School Nutrition Newsletter
December 8, 2021
NEW
Upcoming Due Date- Verification Summary Report (VSR)
- All School Nutrition Programs sponsors must submit their VSR for the 2021-2022 school year no later than January 15, 2022. The report is available now for sponsors that have an approved Annual Financial Report (AFR) and an approved October claim on file.
- Late submissions could be noted as a finding on an Administrative Review or could result in reimbursement claims being placed on hold until a satisfactory submission is made.
- The VSR will be submitted in the Reports tab in CNPweb, but this year, sponsors must also submit October 31 enrollment data using this Google form.
- Instructions for schools, school districts operating the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) at all sites, and Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCIs), along with other Verification resources can be found on IDOE's Verification & Direct Verification webpage.
- Slides from the Monday, November 15 VSR Webinar can also be found here.
- Questions? Contact Jacqueline Peczkowski.
Newly-Added VSR Virtual Help Sessions
- Our team has scheduled additional virtual VSR help sessions in a drop-in format using Webex.
- These are meant to be an opportunity for you to drop-in, have us review your report, troubleshoot any error messages you may be getting, and help you get your VSR submitted before the deadline of January 15, 2022.
- Feel free to also work on your report during one of the help sessions and ask questions as you go- we'll be ready to help.
- While pre-registering is not required, it will help us better serve you. The session dates, times, and registration links are noted below.
- Sessions for all School Nutrition Programs sponsors:
- Monday, December 20, 1 to 3 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, December 28, 9 to 11 a.m. ET
- Wednesday, December 29, 1 to 3 p.m. ET
- Monday, January 3, 2022, 9 to 11 a.m. ET
- Tuesday, January 4, 2022, 1 to 3 p.m. ET
- Wednesday, January 5, 2022, 9 to 11 a.m. ET
- Monday, January 10, 2022, 1 to 3 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, January 11, 2022, 9 to 11 a.m. ET
- Wednesday, January 12, 2022, 1 to 3 p.m. ET
- Questions? Contact Jacqueline Peczkowski.
P-EBT Virtual/Virtual Due to COVID-19 Coding Clarification
- After consultation with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), an issue was identified in which days coded as ‘Virtual’ were being counted as P-EBT-eligible days in the portal roster. FSSA has clarified that P-EBT-eligible days must be limited to virtual instruction related to COVID-19 or absences related to COVID-19.
- School days such as district-wide eLearning Professional Development days or school closures, unrelated to COVID-19, that result in virtual learning cannot be counted.
- Students participating in full time virtual programs established as a result of COVID-19 are eligible (if the enrolling school is participating in the National School Lunch Program) and should be coded as ‘Virtual due to COVID-19’. Please consult the published IDOE flowchart here to help determine the correct coding.
- As a result of this clarification, an update will occur to no longer count days coded as ‘Virtual’ for P-EBT benefits and will be reflected in the initial P-EBT distribution later this month.
- Only virtual days coded as ‘Virtual due to COVID-19’ will generate benefits, along with any excused absences coded as COVID-19 related. This update will be reflected in the P-EBT portal next week.
- Please reach out to Jeff Milkey at jmilkey@doe.in.gov if your district has concerns about how you have coded students and your ability to make any necessary corrections before Monday, December 13.
Smart Snacks in School Requirements
- As a reminder, all schools participating in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs (including the Seamless Summer Option) must comply with Federal Smart Snacks in School standards for food and beverages sold to students during the defined school day (from midnight before the start of the school day until 30 minutes after dismissal of the school day).
- Field specialists from IDOE's Office of School and Community Nutrition have been conducting both announced Administrative Reviews and unannounced site visits for schools across Indiana and are finding numerous examples of food/beverages being sold to students that do not meet these standards.
- These standards apply to food/beverages sold a la carte, in a school store or library, vending machines, coffee carts, smoothie bars, and any other venues where food/beverages are sold to students - even if they are not operated by the school food service program.
- The state of Indiana has also instituted a policy that allows for a maximum of two fundraisers per school building, per school year that do not meet the food/beverage Smart Snacks in School standards.
