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Happy National School Breakfast Week!
We hope that you have planned some fun activities for your students. If you would like to share photos from your Surf’s Up adventures, please email them to Gretchen Huntzer. A 2024 scrapbook will be released in the coming weeks.
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Indiana Summer EBT Informational Sessions for Schools
IDOE is hosting three informational sessions regarding the new Summer EBT program in Indiana. The sessions listed below are intended for school personnel. Each session will provide the same information with time for questions.
Weight Room and Athletics Department Vending Machines
Often, school food service is unaware of the presence of athletic department vending machines. If vending machines are available to students during the school day (defined as midnight through 30 minutes after dismissal), then all items available for sale must meet Smart Snacks requirements for food or beverages. Please meet with the athletic department and coaching staff at your school to ensure Smart Snacks compliance.
Meet the Team: Farm to School Value Chain Coordinator
Anna Holloway is the new Farm to School Value Chain Coordinator at Indiana Department of Health (IDOH). She recently relocated back to Indiana after spending the last 20 years in Montana as a food service director and a farm to school coordinator. She is available to provide support to both producers seeking to enter the school market and schools searching for local foods. Anna is already working with several schools and is looking forward to meeting many more and learning the role school contacts play in procurement. She is also eager to learn interests, needs, and barriers schools are facing as they transition to the local foods market. Contact Anna with any questions.
Annual Pre-Order Forecast Survey
The Annual Pre-order Forecast Survey is closed. The next annual pre-order survey will be in 2025 for school year 2025-2026. Learn more about next steps here.
Total Solar Eclipse 2024
The 2024 eclipse will be on Monday, April 8. If your school places a USDA Foods order and will not be in session, will be on break, or has an e-learning day scheduled, please ensure school staff is onsite and available to inspect, verify and accept any USDA Foods deliveries. If school staff is unavailable and it results in a missed delivery, the school food authority (SFA) may be subject to missed delivery fees, which could include transportation, handling, fuel, and restocking fees.
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USDA Foods Recipes
Celebrate National School Breakfast Week and use your direct diverted 100047 bulk egg pounds and your school’s shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses with New Richmond’s Breakfast Pizza. PB & Berry Tacos are a nutritious way to use your direct delivered 100396 peanut butter, 100243 wild blueberries, and 110860 strawberry slices. Both recipes must be adjusted to meet serving sizes and meal patterns.
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Grant Writing Webinar
Join us on Wednesday, March 20, at 2:00 p.m. ET, for a webinar with Megan McKinney Cooper from Jump IN for Healthy Kids to discuss preparing grant applications. Register here.
Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition
"Back to Basics: Using Tilt Skillets and Ovens to Maximize Flavor and Quality" will be presented Thursday, March 7, at 3 p.m. ET. In this webinar, school chefs will demonstrate and discuss vegetable preparation and cooking techniques including sautéing, roasting, blanching, and steaming; and will share tips and best practices for using tilt skillets and convection ovens. Participants will see step-by-step preparation and cooking methods for a variety of vegetables utilizing equipment commonly found in school kitchens. Register here.
Offer Versus Serve (OVS) Recorded Training
The OVS sessions offered in January are now available to view as a recorded webinar on Moodle. View OVS for Grades K-8 and OVS for Grades 9-12 under the OVS tile.
USDA Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool (PSTTT)
PSTTT now features training statistics graphics. Employees can quickly view their progress to meet annual training requirements, along with their Achievement Badges. Managers and directors can view their employees' progress and historical completion data.
Team Nutrition (TN) Virtual Training Update
All 40 hours of TN Virtual Training are now available in Moodle for managers and directors. Additionally, all eight hours of training for frontline staff is available. Upon completion of the training, you will receive a certificate. You will then need to complete the Training Completion Form. Note that you will not be eligible for the monetary incentive without both the certificate and Training Completion Form on file. When IDOE receives the form, you will be emailed next steps, including required paperwork for the Central Indiana Educational Services Center (CIESC) to process the incentive payment. Make sure to complete all forms or payment will not be processed. Allow at least one month to receive payment. The first 250 food service directors and 250 kitchen managers who complete the 40 hours of training will be rewarded $500. The first 250 frontline staff that complete the eight hours of training will be rewarded $100. Read through the frequently-asked questions (FAQs) and contact the TN Training Grant team with any questions.
Trauma Informed Nutrition (TINs) Training
The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) invites you to a training opportunity facilitated by Leah's Pantry, a national leader in trauma-informed nutrition. This unique training will bring a fresh perspective to your programs with the objective of increasing the health and resilience of your partner communities. This training counts towards professional standard training hours for school nutrition professionals.
This training opportunity is open to school nutrition and food service professionals (i.e., directors, supervisors, managers, dietitians, cashiers, and others) and Indiana School Health Services Professionals (i.e., directors, nurses, health aides/assistants, and others)
Find more information and registration here.
American Dairy Association Indiana
The National Dairy Council has launched the Road to School Breakfast campaign in the lead up to the spring Fuel Up grant opportunity that opens on Tuesday, March 12. Click here for free resources and opportunities to win free Fuel Up swag for your school.
Upcoming Dates |
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Thursday, March 7, 3 p.m. ET
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Back to Basics: Using Tilt Skillets and Ovens to Maximize Flavor and Quality
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Tuesday, March 12
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Spring Fuel Up Grant Application Opens
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Thursday, March 14, 3 p.m. ET
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Summer EBT Informational Session
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Wednesday, March 20, 2 p.m. ET
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Grant Writing Webinar
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Thursday, March 21, 3 p.m. ET
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Summer EBT Informational Session
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Thursday, March 28, 3 p.m. ET
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Summer EBT Informational Session
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Monday, April 29
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Summer EBT Final Rule Comments Due
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Tuesday, April 30
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Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub Application Deadline
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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