It seems almost impossible for me to believe this is my final column before retirement. In its fifth year, Friday Focus has faithfully delivered industry news, federal guidance, promotions, nutrition information, recipes, food history and more to school nutrition employees every single week. It's been a way to keep us all connected and grow professionally. It has been my honor to tell your story! I find our federal child nutrition program fascinating with its rich history and politically controlled future. It's so important that our voices are heard. I've met with Congress in Washington, DC, served on state and national boards, presented at numerous conferences around the country and have written training curricula for other states. When you're involved, you're in a better position to learn and serve as a school nutrition advocate (which I've been doing since the 1990s before some of you were born 👶). Now, it's up to you to defend and champion our program by doing what's best for kids! It's definitely a more complex industry than most people know and for almost 35 years, school nutrition has been my passion. I've loved my career and, unlike so many other occupations, I know the work we do is honorable and matters every single day. I'm proud that we not only feed hungry kids so they can learn, we teach and encourage them to make lasting healthy choices. I am proud to have been a member of this team and I believe in every one of you. You each shine uniquely and have added so much value to my life. Keep growing, keep reaching and take care of one another. Happiest of holidays and cheers to School Nutrition 2025 and beyond!

With gratitude and love,

Kathy

Thank you for your generosity! Again this year, Ashley created an Angel Tree and School Nutrition sponsored a family in need with three young children through VCS Social Services. Ashley put ornaments on the tree listing different items the family requested and staff could pick an ornament if they wanted to participate. What giant hearts you have!💗🎄💗

One of my favorite things is sharing our kitchens with students. Back of the house tours are great promotion prizes. Why not consider sponsoring a "field trip" for a class as a promotion with a private lunch? There are so many lessons that can be experienced in the kitchen. Afterall, cooking is the original STEM activity. It takes all of us to educate children, including you.

The first chocolate drink is believed to have been created by the Mayo-Chinchipe culture in what is now Ecuador at least 5,300 years ago. The first cocoa drinks were a cold and bitter brew. Once cocoa made its way to Europe, sugar was added and it became a rich, sweet warm drink referred to as hot chocolate. It was so filling that the Pope had to decide in 1588 if it was food or a drink. The decision would determine if it could be consumed during Catholic fasting days. (It was ruled a drink). Hot cocoa has fueled revolutionary war soldiers, polar explorers and the third US. President, Thomas Jefferson. He wrote to John Adams that due to hot chocolate's superior health and nourishment properties, it would become more popular than coffee and tea. The best hot cocoa mix I've ever had is here.

An easy no cook recipe that's perfect with hot chocolate is peppermint bark. It's ready in under an hour and only has 5 ingredients. Get the full recipe here.

Here's a really good recipe from my friend Joe Urban of School Food Rocks. I scaled the recipe below to 12 servings so you can try it at home. Using frozen diced potatoes makes this quick and easy!

I can't thank everyone enough for surprising me with a retirement party. How did Ashley, Laura, Jenn and Vicente keep it a secret? I wonder what other secrets they've been keeping...lol. It was a great time and I can't think of anyone I'd rather celebrate with than all of you. Thank you for the cards, gifts, hugs and best of all, your kind words - they really touched me.

Menu planning for 2025-26 actually begins in the summer months of 2024. New products are launched at conferences with taste testing and product cuttings scheduled for the fall 2024. Our managers have participated in several taste testing events at Leadership meetings. It's important to us that we get their feedback! Products that we're interested in, but not stocked by our distributor are requested. In December 2024, menus for 2025-26 are finalized and the procurement season begins. Using the menu, we determine the approximate amount of servings of products needed for the whole year in order to divert the correct number of commodity pounds. We earn commodity "dollars" based on the number of reimbursable lunches served in the prior year. We spend these "dollars" purchasing pounds of poultry, beef, cheese, etc. and sending them to the manufacturers of our menu items. The manufacturers reduce the street price of the menu items by the value of the pounds we sent them to make our products. DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable diversion is due this month and we have to decide how many commodity dollars to allocate. So, even though Creation Gardens seems "free" with no invoice, we did have to use commodity dollars that we could otherwise use to reduce the cost of other menu items. Spring is devoted to bidding and renewing contracts for food and supplies. It's a complex process and requires extensive planning in advance!

Interested in learning more about all the "pounds" we divert? The brief video below from IDOE explains the complexity of poultry pounds, how to determine dark v. white meat pounds and more.

A great way to evaluate your cafeteria is by completing the Smarter Lunchroom scorecard. Ask your Aides to do it, too. This can accomplish two things. It gives you an outside opinion and it introduces the Aide to some of the complexity of our business. It fosters a better working relationship and can help Aides feel more invested. Once you look at the results, pick an area to improve and design a promotion around it. In no time, you'll earn a gold medal!

