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Are your meals appetizing, appealing, and nutritious? The USDA wants to recognize you!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Turnip the Beet award recognizes outstanding summer meal program sponsors across the country who work to offer high quality meals to children that are appetizing, appealing, and nutritious.
Please see our Turnip the Beet webpage for eligibility criteria. Submit your nomination form and menu to the Summer Meals Team inbox by Friday, September 8.
Monthly claims are due by the 15th of each month following the claim period. All claims entered in WINS and in OK to Pay status will process for payment at the end of the month.
WINS will be available to input claims until 5:00 pm PT, Tuesday, August 15. At 5 pm, WINS will log sponsors out of the system in order to run the monthly payment process.
Best Practice - Submit claims early in case an error comes up and you need assistance.
New Email!
We’re excited to share that our fiscal team has a new email! Here you can send us messages, ask questions, and get a faster response from our team. Next time you’re ready to send us a message, please email cnsfiscalservices@k12.wa.us, we’re excited to hear from you!
Meet Your CNS Fiscal Team!
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Debbie Libra, CNS Claims & Fiscal Manager
My name is Debbie Libra, and I am the new Fiscal Supervisor with Child Nutrition Services. I am a well-tenured accounting professional having worked in the accounting field the last twenty years at various small- and medium-sized businesses. Most recently, I worked for the Department of Children, Youth and Families in Capital Assets. After years of bookkeeping work and raising two kids, I decided to go back to school and earned my Bachelor's in Accounting from WGU in 2016.
In my time off, I enjoy gardening and antiquing (I love a good Estate sale!). My husband and I own a small Lavender farm in rural Oregon that keeps us busy in the summer months. I am excited to be part of the team at CNS and looking forward to meeting everyone!
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Trisha Santee, Fiscal Specialist ll
Hello! I have worked for OSPI for 5 years, almost all of which has been with Child Nutrition Services. I love working with numbers and using Excel which explains my pursuit of an accounting degree. I support all our programs and our sponsors with their fiscal needs and questions.
My husband and I own a farm where we raise cattle, chickens, ducks, and guinea fowl. We are very passionate on our journey to become self-sufficient and are grateful our land can nourish our family and friends.
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Josh Thompson, Fiscal Analyst
Hello, I am the new Fiscal Analyst with Child Nutrition Services. I am coming to OSPI after 3.5 years with Educational Service District 113 where I got my introduction to accounting and education. I graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor’s in business economics in 2019.
In my free time I love watching Seattle sports and spending time with my wife Hannah, and one year old daughter Elsie. We also have two golden retrievers named Oaklee and Benji who are crazy and help get us outside and stay active.
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Claiming Reminders and Resources
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FSMC & Vended Sponsors – Correct your Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Average Daily Attendance (ADA) Before Claiming
- Meals claimed in excess of the CAP count for a site will result in a claim error. You must make Average Daily Attendance (ADA) revisions prior to submitting monthly claims. Specialists must approve revisions before claims can process for payment.
- Revised ADA's will not be approved for claims that go into error status due to meals claimed over the approved CAP.
- Compare the Average Number of Meals to the approved CAP. If the Average exceeds the CAP, increase the ADA in your site calendar and email your Program Specialist.
- Here is a quick equation to determine whether the ADA should be revised: Total Meals Served / Number of Operating Days = Average Number of Meals per day.
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Working with a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) or Vendor? FSMCs and Vended Sponsors cannot be reimbursed for any meals above the 120% of the ADA. Update the ADA prior to submitting the claim for the excess meals to be reimbursed.
- The Claims, Fiscal Information and Resources webpage.
- The Claims Reference Sheet details important information including revisions and late-claim exceptions.
These short trainings (10 minutes or less) are designed to quickly train site staff on various topics about SFSP operations and their role. These trainings are supplemental and do not replace the staff training opportunities that you are required to provide. To create a Canvas account and join this course, please click here for the self-enroll link.
Training Topics
- Delivery Records for Satellite Sites
- Food Donation
- Food Prep Records
- Food Safety
- Meal Pattern
- Menu Planning
- Offer vs Serve in the SFSP
- Point of Service and Meal Counting
- Recordkeeping for Administrators
- Recordkeeping for Site Staff
- Reviewing Meal Count Records
- Serving Second Meals and Adult Meals in the SFSP
- Site Monitoring
- Special Dietary Needs in the SFSP
More About Canvas
Canvas is OSPI’s new learning management system and is replacing Moodle. Many features in Canvas are similar to Moodle; however, Canvas will provide a broader range of functionality for all learning styles. Moodle will no longer be accessible as of August 30th.
Progressing Through a Canvas Module
Content is organized into "Modules" in Canvas.
- To move forward in a module, you can use the "Next" button in the lower right.
- To go back a page, use the "Back" button in the lower left.
- You can also click the "Modules" item in the sidebar on the left, and then click individual items in a module.
- Required modules are set up to unlock sequentially. To proceed to the next training in a series, you must complete the previous training.
Canvas Support
Canvas has a robust support system. Select the "Help" icon and navigate to the topic area where support is needed.
Questions about Canvas? Please email Ben Brown, Professional Learning Specialist.
Questions about Training Requirements? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Farm to School Purchasing Grant is a competitive grant available to schools and childcare centers for the purchase and use of Washington-grown foods in child nutrition programs.
Who Can Apply
- Active program operators of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP - childcare), and school districts who operate the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or Seamless Summer Option (SSO).
- Tribal Schools and Tribal Early Learning Centers.
Timeline
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Grant Period: November 2023–June 30, 2025
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Application opens: is currently open
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Applications closes: Monday, September 25, 2023, at 5 pm PT
To apply or for more information, visit the WSDA Farm to School Purchasing Grant webpage or contact Claire Finnerty at 360-974-9752 or farmtoschool@agr.wa.gov.
