|
National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
May 2023
|
|
USDA POLICIES & MEMOS
Sponsoring organizations and institutions are required by regulation to keep Bulletins, Instructions, and USDA Policy Memorandums for reference and to apply immediately the appropriate instruction to agency programs. Call Child Nutrition Programs if you need further clarification.
NSLP & School Breakfast Program (SBP) Updates:
For all Policy and Memos from USDA go here .
|
Food Nutrition Services Response to COVID-19
On Jan. 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced that it intends to end the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) declaration on May 11, 2023. To view the collection of Team Nutrition’s COVID-19 Resources, visit fns.usda.gov/tn/covid19-resources.
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
Summer Options
NEW - Implementation Guidance: Summer 2023 Non-Congregate Meal Service in Rural Areas | Food and Nutrition Service (usda.gov)
Summer Options for Sponsors - NSLP/SFSP/SSO – Please remember to send a request by email if you plan to operate the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) or the NSLP Extended School Year (ESY) for the summer. Include the schools that will be participating and the operation dates.
Food Distribution Program (FDP)
|
|
Updates & Reminders:
 |
|
SCHOOL LUNCH HERO DAY - MAY 5, 2023
Let's celebrate all month!! To all of our school food service professionals in the State of Alaska we acknowledge you and want you to know we appreciate you!! We recognize the dedication and important work you do each day to ensure our kids are well fed, and receive the support and education to make healthier food choices daily. You are our heroes every day!
DEED CNP THANKS YOU!!
|
2023 School Nutrition Programs Annual Training
REGISTER TODAY: https://www.surveymonkey.co m/r/AKCNP202307Training
We are so excited to start the registration process for the DEED Child Nutrition Program’s 2023 School Nutrition Programs Annual Training that will be held July 25-27, 2023, to include a technical training for all PrimeroEdge users on Friday July 28, 2023. The training will be held at the BP Energy Center in Anchorage, AK, and for your convenience we have blocked rooms at the Residence Inn Anchorage Midtown.
Book your group rate for National School Lunch Program Training 2023
Event Name: National School Lunch Program Training 2023
Last Day to Book: Tuesday, May 23, 2023
If you have any questions, please contact the hotel directly.
|
NEW - Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
Effective immediately, sponsors are no longer required to have a current SAM.gov registration to participate and receive payment for child nutrition, TEFAP, or other USDA reimbursements made through the state. All sponsors must have a UEI number, but do not need to renew and maintain an active SAM.gov registration. All currently active sponsors meet this requirement, so no action is required on your part.
New sponsors and sponsors that have not been active yet in FY2023 must obtain a UEI number if they do not already have one and provide proof of registration, such as a screenshot of the registration page displaying your name and UEI number.
This change is only applicable for reimbursements made through the state for child nutrition/FNS programs. If you receive Federal funds directly, you must have an active SAM.gov registration. If you participate in other Federal grants, you should check with the grantor to ensure you comply with their requirements.
|
|
|
Grant Opportunities:
 |
|
FY 2023 Team Nutrition Grant Supporting Nutrition Education for School-Aged Children
The webinar recording is now available here: https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/fy23-grant-nutrition-education-school-children.
As a reminder:
- The RFA was posted to Grants.gov on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. If you have not already, be sure to download it and review it carefully for application instructions.
- For a list of State agencies, visit the FNS Contacts webpage.
- The Question and Answer (Q&A) document is now available under the “Related Documents” tab at Grants.gov
- Full grant applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 PM ET on Monday, May 22, 2023.
- FNS anticipates announcing awards in August 2023.
If you have additional questions, please email: Anna.Arrowsmith@usda.gov.
|
Healthy Meals Incentives Grants for Small and/or Rural School Food Authorities (SFA)
GRANT APPLICATION OPENING SOON! As part of a cooperative agreement to develop and implement the USDA Food and Nutrition Service's Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, Action for Healthy Kids is offering competitive grants (up to $150,000 per SFA) for small and/or rural school food authorities to support efforts to improve the nutritional quality of their school meals. The online grant application portal will open on April 10, 2023. The deadline for submitting a grant application is 5:00pm EST on May 26, 2023.
Is your SFA eligible to apply? See the Grant Eligibility Requirements below:
- Must participate in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program
- Must meet the definition of small and/or rural (see below).
Small School Food Authority: SFA with an enrollment of less than or equal to 5,000 students.
Rural School Food Authority: The majority of students within the SFA are enrolled in a rural school as defined by a locality code of 41, 42, or 43, according to the National Center for Education Statistics online tool. You must apply as a school food authority for this grant; individual schools are not eligible entities.
The Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative seeks to improve the nutritional quality of school meals through food systems transformation, school food authority recognition and technical assistance, the generation and sharing of innovative ideas and tested practices, and grants. Action for Healthy Kids will facilitate the sharing of best practices across the country and provide grants to help small and/or rural SFAs innovate and advance their efforts. AFHK will work in partnership with RMC Health to design, lead and manage the overall training and technical assistance strategy. In addition, AFHK will partner with Chef Ann Foundation to provide in-depth individualized technical assistance to support and guide SFAs in implementing key strategies to improve school meal quality, meet the Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Award, and mitigate any potential roadblocks to success. Learn More
|
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Chris Mariano
Summer Food Services Program Coordinator
Returning to the Child Nutrition Programs team feels like coming home for me. I first started at the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development over six years ago as program assistant for CACFP and SFSP before moving to DEED’s Title I-C Migrant Education team. Prior to working for DEED, I worked some 20 odd years in advertising, education advocacy, and community development in the Philippines, where I was born and raised. I’m excited to return to a group whose teamwork, dedication, and programmatic knowledge I’ve always admired, and I look forward to helping create more efficiencies and building stronger relationships with our program sponsors. Communication is very important to me, and by encouraging people to let their voices be heard, I hope that I am able to contribute to a working environment that remains receptive to the needs of our partners, our communities, and especially our children.
|
Resources
The Guide to Professional Standards for School Nutrition Programs is a central resource that comprehensively outlines the required USDA Professional Standards for State and local school nutrition program professionals who manage and operate the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP).* The resource supports school nutrition professionals in ensuring they have the knowledge, training, and tools they need to ensure the success of the NSLP and SBP. This updated version includes the four new hiring flexibilities established March 1, 2019, for new school nutrition program directors in small local educational agencies (LEAs) and new State directors of school nutrition programs under the Professional Standards regulations for the NSLP and SBP. It also provides useful information regarding available trainings in the Professional Standards Training Database and tracking training using the Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool (PSTTT).
Master the Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool (PSTTT)! This webinar provides a demonstration of the PSTTT, as well as an overview of the Professional Standards requirements and resources. The webinar can be viewed in English and with Spanish captions at https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/professional-standards-resources.
|
Now available: Professional Standards Summary of Updates Flyer in Spanish! /Ahora disponible: ¡Boletín de resumen de las actualizaciones de los estándares profesionales en español!
The Professional Standards Summary of Updates Flyer provides an overview of the Professional Standards requirements which consist of hiring standards and annual training requirements for school nutrition professionals. This Spanish version, which was released in English in 2021, includes the hiring flexibilities established in 2019.
Access the Professional Standards Summary of Updates Flyer on the Professional Standards Resources webpage. In addition, you can also check out Team Nutrition’s other Professional Standards Resources such as recorded webinars available with Spanish captions and the Professional Standards Training Database that includes trainings available in English and Spanish.
Back to School Success with Team Nutrition’s Menu Planning Tools and Resources
Menu Planning Resource Sheet
The Nutrient Analysis Protocols: How to Analyze Menus for USDA’s School Meals Programs (NAP Manual) is a technical assistance resource for school nutrition or state agency professionals.
This manual provides guidance for the calculation of nutrient analyses of school menus, which allow the school and state agency to provide documentation that the school is meeting the dietary specifications for National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.
Link to Manual: Nutrient-Analysis-Protocols-Manual
|
ICN Updates:
Basic Culinary Math - Wednesday, May 31, 2023
The goal of this training is to provide participants with the opportunity to review and practice basic culinary math skills, including the basic math principles of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The remainder of the training will focus on other key skills such as measuring and converting measurements, scaling recipes, and calculating food costs.
INTENDED AUDIENCE – School Nutrition Assistants and Technicians
Two Sessions are Available
- May 31, 2023 - 8:00 am - 12:00 pm Central Time
- May 31, 2023 - 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Central Time
If you have questions, please contact Lisa Rogers at ltrogers@olemiss.edu.
Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition: https://theicn.org/cicn/ This new section of trainings from ICN is great for districts that want to do more scratch cooking, or have cooks who need additional culinary skills training.
iLearn – ICN E-learning (docebosaas.com)
Child Nutrition Sharing Site (CNSS) - recruiting new resources
|
 |
|
Access to Food for Homeless and Highly Mobile Students This flyer has a lot of great information on student eligibility for categorically eligible students and what kinds of documentation is required for school meals. You can find this great resource on our Child Nutrition Resources web page at: https://education.alaska.gov/cnp/resources .
|
Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Division of Finance and Support Services
Child Nutrition Programs
P.O. Box 110500
Juneau, AK 99811
Confidential Information
Confidential information should never be shared via email outside of the SFA’s email system. Since email can easily be transmitted to the wrong recipient or intercepted by a third party, it could lead to a breach of confidential information. When emailing Alaska Child Nutrition Programs, sponsors are encouraged to make arrangements with the recipient(s) to email documents with ZendTo (https://drop.state.ak.us/drop/). Please contact DEED CNP for further information.
Contact Us
- Program Manager
- Program Coordinator (NSLP)
- Program Coordinator (FDP, FFVP)
- Program Coordinator (CACFP)
- Project Specialist(SFSP)
- Grants Administrator III
- Project Assistant/CDC Grants (School Wellness)
- Education Program Associate II (Special Milk Program)
- Education Program Assistant (USDA Foods, TEFAP)
- Education Program Assistant (CACFP & SFSP)
- Pandemic EBT Specialist
|
|
|
|
|
