"Rise and Shine"

Join us for the 2013 ILSNA 63rd Annual Conference "Rise and Shine" at the Tinley Park Convention Center, Tinley Park, IL June 26th through 28th. For more information, click here.

ILSNA Annual Conference webpage  

Due to the overwhelming response to our CD Cookbook offer, we have ordered more copies and are now ready to fill orders again. If you missed out last time it was available, click here to place your order before they're gone again!

Who We Are – The Illinois School Nutrition Association (ILSNA) and the School Nutrition Association (SNA) are organizations of over 55,000 school nutrition professionals. Membership in ILSNA/SNA offers a variety of benefits to help you meet the challenges in the ever changing profession of school nutrition.

Benefits – Training and Educational Opportunities • Seminars and Workshops • Three Levels of Certification and Credentialing (School Nutrition Specialist (SNS) ) • Scholarships • Leadership Opportunities • Professional Networking • National and State Conferences • Updates on Current School Nutrition Issues • Updates on Current Legislative Issues • Links to Websites Pertinent to School Nutrition Professionals • Communication With Industry • Working hand-in-hand with industry to develop new products, systems and services to support the current challenges of school nutrition programs.

Click here for the ilsna school nutrition 101 presentation  

Healthy Students are Better Students
Nutrition + Physical Activity  = Improved learning

Midwest Dairy Council is pleased to announce the release of a new report, The Wellness Impact: Enhancing Academic Success Through Healthy School Environments.  The report helps make the case that health is not a competing priority to academic performance; in fact, healthy behaviors, including good nutrition and physical activity, can help students learn better.

The support of Illinois School Nutrition Association for Fuel Up to Play 60 has been instrumental to creating healthier schools – and healthier students.   Please read The Wellness Impact report at www.genyouthfoundation.org.  As members of Illinois School Nutrition Association we encourage you to further your leadership in this important conversation by:

• Sharing copies of the report and the briefs with school administrators, parents and student leaders
• Presenting the information to your local school board or PTA/PTO groups
• Helping your school(s) wellness committee reinvigorate their existing school wellness program

The report will direct public attention toward the importance of school wellness and students’ readiness to learn, which includes the role of good nutrition and regular physical activity.

genyouth foundation website  

ILSNA Members — now would be a great time to start planning your events and send invitations to your U.S. Senators and Congress men and women to join you and your students for a breakfast or lunch. Show off your "upgrades and improvements" from the HHFKA and all of the creative ways you are motivating and inspiring children to take/eat fruits and vegetables! It would be a good time to ask for their support in the areas where the new act needs shoring up and modification – real life stories and experiences make a huge impact and can greatly influence future decision-making and votes. After the fall elections, all eyes are going to be on our nation's deficit, and no program will be held safe from potential cuts in the 2013 Legislative session. We need to bring our programs to life and educate, educate, educate our Senators and Representatives on our programs and why the funding and financial support is so desperately needed to support the health of our children and the future of our nation!.

Click here for a detailed action plan for your Cafeteria Site Visit  

The STEPS Challenge is a wellness program created just for school nutrition professionals!

The STEPS Challenge provides the resources and inspiration to help SNA members live healthier and happier, one step at a time. The Challenge is designed to make better health and wellness simple, fun, and attainable. Sign up for the free program and you'll gain access to recipes, exercise ideas, success stories, prizes, wellness tips, and more.

Click here for more information on the STEPS Challenge  

All Illinois schools participating in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) are eligible and are automatically entered to participate in the Illinois Breakfast Challenge. Winners will be announced in April of 2013. Participation increase will be calculated by comparing the SBP participation rates from January - May of 2012 to August - December of 2012. Awards will be given to schools with the largest percentage increases in average daily participation rates. There will be four tiers for the Challenge with each tier awarding three prizes: $5,000, $3,000 and $1,000.

Click here for more information on the School Breakfast Challenge  

Helping School Nutrition Professionals Promote Their Programs

Exclusively for members, SNA has developed a New Meal Pattern PR Toolkit to help you get the word out to parents about the healthy changes in your school cafeterias. These simple resources will help you educate your community on the new nutrition standards for school meals and what they mean for your students.

• Sample letter to parents in English and Spanish
• Template press release
• Talking points
• Customizable PowerPoint presentation
• Customizable backpack brochure and instructions for adding your logo

Click here for more information on the SNA New Meal Pattern PR Toolkit   

There has been a great deal of discussion around menus relative to the new meal patterns. The USDA has developed a platform and clearinghouse for menu sharing at http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/bestpractices. Additionally, the USDA is exploring the possibility of providing cycle menus that meet the new requirements. It would seem that this USDA program could be a big help to our members. Please share this info with your regions.

Click here for more details on the USDA Best Practices Sharing Center Website   

Section 201 of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 provides, beginning October 1, 2012, an additional six cent performance-based meal reimbursement for each lunch served by School Food Authorities (SFAs) certified by State agencies to be in compliance with the updated meal patterns. The United States Department of Agriculture published an interim final rule (the rule), amending 7 CFR 210, to establish how SFAs will demonstrate their compliance with the new school meal pattern, enabling them to receive the additional six-cent performance-based reimbursement.

• Six Cent Performance-Based Reimbursed Interim Final Rule - This memorandum provides a brief overview of the rule as published, and a discussion of certain portions of the rule. The material is excerpted in large part from the April 27, 2012 Federal Register notice.
• FNS Interim Final Rule - Certification of Compliance with Meal Requirements for Six Cent Performance-Based Lunch Reimbursement - The April 27, 2012 Federal Register notice.
• FNS Information Collection Revision - Report of School Food Programs FNS-10 r - The April 27, 2012 Federal Register notice.

The USDA webpage on the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 can be accessed by clicking the link below.

USDA Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 Webpage  

President Harry S. Truman signed the National School Lunch Act on June 4, 1946. Though school foodservice began long before 1946, the Act authorized the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The legislation came in response to claims that many American men had been rejected for World War II military service because of diet-related health problems. The federally assisted meal program was established as "a measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation's children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities." 

Read Full Story   

Read Full Story