:00 8:00-5:00 1:00-4:30 8:00-5:00 8:30-11:30 8:00-5:00 8:30-12:00 1:00-4:00 8:30-11:30 8:00-5:00 8:30-11:30 1:00-4:00 1:00-4:00 8:00-5:00 Register online for all ADE Training Workshops at: www.ade.az.gov/onlineregistration Tom Horne Superintendent of Public Instruction Providing the latest dish on School Health and Nutrition News and Information Volume 5, November 2006 National School Lunch Week October 9th – October 13th, 2006 “Scoops” is published quarterly by the Arizona Department of Education, School Health and Nutrition Team 2005 North Central Ave Phoenix, Arizona (602) 542-8700 National School Lunch Week was established in 1963 by presidential proclamation. It is designed to help raise awareness of, and support for, the role that the National School Lunch Program and nutrition education play in the lives of children. This year to help promote National School Lunch Week there was a contest to Vote for School Lunch. The winner of this year’s nationwide vote was Pete Pizza! ade.az.gov/health-safety/cnp/ Mary Szafranski Deputy AssociateSuperintendent Katrina Klatt, RD, SFNS NSLP Nutrition Director Kacey Frey, RD, SFNS NSLP Health Director Maureen Mason, MS, RD Scoops Editor Professional Development Coordinator Patricia Johnson, RD, SFNS Summer Food Coordinator Traci Grgich, RD, SFNS FSMC/Summer Food Lynn Ladd, RD, SFNS STEPS Grant Coordinator Crystal Kalahar, SFNS Training Coordinator Afterschool Snack Program Mat McCarty, RD, SFNS Wellness Policy/ANS Coordinator Cara Peczkowski, RD, SFNS HACCP/Food Safety Coordinator Nicole Anderson, RD SMI Coordinator Annamarie Haught, RD Special Assistance/CRE Coordinator Erin Yde, RD Well Street Journal Editor Fruit & Vegetable Program Breann Westmore Health Standards & Physical Activity Coordinator Diane Tasev, RN, BSN School Nursing Coordinator Jackie Wilson Program & Project Specialist 42% 20% 18% 11% 9% In Arizona, Pete Pizza received 41% of the votes, Rocco Taco came in at 30%, Ricky Chicken at 14%, Heddi Spaghetti at 10% and Sally Salad at 5%. To promote National School Lunch Week, several Arizona schools had special activities going on. Here are some of the highlights: Madison Camelview Elementary (sent in by Patricia Hunn, Food Service Manager) Madison Camelview Elementary School has a Wellness Council made up of students that involved the entire school in the Vote For School Lunch Campaign. One of the teachers received a voting machine from a grant and each student was able to record their vote. A graph was available immediately for the students to see the results. They had about 580 students and adults vote. What a great way to promote the vote! The PEAK School (sent in by Mary Foley, Office Manager) The owner of “Gorilla’s AZ Mex” visited the school wearing a gorilla suit and passed out bananas at lunch. Mesa Public Schools (sent in by Loretta Zullo, Director of Food and Nutrition) The schools served a sack lunch in a themed sack with a message regarding nutrition and school meals. Health & Nutrition Services at ADE are always looking for sponsors to highlight. Please contact Maureen Mason if you have a special event or story you would like to share. Pictures are welcome as well! (send to maureen.mason@azed.gov) Circulate to: ❑ Principal ❑ School Nurse ❑ Business Manager ❑ Health Teacher ❑ Kitchen Staff ❑ Secretary/Bookkeeper FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE Welcome back to another new school year. We would like to cover some of the special issues you may encounter on your reimbursement claims. Attendance Factors - If your claim is in error due to a low Attendance Factor, DO NOT adjust your meal counts and submit the claim. Contact the Health and Nutrition, Finance Office for assistance or complete the Attendance Factor calculation form available on the Health and Nutrition website. Approved Categories – During the first claim month, the number of children approved on the reimbursement claim are typically higher due to processing the the income applications. Children may switch between categories during the income application collection period therefore they should be counted in each category on the monthly reimbursement claim. Submitting Claims – As a reminder, be sure to click the “Submit All Claims” link in CNP Web to ensure payment of your claim. Claims left in pending status are not considered submitted and will not be paid. Mandatory Trainings – As a reminder, there are mandatory trainings required for all users with Common Logon access to CNPWeb. To register for these trainings please visit www.ade. az.gov/online registration/. We look forward working with everyone this year. As always, if you need assistance, feel free to contact us. Below are the names and phone numbers of the Finance staff to assist you in contacting the appropriate person: Sherri Schwindt – Claims Processing (602) 364-2358 Mila Makal – Annual Financial Reports, State Match, Audits (602) 542-8714 Brian Walsh – FSMC and Caterer Contracts, RFPs (602) 542-6208 Nicholas Dunford – Financial Services Director (602) 542-8724 2 What’s New on the Web? Health & Nutrition Services Memoranda (www.ade.az.gov/health-safety/memos.asp) • All memos will now be posted only on the web; no paper versions will be mailed. • You will not be notified when new memos are posted; it is up to you to check the website regularly to ensure you are up to date. • You will also be able to view memos from the prior school years. School Breakfast Program (www.ade.az.gov/health-safety/cnp/nslp/Operating/BreakfastInfoandFacts.asp) • New page with useful links and information about continuing with your current program or starting a new program o Breakfast menu ideas o Alternative breakfast options Recipes Using Commodities (www.ade.az.gov/health-safety/cnp/fdp/recipes.asp) • Includes recipes for whole wheat bread sticks, whole wheat rolls, whole wheat sugar cookies, brown bread, brown rice pilaf, Team Nutrition Recipes and USDA Commodity Recipes Updated Manuals (www.ade.az.gov/health-safety/cnp/nslp/GuidanceManual) • Verification Manual • CNP Guidance Manual • Free and Reduced Manual • These manuals will no longer be mailed; they can be printed from the Health & Nutrition website. FOOD DISTRIBUTION UPDATE The school year is well underway and commodities are steadily coming in. This year we are excited to be bringing in some new, healthier commodities, such as whole wheat flour, brown rice and lean beef patties. We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas about these new commodities, so please feel free