OSPI Child Nutrition Service (CNS) received two waivers for SFSP and Seamless Summer Option (SSO). These waivers allow sponsors operating approved outdoor meal sites, without temperature-controlled or indoor alternative sites, to operate as non-congregate sites on days when the area is experiencing excessive heat and/or air quality advisories. These waivers will allow sponsors to continue meal service should these weather events occur.
Excessive Heat Waiver Criteria
- Non-congregate meal service may be offered only on days when the National Weather Service (NWS) issues a Heat Advisory, an Excessive Heat Warning, or an Excessive Heat Watch for the area in which an approved outdoor meal site is located.
- This waiver may only be used when high temperatures could not reasonably be planned for and may not be used to respond to high temperatures that are typical of the area in which the site is located.
- Approved outdoor sites must comply with congregate meal service requirements on all other days of operation.
- Outdoor sites with an available temperature-controlled alternative site may not use this waiver and should serve meals at the temperature-controlled alternative site if the area is experiencing excessive heat.
Utilizing the Excessive Heat Waiver
Submit a request in writing to the Summer Meals team inbox within 24 hours of providing non-congregate meals. Requests must include documentation from the NWS. Sponsors must receive written approval from OSPI CNS to claim non-congregate meals.
Air Quality Advisories Waiver Criteria
- Non-congregate meal service may be offered at outdoor meal sites with no alternative indoor site on days when the area is experiencing certain air quality advisories.
- The threshold for determining when non-congregate meal service is allowed will be based on metrics developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) .
- Sites may be approved for non-congregate meal service on days when the site's zip code has an Air Quality Index (AQI) "purple" flag or higher, as indicated on the AirNow.gov website.
- For days when air quality is a concern, but the purple flag threshold is not met, FNS recommends sponsors with outdoor sites consider the outdoor activity guidance developed by the EPA and the CDC.
- Outdoor sites with alternative indoor locations will not be permitted to serve non-congregate meals.
Utilizing the Air Quality Waiver
Submit a request in writing to the Summer Meals team inbox within 24 hours of providing non-congregate meals. Requests must include documentation from the EPA or CDC. Sponsors must receive written approval from OSPI CNS to claim non-congregate meals.
Questions? Please email the Summer Meals team.
Using “share tables” can encourage children to eat nutritious foods and help reduce food waste in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
About Share Tables
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy memo SFSP 15-2016 provides information about share tables. This memo reviews food safety requirements program operators must follow when including share tables in their meal service.
Share tables allow food or beverage items to be reused in several ways, examples include:
- Children may take an additional helping of a food or beverage item from the share table at no cost;
- Items left on the share table may be served and claimed for reimbursement during another meal service. Example: During an afterschool program with leftovers from a school lunch; and/or
- Items may be donated to a non-profit organization, such as a community food bank, homeless shelter, or other non-profit charitable organization. See SP 11-2012, SFSP 07-2012: Guidance on the Food Donation Program in Child Nutrition Programs.
Adults are not allowed to eat food left at share tables, and share tables are not allowed to be used for programs outside of child nutrition, with the exception of food donation outlined in SP 11-2012, SFSP 07-2012.
SPSP Food Safety and Share Table Resources
Online Trainings and Other Resources
Questions? Please contact your local health department for any additional share table requirements.
If you did not receive promotional materials at one of our in-person trainings, you may place your order for materials using the link below from our partner, the United Way of King County. They will process and ship materials to you directly.
Order SFSP Promo Materials
Questions? Please email the Summer Meals Team.
Congratulations to Lummi Nation School District, Mount Baker School District, and Nooksack Valley School District who were awarded the 2023 USDA Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant.
OSPI CNS is excited to partner with Ecotrust, another USDA Farm to School Grant awardee, to offer Farm to School and Farm to Early Learning Institutes in WA and OR, coming Summer 2024.
Does your school have a Farm to School project idea that you are looking to fund? Every year USDA awards competitive Farm to School grants that support planning, developing, and implementing farm to school programs.
Learn more about the Farm to School Grant Program!
Are you interested in increasing the number of local foods served as part of your meal program? The whole plate doesn’t have to be local; you can start small by implementing a Harvest of the Month program. OSPI will feature a Harvest of the Month section once a month highlighting one local food that will be in season the following month. We will highlight the following foods during SY 2023–24:
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September – Peaches
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February – Yogurt
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October – Carrots
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March – Wheat
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November – Delicata Squash
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April – Spinach
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December – Lentils
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May – Beets
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January – Apples
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June – Apricots
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September – Peaches
Fun Facts
- About 7,240 tons of peaches were produced in Washington in 2022.
- Available fresh in Washington from July to September.
- A member of the rose family and are closely related to almonds.
- Over 700 varieties including Nectarines whose smooth skin are caused by a genetic mutation.
- Peaches originally came from China. Portuguese and Spanish explorers brought peaches to the Americas.
- Two main types: Freestone, where the flesh does not stick to the pit, and Clingstone, where the flesh sticks to the pit.
- Their skin color is yellow or cream, sometimes blushed with red depending on the variety. The skin is slightly fuzzy. The flesh inside is usually yellow, but depending on the variety may also be white. An oval pit in the center needs to be removed before eating.
Peaches are high in fiber, contain vitamins A, B3, C, potassium, and antioxidants!
Selection and Storage
- Choose firm fruit with firm skins that yield to gentle pressure when ripe.
- Avoid blemishes and handle gently.
- Ripen peaches at room temperature, stem-end down. Store unripe fruit at room temperature in a paper bag until ripe.
- Fragrance is a sign of ripeness.
- Ripe peaches will last 1–5 days in the refrigerator.
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