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National SchoolLunch WeekOctober 13–17, 2014

Tools and Resources for SNA Members

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Table of Contents“Get in the Game” Kickoff ............................................................3

NSLW/NLSP ......................................................................................4

Get the Ball Rolling: Five Tips for Success .................................5

Celebration Ideas ...........................................................................6

Make Over Your Menus ................................................................9

Lunch with Your Legislators .......................................................10

PR Tips ............................................................................................12

Resources .......................................................................................13

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National School Lunch Week (NSLW) is October 13-17, 2014. The School Nutrition Association (SNA), along with Chobani Greek Yogurt, bring you plenty of downloadable tools and resources to promote NSLW.

“Get in the Game with School Lunch” is the celebration theme for NSLW 2014. It’s all about emphasizing the importance of balancing healthy eating and physical activity for kids.

The “Get in the Game” theme brings the opportunity to make NSLW extra fun and exciting with sports/activity-themed decorations, games, menus, and more. Your promotion options are limitless—partner up with your school’s P.E. teacher, decorate your cafeteria, invite parents to attend lunch, survey kids on their favorite menu items or sports, etc.

The message about combining healthy eating and physical activity doesn’t just speak to kids— it also resonates with parents, administrators, teachers, and more!

According to a 2013 SNA survey, 80% of members that participated in NSLW saw an increase in their program participation. When you participate in NSLW 2014 you’ll also be able to promote your program and increase community awareness of all the benefits of a healthy school lunch.

Read on—and get ready to make your NSLW celebration a slam dunk success!

Kickoff

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What are NSLW and the NSLP?

“Get in the Game with School Lunch” Campaign Goals

• Help SNA members promote their healthy menus and increase lunch participation;

• Promote the message that school lunch is nutritious and tasty; and

• Garner increased awareness of the importance of school meals, physical activity, and the role of school nutrition professionals in academic achievement and overall wellness.

REMEMBER! NSLW is officially scheduled the second full week in October (by an act of Congress). However, if you can’t participate the week of October 13-17 because of holidays, teacher work days, or other conflicts, you are still free to recognize NSLW—just choose a different week!

Created in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy, NSLW is a celebratory week of events and activities promoting the benefits of the National School Lunch Program (NLSP).

The NSLP began in 1946 and is the largest of the federal child nutrition programs.

The NSLP provides 5.1 billion lunches annually—that’s over 3 million kids served every day!

95% of U.S. elementary and secondary school students are enrolled in schools that participate in the NSLP.

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Get the Ball Rolling: 5 Tips for Success

1 Get students involved. Whether it’s a sports-themed art contest or a survey about favorite menu items, find ways to involve students and make them feel like they’re part of the celebration.

2 Decorate. NSLW 2014 posters, t-shirts, balloons, and more are all available at SNA’s Emporium. Don’t forget to embrace the “Get in the Game” theme with giveaways for kids like pencils and buttons.

3 Keep parents in the loop. Download the parent/student backpack brochure to inform parents about your promotion. Send it home with your menus so parents know it’s a special week in the cafeteria.

4 Get the word out! SNA provides resources, templates, and tip sheets for getting your 2014 celebration recognized by the school district, the community, and even local media. You can download these tools to make life easier. These days, there are so many platforms you can use to spread the word: Facebook, Twitter, your school district website or blog, email, newsletters, etc.

5 Share your celebration. After NSLW is over, send your celebration photos and stories to SNA – your promotion may be featured in School Nutrition magazine or on the SNA Facebook page. Email your pictures and a brief summary of your promotion to snmagazine@school nutrition.org, or mail it to:

NSLW RecapSchool Nutrition

120 Waterfront St Suite 300,National Harbor, MD 20745.

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Celebration Ideas

Make It a Team Effort To make the most of NSLW, consider some of these ideas to engage students, parents, and school faculty. You could:

Celebrate local sports stars! Ask local high-school or college athletes to come (in uniform) and eat lunch with the younger students and maybe say a few words about the importance of eating healthy for energy.

Play sports and activity-themed music in the cafeteria during lunch for your staff and students. Think “We are the Champions” by Queen, “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, or “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”.

The April 2014 issue of School Nutrition magazine features other tips for an All-Star NSLW celebration including decorations, games and other participation-boosting activities. Check out

the digital issue at http://www.schoolnutrition.org/snmagazine.