to contact Tina Herzog at (602) 542-8781 or Barbara Lado at (602) 542-8721. Any feedback you have on these new commodities will be helpful. We have received word from USDA that there may be a pilot offering of whole wheat pasta coming as well. We will keep you posted on the development of this and other new products as we learn about them. Here’s more of what is new in Food Distribution: Processing for Beginners Workshop – On Friday November 17th, ADE & the Arizona Food Distribution Advisory Council will be hosting a ‘Processing for Beginners’ workshop in conjunction with the fall School Nutrition Association of Arizona (SNAAZ) Conference. This workshop will go over the fundamentals of processing commodities, including planning, surveys, diversions, and ordering. Two sessions will be offered: one from 8:30 – 11:00 AM and the other from 1:30 – 4:00 PM. You can register for these workshops by going to the ADE registration website (www.ade. az.gov/onlineregistration), clicking Health & Nutrition Services: Food Distribution (FD), and selecting which session you would like to attend. There is no cost for this training and space is limited so register soon! Please contact Dawn Irvine at (602) 364-0714 or Leona Benally at (602) 364-1965 if you have any questions about this workshop or any other processing questions. Commodity Delays – Please make sure to frequently check the FD website for the updated commodity calendars for SY07 (www.ade.az.gov/health-safety/cnp/fdp/calendar.asp). We will be updating both the A and B calendars monthly as we receive news of commodity delays or cancellations. Currently we have received information on the following delays: Turkey – not expected until after December due to market prices being too high Peaches – reduced shipments due to market conditions and crop shortages Potatoes – commodity potato products (rounds, wedges, & oven fries) will be delayed until at least January due to market conditions and prices being too high Food Distribution staff is constantly looking at purchasing more items throughout the year to make up for some of the shortfall of these commodities. Utilizing what is available from USDA, additional fruit and chicken purchases have been made available for shipment later this school year. If you have any questions about commodity shipments, please contact Barbara Lado at (602) 542-8721 or Danielle Bowman at (602) 542-8729. NATIONAL RECESS WEEK September 18 -22 , 2006 th nd The first annual National Recess Week took place from September 18th-22nd with many Arizona schools participating. The Cartoon Network, together with 13 leading child advocacy groups including the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Education Association (NEA), helped support the cause with the belief that daily recess provides many benefits for children. According to the president of the cartoon network, “the Rescuing Recess campaign celebrated recess as the fourth ‘R’ among school fundamentals: reading, writing, arithmetic and now recess. Each of these elements is essential to a child’s overall education and every child deserves to have the benefits of all four within the school day.” Research has shown that playtime can be just as important as classroom time to a child’s social, emotional and educational development. Despite all the benefits, in many schools around the country, children are not getting the chance to enjoy free time and play with their friends. More than 10,000 free Rescuing Recess kits were distributed across 50 states with information about starting a local volunteer recess monitor program. The kits contained activity ideas, games and playground equipment such as red rubber balls, sidewalk chalk, whistles and jump ropes, plus instructions and suggestions on how to hold a recess rally. Go to www.cartoonrecessweek.com/index.aspx for more information. The Arizona schools that participated were: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Northwest Christian Love 6 S. Lucas Ocitillio Basha Basha Elementary Christ the King Kyrene del Sureno Lala Land Tarwater Elementary EVJCC Highland Elementary Bellair Elementary Stetson Hills Elementary Desert Star Villa Monessori Continental School District Davsar Havasu Charter Barbara B. Robey Elementary Dreaming Summit Old Mill Pond Santa Rosa Elementary Lowell Elementary Montessori House Desert Harbor Paseo Verde Blee Canyon Springs School Colina Elementary School First Friends Glenn F. Burton Elementary • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Mercury Mine Papago Sierra Elementary Solano Elementary Villa de Paz Elementary Safari Joe’s Chaparral North Ranch Elementary West Sedona School Williams Productions Hernandez Middle ICMS Walter Myer Carden Christian Academy Dodge Jefferson Park New West Schools Our Mother of Sorrows Precious Hearts Smiles Van Horne Elementary Peter Howell Elementary Summit View Elementary Cienega Ronald Reagan Congratulations to all the schools who participated. Hopefully you will continue with everything you’ve learned from this recess week. We hope to see even more schools participating next year! Hunger doesn’t take a break Many schools in Arizona have intercessions lasting more than two weeks. For those children who rely upon school meals to obtain a healthy nutritious meal, this break time can be a scary prospect. Luckily for many of these children, a simple solution exists: SUMMER FOOD! Yes, the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) may be administered during intercessions for those sponsors who operate a continuous school year calendar with breaks lasting at least 15 consecutive school days. In some cases, if the school district breaks for shorter periods of time, they may request a waiver from ADE to operate. Schools operating on a traditional school year calendar may only operate the SFSP during summer vacation from May through September. They may not operate the SFSP during scheduled breaks in the year such as spring break or winter break. Arizona currently has four districts taking advantage of the SFSP intersession eligibility. Kudos to: * Balsz Elementary District * Cartwright Elementary District * Creighton Elementary District * Phoenix Elementary District These districts recognize the important role that the SFSP plays in providing needed meals to children during those long breaks from school. Their efforts are ensuring that children return from their break nourished and ready to hit the ground running. For more information contact Patricia Johnson at (602) 542-8782.