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WINTER 2024

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, nonprofit professional organization representing nearly 55,000 members who provide high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the country. The Wisconsin Chapter of SNA (SNA-WI) has nearly 1000 members, over half of which are certified, and another 30 have achieved their SNS Credential (School Nutrition Specialist).

SNA-WI MISSION

Use our collaborative voice to advocate for quality nutrition for all children.

SNA-WI VISION

Serve as leadership and innovative resource for school nutrition.

NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS

IRENE PAWLISCH

CAITLIN HARRISON BOBBIE GUYETTE

NATHAN BUTZLAFF

BECKY TERRY

JOSHUA SCHMIDT

JAMIE WILSON

LAURA ROWELL

KAITLIN TAURIAINEN

JENNY THORKILDSON

S N A - W I S TA F F EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR eric ostermann ASSOCIATION DIRECTOR emily dieringer EVENTS & MEMBERSHIP MANAGER taryn maclnnis OFFICE MANAGER sandy shimon GRAPHIC DESIGNER skyler wolff

SNA-WI HEADQUARTERS 563 Carter Court, Suite B, Kimberly, WI 54136 920-560-5630 | snaw-wi@badgerbay.co

INDUSTRY INFO Gold or Silver Industry members of the School Nutrition Association of Wisconsin (SNA-WI) receive a complimentary ad in each of the three issues of School Tray Today. These issues go out in Fall, Winter, and Spring. You can find current due dates for ads, ad sizes, acceptable file types, and where to send your ad on this on www.sna-wi.org/page/SchoolTrayTodayIndustry!

winter 2024 • school tray today

CONTENTS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

WELCOME

Welcome to Winter!

WELCOME NEW SNA-WI MEMBERS! INDUSTRY SPONSORS Special Thank You!

Seafood Fest! One of the ways Holmen School District is creating exciting and exceptional school meals.” submitted by Daisha Rand, Holmen School District

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Concentration on the Element of Fun

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR REPORT Passion and Purpose

PRESIDENT-ELECT’S MESSAGE

Importance of Staying Positive

MENTOR & RESOURCES COMMITTEE CHAIR REPORT Re-energizing Your Battery

PAST PRESIDENT-ELECT’S MESSAGE

Winter Blues Be Gone: Igniting Team Spirit and Motivation in the Chilly Months

SECRETARY/TREASURER’S REPORT Combating the Winter Blues for your Team

SNA-WI SEASONAL FEATURE DATCP Opens Farm to School Grant Program

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Planning for State Advocacy on Feb. 7 Requested, Organized and Presented for Childhood Obesity

Travel Simply

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR REPORT

Want to be featured in our next issue? Submit your cover photo here!

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS

INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVE REPORT

EDUCATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIR REPORT

On the Cover: Growing what we serve, submitted by Daisha Rand, Holmen School District

SNA-WI FALL CONFERENCE Photo Recap

On the Cover

Winter Blues

NOTES FROM NATIONAL

SNA Board Member Micheal Gasper

NEW MEMBER APPLICATION National and State

Our Circle of Influence

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2023-24

Board of Directors

PRESIDENT bobbie guyette, new richmond school district 701 e 11th st new richmond, wi 54017 bguyette@newrichmond.k12.wi.us

CHAPTER PRESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE amy fisher, spring valley school district s 1450 county rd cc spring valley, wi 54767 fishera@springvalley.k12.wi.us

MENTOR & RESOURCE COMMITTEE CHAIR becky terry, de forest school district 520 e holum st de forest, wi 53532 bterry@deforestschools.org

PRESIDENT-ELECT kaitlin tauriainen ashwaubenon school district 1055 griffiths lane ashwaubenon, wi 54304 ktauriainen@ashwaubenonk12.org

EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR irene pawlisch, madison area technical colllege 1701 wright st, madison, wi 53704 irene.pawlisch@gmail.com

INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVE jenny thorkildson, donovan food brokerage 4230 e. towne blvd unit 261 madison, wi 53704 jenny@donovanfoodbrokerage.com

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT caitlin harrison, elmbrook school district 3555 north calhoun rd brookfield, wi 53005 harrisoc@elmbrookschools.org

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR jamie wilson, superior school district 3025 tower ave superior, wi 54880 jamie.wilson@superior.k12.wi.us

DPI STATE DIRECTOR jessica sharkus, wisconsin department of public instruction (dpi) 125 s webster st px box 7841 madison, wi 53707 jessica.sharkus@dpi.wi.gov

SECRETARY/TREASURER laura rowell, howard-suamico school district 1217 cardinal ln green bay, wi 54313 laurrowe@hssdschools.org

MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE CHAIR joshua schmidt, fork farms 1025 lombardi ave green bay, wi, 54304 josh.schmidt@forkfarms.com

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WELCOME

WELCOME TO WINTER!

