Weekly School Nutrition Newsletter

12/12/2019

Dear Food Service Contact,

This email provides news for schools concerning the Child Nutrition Programs from the USDA and the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). If you are the food service contact for your school or corporation, it is your responsibility to relay important information provided to you about the Child Nutrition Programs to other staff members.


Direct Certification (DC) Updates

DC Help Form

  • Have a question about Direct Certification or Direct Verification? IDOE now has a simple form for sponsors to complete if questions or issues arise.
  • The form will ask a few preliminary questions to ensure your question goes to the right specialist.
  • Click here to start using the new form today!
  • Questions or concerns about the form? Contact Directcert@doe.in.gov.

 New DC Matches

  • The December DC data is available to download in the STN Application Center.
  • For those without the Effective Date Waiver, any new eligibility matches identified in the DC system can be applied beginning December 1.
  • For those with the Effective Date Waiver, you will begin applying benefits beginning the date the DC download or DC Lookup says the student was first eligible.
  • For more information about the Effective Date Waiver, click here.
  • Questions? Contact DC specialists using the new DC Help Form.

IDOE School and Community Nutrition Website


Newest Coffee Break Webinars Now on inTEAM

  • The October Coffee Break Webinar series is now available for viewing on inTEAM.
  • Webinar topics covered include:
    • Verification
    • Verification Summary Report
    • Offer vs. Serve
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch
      • Best Practices
    • Resource Management 
    • Trainings and Professional Standards
    • Excess Funds
  • For more information on inTEAM and courses available, click here.
  • Questions about inTEAM? Contact Rachel Beach at rachel@e-inteam.com.

Winter Webinars

  • IDOE's Winter Webinars are already right around the corner! 
  • These webinars kick off on Friday, January 10.
  • Each webinar begins at 1:30 p.m. ET and lasts no longer than 30 minutes.
  • Topics covered during these webinars include:
    • On-Site Reviews
    • Preparing Your Program for Success
    • Navigating IDOE's Website
    • New Creditable Items
    • Enriched Grains
    • Updates from the Field
  • For more information and to register, click here.
  • Questions? Contact Maggie Schabel at mschabel@doe.in.gov.

Special Dietary Needs Training for School Foodservice, Nurses, and 504 Coordinators

  • Join specialists from three different areas within IDOE on Tuesday, March 3 from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. to learn how to handle special dietary needs in your schools.
  • Bring your school's nurse and 504 coordinator and become an effective, well-informed team and learn more about this ever-growing topic.
  • The training will begin with a group learning period followed by breakout sessions geared towards each team member's role.
  • Click here for more information and to register.
  • Questions? Contact Ashley Heller at aheller@doe.in.gov.

Don’t Forget to Download the Food Buying Guide (FBG) on Your Mobile Device!

  • Want an easy and convenient way to see how food credits? Not sure how peanut butter, celery, yogurt, or popcorn credit? Need to make a red/orange substitution but not sure what qualifies toward the red/orange vegetable subgroup? You are in luck!
  • The FBG can help show you all of this information.
  • Even better? You can download it as a mobile app!
  • Now users with a registered account are able to do the following on the mobile app:
    • Create and save a "Favorite Foods List" and/or "Shopping List"
    • Analyze grain items on the Exhibit A Grains Tool
  • If you already have the mobile app, make sure you have the most recent, updated version in order to access these new options. 
  • Registered users can also access these items on the FBG Web Tool.
  • Click here for more information.

Miss a Weekly School Nutrition Newsletter? Click here to access previous newsletters!

Was the newsletter forwarded to you? Want to add other employees to receive the newsletter? Click here to be added to the contact list.

Please do not reply directly to this email. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this email, please contact Allie Caito-Sipe at acaito@doe.in.gov, call (317) 232-0849, or toll-free at 1-800-537-1142 ext. 20849, or contact Ashley Heller at aheller@doe.in.gov, call (317) 232-0544, or toll-free at 1-800-537-1142 ext. 20544.