On May 1st, Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Agriculture announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide flexibility in nutrition requirements for school meal programs. The specific flexibilities are:

Whole grains: USDA will allow states to grant exemptions to schools experiencing hardship in serving 100 percent of grain products as whole-grain rich for School Year 2017-2018.

Sodium: For School Years 2017-2018 through 2020, schools will not be required to meet Sodium Target 2. Instead, schools that meet Sodium Target 1 will be considered compliant.

Milk: Schools will be allowed to serve 1 percent flavored milk through the school meals programs. Currently, if flavored milk is served, it must be fat-free. 

Additional guidance will be released once available.

USDA Press Release
Secretary Perdue's Proclamation

Mark Jungmann, teacher at West Elementary in North Polk Community School District, takes Physical Education to a whole new level. On one particular day, the gym was transformed into a camp site. Students worked in teams to complete the task of each station such as fishing, finding firewood, attacking wild animals, hiding food from a bear and camping under the stars.

Mark stays connected with the Iowa Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance and has attended national conferences to stay abreast with emerging ideas and teaching techniques. Social media has been an avenue not only for him to learn from others across the country, but also for him to share his ideas with others.  Check out the full story!  Find West Elementary PE on Twitter and Facebook!

According to the National Institutes of Health males between the ages of 18 and 34 years consume the most energy drinks, and almost one-third of teens between 12 and 17 years drink them regularly.

Caffeine is the major ingredient in most energy drinks—a 24-oz energy drink may contain as much as 500 mg of caffeine (similar to that in four or five cups of coffee). Caffeine use may be associated with palpitations, anxiety, sleep problems, digestive problems, elevated blood pressure, and dehydration.

If energy drinks are popular at your school, it's important to educate students about the danger of consuming too much caffeine, including energy drinks.

Energy Drink Lesson - Utah

The Buzz on Energy Drinks - CDC

National Institutes of Health Information

Fuel Up to Play 60 student ambassadors from across the Midwest had their first-ever farm tour at a family-owned dairy farm in Iowa. Follow along with Olivia E. from Waverly-Shell Rock as she milks a cow, visits the milking parlor and feeds calves. This is just one of the many examples of student leadership opportunities that is made possible through Fuel Up to Play 60. 

Share this 5 minute video with students to make the farm to school connection!

Schools are working to help rising middle schoolers
become as healthy as possible. The Middle School Health
Starts Here program can help parents and school nurses
navigate the changes of this special age and time in children’s lives.

Tween health for 11-12-year-old children brings a new stage of health questions. The Middle School Health Starts Here webpage can help answer your questions about the twists and turns to becoming a teen. Visit the Middle School Health Starts Here website for more information.

Promotional materials to support your summer meals outreach efforts in the community are available on the No Kid Hungry website and include the following templates: flyers, posters, postcards, business cards, yard signs, banners, bookmarks, and frequent flyer cards.

The online application for Fuel Up to Play 60 funding is now available! Each K-12 school enrolled in the Fuel Up to Play 60 Program is eligible for up to $4000 to help with their wellness initiatives. The competitive, nationwide funding program is designed to support schools that implement plays from the 2017-2018 edition of the Fuel Up to Play 60 Playbook. Plays can include Farm to School-Know Your Food, In-Class Physical Activity Breaks, and more! 

Whether you are just starting out with Fuel Up to Play 60, or looking to expand and extend an initiative that’s already in motion, funding opportunities for Fuel Up to Play 60 can help! The deadline to apply is June 14th!  To learn more visit www.FuelUpToPlay60.com or contact Jen Ransom at jransom@midwestairy.com.