Upcoming Events
County-wide Calls
Topic: County-wide Training for Child Nutrition Program Sponsors
Date: May 2021
Time: Varies
Agenda:
- Review SFSP, CACFP and NSLP current requirements and updates
- Topics will include:
- USDA Waiver Updates
- 2021 CNP-Summer Food Service Program Application – MEGS+
- SFSP Training Requirements
- SFSP Office Hours
- SFSP Monitoring
- Proper Meal Counting/Claiming
- Offer vs Serve
- CACFP Updates
- NSLP Updates
- SSO Update
- SFSP FAQ’s
- Time for questions
Analysts from SNP and CACFP will individually contact Sponsors based on County with specific details to join these calls. We look forward to having you join the conversation!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No Kid Hungry Webinar
Topic: A Conversation on Staffing Summer Meals Programs
Date: Wednesday, June 2, 2021
Time: 2:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Are you facing challenges in staffing the summer meals program this year? Are you looking for ideas for how to sustain operations and give your staff a break? Join this conversation with No Kid Hungry's school nutrition experts to hear their tips and tricks and to hear their ideas for any challenges you may be facing. This will be a Zoom meeting, so all attendees will have the opportunity to come off mute and ask questions directly.
Panelists include:
Gay Anderson, Child Nutrition Director, Sioux Falls Public Schools (SD) & former SNA President Marla Caplon, Food Coordinator for the Montgomery County Government Food Security Task Force (MD) & former Child Nutrition Director for Montgomery County (MD) Donna Martin, Director, School Nutrition Program Burke County Board of Education (GA) Ilana Sambuco-Paul, Former Food Services Supervisor in Montgomery County Public Schools (MD)
All summer meals providers are welcome to join, but please know that the panelists come from school nutrition departments, not community-based organizations.
Register today!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Town Hall Meetings
Topic: Town Hall Meeting
Date: Wednesday, June 9, 2021
Time: 2:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89930794471?pwd=WFZEYTRlcEhac1ludzk1clVmZlQ4UT09
Password: YKVB71
Or Telephone:
Dial: USA 404 443 6397 USA 8773361831 (US Toll Free) Conference code: 806533
Grant Opportunities
Grant Opportunity for Michigan K-8 Schools in 2021-22: Evidence-Based CATCH Whole Child Guided Journey
Are you ready to pour Miracle-Gro on your school wellness program? This year, a cohort of thirteen Michigan schools is successfully building and sustaining their Whole Child school climates with the easy to use, evidence-based CATCH Program. You can see the impact CATCH is making in the Lawton Community School District here. CATCH Global Foundation is currently gauging interest from K-8 schools throughout Michigan in taking part in the 2021-22 school year cohort. There is space for only 30 schools in the entire state, so make sure to secure your spot by indicating your interest on this two question form by May 31, 2021 or reach out anytime to Abby Rose arose@catch.org with questions or for more information.
Your school wellness team will receive training, evidence-based resources and technical assistance throughout the year to fully mobilize your whole school community with simple, step by step ways to promote healthy eating, physical activity and create a healthy school environment in alignment with the Michigan Healthy Schools Action Tool (HSAT) and the Michigan Department of Education MICIP Continuing Improvement Process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2022 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant Coming Soon
The 2020 Agriculture Appropriations Act authorized funds that allow MDE to competitively award Equipment Assistance Grants (EAG) to eligible School Food Authorities (SFAs) participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). MDE received over $700,000 in federal funds for distribution to SFAs.
Who Can Apply?
Any SFA participating in the NSLP including:
- Public School Districts,
- Public School Academies,
- Intermediate School Districts,
- Nonpublic School Districts, and
- Residential Child Care Institutions
The grant application will open in our new system, NexSys soon. To complete the grant application when it opens, users need create a MILogin for Third Party account and link that account to their current MEIS account.
This is a requirement and is the first step in the transition to the new system. If you have not done this already, please do so as soon as possible using the on how to complete.
By getting this step done now, it will save time and added stress when the EAG opens in NexSys. SFAs will not be able to access or submit their EAG application until this step is completed.
Communication will be sent as soon as the EAG is officially open. Questions? Contact MDE-Fiscal@michigan.gov.
Updates, Guidance, and Regulation Information from the Unites States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services
Alliance for a Healthier Generation Resources: Local School Wellness Policy
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation has several recorded webinars that may be useful as your SFAs revise their school wellness policies for the upcoming school year. They can create a free account to access these sessions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CACFP Halftime: Thirty on Thursdays Webinar Rescheduled
USDA Team Nutrition’s next CACFP Halftime: Thirty on Thursdays webinar on “Serving Snacks in the CACFP” has been rescheduled for Thursday, September 23, 2021.
The English webinar will be offered at:
- Eastern Time: 2-2:30 p.m.
- Central Time: 1-1:30 p.m.
- Mountain Time: 12-12:30 p.m.
- Pacific Time: 11-11:30 a.m.
The Spanish webinar will be offered at:
- Eastern Time: 3-3:30 p.m.
- Central Time: 2 -2:30 p.m.
- Mountain Time: 1-1:30 p.m.
- Pacific Time: 12-12:30 p.m.
Registration for this webinar will be available in August, with enhanced capacity to accommodate up to 3,000 attendees. This webinar will offer closed captioning during the presentation, and other accommodations may be available upon request.
For more information, and to watch recordings of previous webinars, please visit. The National CACFP Sponsors Association (NCA) offers continuing education credits to those who view live and recorded webinars. Additional information on this opportunity is available from NCA. For accompanying training materials, presentation slides, and other tools for selected CACFP Halftime: Thirty on Thursdays webinar recordings, please visit training tools.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now Available! Child Nutrition Database Release 24
The Child Nutrition Database, Release 24 (CN24), is now available. The CN24 is a required database for nutrient analysis software approved by USDA for use in school meals.
Action Steps for Nutrient Analysis Software Companies:
To maintain USDA approval, software companies must submit their nutrient analysis and certification of compliance software, updated to include CN24, to the USDA Software Evaluation Team by Thursday, July 1, 2021. Instructions for submitting software to USDA is being provided directly to USDA-approved software companies. New companies seeking approval should contact the USDA Software Evaluation Team at cnpntab@usda.gov.
FNS recommends that companies also send a copy of their updated software to their customers by July 1, 2021.
Action Steps for State Agencies, School Food Authorities (SFAs), and Local Schools:
After July 1, 2021, State agencies, SFAs, and local schools should verify with their nutrient analysis software company to ensure that the software includes the most current version of the Child Nutrition Database (version CN24).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Communication Commission’s Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB)
On May 12, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education released information for school districts regarding the Federal Communication Commission’s Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB). The EBB is a new, temporary Federal program to help eligible families pay for internet service during the pandemic. Households with a child who was approved to receive free or reduced price meals under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) during the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year, including children who attend schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision, are eligible for the EBB Program. The Department of Education’s EBB website has further information.
An introductory letter and “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ) document will assist schools in learning about the program and includes strategies for reaching out to their school community about the EBB. The letter and FAQ can be found on the following website.
In addition, an “Outreach Toolkit” with sample templates can be found on their website.
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) appreciates the exceptional work of State agencies and local program operators to support families during this challenging time. State agencies are reminded to distribute this memorandum to program operators immediately. Program operators should direct any questions concerning this guidance to their State agency. State agencies with questions should contact the appropriate FNS Regional office.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visual Observation and Identification Policy
Recently a memo was released regarding the policy of visual observation and identification in both CACFP and SFSP programs. We know there will be changes coming, but at this time we are waiting on further guidance from the USDA. We will communicate as soon as we have more information to share.
________________________________________________________________
Reminders and Due Dates
ACTION NEEDED: Linking MILogin and MEIS
We want to remind everyone about the messages coming through MEGS+ requesting users to create a MILogin for Third Party account and link that account to their current MEIS account.
This is a requirement and the first step in the transition to our new system, NexSys. If you haven’t done this already, please do so as soon as possible. Instructions on how to complete this are available.
By getting this step done now, it will save time and added stress when users are finally required to access and work in NexSys.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
School Food Authority Verification Collection Report
The School Food Authority Verification Collection Report (SFA-VCR) is open. The deadline for completing the SFA-VCR report is June 1, 2021. The web-based SFA-VCR is accessible through the upgraded Michigan Nutrition Data System (MIND 2.0).
This report is mandatory for all School Food Authorities (SFAs) and Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCIs) operating the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or the School Breakfast Program (SBP), including RCCIs that are exempt from verification requirements.
Districts that are entirely Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) do not need to complete the SFA-VCR. The report has been certified by MDE. Partial CEP districts are still required to conduct verification and submit the SFA-VCR. Special milk only sponsors are not required to complete this report.
Instructions for completing the SFA-VCR can be found on the School Nutrition Website under Steps to Complete Verification and are included below.
Questions regarding SFA-VCR may be directed to:
Training Corner
Michigan Nutrition Training Calendar
During this time of necessary social distancing, it is very important for the field to have access to all the virtual trainings available to them, to help them continue to do their jobs. If you are offering an online/virtual training, please fill out and submit this questionnaire: I want my training added to the Michigan Nutrition Training Calendar. Be sure to fill out ALL of the information including NA if the question does not apply. Trainings cannot be added to the calendar without the complete information.
Please visit the Michigan Nutrition Training Calendar, a one-stop-shop calendar that lists child nutrition trainings across the state. The more trainings listed, the better the calendar will be for our Child Nutrition Programs!
If you have questions, contact MDE-MINutritionTraining@michigan.gov.
How to Access the Michigan Nutrition Training Calendar.
_______________________________________________________________
|
|
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: When can I begin NSLP SSO?
Answer: The SFSP must end before the first day of school and NSLP/SBP or NSLP SSO will begin the first day of the new school year. Let us know if you have a specific situation so we can work with you to decide the best option.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
Question: Can I still apply for CEP if I am operating NSLP SSO for School Year 2021-2022?
Answer: Yes. It is recommended to apply for CEP for School Year 2021-2022 if you are interested. You will still operate NSLP-SSO, but CEP is a four-year application, so applying this year guarantees that you can continue to serve your students meals at no cost. CEP eligibility information will be posted to the website by the end of May. Please contact Natalee Mickelson with questions at MickelsonN@michigan.gov.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Question: Are weekend meals allowed in NSLP SSO? We are currently offering 7 days’ worth of meals under SFSP.
Answer: Under SFSP, 7 days’ worth of meals is allowed. We are still waiting for more guidance from USDA about weekend and holiday meals under NSLP SSO during the 21-22 School Year. As soon as we have more information, we will let everyone know.
________________________________________________________________
Contact Us
Email: MDE-SchoolNutrition@Michigan.gov
Nutrition Gateway: The Michigan Department of Education Nutrition Gateway provides Child Nutrition Program (CNP) agencies a singular system to access annual CNP applications (MEGSplus), monthly claims (MIND) and periodic administrative reviews (GEMS/MARS) through an integrated dashboard and portal.
If you or someone you know is interested in receiving the Child Nutrition Programs News and Updates and Bulletins, visit Child Nutrition Programs News and Updates Subscription.
|