Consider reaching out to your school P.E. teacher or sports coaches and asking if they’d be willing to get on board and join your promotion. Maybe they would like to put up a poster in the gym, incorporate healthy eating into the lesson plan, be a guest server in the lunchroom, or organize a special event or activity for kids.

Distribute pieces of paper or index cards (shaped like sports balls maybe) and asks kids about their favorite sports or activities, and what healthy meal they should eat beforehand for energy. Post their answers on a bulletin board in the cafeteria.

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Add the official NSLW web banners to your web page. Download these from the member resource website (www.schoolnutrition.org/nslw).

Post photos of your NSLW lunch trays to your nutrition program’s Facebook page or your school’s Facebook page. You can also share photos of special guests and parents that came to visit during lunch. Call the district’s communications office and ask who is in charge of posting social media content – they may be able to help you.

In captions of your NSLW tray photos, point out the healthy components that will appeal to moms– fresh fruit, veggies, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free milk!

Take plenty of photos of students enjoying lunch during NSLW. You can also take photos of you and your staff celebrating and send them to the SNA Facebook page! Just remember to get media release forms signed first, or check your school’s policy. Your school district probably has a template already created that you can use.

Add the official NSLW cover photo/profile picture to your program’s Facebook page to help spread the word. It’s available for download on the NSLW 2014 website.

Score on Social Media It’s time to get social with your NSLW promotion—80% of moms with school-age children are using Facebook, according to a 2013 study by Arbitron and Edison Research. Facebook and Twitter are great platforms to reach parents. Consider some of these ideas to promote your NSLW celebration online:

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Loosen Up the Lunch Line Ask members of your staff if they’d be interested in dressing up in different sports costumes for lunch – they might be willing to wear the jersey of their favorite athletes or show their pride for your local professional sports teams.

Invite special guest servers to work on the line at lunch – your school principal, coaches, or teachers may want to help!

Add sports decorations to your lunch lines.

Menu Marketing Rename some of your typical menu staples to reflect the theme. For example— Touchdown Tacos, Fastball Fruit Salad, or Half-Time Hamburger.

Add the official NSLW 2014 logos and artwork to your menus. The art represents all of the healthy components of a school lunch. Download the files for free from the NSLW website.

Add fun trivia facts about physical activity, sports, and exercise to your menus.

Decorations“Get in the Game”—themed balloons, posters and more are available for purchase at SNA’s Emporium. Visit http://emporium.schoolnutrition.org to shop online!

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Make Over your MenusDon’t forget to promote NSLW and “Get in the Game with School Lunch” on your menus. Below is some sample text to include on your menus that you can tailor to highlight any special recipes you are serving. You can also include the “Get in the Game with School Lunch” logos, which are available to download at www.schoolnutrition.org/nslw.

Get in the Game with School LunchKids need a healthy lunch to get energized for their favorite after-school sports and activities! This week is National School Lunch Week and to celebrate, we are featuring a powerful protein entrée today: a grilled chicken breast sandwich, carrots, fresh fruit, and milk!

National School Lunch Week October 13-17, 2014

Get in the Game with School Lunch Kids need a healthy lunch to get energized for their favorite after-school sports and activities! This week is National School Lunch Week and to celebrate, we are featuring a powerful mix of protein and carbs: spaghetti with turkey meatballs, garden salad, fresh fruit, and milk!

National School Lunch Week October 13-17, 2014

Get in the G

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Lunch with Your LegislatorsGive your NSLW celebration political punch by inviting a state or federal representative to enjoy a meal with students. It’s a great way to get some attention from the community, build relationships with influencers, and get on the media’s radar.

Below you’ll find a quick tip sheet for getting representatives into your cafeteria, as well as other resources to help you connect with your representative. There’s more where this came from in SNA’s Legislative Toolkit (www.schoolnutrition.org/legislativetoolkit).

Tip #1 Identify your representatives to invite. A full list of state and federal representatives is available on the SNA website. Their contact information is included in SNA’s Legislative Action Center. All you need is your zip code.

Tip #2 Know who to talk to. When you contact the office of your Member of Congress, ask to speak with the aide who handles child nutrition programs. Tell the aide you would like to invite the Member to be your guest at your school when he/she is visiting the congressional district.

10 Tips for SuccessTip #3 Make your case. You’ll need to come up with compelling reasons for your representative to attend. Think about how it benefits him or her. Visiting the lunchroom is a great opportunity for your representative to see a federal program in action, foster goodwill in the community, garner positive media coverage, etc.

