Back to School (Not Just For Kids!)

Issue No. 18 September 2022

Packed Full of Continuing Education & Training Resources Give your staff something solid to lean on.

What is Plastic Free Lunch Day? A day when school lunch is prepared without plastic! A campaign to dramatically reduce plastic use in all schools. An action day to reduce as much plastic as possible. Students take climate action in their school cafeteria.

On November 2, 2022, Cafeteria Culture and Urban School Food Alliance (USFA) are partnering up for the first Plastic Free Lunch Day USA, a national initiative to reduce plastic packaging in public school cafeterias and to protect student health and the environment. Public schools across the country are expected to participate in this inaugural national plastic free lunch initiative, including New York City (NYC), Los Angeles, and an additional sixteen of the largest US school districts that are members of the USFA. School lunch will be prepared without plastic or with a reduced amount of plastic on this day, providing a first glimpse of a plastic-free school cafeteria future. Schools everywhere are invited to participate by leading any plastic free free lunch action on November 2.

The initiative is the result of years of collaborative effort led by Cafeteria Culture, in partnership with the NYC students and Department of Education (DOE) Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS), a founding member of the Urban School Food Alliance, and Office of Sustainability.

Needs Updated

Share this video with your team to get them excited to join cafeterias all over the country on Plastic Free Lunch Day 2022!

Click here to participate and share your plastic free lunch action idea!

Contents

Give your staff something solid to fall back on. TRAINING:

Ready-to-Use Tips

Favorite books on Personal Development from the Ready Foods Team.

“The more prepared your staff is, the greater their capacity to handle adversity.“

Associate Director of Culinary Education and Training Institute of Child Nutrition Chef Patrick Garmong

STUDENTS N E U R O D I V E R G E N T and your cafe

neu·ro·di·ver·gent : a non-medical term that describes people whose brain develops or works differently for some reason

FROM THE BLOG with Dr. Katie Wilson, SNS

22 18

School Nutrition Coordinator, LunchAssist Angela Gomez, RDN, SNS

Edible Education: Slicing up Inspiration for Your Menu and More!

BACK TO SCHOOL with our TOP TEN TIPS for SUCCESS!

From our Partners

2 | Plastic Free Lunch Day

11 | NxtGen Pro Powered by

29 | AmTab

Symposium Event Opportunity

Sponsored by Cafeteria Culture and Urban School Food Alliance

Solomon Wisdom & LunchAssist

27 | Dick & Jane

Educational Snacks

There’s More

Contents

Reading & experiencing content with Served Digizine is a unique experience! For a quick tutorial on how to get the most out of each Served Digizine edition watch this quick video with Breanna. New to Served? Start Here.

Digizine How-to

Breakfast in a

HURRY

Nutritious toast in under 5 minutes! Baltimore County Schools (MD) | Bites With Applewhite Bettina J. Applewhite, SNS

Kicking school year

off the

“Just Feed The Kids” CIVIL RIGHTS:

Aurora Public Schools Kerry Hawley

It’s not nutrition if the kids don’t eat it. Norris Products Debi Havens, SN Bag Lady 14

Don’t forget to look for this symbol!

Served Token Video

In partnership with Norris Products, find the symbol, click on it, and sign up for a chance to win a monthly Served prize package. Each month we will hide our symbol, or one of our partners symbols, somewhere in the Digizine. Find it and you’ll have a chance to win a prize pack from Served Digizine!™ Does your company want to sponsor a monthly prize pack? Contact our Sales Team Here!

Page by Page

Plastic Free Lunch Day USA Join Cafeteria Culture and USFA on November 2, 2022 Letter from the Editors & Served Highlights Training: Give your staff something solid to fall back on with ICN by Chef Patrick Garmong Ready-to-Use Tips Favorite books on Personal Development from the Ready Foods Team with Ready Foods by Annelise McAuliffe Soares Kicking off the School Year by Kerry Hawley at Aurura Public Schools (CO) It’s not nutrition if the kids don’t eat it. with Norris Products by Debi Havens Leadership ICN Resource of the Month Neurodivergent students and your cafes with LunchAssist by Angela Gomez, RDN, SNS

Breakfast in a hurry! Nutritious toast in under 5 minutes! with Baltimore County Schools (MD) & Bites With Applewhite by Bettina J. Applewhite, SNS Edible Education Back to school with our top ten tips for success! with Pisanick Partners Podcast Spotlight with Foodservice Powerplant Network Civil Rights: Just feed the kids with LunchAssist by Angela Gomez, RDN, SNS Creating Spaces

25 26 28

Back to school is here! with AmTab by Conor Doyle USFA: From the Blog From Cafeteria to Community: The Journey Towards Equity and Inclusion by Jeremy West, MS, SNS Served Edition Recap

14 16 18

Teamwork

| Sarah@NxtGenNetwork.com | Digital Editor Sarah Kolcheck

| Amanda@NxtGenNetwork.com | Co-Creator Co-Editor Amanda Venezia

| Marlon@NxtGenNetwork.com | Co-Creator Co-Editor Marlon Gordon

| Melissa@NxtGenNetwork.com | Co-Creator Chief Creative Officer Melissa Mayer

| Breanna@NxtGenNetwork.com | Assistant Editor Breanna Gustafson

Executive Assistant: Jennifer Savasta; Junior Editor: Kalista Photopulos

CONTACT US: Articles & News: info@ServedDigizine.com; Ads: sales@ServedDigizine.com; Parent Company: info@NxtGenNetwork.com

@NxtGenNetwork365

@nxtgen_network

@NxtGen_Network

NxtGen Network

Nxtgen-Network

Served Digizine™ is a publication of NxtGen Network. Served Digizine™ releases eight issues annually. This publication is free of charge to our subscribers and can be opted-out at anytime.