- To help your school comply with these standards, numerous resources are available online:
- Tools for Schools: Focusing on Smart Snacks;
- A Guide to Smart Snacks in School (currently being updated for school year 2021-2022);
- NSLP & SBP: Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in School as Required by the HHFKA of 2010;
- Indiana's Smart Snacks in School Fundraiser Exemption Rule;
- Alliance for a Healthier Generation Smart Snacks Product Calculator;
- And more here.
- Per federal law, corrective action must be enforced for all findings related to this requirement, and failure by schools to demonstrate ongoing compliance may result in the withholding of School Nutrition Program reimbursements.
- Questions? Contact your field specialist.
Upcoming Webinars
Winter Webinars
- Join IDOE and the Institute for Child Nutrition (ICN) as we warm up to the new year with a new lineup of trainings.
- Each week of webinars has an overall theme and different topics of focus for each day.
- Week 1- Focus on the Customer for Directors & Managers: January 12, 13, & 14, 2022 at 2 p.m. ET
- Week 2- Utilizing the Cafeteria as a Classroom: January 18 & 19, 2022 at 2 p.m. ET
- Week 3- Basic Culinary Math: January 25 & 26, 2022 at 2 p.m. ET
- Week 4- Financial Management: February 1, 2, & 3, 2022 at 2 p.m. ET
- Week 5- Forecasting the Procurement of Foods: February 9 & 10, 2022 at 2 p.m. ET
- View the complete schedule here.
- Questions? Contact Maggie Schabel and/or Ashley Heller.
From Our Partners
Healthy School Recipes- Culinary Solutions for School Nutrition Programs
- Have you started preparing more of your school meal menu items from scratch due to supply chain concerns? Healthy School Recipes is a great resource for school nutrition professionals that provides an extensive database of recipes developed to meet the unique needs of school nutrition programs.
- Take a deep dive into the recipe database, or even receive monthly featured recipes right to your inbox. Recipes we're loving this month are Roasted Cinnamon Peaches, Wild Blueberry Flatbread Pizza, and Green Bean, Cranberry, and Sunflower Seed Salad.
- All recipes are in quantities for K-12 school nutrition programs, printable, and include nutrition information and component contributions.
FoodFinder
- In preparation for the upcoming winter break, now is another great time to remind families about FoodFinder to make it easy for them to find their nearest food pantry or other free food program while schools are closed.
- If you would like any materials to distribute to make sure families know where to find help with food this holiday season, or if you have any questions, please reach out to FoodFinder's Founder and CEO, Jack Griffin.
Reminders
Upcoming Deadline: USDA DoD Fresh Allocation Commitment Due Friday, December 17
- The deadline for schools to submit the allocation commitment form for the USDA Department of Defense Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program (DoD Fresh) for school year 2022-2023 is Friday, December 17 at 5 p.m. ET.
- Schools committing to the program will set aside as much of their USDA Foods entitlement as they choose.
- DoD Fresh is optional, voluntary, and is not the same as the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program (FFVP), which is based on free and reduced eligibility.
- There are two different commitment forms: one for schools currently participating in DoD Fresh, and another for schools not currently participating in DoD Fresh. Schools should complete the appropriate form based on their current DoD Fresh status.
- Step-by-step instructions for completing the appropriate form are available here.
- More information about DoD Fresh can be found here.
- Questions about DoD Fresh? Contact Cheryl Moore.
USDA Foods Resources from IDOE
- New this month are two resources to provide you with updates and information about USDA Foods.
- The Brown Box to Bulk newsletter includes:
- The new warehouse delivery cutoff day and time;
- Excess storage fees information;
- USDA Foods delays and cancellations updates; and
- Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Fruit and Vegetables updates and reminders.
- Let's Get Ready to Survey contains helpful tips to prepare for the upcoming annual pre-order (forecast) survey.
- Questions? Contact Cheryl Moore.
Contact Us
Indiana Department of Education - School and Community Nutrition
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this newsletter, please contact Jacqueline Peczkowski at jpeczkowski@doe.in.gov, call (317) 232-0846, or toll-free at 1-800-537-1142 ext. 20846, or contact Ashley Heller at aheller@doe.in.gov, call (317) 232-0544, or toll-free at 1-800-537-1142 ext. 20544.
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Website: https://www.in.gov/doe/nutrition/
Phone: (317) 232-0850
Twitter: @EducateIN