Food for Thought Winter 2022

QUARTERLY UPDATES

state agency HAPPENINGS

USDA’s Midwest regional office has recently released a supply chain toolkit . This toolkit contains information that schools can share with families, how USDA is working to support schools, best practices, and resources. Click HERE to access this toolkit. USDA recently approved Indiana’s P-EBT plan. The next distribution that will occur mid- December will cover July-Sept P-EBT eligible days. Schools should continue to maintain accurate student addresses, attendance, and free/reduced lunch statuses for each student in the SIS so that this data can flow seamlessly to Data Exchange. The August to September data was pulled for initial distribution review on Monday, October 11 and was refreshed again on Monday, October 25. Additional information, including an FAQ for parents, is available on the FSSA Division of Family Resources P-EBT website. Questions about Data Exchange may be directed HERE . Don’t forget to check the School Nutrition Programs Calendar for SY 2021-2022. IDOE is continuously updating this calendar as training opportunities, events, and due dates are available. Click HERE to access this calendar. Stay in the know of any program changes, new memos, upcoming reminders, and training registrations by reading the School Nutrition Program’s Weekly Newsletter . Click HERE to be added to the contact list.

BY ASHLEY HELLER SCHOOL NUTRITION SPECIALIST INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

IDOE NEWS

With Allie Caito-Sipe taking over as Assistant Director of the Training and Resource Development Team, she has decided to step down as State Agency Representative for ISNA. Ashley Heller, School Nutrition Program Specialist at IDOE, will be taking her place. Ashley is very excited to take on this role with ISNA and to get involved with the organization! A quick note from Allie about her time as the State Agency Representative -- “As the State Agency Representative for ISNA over the past few years, I have enjoyed strengthening professional and personal friendships, communicating important updates and information, and taking part in many fantastic professional development and networking opportunities. This group is regularly innovating ways to inform, support, and speak up for the school food service profession and I have been proud to serve on the board. I’m passing the baton onto Ashley Heller who will continue to be a connection between the state agency and ISNA. Thank you for allowing us to sit at the table!”

IDOE has experienced many changes in roles within School and Community Nutrition over the last year. This also includes the School and Summer Monitoring Team. This team encompasses the field specialists that provide technical assistance and conduct the administrative reviews for schools. Recently, Jacqueline Peczkowski, who was previously a field specialist, joined the Training and Resource Development Team, while Emily Klingler, from the Child and Adult Care Food Program, is now part of the Monitoring Team for School Nutrition Programs. With this change, the Monitoring Team felt it was time for a little adjustment and shifted around some of the field specialist territories. This means that you may have recently been emailed that you have a new field specialist!

Meet School and Community Nutrition’s School and Summer Monitoring Team!

Gretchen Huntzer is a field specialist whose territory contains central Indiana, including Indianapolis and some of the surrounding suburbs. Gretchen also works closely with Tina Skinner on overseeing the operations of the Summer Food Service Program. Claudia Garner is also a field specialist overseeing the central and eastern part of Indiana ranging from New Palestine to Richmond.

Marcia Yurczyk is the Assistant Director of the School and Summer Monitoring team. Her staff consists of the field specialists who conduct Administrative Reviews (ARs) as well as provide technical assistance for sponsors throughout the school year

and summer months. Marcia supports her team in a lot of ways, including assisting with reviews, offering technical assistance, and helping to develop targeted training for schools.

Melissa Corum supports schools in the central and the north-central part of Indiana. Melissa works closely with Marcia to develop the AR schedule, and prepare for reviews by creating resources and providing AR training. Emily Klingler , as mentioned previously, is new to the monitoring team, having recently moved from the Child and Adult Care Food Program team. Emily is now a field specialist with the School Nutrition Programs and her territory encompasses the central part of Indiana. Mike Downey is a field specialist on the Monitoring team whose territory includes the northwestern part of the state near Gary, South Bend, etc.

Beth Flesher is a field specialist who covers the northeastern part of the state in Fort Wayne and surrounding counties.

Thank you Allie for your time and service to the Indiana School Nutrition Association!

Updates & Reminders Warm up to the new year with an all new lineup of trainings! IDOE has partnered with the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) to bring a flurry of new winter webinar trainings this January and February. Each week has an overall theme with each day breaking down different topics within that theme. Learn about focusing on the customer, utilizing the cafeteria as a classroom, basic culinary math, financial management, and forecasting the procurement of foods. Click HERE to learn more about each week’s topics and to register. We hope you will join us!

Margie Fisher is a field specialist whose territory contains the southeastern part of Indiana ranging from Monroe County all the way over to the southeastern corner of the state. Jennifer Ress-Henry monitors the southwestern part of the state; the Evansville area and going north towards Lawrence county.

Rebecca Dooley is a field specialist whose territory covers the northern part of Indiana from Tipton up to the Plymouth area.

Tina Skinner oversees the Summer Food Service Program alongside Gretchen to ensure that schools and sponsors across the state are properly prepared to take on feeding children throughout the summer.