The Washington Integrated Nutrition System (WINS) requires you revise calendars only when the number of days entered in the claim exceeds the number of days in the site calendar.
When operating days submitted on the claim for reimbursement exceed the number of days in the site calendar, the claim will be in error. Make calendar revisions before submitting the claim for reimbursement.
To add an operating day:
- Simply delete a non-operating day in the month for which the claim is being submitted.
There are two options to extend the school year into the end of June to accommodate additional meal service days
- Revise each site calendar and change the end date of the school year.
- Add a new schedule for the final operating dates of the school year.
Make sure to submit your calendar revision. Do not leave in “created” status. A calendar in submitted status will notify your specialist a change has been made and your specialist can then approve.
You do not need to revise your calendar if the number of days entered in the claim is less than the number of days in the site calendar.
We hope you find this feature useful, especially with recent school closures due to inclement weather.
Questions? Please contact your program specialist.
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is applying for a 2020 Team Nutrition Grant, which will focus on the standardization of recipes that feature one or more Washington-grown agricultural products (fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, fish, etc.). Pending our award of grant funds, sub-grant funds will be provided to school food authorities (SFAs) to support the completion of all the following activities:
- The collection of recipe ideas from their school community;
- Recipe standardization;
- Student taste testing of standardized recipes;
- The provision of nutrition education about the local agricultural products featured in the recipes.
Grant funds are to be spent by selected SFAs to build capacity with existing recipe standardization efforts. Sub-grants would be provided to selected SFAs in October 2020 and need to be spent by August 2022.
For the full description of this grant opportunity, see the 2020 Team Nutrition Grant Request for Applications.
Interested in Participating?
This is a competitive selection process. You must fill out this interest form by Friday, February 28th at 5:00pm PST to be considered for this project. Up to five (5) school districts will be selected to participate in this opportunity, pending the availability of funds.
Questions? Please contact Bianca Smith.
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) wants to hear from you!
When a new regulation, also called a rule, is proposed, there is a specific window of time for public comment called the “open comment period.” During that time, you may submit your feedback on a proposed rule.
Why should you comment?
Your opinion matters. Commenting is an important way to share your perspective. Your comments are valuable because they reflect your unique experiences and help FNS better understand how school meals work in your community. This helps develop regulations that are effective and practical.
FNS reviews all public comments received and all written comments are made publicly available at http://www.regulations.gov.
How do you comment?
- FNS currently has two Child Nutrition Program rules open for comment.
- To comment online, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal and follow the instructions for submitting comments. Sometimes, the proposed rule has a comment icon on the left side that you can click and go straight to the comment page.
- Submit your comments by March 23, 2020.
Barb started her career in school food service in the Edmonds School District and then finished up at OSPI Child Nutrition Services totaling over 25 years in the school food service industry. Her contributions span the local, state and national levels.
If you would like to send her well wishes for her retirement, please send to laura.neal@k12.wa.us by March 13, 2020.
We will compile all wishes for Barb before she retires.
National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) starts March 2! Are YOU ready to go Out of this World?
This year, the #NSBW2020 theme is “School Breakfast: Out of this World.” And now is the time to get a head start on promoting your program!
Why should I participate?
Recognizing NSBW in your district or cafeteria helps you:
- Increase student participation in your program.
- Spread the message to parents that you’re serving a healthy, tasty breakfast at school each day.
- Connect with teachers and administrators at your school, and throughout the district, to spread the word that school meals are healthy and delicious.
- Earn media coverage from local papers, blogs, and TV stations.
Promote National School Breakfast Week on your Program’s social media pages: Download our Facebook cover photo (jpg) and add it to your program’s page to increase awareness of #NSBW20! Download our Instagram meme (jpg) and use it to spread the word about #NSBW20!
Visit the School Nutrition Association and USDA webpages for ideas and resources.
Send Us Your NSBW Celebrations!
We want to see all the activities, celebrations, and fun you have for #NSBW2020! Send Your photos to samantha.brueske@k12.wa.us and your district could be featured in our highlights.
What is the Pre-Order Survey?
The Pre-Order Survey is an annual requirement for all participating USDA Food Distribution sponsors. The survey is your commitment of what you plan to order during the upcoming 2021 school year. The survey also tells OSPI Food Distribution how much and what types of foods to order through USDA for the entire 2021 School Year.
What do you have to do?
Complete your pre-order survey as soon as possible! The survey opens today, February 10 and closes Friday, February 28!
Complete your survey in CNP! Here's some helpful tools:
Product Information Sheets
Questions on completing your survey? Email Marlon Hopkins or call 360-726-6204.
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We will be hosting training as a "mini-conference" once more! But this year we will be going to BOTH sides of the state! Planned training sessions will include a variety of topics for both new and seasoned staff.
Both days will offer the same trainings and Annual Updates.
East Side: Thursday, July 30, 2020 at Central Washington University
West Side: Monday, August 10, 2020 at Puget Sound ESD
Registration information will be released in May. Please keep an eye out for future CNS Updates.
Do you want to boost meal participation, eliminate student meal debt, and provide meals at no cost to all students?
Join the OSPI and United Way of King County for one of the 2020 Community Eligibility Provision Summits!
Superintendents, school board members, business officials, Title I staff, nutrition staff, and anybody else involved in CEP planning is encouraged to attend! We recommend attending as a cohort from your district to maximize planning time.
All events are from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm and include lunch. Register below!
These half-day summits are an opportunity for school districts to learn more about all aspects of CEP - what it is, how it works, the benefits, the challenges, and any other questions you have!
Join us to learn best practices and tips from local and national champions. We'll cover a range of topics, including:
- An overview of CEP
- Direct certification best practices
- Tips for CEP groupings and partial district implementation
- How it works with federal and state funding programs like Title I, Part A, and LAP.
- Best practices for collecting alternate income forms
- Community Eligibility + Breakfast After the Bell: how to implement both to maximize success
If you were unable to attend a summit or would like to learn more about CEP, you can watch the last week's CEP webinar available at this link.
Abby's talk provides data and insight on how to improve nutrition in school meals and the immediate impact that results.
Abby Miller is a consultant specializing in developing effective, nutritious school meal programs for rural communities throughout Eastern Washington. As a registered dietitian, she focuses her work on educating faculties and students alike on everything from scratch cooking skills to the nutritional importance of fresh produce.
At CNS, when word was shared about this talk, we all wanted to stand up and clap. Join us in congratulating Abby's accomplishment and view her TEDx Talk.
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