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© COPYRIGHT 2016 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION – #ANC16 – SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

Small Districts, BIG Ideas

Small District Roundtable Discussion


Jeanne Reilly, DTR, SNS

2013 SNA Northeast Regional Director of the Year

Director of School Nutrition – RSU #14 – MAINE

President Elect – Maine School Nutrition Association

Facebook –

Windham Raymond

School Nutrition Program

Twitter

@Lunch4kidsRSU14

Blog

http://jeannereilly.blogspot.com

Instagram

nutrition4kids_rsu14


RSU #14 – Windham & Raymond, Maine

• Small District of 2 towns, bordering beautiful Sebago Lake

• 3200 students, 6th largest district in Maine

• 37% Free & Reduced

• 6 schools: • 3 elementary schools

• 2 middle schools

• 1 high school


Small Districts….

Big Issues….

Creative Strategies


1. Participation in School Meals

•Increasing participation is a KEY strategy to maintaining a successful School Nutrition Program!


But How???


Strategies for Increasing Participation

•Strategically Planned Promotional Events!

2 Ideas from RSU #14

• Fun Friday Breakfasts • Eat Way through the Alphabet


Don’t Forget SNA’s Promotional Calendar!

What Works in Your Districts?

2. Partnerships & Collaboration

Think of

partnerships & collaboration as building BRIDGES!

Who Do You Need to Partner With?

• Parents

• Teachers

• School Board Members

• Students

• Community Members

• Administration

• Local Chefs

• Local Colleges & Universities

• Legislators

• Media

• Allied Organizations

• Local farmers/producers

Building Bridges Creates Collaborative Relationships…

Partnering with local community college

Partnering with the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics


…as well as Strategic Partnerships

Senator Al Franken enjoys School Lunch with students at Meadow Lake Elementary School in New Hope, MN


Collaborating with a local dairy farmer & the Dairy Council promotes milk consumption & Farm to School Initiatives!

Who have you successfully collaborated with in your district?


3. Cultivating Teamwork

• Building and Maintaining an Awesome Team is an important KEY to Success!

Where to find good staff???

• Utilizing Social Media is a cheap and effective resource when advertising for staff: • Facebook

• Twitter

• Instagram

Wherever you have followers!

Help wanted ad on twitter from Austin Independent School District

• Advertising for help using Menu Clip art is sure to Grab the attention of potential employees every time they look at your menu!


Make the most of the Professional Standards! • Hands on training

• Culinary Boot Camps

• Roundtable workshops for sharing “Best Practices”

• Chopped Challenge Team Building exercise

• Encourage staff & utilize their ideas when possible

• Train with other districts or with your state SNA –

encourage networking between districts


“Chopped Challenge” Team Building Event

Let’s hear some success stories from teams around the country!


4. Promoting Healthier Food Choices – Growing Healthy Eaters!


Romaine Calm!


There are fresh & exciting ideas!

• Host a tasting table at a Farmer’s Market to sample a new recipe or new menu item.

Brambleton Farmer’s Market, Brambleton VA


Have an after school cooking club

Involve Students in the Process!

• Host “Fear Factor” Bizarre Food Tastings

• Allow Students to Name Recipes

• Involve Students in School Gardens

• In Classroom Cooking Demos w/ Nutrition Curriculum


Host in cafeteria or in classroom taste testing

Let’s hear some success stories or challenges from your districts!


Increasing Participation

Building Bridges &

Partnerships

Cultivating Teamwork

Promoting

Healthier

Food Choices

Small Districts –

Creative Ideas

Big Success!


THANK YOU!!

Notes from Small Districts Big Ideas – ANC 16

1. Participation

-Strategically Planned Events

-Fun Friday Breakfasts

-Eat Way Through Alphabet

-SNA Promotional Calendar

Check-a-day

*Mitchell S.D.-Multiple menu choices instead of one item-no choices

*Alabama-Grab and Go

*?-Satellite site. Go to students not going to cafeteria. Increased participation 50%

*Independence, Missouri (5,000)-Feed everyone free for 7-10 testing days. Students get

exposed to cafeteria and menu items.

*Second Chance Breakfasts

*Yogurt Parfait Day with Cinnamon Roll

*Was using Breakfast in Classroom menu for regular line. Switched to hot foods that students

wanted.

*Vendor donated bicycle. Held Contest. Every day during the month that you ate breakfast,

your name was entered for the drawing.

*CEP

2. Partnership and Collaboration

*Mass-Partner with Home Ec class; talked about regulations; created recipes, evaluations and

voted on items. Used commodity foods. Winner: Spaghetti Tacos

*Boys soccer team going to state-did theme day “Hawks Burritos” to promote the team.

*2nd grade Teacher-reviewed food groups, what makes a meal and promote classroom.

Example: Menu today from Mrs.______ 2nd Grade Class

*Florida State Agency-Lots of resources for districts. Able to do produce shows and some are

paid for at the state level.

*New Hampshire-Work with University culinary department –do workshops with staff.

*Worked with extension dept and developed different themed weeks menus.


*North Dakota-State Agency. Students wanted soup but trouble with sodium levels.

Partnered with Heart Association and Land O Lakes-“Chicken Tortilla Soup”

Local “beauty queen” promoted Heart Day/School Lunch day in legislature and fed them

the soup on lunch trays. (Also made salsa, etc)

3. Cultivating Teamwork

*Where do you find good staff?

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram adds

*Blind ad on Craig’s List

*Michigan (1600)-Advertised at Kinder Round Up; Serve complimentary lunch to whole family at

kinder round up-promote school nutrition and advertise for staff.

*Advertise on Menu

Professional Standards:

*Hands on Training

*Culinary Boot Camp

*Round Table “Best Practices”

*Chopped Challenge Team Building Exercise

*Encourage Staff Ideas

*Virtual Chop Challenge

*Recipe contest-everyone made the SAME recipe and judged by Admin Staff

*Recipe Development Contest: Using commodities, Presentation of Item, Cost

Done in teams. Winner: Black Bean Burger

4. Promoting Healthier Choices-Growing Healthy Eaters.

ROMAINE CALM!!!

*Tasting Table: New ideas; samples of current recipes; at Farmers Market, in cafeteria, at open

houses… also – outside of school events such as Taste of the Nation


*After School Cooking Club: Use school recipes; take home samples and recipe

*Food Factor: Try bizarre foods (ie-dragon fruit)

*Allow students to name recipe

*School gardens

*In classroom cooking demos

*Texas (114)-Took student class to store, read label and cooked foods

*Cut up Grapefruit and made rounds on cart letting student try items. Added popular items to

menu.

*Taste Test Tuesday-students vote

*Unusual Stuff-rainbow carrots (purple carrots); 1 time per month something new

*Taste Testing

*Theme Days

*Japanese Cherry Blossom Chicken trial in Ninja Costume

*Write column for local newspaper on school nutrition

*Named café-“Lions Den”

*Promote Senior Citizens to come eat

*Tuesday/Thursday-introduced WG Bread sticks, peanut butter, jelly fruit and veggies on goofy

placemat-helped students get away from bringing lunchables

OTHER:

*USDA Team Nutrition: Workshop: “Team Up for School Nutrition Success”

Includes menu planning; increasing participation, financial management with same size districts

small districts, big ideas - school nutrition › uploadedfiles › 2...notes from small districts...

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