Alabama State Department of EducationSeptember 2019

Volume 6: Issue 2

The Alabama State Department of Education hopes that your school year is off to a great start! This newsletter is packed with information to help keep your location

running smoothly!

Check out the link below to find out more about:

What Counts as a Farm to School Activity?How Should I Prepare?

Why Should I Complete the Census?Where Can I Learn More?

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USFNS/bulletins/246939e

The National Farm to School Census is conducted by the USDA, Office of

Community Food Systems. We are asking all schools to fill out their school

information. All information is posted to a National website and the data is used in

several forms of media.- Andrea Carter,

Alabama Farm to School Program

The Farm to School Census is Coming…

DIRECTORS:The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has

contracted with Abt Associates Inc. to conduct the 2019 Farm to School Census (2019 Census).

The 2019 Census is a key part of the Farm to School Census and Comprehensive Review, a 3-year study that will examine and describe the

multiple facets of farm to school across the country, including the USDA Farm to School Grant

Program.

This Census will survey all public and private school food authorities (SFAs) that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in all

50 States, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Washington, D.C.

Like the 2013 and 2015 Farm to School Censuses, the 2019 Census will gather information about

the use of local foods in schools and other farm to school activities.

Data collection for the 2019 Census will begin in September 2019. SFA directors will be asked to

complete one short web survey (sent to them via email) in order to provide information about local

sourcing and farm to school activities.

Alabama Farm to School Program

FARM TO SCHOOL MONTHOctober is Farm to School Month! Join us and thousands of schools, early care and education sites, and farms across the country as we celebrate agriculture education, school gardens and lunch trays filled with healthy, local ingredients.

Find ideas and activities in the Alabama Farm to School Month and National School Lunch Week Toolkit! The toolkit provides resources such as the Farm to School Taste Test Guide, links to social media content and sample press releases.

Week 1

Farm Field Trips – In the fall, farms offer fun, interactive learning experiences for students. If students from your school visit corn mazes or pumpkin patches, please share them on social media!

Week 2

School Garden Education – Whether it’s in raised-bed, butterfly or container garden, school gardens provide endless amounts of student learning opportunities. On week two, Alabama Farm to School celebrates learning in school gardens at outdoor classrooms around the state.

Week 3

Agriculture Education – Many agri-science classes and clubs have programs in which students grow their own food. During week three, we celebrate agricultural education. Whether it’s plasti-culture, hydroponics or soil science, agriculture education connects students to the food they eat.

Week 4

Local Food in School Meals - Fresh, local foods provide nutritious meals for students and supports local farms! This week the Alabama Farm to School Program celebrates local foods in school meals and ends with a final crunch into a locally grown apple on Apple Crunch Day.

APPLE CRUNCH DAY

Join us for this year’s Apple Crunch Day on October 24th! Apple Crunch Day is a fun, easy way to celebrate healthy, local foods and Farm to School Month. Districts, schools, classrooms, and early care and education centers can let us know about your support by registering here.

Below is the link to USDA Food News:https://www.alsde.edu/sec/cnp/fd/Food%20Programs/arrivals.pdf

It can also be found with the CNP Online Application under SWP & FD and clicking on “USDA Foods News”

Remember your USDA DoD Fresh Produce Deliveries

Click the link below to find ideas and resources to use at your school!http://schoolnutrition.org/meetings/events/nslw/2019/

Make sure to take pictures of your festivities and send them in to be featured in the November Newsletter!

Mark Your Calendars…

September 12 New Sponsor Training Gordon Person’s Building/ALSDE Montgomery

September 17 RCCI/Private Monticello Library Montgomery

September 24 Administrative Review Monticello Library Montgomery

November 13-15 Fall Conference Perdido Beach Resort Orange Beach

Above and Bottom Right:

CNP Photo Booth Pictures

August 2nd Training with MGM

Above: MGM and Asbury CNP

employee, Tiffany Massingill

Check out what’s been happening at Marshall County Schools

Above: Marshall County Schools Institute Day with Jerry Brooks

Yarbrough Elementary School in Auburn is

celebrating Alabama’s 200th year anniversary with their students by dressing the cafeteria

with Alabama facts and decorations!