& ServedDigizine.com NxtGenNetwork.com

Copyright 2022 Served Digizine™ and NxtGen Network. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Opinions and advertisements in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent management views. The digizine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs, or any errors or omissions that might occur.

I hope you enjoy this short letter from my fifth grade teacher. The impact that school leaders - in all roles - have on our children reaches beyond the short time spent with them in the classrooms, cafes, and hallways. Thank you, school workers, for your service and dedication each new school year. Thank you, Mrs. Fischer, for the impact you had on my life.

Letter from the editors: GUEST WRITER

My first day goal was for every child to leave in the afternoon smiling, with knowledge that…

Susan Fischer Pasco County Schools (1981-2011)

Greetings! My name is Susan Fischer and I have dedicated my adult life to teaching elementary school students. After graduating from the University of South Florida, I spent the next thirty years teaching in Pasco County, Florida. I have been retired for several years now. My former students

…they were in a safe place, where kindness and respect were key. …we would work hard, yet have fun doing it. …they could and would rise to my lofty expectations. …I always had their back.

continue to bring me great joy when we happen to meet in the community, by email or on social media. I love to catch up on their lives, meet their families and reminisce about the “good ol’ days.” Now, my days begin and end with my favorite word puzzles or book instead of an alarm clock. I enjoy traveling, genealogy, photography, and spending quality time with family and friends. Even though I have been retired from teaching for some time, I still get sentimental when I see school supplies on sale and the First Day of School pictures crop up on Facebook and other social media. Each August, I would arrange and rearrange my classroom hoping to excite and inspire my new class. I would set up my library with Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutzky poetry books, along with the latest hit series, my well-worn, much loved novels and the books my former students wrote. I made sure to unpack all of the snakeskins, seashells, fossils and other cool stuff I collected with my students in mind all summer. The Art Center was filled with fresh crayons, cheerful markers, colored pencils and lavender, teal, light blue and pink lined paper. For thirty years, I would barely sleep the night before school started. I would have butterflies in my belly, just like the kids! I loved seeing them dressed to impress, clutching their new pencil boxes and backpacks. Some were nervous, some were overconfident, some shy and quiet, most filled with hope that this year would be their best yet.

Ten years later, I still miss reading my favorite books aloud with my students begging for me to continue. I miss seeing the light bulb moments during a particularly hard math lesson. I miss their joy and laughter. I miss watching them learn, grow and mature. One of my greatest thrills is catching up with former students and seeing who and what they have become. We reminisce about classmates, their families, favorite books and the special moments our class shared. We laugh about their childhood antics and they fill me in on their lives. I hope they know how special our time together was and how I still refer to them as “my kids.”

Don’t forget to subscribe! Just Click Here!

Jessica Trippler is an Event Planner who has been with Badger Bay Management (SNA-WI’s management company) since May 2019 and has been working in Association Management since 2016. Prior, she attended Columbia College Chicago where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing. At Badger Bay Management, Jessica is responsible for the organization of conferences and trade shows, committee and Board relations, publication coordination, promotional materials, website upkeep, maintaining clients’ budgets, and much more for six clients. When not assisting with clients, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, dog, cat, going on walks when the Wisconsin weather permits, and trying new restaurants. Badger Bay Management Jessica Trippler

When our conference steering committee started planning our 2022 annual conference we wanted to do something completely different from past conferences with the same old boring speakers delivering the same old message. We knew we needed something that would make attendees want to stick around for our closing session. Something different, unique, cutting edge. Something that our attendees could actively participate in and have fun. In one of our meetings someone brought up First Taste TV and what if we did something similar. Then someone else said, “why not just get First Taste TV to come out and do a live episode!” We reached out to Marlon who is always game to do something completely different

and before we knew it, we had planned the first ever First Taste TV episode filmed before a live studio audience. We were able to find a group of great sponsors and feature a few of our Industry members in a cooking contest that even included the Chef from Lambeau Field! First Taste TV was great to work with and our closing session was our best attended yet! Members are still talking about what an awesome experience it was!

Thank You First Taste TV!

Full Episode

FULL EPISODE Watch the

now!

Filmed live at

This episode was filmed live in front of a studio audience as the closing keynote of the 2022 School Nutrition Association of Wisconsin Annual Conference. Not only did we hear from each of our sponsors, there was a LIVE cooking show with local celebrities and school chefs to cap off the event.