Tip #4 Respect their time. Extend the invitation well in advance of NSLW. Plan a specific agenda for his or her lunchtime visit. You’ll have a very limited amount of time with your member, so use it wisely.

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Tip #5 Know the power of the staff. If your representative is unavailable, invite the aide in charge of child nutrition programs or the district office director instead. Members of Congress rely on their staff to advise them on policy and the latest news from the district.

Tip #6 Get the word out. Inviting a public figure to lunch is a great way to give your NSLW celebration a newsworthy element! Reach out to local media outlets and invite them to cover the event (check with your school district’s communications office first). You can send them a press release that has all the details in one place. If reporterscan’t attend, send them your photos and details for coverage after the fact. Share photos in your school’s newsletter, website, and social media pages too!

Tip #7 Be organized. Alert your principal or school’s front office that there will be a special guest arriving at the school. Do a run-through the day before, and make sure the menu reflects the healthy options you serve every day. Be prepared to answer questions or provide additional informa-tion with your representative.

Tip #8 Make your guest feel special. Have a “welcoming committee” meet the representative at the front of the school. Make sure you have information and materials specific to your school on hand at the time of the site visit. Conduct a cafeteria tour with your guest and enjoy a school lunch with the children.

Tip #9 Make it a Kodak moment. Take photos and videos of your representative with students (check your school’s consent policy first). Also ask your representative for a quote or two to include in a press release.

Tip #10 Stay in touch! Follow up with a thank-you note, and any materials or details discussed during the visit.

THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG! There are more resources available in SNA’s Legislative Toolkit. Download the Cafeteria Site Visit 101 document (http://www.schoolnutrition.org/sitevisit101) for instructions, checklists, and more.

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Below you’ll find some tips to help you reach out to your local media outlets about NSLW:

Add information about your school and your planned NSLW activities to the downloadable news release.

Print the sample release on your own letterhead and list yourself as the contact. Send it to your media contacts at least a week prior to NSLW.

If you want to contact local media about your NSLW celebration but are short on resources or time, consider reaching out to your school district’s communications office. They may be able to support you with sending out a press release.

Ask local dietitians, pediatricians, teachers, parents, and students how they view the school lunch program, and, with permission, use their comments in the release.

Get others involved! Speak to teachers, administrators, parents, and others to gather support for your NSLW celebration.

Publicize NSLW on the back of your school menus, in school newspapers, and on your website.

Copy and distribute the NSLW 2014 backpack brochure and activity sheets to students.

PR Tips to Reach Press & Parents

Are you ready to reach out to the media? Here’s a quick checklist:

Before you get a reporter on the phone or email a local blogger, make sure you have all your prep work done!

I’ve researched a few local reporters and news producers to know what topics they cover and I’ve read a few of their recent stories.

I have a student, parent, and school nutrition professional all available to speak with interested media (remember, when pitching your story to local media, you need more than one perspective to share).

I have photos and video content available from my NSLW 2013 celebration to share with the media.

All children should have a media release signed by their parents. Your school district probably already has a media release template.

I have background information, statistics, and studies on hand to share with the press if they want more information about NSLW 2014 and my school district’s program.

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“Get in the Game with School Lunch” Resources

Artwork and logos: You can use the official NSLW images and logos for all of your materials, including activity sheets, menus, signs, newsletters, and more.

Backpack Brochure: This is a fun, take-home activity for children to get them excited for NSLW. There’s also information for parents about the healthy meals you’re serving.

Games and Activities: Just for students, you’ll find coloring sheets, word-searches, crossword puzzles, brainteasers, matching games, and more.

Presentations: On the NSLW website, you’ll find pre-developed PowerPoint presentations that you can use to stress the importance of NSLW to all types of audiences, including: administrators, parents, teachers, staff, children, etc.

Merchandise: Check out http://emporium.school nutrition.org for official NSLW merchandise like t-shirts, aprons, posters, balloons, buttons, and more.

Templates: Why re-invent the wheel? Download SNA’s sample press release and official proclamation template.

Sweepstakes: Want to win over 700 NSLW stickers for your students? Tell us about your celebration plans and you’ll automatically be entered to win.

Facebook tips: Download tips for sharing your celebration on Facebook, as well as customizable posts you can use.

Web banners: Download the NSLW web banners and add them to your website!

SNA has plenty of tools and templates to make your NSLW celebration a success. Check out the resources available on the website at www.schoolnutrition.org/nslw. You’ll find downloadable tools to make your life easier. These include: