Friday Focus
January 19, 2024
SCHOOL NUTRITION NEWSLETTER
Message from the Director
January is National Citrus Month. While temperatures are freezing here, citrus growers in more tropical climates actually need cooler temperatures this month. Oranges will stay green on the outside unless they get cold enough to turn color. You may have noticed that I love oranges and for good reason. Just one orange provides 100% of your daily requirement for Vitamin C and contains many other health benefits including anti-cancer flavonoids. Did you know that orange, the fruit, is older than orange, the color? Historians traced the name of oranges to the Far East long before the fruit traveled to Europe where the word was later used to describe a color. I am proud that fresh oranges are part of our school menus. Oranges provide our students with Vitamin E for eye and vision health and Vitamin C to help build a strong immune system to fight off infection. Go on, peel an orange!
With gratitude,
Kathy
school nutrition association news
Each year, the School Nutrition Association (SNA) issues a position paper on issues impacting school meal programs based on the survey responses of 1,343 Directors across the country (including Valparaiso Community Schools). SNA members will meet with Congress in March during the Legislative Action Conference to discuss the position paper. In 2024, the main goals are to:
- Permanently increase federal reimbursement rates for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program (NSLP/SBP) by 40 cents per lunch and 15 cents per breakfast.
- Ensure USDA maintains the current, successful school nutrition standards, rather than implementing additional rules.
- Expand NSLP/SBP to offer healthy school meals for all students at no charge.
You can read the entire position paper by clicking the link below.
program administration
Ever wonder what it takes to administer the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and keep everything in compliance? Take a look at the calendar of required deadlines created by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). These responsibilities are in addition to menu planning, procurement, personnel management and payroll, budget preparation, equipment specification and replacement, communication and more. I am grateful every day for our office team! Ashley, Laura and Jen work incredibly hard to keep all parts of the operation moving.
recipe development
Lori Writt from Rich's worked with Patty Jordan to develop a recipe for the perfect, made from scratch personal pizza. Students taste tested and were very excited! Next step...convince GFS to stock this dough. We estimate preparing 350 daily or 15-20 cases of dough weekly. The product is a frozen, whole grain, fresh and ready 6 in crust that goes from freezer to oven, where it proofs as it cooks. This product does equally well in the pizza conveyor, combi or rotating convection oven. Stay tuned as we continue to fine tune our new "house brand" pizza.
boil water advisory
This week a water main issue along and south of US 30 prompted Valparaiso City Services to issue a precautionary Boil Water Advisory. This area affected Heavilin Elementary. While many of us have had to deal with a boil order at home, special procedures are in place for what to do at work. Thank you to the Heavenly Heavilin team, Jackie, Lorily and Tiffany, for acting quickly when they returned to work after the unexpected and extra long weekend. Attached is our Boil Water plan with instructions that has been approved by Porter County Health Department. You can also access this information here: https://valpo.edlioadmin.com/apps/pages/d/1221036/1455849
from ashley
Have you ever wondered where we come up with the serving weights for our celery or grape tomatoes or diced strawberries? Have you ever heard of the Food Buying Guide? I hadn't until I began menu planning and now I use it almost every day. The Food Buying Guide is the essential resource for food yield information for all child nutrition programs (CNPs). The Food Buying Guide assists CNP operators, food manufacturers, and other stakeholders with purchasing the correct amounts of foods for CNPs and determining the contribution that each food makes toward meal pattern requirements. Fruit and vegetable servings must be measured by volume (i.e. cups), not weight (i.e. ounces). Once the volume is obtained, then it is broken down into the correct serving weight that we use in our kitchens. Back in July, I attended a leadership conference in Indianapolis, where I received the Fresh Fruit/Vegetable Portioning Guides (below). This quick reference guide has the correct portion sizes for the most commonly used items in our programs. I keep it easily accessible on my desk and reference it daily. I encourage you all to look around the buying guide when you have a moment, search different food items and see what the system can do!
INDUSTRY NEWS
how to use Skyward Employee Access
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.
financial check up
Valparaiso Community Schools continually strives to offer and educate staff about our unique and advantageous benefits. One such benefit is our elective retirement savings plan(s) that employees can utilize to help provide financial security at retirement. To ensure you receive information about this benefit, we are pleased to provide you with a newsletter (below) that has been prepared by the compliance administrator for our plan(s), U.S. OMNI & TSACG Compliance Services (OMNI/TSACG). In addition to providing information about our plan(s), OMNI/TSACG also offers a Financial Wellness website that covers areas such as managing personal finances, college funding options, and how to navigate Social Security when the time comes. You will find calculators, videos, and informative content on various topics to help guide you in your planning process.
free employee assistance program
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
Here’s how to access your EAP:
Access Code: valpo
Resources
Digital Resources
Open Positions
Non-employees can apply by completing an online application as an External Applicant here: https://www.applitrack.com/valpo/onlineapp/
FS Tech, VHS, 6 hours **new**
FS Tech, VHS, 5 hours **new**
FS Tech, Heavilin, 4 hours
FS Tech, BF Middle, 4.5 hours
FS Tech, Central, 4 hours
FS Tech, VHS, 4 hours
2023-24 Calendar
February 16, 2024 eLearning Weather Make Up Day (Regular Work Day)
February 19, 2024 Presidents' Day (No Work Day)
March 4 - 8, 2024 National School Breakfast Week
March 25 - 29, 2024 Spring Break (No Work Days)
2024-25 Calendar
Did you miss an issue of Friday Focus?
https://www.valpo.k12.in.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1221036&type=d&pREC_ID=1455849
About Us
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