*My friend was explaining electricity and I was like, watt?

*I went to a psychic and accidentallly broke her crystal ball. It cost me a fortune.

*This morning I was walking down the street and I was hit by a violin, then a clarinet and then a french horn. It was an orchestrated attack.

*I have an archer friend who's been helping design cars. He's good at arrow dynamics.

*There is no "we" in chocolate.

Yee haw, western burgers! Noticing a slump in participation at the middle schools on cheeseburger day, Ashley and Vicente decided to try an upgrade. It worked! Deb and Nancy did an outstanding job with production and their teams jumped in to assemble everything. The results? Try a 28% increase!

Christmas Brunch Bowls made with local pork and eggs from Fischer Farms and potatoes from Kankakee Valley Homestead. This skillet concept was served with a warm biscuit and it was delicious. Vicente brought out the induction burners and cooked the eggs in front of students, exhibition style.

Merry Grinchmas! Who needs roast beast?

My focus this week has been on opportunities. I have learned to never take opportunities for granted. Take for example the opportunity granted to me to work for Valparaiso Community Schools as the new Food Service Operations Coordinator for the entire school district in Valparaiso, IN. It is the type of opportunity that I was seeking and I am extremely grateful that I was given the chance to prove that I was worth the chance that Kathy Kane and Ashley Bowman took on hiring me. Any time that someone sees something in me and wants to give me the opportunity to showcase my strengths, I will give it my all in hopes that the opportunity given will be worth their while. At the end of the day, nothing is usually given to anyone, it should be earned.

December 19, 2024: Half Day K-12 (Regular Work Day)

December 20, 2024: No School (No Work unless Weather Make Up Day is called)

December 23, 2024: January 3, 2025 Winter Break, No School (No Work Days)

January 20, 2025: Martin Luther King Day, No School (No Work)

Any permanent employee (including substitutes) interested in any of these positions can apply by emailing a brief letter of interest to Kathy Kane, Director at kkane@valpo.k12.in.us.

Non-employees can apply by completing an online application as an External Applicant here: https://www.applitrack.com/valpo/onlineapp/

FS Tech, TJM, 4 hours

FS Tech, VHS, 6 hours

Production Lead, TJM. 6.5 hours

Cafe Manager, TJM, 7.5 hours***NEW***

Production Lead, HVE, 5.5 hours***NEW***

All VCS employees, whether they have Anthem insurance or not, are eligible to use Powers Health Immediate Care for non-life threatening emergencies. The visit is free for employees with Anthem insurance and $93 for employees without Anthem. Considering that the average ER visit in Indiana costs $1,618.00, this may be a good option for you and your family. Read more below and contact Haley Jones, Benefit Assistant at ext. 1136 if you have questions or need more information.

Powers Health Immediate Care Center located at 3800 St. Mary Drive is no longer be an Urgent Care Center and has closed. Patients seeding medical attention for non-life threatening illnesses and injuries may still receive services at Powers Health Immediate Care located at 1451 W. Morthland Drive, Suite D, Valparaiso. This is the ONLY Powers Health location in Valparaiso.

All other services at the Valparaiso Health Center (3800 St. Mary Drive) remain open. Please call 219-286-3700 for updated facility hours. Powers Health is expanding services for patients seeming emergency care. The St. Mary Medical Center Emergency Department will open on December 1, 2024.

Do you need help or a refresher on how to log in to Skyward Employee Access? The file linked below will take you step by step (with pictures) through this easy process. You need to be able to log in to Skyward Employee Access to request time off, print your check or tax forms. When you view your check, you should review the deductions and be sure they are correct based on what you chose during your enrollment appointment with American Fidelity.

Your Perspectives EAP is here to provide confidential, no-cost support for you and your family 24/7.

• Call or text 800.456.6327 to schedule an appointment with a counselor or contact us for in-the-moment support.
  

• Use the “Live Chat” feature on your Perspectives Online Portal to instant message with a counselor 7 a.m.-9 p.m. CST Mon.-Fri. (Remember to use your unique Access Code, and your Password is perspectives

Resources

• Grief Handout
• Stress Response Guide
• Collective Trauma & 10 Tips for Coping

Past issues of Friday Focus are posted on our department website on the Staff Training page here:

https://www.valpo.k12.in.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1221036&type=d&pREC_ID=1455849

.

Our mission is to support academic and lifelong success by nourishing students and building healthy eating habits.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Email: kkane@valpo.k12.in.us
Website: https://www.valpo.k12.in.us/apps/pages/nutrition
Location: 2727 N. Campbell St., Valparaiso, IN 46385
Phone: (219) 531-3050
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValpoSchoolFood
Twitter: @ValpoSchoolFood

.