Give your staff something solid to fall back on. TRAINING:

“The more prepared your staff is, the greater their capacity to handle adversity.“

Associate Director of Culinary Education and Training Institute of Child Nutrition Chef Patrick Garmong It’s 5:30 a.m. on Monday, and the typical weekly angst begins. What can possibly go wrong today? What about the rest of the week, for that matter? How will I staff my program? What if we get another person calling out sick? What will be shorted on this week’s deliveries? How many times will I need to be a counselor for my staff when I know I need some counseling to get through the day? These are a few of the thoughts that ran through the minds of Child Nutrition Program leaders before March 2020. Today, these thoughts are even more daunting. How can we get out of this terrible cycle? What can we do to make our programs more resilient and capable of navigating challenging times? Especially when the best-laid plans change once again. Sadly, there is no cure-all for our industry—a solution or practice that may work for one district may not work for another. Although child nutrition

operators may be in the same storm, they are not all in the same boat. However, the one tool all programs have that can alleviate some of the burdens and help develop more resiliency is training. Don’t stop reading. I know the word “training” creates additional thoughts of burdensome work. The primary stepsofidentifying,planning,andscheduling training feel enormous. Developing training is even more of a burden, adding work to an already full plate. I contend, however, that now is the time to double down on your training efforts. Does training require more work, time, and additional staff pay? It can include those aspects upfront. However, over time, those expenditures will pay for themselves as you and your team become better equipped to handle the ever-present and new challenges in Child Nutrition Programs. There is a quote about training that has circulated in the military for decades, “He who sweats more in training bleeds less in battle.” The quote has been attributed to several military leaders, including General George S. Patton, Jr. No matter who said it, the premise is the same. The more prepared your staff is, the greater their capacity to handle adversity. It is an unrealistic expectation that staff will continually rise to the occasion without proper training. Training develops a system in which people do not need to rise up; instead, they can fall back on their training. By relying on their competencies, knowledge, and skills, each team member is more resilient when faced with challenges. Developing resiliency in your team also promotes trust and integrity when each team member knows they can succeed and can help their peers succeed as well.

Many aspects of training can occur without having to set up a formalized training program. Perhaps the most affordable and eye-opening piece of training you can provide your team is cross-training. I’m not talking about physical fitness, although that may be helpful; I’m focusing on training your team to work in various positions in the program successfully. Whether real or perceived, there is a hierarchy in kitchens. With that in mind, each person should be able to do the job of the person “above” and “below” in hierarchical rankings. Not only does this allow for flexibility to move people around during call-outs, but it also helps give team members a better perspective of each other’s daily work. This experience builds in a layer of mutual respect. It can also remove the phrase, “that’s not my job,” which I disdain with a passion, from the mindset of staff.When given the opportunity to learn more, your team sees that you are

“

Training develops a system in which

people do not need to rise up; instead, they can fall back on their training. By relying on their competencies, knowledge, and skills, each team member is more resilient when faced with challenges.

Read On

investing in them. You are also developing a level of succession planning. As people move up in positions, the learning

Training may come in a variety of other ways. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (USDA, FNS) and the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) both provide free and readily accessible training materials. ICN also houses an online learning system called iLearn and can conduct face-to-face and virtual instructor- led training (VILTs) at no cost. There is also a myriad of other allied organizations, commodity boards, food manufacturers, and vendors that you can work with to access training programs for your staff. I dentify the “weak spots” in your program and use the many resources available to you and your staff to up your game. On a closing note, I want to point out that the USDA Professional Standards should be viewed as the minimum level of training for you and your staff. You reap what you sow is 100% accurate in building a resilient system. The more you invest in your people, the stronger they will be in their jobs. Effective training creates a safe space where your staff can confidently rely on what they have learned to get them through any challenge. Knowing you are supported and that you are provided with the competencies, knowledge, and skills to succeed creates an attractive workplace. An organization that supports and grows its employees attracts and retains good people. Grow your program’s resiliency and integrity by continually growing your staff’s professional development.

curve is less severe. You are building more resiliency into the program.

Patrick has been in the Food Service Industry for over 18 years. He is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education (Manhattan, NY). Previously Patrick was the Child Nutrition Director for the Ellensburg School District. Patrick has been the Executive Chef in various fields of the hospitality industry, including Higher Education, Restaurants, and Catering. Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, waterfowling, golfing, and woodworking. Patrick is a strong advocate for the Autism Community and serves as a Board Member for the Kittitas County Court Advocates for Children (CASA) program. Chef Patrick Garmong Associate Director of Culinary Education and Training | Institute for Child Nutrition

“Developing those capable of being the light in a word of food insecurities.”

NxtGen Pro is a national professional development, networking, and mentorship program that will provide a unique level and quality of continued education to those in foodservice. When we say foodservice, we mean ALL of foodservice. We don’t care if you are a chef, a restaurant owner, if you work in colleges and universities, if you’re a Child Nutrition Professional or in any food industry. There is something to gain from collaborating and learning from/with those in other verticals, and tons of innovation to follow. Everybody will have the ability to apply to the program as a mentee or a mentor and pairings will be made based on personalities and goals. NxtGen Pro will be the place where the best and brightest future leaders (and new leaders!) come together and will include in-person and virtual meetups. For more information on NxtGen Pro as it becomes available, register below.

Below are some of our first mentors:

Kayla Beyer, Esq. Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Deeply Rooted Farms

Alyssa Bradbury-Hills VP of Sales Retail/Foodservice, Deeply Rooted Farms

Stephanie Gilbert, CFSP Exec. Vice President, Corporate Growth Strategy, Food Service Holdings

Beverly Girard, PHD, MBA, RD, SNS Owner, Leading Edge Training and Consulting

Stefanie Giannini, MA, SNS Director of Food & Nutrition Services, Founder of IVATI, Public Speaker & Educator

Malaika Jenkins, MA Sr. Manager of Marketing, Cybersoft

Jill Kidd Director of Procurement, Urban School Food Alliance

Mickinzie Lopez, MS, RDN, SNS Co-Founder, LunchAssist

Shannon Solomon, MS, SNS Director of Child Nutrition, Aurora Public Schools

Jessica Shelley, MBA, SNS, REHS Director of Student Dining Services, Cincinnati Public Schools

Tracie Suter, SNS K12 Schools Market Segment Manager, Vulcan

Jason Wange Foodservice Positivity Ambassador, Foodservice Powerplant

Jeremy West, MS, SNS Director of Partnerships & Member Engagement, Urban School Food Alliance

Ervin Watson, MBA Business & Marketing Strategy, Leadership Development, Coach & Trainer, Organizational Consultant, Professional Public Speaker

Dr. Katie Wilson, SNS Executive Director, Urban School Food Alliance

Donnette Worthy, SNS Director of Child Nutrition, Alexander City Schools

Graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Annelise has spent her career making sure food sounds appetizing on paper, looks good in pictures and tastes amazing when you order it. Her day-to-day consists of working as Marketing Manager at Ready Foods to connect food service operators with ready-to-use kitchen solutions that are easy to incorporate into a kitchen flow and bring great flavor to menu items. Her favorite hot lunch in elementary school was always nacho day. Ready Foods Annelise McAuliffe Soares Ready-to-Use Tips!

Favorite books on Personal Development from the Ready Foods Team.

Personal development and making time to learn is just as important as knocking out the to-do list each day. To make continuous learning a habit, our team has adopted the ritual of having a book club each quarter. We read a chapter or two a week on our own and meet once a week to share our learnings and brainstorm if there’s anything we can implement to improve our flow. It’s a quick chat that we have while we enjoy our morning coffees. We’ve found these small moments each week have contributed to building team cohesion and even retention. If it feels like there is no time to read a book, try an audiobook and listen on your commute or while you walk the dog. Here are some of our team’s favorite reads from the past year: Turn the Ship Around by L. David Marquet A leadership book about the Navy, this is not only a good story, but also has great tips on how to inspire a team to think for themselves. Change by Design by Tim Brown Tim Brown shares real world examples of how to innovate for your customers or diners, using a method called Design Thinking. If you’re looking to inspire yourself or your team to think outside of the box, this is a great read. Dare to Lead by Brené Brown This book rocked our world! In a good way. It challenged us to rethink our meeting structure, provided us with great team building activities and even brought new

language to our organization so that we can be clear and effective. We highly recommend this book for any team. Switch by Chip Heath and Dan Heath Switch is all about our minds and why we as humans find change to be so uncomfortable. Once the science is understood, the pages provide insights into how we can make it easier for change to be accepted. If your environment is going through a lot of adjustments, this could be a good read for you. The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle If you’re looking to build a team that is collaborative and trusts each other, this is a great book. The pages have great examples of various professional teams that have created positive environments to solve problems and grow together.

Lastly, our team is currently reading Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others by Stephen M.R. Covey and Blindspot: Hidden

Biases of Good People by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald . We’ll let you know what we think! What leadership or professional thinking books have you resonated with? We’d love your recommendations!

Kicking school year

off the

Aurora Public Schools Kerry Hawley

At Aurora Public School Nutrition Services, we like to start the year off strong! We begin with 2 days of intense training and team building activities. Our first day of training is with our kitchen managers. They shared stories of their summer adventures while everyone arrived. Once we settled in, we introduced our new HR and Payroll system. We learned the “ins and outs” of how to approve the time cards for our kitchen staff.After a short break we were back to learning about our new production tracking software. Our Coordinators met with their team over lunch to discuss other changes we would like to implement with the new school year. The second half of the day was focused on self care. We had small fountains in the room to encourage tranquility. Jeweled Trees, Oil Diffusers and Flameless candles added to the ambiance in the conference

We introduced our district partners and learned about how our jobs all work together for the success of our students. The bulk of the day was training on the new HR systems, Staffing and Recognition, Free & Reduced Meal Applications and Food Quality and a POS refresher!

We enjoyed lunch while building Obs-sicle Houses. We wrote on popsicle sticks obstacles we face in our kitchens. We used them to build houses to display in our kitchens. There were pompoms and pipe cleaners, stickers and markers to decorate them with. After lunch we played Giants, Wizards and Elves and learned about our “Superpower” and how to be Inimitable from author Kate Leavell! Each staff member took home her book and our summer staff received a t-shirt with Superpower kitchen workers on them!

room while soft music played in the background. The team from The Centering Cooperative led us through questions of reflection. After we chose our words to focus on, we enjoyed some arts and crafts by painting a wooden plaque.

On day two, we welcomed all of APS Nutrition Staff! The Conference center was filled with chatter and laughter while our teams welcomed each other back and said hello to friends from other schools. The A-Team, what we call our Central Office Support Staff, Kicked off the morning with a team dance to “Can’t Stop the Feeling.”

All in all, our teams left with a LOT of knowledge and had a great time learning about it!

Kerry Hawley is in her 8th year with Aurora Public Schools Nutrition Services. She has been the Staffing, Marketing and Recognition Specialist for the past 4 years. She loves meeting new people and finding the right fit for them within the department. Kerry Hawley Aurora Public Schools (CO)

It’s not nutrition if the kids don’t eat it.

Norris Products Debi Havens, SN Bag Lady

The National School Breakfast Program was first established in 1966. The US federal government started playing with a “radical idea”-- serve free breakfast in schools. It began as a pilot program for two years and was later made permanent in 1975. Fast forward to 2022. The pandemic has calmed down and people are more comfortable meeting together and eating together once more. So now is a great time to start up a breakfast in the classroom (BIC) program in your district or re-establish a past program. We are all aware of the countless benefits found by serving students a healthy and nutritious school breakfast, each and every morning. It’s widely documented that there is less tardiness, and less morning visits to the nurse’s office. Teachers note that students are better behaved and better prepared for the school day after participating in BIC. When everyone eats together, the stigma of “free meals” is removed. When everyone eats together you create a healthier climate for learning, giving each student the best opportunity to succeed. Kids learn better when they’re not hungry.

Setting up a BIC program in your district is a monumental task but if you break it down to

to stop by the principal and the custodian’s offices and deliver breakfast there as well!

“

a few schools at a time it will make the process run much smoother. It’s my experience that finding the principal of a school that is a champion of breakfast in the classroom and a champion of the value it brings to the students is a good starting point. Perhaps your Superintendent of schools has decided that the BIC program will be implemented and it’s up to you to move this program forward. Getting stakeholders onboard is vital. Key players include: principals, teachers, custodians, and parents.

Another option to gather much needed support from the parents, is showcasing a Breakfast Tasting during an after-school family event at your district. Join with your PTA and schedule an evening Breakfast Tasting. Parents and students will line up as you introduce all the healthy, nutritious options available with a breakfast in the classroom program. If you need assistance starting your program, please reach out to me I would be happy to offer guidance. The

When everyone eats together you create a healthier climate for learning, giving each student the best opportunity to succeed. Kids learn better when they’re not hungry.

most important element in the breakfast in the classroom program, is the difference you will be making in the health and well-being of our nations school-aged children. Remember, it’s not good nutrition if the kids don’t eat it!

One sure method of engaging your stakeholders is to serve them breakfast. Promote a Teachers Only Appreciation Breakfast Day! Send your food nutrition staff down the halls delivering a sampling of delicious breakfast choices. Remember

Debi Havens, SN Bag Lady K-12 Sales Manager, Norris Products

Debi has been an industry member in school nutrition for over 25 years. Problem solving is what has driven her passionate spirit in creating specifically designed equipment for school nutrition programs. She was instrumental in the design and manufacture of the first insulated milk-crate delivery bag. Collaborating with school districts, she then added two more bags that are now the industry standards for mobile school nutrition programs, along with the transport cart.

She resides in Florida and is a very proud Nana to Evan & Elsi and her grand-twins, Easton & Hudson.

for topic ideas, and the most requested topics were chosen for the first set. The topics include effective communication, recruiting new employees, managing personalities, managing conflict, good disciplinary practices, and interview objectives. ICN’s Chat and Learn Series is a monthly 30-minute virtual conversation live streamed from the Child Nutrition Leadership Site. Hosted by ICN Education and Training Specialists, Dr. Danielle Barret and Patrick Butler, every third Thursday of each month at 3:00 p.m. CT. For each Leadership Job Aid topic, ICN will have a corresponding Chat and Learn session. These sessions will connect ICN and child nutrition professionals by empowering, educating, and elevating the leadership discussion. This innovative approach connects ICN and child nutrition professionals by empowering, educating, and elevating the leadership discussion. Peer-to- peer conversations promote active learning from others in the field, networking opportunities, and information sharing.

https://vimeo.com/745052945

Leadership is the ability to influence others toward a common goal. A child nutrition leader can be anyone who aspires to lead their team in meeting the goal of feeding our nation’s children. Anyone can be a leader!