Bringing the Classroom and Cafeteria Together

Cafeteria Artwork

West Blocton High School’s cafeteria was remodeled with new tables, a serving line, and artwork by Jeremy K. Davis. Jeremy also designed and built the statue of

Nick Saban located at Bryant Denny Stadium.

Pictured left, a mural was painted by lunchroom manager, Tammy

Smitherman, at Brent Elementary School.

From the August Team Nutrition Newsletter:

School Meals to PreschoolersDownload the updated version of Team Nutrition’s Serving School Meals to Preschoolers for School Year 2019-2020 in English and in Spanish. This 4-page worksheet helps school nutrition professionals plan menus that meet the preschool meal pattern. Print versions coming soon!

Smart Snack Standard UpdatesRestocking Smart Snacks? Check out Team Nutrition’s A Guide to Smart Snacks in School for School Year 2019–2020. This updated guide provides tips on how to select foods for school vending machines, fundraisers, and snack bars that meet Smart Snacks standards. View online or order in print.

School Meals Memos and Guidance MaterialsVisit the pages below for recent updates to school meal program guidance and flexibilities:• Updated School Lunch and Breakfast Meal Patterns Chart• Summary of Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium • Crediting Updates: Memos and Recorded Webinars• Professional Standards Hiring Flexibilities

Tools for School Nutrition ProfessionalsTrack training hours, find approved software, explore new crediting tools, and more at the links below:• Professional Standards Training Tracker Web-Based Tool (find training videos on the Help

tab)• USDA Approved Nutrient Analysis Software• USDA Approved Certification of Compliance Tools and Software• Web-Based Interactive Food Buying Guide (includes the new Exhibit A Grains Tool)

More Back-to-School Resources from Team Nutritionhttps://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/team-nutrition-back-school-resources

Kick-Off a Healthy School Year 2019-2020 with

Team Nutrition

Team Nutrition's Healthy Meals Resource System (HMRS) has moved to the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) and is now part of the ICN's new Child Nutrition Sharing Site!

The ICN's Child Nutrition Sharing Site (CNSS) is an online resource center providing Child Nutrition Programs with a means for sharing valuable resources related to program operations. The CNSS will give child nutrition professionals a one-stop shop to access high-quality resources and training materials in the child nutrition community that support current Federal regulations, policies, and guidance.The CNSS will be rolled out in multiple phases.

Phase One - Now Available!Phase one of the CNSS gives child nutrition professionals access to resources and trainings that were housed on the now discontinued Healthy Meals Resource System. You can access current resources at https://theicn.org/cnss.

Team Nutrition’s Healthy Meals Resource System Has

Moved!

Check out the addition to USDA’s Food Buying Guide!

School Meals Memos and Guidance MaterialsIt’s that time of year – the school bells are ringing and students are flocking to cafeterias once again looking for delicious and nutritious meals! This year, serve up a smile by adding highbush blueberries to your menus. Not sure what to serve? Get inspired with the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council’s Highbush Blueberry Farm to School Playbook, a digital resource packed with menu inspiration, virtual farm tours, nutrition guides, kid-friendly activities and more!

Looking to hear more from these inspiring schools? Join us on October 3rd at 1:00 p.m. ET for a webinar with the National Farm to School Network: Bring Farm to School to Life with Highbush Blueberries. In celebration of National Farm to School Month, Nutrition Consultant Dayle Hayes, MS, RD, will be leading a discussion with these rockstar school nutrition pros discussing advice on how to kick start a farm to school program and bring it to life with promotions your students will love. Register here, and be sure to spread the word to your state networks!

For more positively bluetiful news, kid-friendly ideas and yummy menu inspiration, visit BlueberriesInSchools.com.

From the National Farm to School Network: Highbush Blueberries

Try the Featured September Recipe in your Cafeteria

Newsletter by:

CNP Intern, Courtney Mitchell

and CNP Nutritionist, Devin Williamson

*A photo release for any pictures of children sent to ALSDE should be kept on file at

the local office*

USDA Non-Discrimination StatementIn accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees,

and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from

discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or

retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded

by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program

information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should

contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are

deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal

Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made

available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program

Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at:

http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write

a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in

the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your

completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

*We are looking for your favorite CNP recipes with meal pattern

crediting information to share in the newsletter! Please send all

submissions for the newsletter to dwilliamson@alsde.edu.