During these webinars OSPI CNS will discuss hot topics, highlight important reminders, and provide an opportunity for you to ask questions.
Register Here
Dates: Every other Wednesday through 6/30/2021
Time: 2–3 pm PT
Program operators offering the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)/ School Breakfast Program (SBP), Seamless Summer Option (SSO), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) during the 20–21 school year are encouraged to join us for these webinars.
Reminders
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Follow up emails are not sent sent after the meeting. The 5/19 webinar focused on School Meal Operations in SY21–22, however if you missed our previous webinar, you can review the recording from our 5/5 meeting here.
- Save us on your calendar! When you register, there is an option to add us to your calendar at the bottom of the confirmation email.
- A reminder email with your link to log into the webinar is sent 1 hour before the session starts.
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OSPI CNS invites you to participate in WA Farm to Summer Week!
Summer is coming! Take the pledge and let us know you're participating in WA Farm to Summer Week, July 12–16!
Including fresh, local foods on your menu increases meal quality and supports local growers. Nutrition and agriculture enrichment activities have been shown to increase kids’ willingness to try new foods.
OSPI Farm to Summer Resources
Questions? Contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist or Kendra Vandree, OSPI's Farm to Summer contact.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released CACFP 11-2021, SFSP 07-2021: Collection of Race and Ethnicity Data by Visual Observation and Identification in the Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) – Policy Rescission.
This memo rescinds policy guidance in FNS Instruction 113-1, Appendix B section F regarding Visual Observation and Identification in CACFP and SFSP.
Visual observation and identification can no longer be used to collect race and ethnicity data. Self-identification and self-reporting remain the preferred method of data collection. Sponsors should continue to encourage participants to self-identify and self-report. However, sponsors may utilize data from other sources in which participants have self-identified race or ethnicity, such as school databases.
Questions? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
Planning to operate this summer? Ensure your application is submitted by the recommended deadline to guarantee it’s reviewed before your planned start date.
- Starting between July 1-15? Submit now!
- Starting after July 16? Submit by June 15.
All applications must be received by June 15, the federal application deadline. Please note that it can take up to 30 days to process a complete application.
Please review the 5/24 application reminder article for more application details.
Additional information can be found on the SFSP Program Materials/Forms webpage.
Questions? Contact your Program Specialist or email summermeals@k12.wa.us.
Promoting Summer Meal Sites in Washington State
This summer, OSPI will be promoting SFSP meal sites through No Kid Hungry and the USDA Summer Meals4Kids Site Finder. You can use these tools to promote summer meal sites in your communities.
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USDA Resources
- Families can call 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479)
- For Spanish, families can call 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273)
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Summer Meals Locator- Promote this tool in English or Spanish.
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USDA National Hunger Hotline- can be reached Monday–Friday
- No Kid Hungry Resources
Information About Uploads
- OSPI reports meal times and locations of all OPEN sites.
- Keep the Site Applications and Site Calendars up to date.
- Updates are sent weekly to USDA.
Questions? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
The Washington State Farm to School & Scratch Cooking Institutes will be a professional development opportunity for child nutrition program food service staff. We encourage ECE administrators, educators, and other partners to develop your farm to apply! The focus of this training will be to use more local, Washington grown foods in scratch-made meals.
Whether starting or expanding your farm to school efforts, the Institutes’ two-day intensive will provide training from expert trainers and guest speakers to assist in the development of Farm to School Action Plans. Regular cohort support check-in calls will also be conducted through fall 2021.
Read more & apply here! Applications are due June 11, 2021.
Locations
- August 19-20 – Tribal & Traditional School Foods Institute
- August 23-24 – Central & Eastern Washington Institute
- August 26-27 – Western Washington Institute
Cost
Attending the institute is free for school district or ECE staff and partners within Washington State, thanks to the support of a USDA Farm to School Grant.
Questions? Please email Chris Iberle, WSDA Farm to School Lead at or call 206-714-2757
Child Nutrition Services (CNS) invited the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) to conduct several FREE trainings over the coming year. These sessions can be attended by any food services staff, and they offer Professional Standards.
There is a limit of 2 participants from each center per training. We will be offering sessions more than once so there will be more opportunities to attend later in the year.
Trainings
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Food Safety Basics - This session is designed to provide a basic understanding of food safety. Lessons include methods for training staff, how to prevent foodborne illness, and resources for monitoring.
Sign-Up Here
Date: Friday, June 18
Time: 12 - 4pm PT
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Basic Culinary Math - This training allows participants to review and practice basic culinary math skills and focus on key skills such as measuring and converting measurements, scaling recipes, and calculating food costs.
Sign-Up Here
Date: Thursday, June 24
Time: 12 - 4pm PT
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Nutrition 101 - This 8-hour course provides a basic overview of nutrition with an emphasis on the importance of balance in daily food choices and the inclusion of physical activity.
Sign-Up Here
Date: Wednesday, July 7 & Thursday, July 8
Time: 12 - 4pm PT (both days)
Registration Information
Participants register for the training using the pdEnroller platform.
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Each participant must have their own pdEnroller account to sign up for the training if you do not have one currently. You may use this link to create an account, if needed.
- Make sure to edit your profile to include your STARS ID to make getting your STARS credits easier!
- Keep your confirmation email!
- This email is your portal to the training session and additional handouts for the training.
- Pro Tip: You can add events to your calendar via the event page, this way your Zoom access link is available from your calendar.
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Can't Attend?
- Log into your account.
- Select your name in the upper right hand corner.
- Click on 'My Events'.
- Upcoming events appear at the top of your screen, you should see the class and a 'Cancel Registration' button.
- You can cancel your registration at any time using pdEnroller.
- Waitlist Participants:
- PdEnroller notifies CNS of the number of interested participants and automatically creates a waitlist when the session is filled.
- If someone cancels their attendance, pdEnroller automatically notifies the next person on the waitlist and gives them an opportunity to register - keep an eye out in your emails.
IMPORTANT:
- The ICN requires a minimum of 15 registrants per session to conduct the training. If there are not a minimum of 15 registrants, the training will be canceled.
- There is a limit of 25 participants for each session.
Have Questions? Please email Samantha Brueske, Training and Communications Specialist.
The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) is the only federally funded national center dedicated to applied research, education and training, and technical assistance for child nutrition programs.
Free Training for You and Your Staff Using iLearn!
The ICN's updated online learning portal, iLearn, provides self-paced, free online learning and offers users the flexibility to complete courses in multiple sessions. The iLearn portal can be used on desktop, laptop, or mobile devices.
View the course catalog today!
ICN added new features that enhance the eLearning experience, including:
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Personalized Profiles: Users can select English or Spanish and their Child Nutrition Program to complete their personalized profile.
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Online Courses in Spanish: iLearn includes ICN’s first Spanish online course, Nutrición 101 4ta Edicion. Users can also select Español in their profile for a translated online experience.
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iLearn @ ICN Mobile App: Child Nutrition Professionals can download the app and iLearn @ ICN on the go!
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Coming Soon - Live Webinars! Child Nutrition Professionals can register and attend ICN's scheduled live webinars on iLearn and keep all information and certificates in one location.
Questions? Please contact the ICN Support Team.
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June 1
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March Claim 60-day Deadline - if you haven't already, submit your claim!
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June 2
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Bi-Weekly Webinar | Register Here
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June 15
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Federal SFSP Application Deadline— Please note that it can take up to 30 days to process a complete application. |
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June 15
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May claims due in WINS. |
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