The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) is here to educate and cultivate child nutrition professionals by providing accurate, up-to-date, high-quality leadership resources. ICN has launched the Child Nutrition Leadership Site this month! On this site,you will find leadership-driven resources that provide applicable and practical guidance for child nutrition programs. Along with the launch of the Child Nutrition Leadership Site, we are excited to provide two new leadership resources: ICN’s Leadership Job Aid Series and ICN’s Chat and Learn Series. The ICN Leadership Job Aid Series consists of fact sheet-style resources focusing on child nutrition leaders’ knowledge and skills to perform their job duties. In 2022, ICN surveyed child nutrition professionals to identify the leadership topics to be developed for the Leadership Job Aid Series. The ongoing survey yielded overwhelming responses

In other leadership news, the Institute of Child Nutrition’s Leadership Academy is hosting its first cohort starting September 1, 2022. Leadership Academy is a hybrid course designed to help participants learn and practice leadership concepts applicable in the school

nutrition setting. Hybrid learning combines online educational materials with traditional training methods. The course includes six lessons with pre- meeting resources to review and online discussion boards followed by a one-and-a-half-hour group discussion with activities. Read On

COMING THIS MONTH: ICN Leadership Job Aid Series

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE: Click here for an ICN’s Introduction to School Nutrition Leadership (ISNL) is offered as a face- to-face and Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT). ISNL is intended for new and aspiring school nutrition program directors.Thiscourseprovidesanoverview of school nutrition programs, defines a director’s role and responsibilities, and reviews the relationship between local policies and State/Federal regulations. ICN will offer a manager’s adaption to this course in fall 2022. Stay tuned for more exciting leadership resources currently in development!

BACK-TO-SCHOOL TOOLBOX! Resources to prep you for the school year!

Danielle Barrett, EdD, RDN

Education and Training Specialist

Danielle joined the Institute of Child Nutrition in 2020 as an Education and Training Specialist. She is passionate about creating resources to support child nutrition professionals in providing delicious and nutritious meals to children throughout the country. Danielle has a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics from the University of Kentucky, a master’s degree in Dietetics Administration from Utah State University, and a doctorate in Educational Technology Leadership from Morehead State University. She is also a registered dietitian nutritionist.

Education and Training Specialist Patrick Butler, MS

Patrick Butler is an Education and Training Specialist who joined the Institute of Child Nutrition in 2018. Primarily, he develops school nutrition education and training resources and ICN’s Introduction to School Nutrition Leadership. Patrick is passionate about providing child nutrition professionals with resources that can help them improve their skills and abilities. Patrick has 9 years of experience in school nutrition, as well as a Master’s in Leadership and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Belhaven University.

The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN), part of the School of Applied Sciences at The University of Mississippi, is the only federally funded national center dedicated to applied research, education and training, and technical assistance for child nutrition programs. The Institute’s mission is to provide information and services that promote the continuous improvement of child nutrition programs. ICN Website About ICN Subscribe to ICN Newsletters and Resource Update Emails Here!

STUDENTS neu·ro·di·ver·gent : a non-medical term that describes people whose brain develops or works differently for some reason N E U R O D I V E R G E N T and your cafe

School Nutrition Coordinator, LunchAssist Angela Gomez, RDN, SNS

The amount of student debt I have will give you insight into how much I enjoy learning. Or how indecisive I was in my early 20’s. Either way… I like to learn. And I happen to be one of those people who enjoys professional development. My favorite type of professional development? The limit-pushing type where I can expand my perspective and grow personally and professionally. I live for those types of training. Mainly when they help me do less harm in the world while allowing me to work towards supporting all the students we serve. I will be very transparent, or “trays-parent,” with you right now. I’m no expert on this topic; matter of fact, I’ve barely scratched the surface. Although I’m not an expert, it’s a topic I believe we should bring to the forefront as School Nutrition Professionals. I’m referring to how we accommodate neurodivergent students in the cafeteria. Care and support for neurodivergent students doesn’t have to stop with Speech Therapists and Occupational Therapists. That care can, and should, continue into the cafeteria. Let’s back up for a moment and talk about terminology. People often use the terms neurodiversity and neurodivergent interchangeably. However, these terms are not the same. Australian Sociologist, Judy

Singer, coined the term neurodiversity in the late 1990s. Sonny Jane paraphrases Judy Singer’s

definition, “Neurodiversity acknowledges diversity as a natural biological fact because individuals are diverse in their brains and minds just like we are diverse in our ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.” Kassiane Asasumasu defines neurodivergent as “an umbrella term for individuals who have a mind or brain that diverges from what is typical. It can be acquired or genetic, an innate part of you or not. Neurodivergence just means having a mind that functions differently to what is considered the norm, including learning, processing, interpreting, feeling, etc.” (Still, trying to wrap your brain around these terms? Check out Sonny Jane’s fantastic free printable .) You might be wondering what falls under the neurodivergent umbrella . Autism, ADHD, acquired brain injury, complex PTSD (CPTSD), dyslexia, Down Syndrome, epilepsy, mental health conditions, and sensory processing differences would be some examples. Pediatric Dietitian Naureen Hunani points out that neurodivergent traits often impact food choices and feeding abilities. What might that look like in the cafeterias? Let’s take a look at three examples.

A student with sensory processing differences is hypersensitive to sound. I invite you to take a moment to think about all the sounds filling the cafeteria at lunchtime. There are sounds of commercial equipment running, timers going off, the clanking of sheet metal pans, students talking with their friends, dismissal bells ringing, cafeteria staff reminding students to (pretty please) take a half cup of fruit or vegetable, or even the crunchy sound of a carrot. When you take a

neurodivergent students. And I agree. As School Nutrition Professionals, we have an opportunity to reimagine and reinvent the student experience in the cafeteria, where accessibility and safety are prioritized for all students, no matter their identity or diagnosis. But where do we start? I may not have the exact answer, but I have four suggestions that may be helpful. 1. Build awareness and keep learning. The awareness and learning phase is exactly where I‘m at right now. I’m following and learning from folks who have the lived experience of being neurodivergent. I’m also learning from professionals like Dietitian Naureen Hunani and organizations like Responsive Feeding Pro . 2. Invite, inquire, and involve neurodivergent students and their families. No one knows better than the students themselves (and their families) what kind of support they need in the school cafeteria. Find out how the school cafeteria could be doing better by asking willing students and families to share their experiences and recommendations. If you haven’t already, consider building a relationship with the Occupational Therapist, Speech Therapist, and 504 Coordinator. Share knowledge between your departments to work towards better supporting neurodivergent students. 4. Move towards action. It isn’t enough to know that we need to do better; we must implement the change that best supports neurodivergent students and their families. Remember that what that looks like will vary by student and that individualized solutions are best. When you look towards Professional Development this school year, how do you plan on expanding your perspective so that all students that come through the cafeteria are cared for and supported? 3. Build a relationship with other departments at school.

moment to think about it, it’s a lot. This everyday cafeteria setting can be overwhelming to a student who is hypersensitive to sound.

A student with social anxiety. The cafeteria is a very social environment. Students interact with their peers and adults throughout the entire lunch period. For a student with social anxiety, this is also an overwhelming environment that may impact how they communicate in the cafeteria. This could look like limited eye contact or not verbally communicating with cafeteria staff in the lunch line.

A student with difficult hand- to-mouth coordination. Oral motor differences are common in neurodivergent students. Most cafeteria lunch times can feel rushed for students who do not have feeding difficulties. Now imagine how short lunchtime is for students who have to physically slow down and take their time to eat because that is what‘s best for their bodies. After reading those three examples, you might be thinking that the typical experience in a school cafeteria might not be what’s best for some

Angela is a second-career Registered Dietitian and recently transitioned out of her role as a Nutritionist at an Arizona school district to the School Lunch Coordinator position with LunchAssist. She started her career as a Dietitian over 4 years ago after unexpectedly falling in love with School Nutrition during her dietetic internship. Angela sees School Nutrition as the ideal place to bridge her passion for tasty food, nutrition education, health equity, and food justice. She loves any opportunity to be creative and feels that the world of School Nutrition continues to be a great place to flex those creative muscles. Angela Gomez, RDN, SNS LunchAssist; School Nutrition Coordinator

Breakfast

HURRY

in a

Nutritious toast in under 5 minutes! Baltimore County Schools (MD) Bites With Applewhite Bettina J. Applewhite, SNS

There are lots of mornings where I’ve forgotten to plan for breakfast and there’s not enough time for me to play around in the kitchen. Toast is all there is time for. I’m not talking about just bread and butter. A good hearty toast is an easy, quick meal. I’m sure you’ve heard all the breakfast toast craze. You’ve even seen the $10 toast on your favorite brunch spot’s menu. No need to spend all that money on brunch. You can have a fancy brunch dish during the week too. I like to choose a hearty whole grain bread like Ezekiel bread. You can build your toppings while your bread is toasting.

This is a fun one. It’s sticky and gooey and great. It’s packed with protein and fiber from the chia seeds, bread, and peanut butter. The honey gives it just the right amount of sweetness to start your day. Peanut Butter (or Cashew Butter), Banana, Honey, Chia Seeds Toast

Avocado & Fried Egg Toast

I remember when I used to think cottage cheese was “old people food”. Well, I guess I might fit into that category now because it’s yummy. Top your hearty toast with low-fat cottage cheese, sliced Honeycrisp or Fuji apples, and drizzle on some honey. That’s fiber, calcium, protein, and fruit all in one bite. Cottage Cheese, Sliced Apples, & Honey

This is a more traditional toast because the avocado toast was the start of the toast craze. Make sure you have a perfectly ripe avocado to make nice slices on your bread. If your avocado is just beyond perfect, it’s okay. Just make a mash onto your bread. It works just the same. Layer on a runny yolk egg and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Delicious. Good fats, fiber, and protein.

You can easily have a balanced meal on a slice of bread. And all in less than 5 minutes. There’s no reason to skip breakfast now.

More delicious breakfast recipes online! • Hummus & Smoked Salmon Toast • Dragon Fruit & Chia Pudding Parfait • Chai Spiced French Toast

• Sweet Potato Oatmeal • Unicorn Chia Pudding • Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes

Bettina is a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist, School Nutrition Specialist, and all-around Foodie. She’s had a passion for food and sharing that love of food with others since childhood. In her teenage years, she started cooking at home for her mom. She learned from watching cooking shows and studying cookbooks. As she continued to cook family dinners, I was able to explore more foods and exotic dishes. When I had to start a career, It was important for her to blend her love of science with her love of food. Bettina gained her masters’ degree in Integrative Bioscience with a concentration in Nutrition and became a Registered Dietitian- Nutritionist. School nutrition is where she’s found her niche and became a credentialed School Nutrition Specialist. She enjoys sharing her love of food with younger generations. Seeing students taste something new sparks joy in her life. Bettina J. Applewhite, SNS Baltimore County Schools (MD) | Bites With Applewhite

Edible Education: Slicing up Inspiration for Your Menu and More!

Looking for a little inspiration to help boost your menu cycle? Welcome to our column featuring bites of nutrition knowledge and insight for your team’s menu creation needs. Here you can digest four menu recipe categories to customize, create and expand your cycle menu for improved customer satisfaction. How about an easy to use cookbook with “Harvest of the Month,” “Simply Fresh,” “Global Trends,” and “Comfort Classic” recipes to fill your team’s idea baskets? These recipes are sure to help inspire dishes that students will love and can easily be created in your kitchens to increase participation.

BACK TO SCHOOL with our TOP TEN TIPS for SUCCESS!

# 10

Steal an IDEA

over 200 school professionals, 28 vendors and 3 chef teams! Back to school doesn’t have to feel overwhelming and lonely. Attend a food show and collaborate with other schools to share resources. Remember that school cafeterias are not competitive restaurants and we can benefit from sharing both the strengths and pain points of our programs. You may have just the answer to help someone with their program’s stressors, and likewise, reach out to others to seek insight into problem solving yours.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Learn what other programs have done to elevate their programs and recreate their ideas. Check out this brand new elementary school and how they are showcasing their new “Eat the Rainbow” produce bar to their community with a fun video on how to navigate and select from a variety of fresh options. We’ve all heard of the good work that other schools have done. Can you adapt the idea in your cafeteria?

# 8 Commit to a

marketing strategy

https://www.bbhcsd.org/Vid- eoUp/b1f453f1-7ec6-49b3-95de- bcaa95eace4d.mp4.mp4

Find a marketing strategy that works for you and your program and commit. Set a goal for what you are going to do to market your program and how often you will do it. Is it weekly social media posts, monthly newsletters, routine email blasts, a monthly special meal feature? We often say with documentation, “If it’s not documented, you didn’t do it,”. The same thing can be said about marketing your program. If you don’t share what you’re doing, it often goes unnoticed. Need some ideas? Watch this video on some suggested marketing strategies.

# 9

Collaborate with others

It takes a village and ours was in full force at our Back-to-School training bootcamp that had

# 7

Keep it SIMPLE

Quality vs quantity is a good motto when trying new recipes and options for the back of the house as well as for the students. Simple recipes that are made with fresh ingredients, such as these SIMPLY FRESH Cucumber Melon Salad Recipe and Sesame Ginger Cucumber Salad, offer kids the opportunity to try familiar foods in a new way.

check out our favorite SQUAD at LunchAssist for helpful and witty checklists and training.

# 4 Build it and they will COME!

Bar concepts are back and better than ever! We take note of Greenville County Schools beautifully presented bar concepts posted on Facebook and Instagram and hope others do as well. Students eat with their eyes as well as their palettes. Level up your lines with some of their great inspirations and turn your recipes and menus into masterpieces. Insert some of our best pictures of bar concepts.

# 3 Engage your community

Grab your seat at the table and engage in conversations on WHY SCHOOL MEALS ARE SO IMPORTANT. Check out this podcast opportunity where Maureen Pisanick chats with a local pediatrician on why school meals have such an important impact on the whole child.

Set up smart serving lines

# 6

Plan your serving lines with options that keep your cost controlled and minimize food waste. Bulk options, utilizing FIFO (first in, first out), and OVS SOP’s (offer vs serve standard operating procedures) help us to hone in on popularity, plate waste, and planning.

Redesigning your lunch line

1 Adapted from Brian Wansink, David R. Just, and Joe McKendry’s article, Lunch Line Redesign (The New York Times, October 21, 2010. (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/10/21/opinion/20101021_Oplunch.html

# 5 Train, train, and train again

For new staff and old, the last few years have been a bit of a trip to the wild, wild west. This year brings a return to regulations and routine audits and the ending of most universal waivers. Dust off those training resources for “What Makes a Meal a Meal” or download the Food Buying Guide App or use the interactive Web-Based Tool and have a look into resources that can solve the puzzle of proactive vs reactive operations. Need help -

Episode 48 Healthy School Lunches 32 min

Read On

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34