BY BOBBIE GUYETTE, MPH, RD, CD, 2023-2024 SNA-WI PRESIDENT

Oh, winter in Wisconsin! Or is it? This warmer weather is helping us beat the winter blues, but regardless of no snow on the ground we all know this time of year gets tough mentally! This is the point of the school year in which we are dealing with things related to burnout. As you dive into this brand-new issue of School Tray Today I hope you are well. This issue is here to help turn those “winter blues” into a winter season of health and flavor! In this edition, we are putting a spotlight on our successful first year of a revamped fall conference, now titled Partnerships in Industry Conference. Additionally, we will be sharing a variety of school nutrition department ideas to beat the winter blues with uplifting concepts our board members are practicing in their own districts. As we navigate the rest of our winter, my hope is we can come together to ensure that every meal served is a nourishing and enjoyable experience for our staff and students. Here’s to a season filled with wellness and wonderful meals!

winter 2024 • school tray today

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WELCOME, NEW SNA-WI MEMBERS!

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR 2023-2024 INDUSTRY SPONSORS

New Members as of 12/31/23 Mirsa Alvarenga, Janesville SD

Alyson Overboe, Janesville SD

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Emily Oyer. Onalaska SD

Michelle Black Ja’cora Brand, Janesville SD Ryan Bruenig, Columbus SD

Katarina Popov, Elmbrook SD Andrea Schinke, East Troy Community SD

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Nicole Gresbach Madeline Heise, Marshall MS Tiffany Hibberd, Stanley-Boyd SD Jamie Hisel, Rivery Valley SD Jeanelle HollowayShimek Carol Horan, Janesville SD Tiffany Kelsey, Sevastopol Lea Kiggins Karen LaBare, Superior SD Michelle Leitzke, Wausau SD Patricia Lesky, La Crosse SD Amanda Mortensen Amy Nordeng, Janesville SD Brianna O’Brien, Onalaska SD Jennifer Osenga, Janesville SD

Paid as of January 22, 2024

Gold Anderson Foodservice Solutions (AFS) ASC1/CRM, Inc.

J&J Snacks

Tasty Brands, LLC

J.T.M. FoodGroup

The YES Group

Jones Dairy Farm

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Daly & DeRoma Foodservice Reps

Zink FoodserviceRich's Products

Kellanova (Kellogg’s)

Dole Packaged Foods

KeyImpact Sales & Systems, Inc.

Fork Farms

National Food Group, Inc.

General Mills

SA Piazza “Wild Mike’s Pizza”

Hanna-Young & Associates

Simplot

ES Foods

Mirkovich and Associates

Foster Farms

Rich’s Products

Gordon Food Service

Schwan’s Company

IFD Foodservice Distributor

Industry

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KeyImpact Sales & Systems, Inc. ES Foods

Cavendish Farms Inc. D. A. Berther, Inc. Donovan Food Brokerage General Parts, LLC GVM Food Marketing Heartland School Solutions

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Affinity Group BERNARD FOOD INDUSTRIES, INC.

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HPS - Group Purchasing International Food Solution Inc. Kessenich’s Lakeland Milwaukee Master Sales

Butter Buds Food Service

LINQ

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Nardone Bros. Pizza

CORE Foodservice

Duncan Supply Co.

Idahoan Foods, LLC Infinite Campus

JM Smucker Company Land O’Lakes, Inc.

MFB, Inc. (Master Food Brokers)

Multiteria

Michael Foods, Inc. PBJ Commercial Agents, Inc.

Peterson Farms Fresh Inc.

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Wisconsin Beef Council, Inc.

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CONSIDER JOINING SNA-WI AS A GOLD, SILVER, INDUSTRY MEMBER, OR NON-PROFIT MEMBER! If you have not renewed your Industry Membership for 2024-2025, please contact the SNA-WI office immediately: sna-wi@badgerbay.co or 920-560-5630. LEARN MORE

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GOLD INDUSTRY MEMBERS Participation in SNA-WI events at no additional cost Technology advancements to provide real-time customer interactions Full Page color ad in School Tray Today digizine with direct link to preferred website or contact Complimentary 30-day job postings on SNA-WI website Opportunity to participate in Products on Parade feature at Annual Conference Company name featured with link to company website on header of SNA-WI online member directory Opportunity to provide news and company updates on the SNA-WI news feed Feature on SNA-WI's Facebook page for new products/ideas SNA-WI member emails delivered directly to your inbox

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SILVER INDUSTRY MEMBERS

Participation in SNA-WI events at no additional cost Technology advancements to provide real-time customer interactions Half Page color ad in School Tray Today digizine with direct link to preferred website or contact Complimentary 30-day job postings on SNA-WI website Opportunity to provide news and company updates on the SNA-WI news feed SNA-WI member emails delivered directly to your inbox

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INDUSTRY MEMBERS Reduced SNA-WI event exhibitor rates at Annual Conference Technology advancements to provide real-time customer interactions Opportunity to place ad in School Tray Today digizine with direct link to preferred website or contact Complimentary 30-day job postings on SNA-WI website Opportunity to provide news and company updates on the SNA-WI news feed SNA-WI member emails delivered directly to your inbox

$100

NON-PROFIT PARTNER MEMBERS Reduced SNA-WI event exhibitor rates at Annual Conference Individual attendees from your organization pay the member rate for events/conferences Company listing in SNA-WI featured online member directory Access to SNA-WI Membership Directory on SNA-WI website Opportunity to provide news and company updates on the SNA-WI news feed Complimentary 30-day job postings on SNA-WI website SNA-WI member emails delivered directly to your inbox

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

CONCENTRATING ON THE ELEMENT OF FUN BY BOBBIE GUYETTE, MPH, RD, CD, 2023-2024 SNA-WI PRESIDENT

I think everyone can agree that a happy team is a productive team. Do I consider my team a happy team every single day? Truth – no, and they would all agree! However, I do feel it is important as a leader to ensure that you strive for a balance of work and fun. The work side of things is easy to figure out. Our world of school nutrition is truly hard work! The difficult element is FUN. Fun is the elusive element that transforms a job into a passion, a team into a family. School nutrition is demanding, and takes a unique blend of dedication and humor to navigate the challenges we face. The key is to infuse a sense of fun into our daily tasks, creating an environment where the joy of what we do shines bright. You and your team are a family.

How I infuse a sense of fun into a school nutrition department: •

Start every single meeting team meeting with a round of kudos. I don’t do this half hearted either! I receive plenty of fun messages or comments from my team and others in the district on a pretty regular basis. I keep a file of these notes and it is the first thing I look at when preparing for a team meeting. Every person in the room should receive a personal kudos for the entire team to hear.

•

Show you care. Let’s be 100% honest. It doesn’t feel good if an important event or milestone is not recognized. You aren’t expected to know every detail about your team member’s life, but you can keep a listing of their birthdays or remember an important family event to check in on. I keep these things on a calendar to help me remember!

•

Identify good work in public. Make a big deal out of your team members doing a good job. Not only praise them in front of others in meeting settings, but show the work off on social media or with a school building event. If you don’t feel like a cheerleader for your staff you are doing it wrong!

•

Be who you want to see. If you aren’t presenting yourself with enthusiasm toward the work of school nutrition your team and co-workers will not either. If you are a leader in any capacity (director, manager, lead, coordinator) you do not have the luxury of letting up in this area. Yes, it is draining. Yes, it is really hard some days. However, it is absolutely critical to show up every single day with a positive attitude within the environment you oversee.

•

Include students in your culture of fun. Our kitchen teams recognize when students come to lunch they want a moment of relaxation away from the rigors of their school day. This has grown to be an area we truly concentrate on as a department team. We want our spaces to be inviting and safe for all students. Ensure that every child is greeted when they enter your serving area. Decorate for promotions or holidays. Service time can be stressful for school nutrition staff, so organize job tasks to ensure your staff can put their effort in their smiles! winter 2024 • school tray today 9

Some ideas and examples from New Richmond School District to build a culture of fun

I acknowledge the occasional frowns, the busy days, and the moments when the workload seems as heavy as a case of #10 cans! But here’s the truth – striking the right balance between work and fun is paramount and attainable. Give yourself grace as you work through the difficult days and embrace the days when everyone is smiling.

Fun is the elusive element that transforms a job into a passion, a team into a family...

BOBBIE GUYETTE

2023-24 PRESIDENT-ELECT | BGUYETTE@NEWRICHMOND.K12.WI.US

K-12 Foodservice Solutions For almost 100 years, we’ve helped schools provide quality dining experiences with a focus on driving operational efficiencies.

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PRESIDENT ELECT’S MESSAGE

THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING POSITIVE BY KAITLIN TAURIAINEN 2024-2025 PRESIDENT-ELECT

Maintaining a positive outlook in the school nutrition profession is essential for those who play a crucial role in nourishing the minds and bodies of students. One key strategy is to focus on the impact that nutritious meals have on the well-being of students. Reminding yourself of the valuable service being provided and the positive contribution to the overall school community can serve as a powerful motivator. Celebrating small victories, such as successfully accommodating diverse dietary needs or receiving positive feedback from students, can also be uplifting.

the school nutrition profession. By staying focused on the larger purpose, fostering a supportive community, and embracing a mindset of continual improvement, individuals in the school nutrition profession can navigate their roles with positivity and make a lasting impact on the well-being of students.

Celebrating small victories, such as successfully accommodating diverse dietary needs or receiving positive feedback from students, can also be uplifting.

Building a supportive community within the nutrition staff is another effective approach. Creating a collaborative and encouraging environment where team members can share experiences, offer assistance, and celebrate achievements helps foster a sense of camaraderie. Recognizing and appreciating each other's efforts creates a positive work culture that can be contagious, uplifting the spirits of everyone involved in the profession. Remember to embrace a mindset of continuous learning and adaption. Staying informed about nutritional trends, exploring new recipes, and attending professional development opportunities not only enhances skills but also keeps the work fresh and exciting. Embracing challenges as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles can contribute to a positive and resilient attitude within

These smiles keep us going!

KAITLIN TAURIAINEN

PRESIDENT-ELECT | KTAURIAINEN@ASHWAUBENONK12.ORG

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Nothing beats pizza for lunch. Nothing beats Domino’s for boosting participation. It’s time to turn your school’s pizza program up a notch by partnering with Domino’s — the world’s #1 pizza brand. Our customers report increased participation on days when Domino’s Smart Slice is on the menu. So what are you waiting for? Learn more about Domino’s Smart Slice today!

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PRESIDENT ELECT’S MESSAGE

WINTER BLUES BE GONE

IGNITING TEAM SPIRIT AND MOTIVATION IN THE CHILLY MONTHS BY CAITLIN HARRISON, 2023-2024 SNA-WI IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

As the winter months envelop us in cold, it’s natural for a sense of lethargy and monotony to settle in. However, within the frosty days and extended nights, there lies an opportunity to ignite the spark of motivation and uplift the spirits of our hardworking staff. In this article, let’s explore strategies to thaw the winter blues and cultivate a warm and inspired workplace atmosphere. Embracing the Winter Wonderland The winter season offers a unique canvas of beauty with its glistening snow, crisp air, and cozy aesthetics. Encourage your staff to appreciate the enchanting aspects of winter and find joy in the season’s unique charm. Consider organizing teambuilding activities that take advantage of the winter landscape, fostering a sense of camaraderie while embracing the beauty of the season. Bringing the Outdoors In Combat the winter doldrums by bringing a touch of the outdoors inside the workplace. Consider decorating communal spaces with winter-themed elements, such as snowflakes, warm lighting, and seasonal greenery. Creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere can lift spirits and make the workspace feel more vibrant, contributing to a positive mindset among staff.

Encourage your staff to appreciate the enchanting aspects of winter and find joy in the season’s unique charm. Celebrating Achievements and Milestones Winter months can sometimes feel like a neverending tunnel of routine. Break through the monotony by celebrating individual and team achievements. Whether it’s acknowledging work anniversaries, project milestones, or personal accomplishments, recognizing and celebrating

success injects a dose of positivity and motivation into the workplace. Wellness Initiatives Combat the winter slump by promoting staff wellbeing. Consider introducing wellness initiatives that focus on physical and mental health. Organize wellness challenges, provide healthy snacks, and offer resources for stress management. A healthy and happy staff is a motivated and productive one, even during the winter months. Spreading Warmth through Appreciation One of the most effective ways to uplift and motivate staff is through genuine appreciation. Take the time to acknowledge and express gratitude for the hard work and dedication of your team. Personalized notes of appreciation, team shout-outs, or small tokens of gratitude can go a long way in boosting morale and creating a positive work environment. Winter may bring chilly temperatures, but it also presents an opportunity to warm the hearts and minds of your staff. By embracing the unique aspects of the season, fostering a sense of camaraderie, and prioritizing staff well-being, you can transform the winter months into a time of inspiration and motivation. Together, let’s thaw the winter blues and create a workplace that radiates warmth and positivity throughout the season and beyond. CAITLIN HARRISON

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT | HARRISOC@ELMBROOKSCHOOLS.ORG

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We’re Ready for the Rush The lunch bell rings and, at first, it’s a trickle. Suddenly, a flood. Students pour in, and they’re hungry now. The lunch rush is well-named. It thrills us, too. That’s why we’re ready with experienced nutrition experts, on-trend menu ideas and tools to fuel your success.

winter 2024 • school tray today

SECRETARY/TREASURER’S REPORT

COMBATING THE WINTER BLUES FOR YOUR TEAM BY LAURA ROWELL, 2023-2024 SNA-WI SECRETARY/TREASURER

Oh the weather outside is frightful but the fun is so delightful - in School Nutrition - and since there’s no place to go let’s keep feeding kids, feeding kids, feeding kids. Being in Wisconsin, it can be challenging during the Winter months to keep your teams motivated and engaged.

Here are some ideas to try to beat the winter blues! 1. Connect with others - Socialize with friends and family to counteract the isolation that winter can bring. Human connection is a powerful antidote to the winter blues. This can be accomplished during your work day. Consider team meetings or going on break with other individuals to connect with your coworker on a personal level. We encourage and support weekly meetings in our department with all staff members to keep the connection and camaraderie within the team strong. 2. Let There Be Light - Combat the darkness by maximizing exposure to natural light. Open curtains and blinds (outside the workplace) during the day, and position your workspace near windows, if possible. 3. Inspire the Importance of Nutrition - even in the smallest ways. This could be as small as putting a fruit bowl in the break room and having fun with it. Putting a bowl full of oranges out for all employees to grab on break or to take home - to aid in building providing extra Vitamin C to support immunity. Very important as we spend our work time in school settings where illnesses spread around quickly. Another consideration could be creating challenges around water consumption to ensure hydration needs are being met. In our district specifically, our Organizational Development team offers our staff the opportunity to purchase CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Boxes which includes a variety of local, fresh produce. Offering fruits/vegetables that have high nutritional value and are locally sourced is a small way to express the importance of having healthier choices as part of their daily meal plan.

Taking action toward employee overall health and wellness will help fight the winter blues and shift the focus to enjoying the beauty our winter months bring. Creating Happy Amongst Staff!

4. Encourage time outdoors - in a safe manner! The goal being prioritizing movement and staying active. Any type of physical activity can be a powerful mood booster. Even a short daily walk or a home workout routine can release endorphins and alleviate feelings of lethargy. This can even help manage your stress in a productive way and help create balance. Our district specifically has implemented self guided walking paths for staff to use either before or after their shift. Consider an accountability partner that may help you stay after your goals. Our district also has open hours in the gym to create a safe environment for staff that may want to challenge their physical fitness goals. 5. Mindfulness Matters - Practice mindfulness to stay present and cultivate a positive mindset. Whether it’s through meditation, deep breathing exercises, or simply taking a moment to appreciate the beauty around you, mindfulness can help alleviate stress and improve your overall well-being

winter 2024 • school tray today

Our district has created and uplifted yoga classes for staff in person and online. Both options are available to make it easy for the employee to access in the comfort of their own home if they can’t physically be on site. Embracing the winter season with a spirit of fun and engagement can transform the workplace into a vibrant and joyful space. These ideas are just the beginning— feel free to adapt and combine them to create a winter wonderland that suits your team’s unique personality and preferences. A great place to start to gain traction in your district is by teaming up with your Human Resource (or Organizational Development) Team to promote and support staff wellness. Taking action toward employee overall health and wellness will help fight the winter blues and shift the focus to enjoying the beauty our winter months bring. LAURA ROWELL

2023-24 SNA-WI SECRETARY/TREASURER | LAURROWE@HSSDSCHOOLS.ORG

Creating Happy Amongst Staff!

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SNA-WI SEASONAL FEATURE

DATCP OPENS FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is accepting applications for the Wisconsin Farm to School Grant Program through 5 p.m. on Friday, February 2, 2024. DATCP will award a total of up to $250,000 in Farm to School grants. This one-time, federal funding has been provided with the purpose of expanding or creating new farm to school activities. The goal of the Wisconsin Farm to School Grant Program is to enable communities to develop partnerships, implement initiatives, and strengthen Wisconsin’s farm to school network. Successful projects will gather impact and outcome data, measure grant program demand, and capture success stories for ongoing support and funding. Funds are not intended to provide one-time funding for farm to school meals. Eligible applications should include three or more partners engaging youth in farm to school activities. Applicants must identify a school food service director, an early care education (ECE) director, and/or an authorized school or community nutrition program representative. Projects ranging in size from $10,000 to $40,000 will be funded for one year following a competitive review process. Eligible expenses include salaries, equipment rental/ lease, materials, and supplies. Matching funds of 25% of the award, or 20% of the total project, is required. Selected applicants will be contracted for work to begin in March 2024. To access the grant information and application or learn more about the program, visit https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/AgDevelopment/FarmToSchool.aspx

For more information on the grant, email DATCPdadgrants@wisconsin.gov.

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SNA-WI MEMEBERSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR REPORT

PASSION AND PURPOSE BY JOSHUA SCHMIDT, 2023-2024 SNA-WI MEMBERSHIP SERVICES CHAIR

Here we are, we are well into this year - 2024. Quite often a new year brings us to view our lives and perspective. You may have thought about creating goals, saving for a destination, or starting a healthy focus. How do you get there? What creates positive change in us? Who or what will encourage you to stick to it on the challenging days? Recently, I began an audiobook, “Better Than Good” by Zig Ziglar. I have personally enjoyed it very much. Right away he talks about passion. His words made me consider how I view my passion and what am I passionate about. Ziglar encourages readers to identify their passions: those activities or pursuits that ignite enthusiasm and excitement. Finding our passion is essential to achieving sustained motivation and overcoming obstacles.

Experience shows that success is due less to ability than to zeal [dedication/ enthusiasm]. The winner is he who gices himself to his work, body, and soul. Charles Buxton

Passion infuses daily actions with purpose and joy, turning routine tasks into meaningful endeavors. You may be thinking that you don’t have anything passionate in your life… perhaps nothing that you are passionate about surfaces in your thoughts. I encourage you to take time, a deeper look, and find out what it is that brings you joy. Keep in mind that it is a journey more than an event.

A few driving questions you could ask yourself to get started: What activities bring me joy? What are my core values or principles? What did I love doing as a child? What topics do I love learning about? What truly excites you? What would I do if money were not an issue? Overall, growing healthy relationships and activities that you truly enjoy are vital to living with purpose. Creating healthy relationships and connections, both personally and professionally, will impact your life for the better. Discovering activities or hobbies that leave you feeling rejuvenated will increase your health, mentally and physically. These ideas and activities will hopefully start you on a journey to cultivate a passionate mindset. Rise Up. Keep learning. Keep doing. Keep moving. JOSHUA SCHMIDT

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR JOSH.SCHMIDT@FORKFARMS.COM

Passion is not just about what you do but how you do it. One could say that passion drives your attitude and enthusiasm. Remember, passion is cultivated and developed over time for most people. With that, I highlight the importance of patience for timing along your journey.

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MENTOR & RESOURCES COMMITTEE CHAIR REPORT

RE-ENERGIZE YOUR BATTERY

BY BECKY TERRY, 2023-24 MENTOR & RESOURCE COMMITTEE CHAIR RDN, CD, MBA, FOODSERVICE SUPERVISOR

Congratulations everyone, we did it! First semester is over and we served a lot of breakfasts and lunches to our students. This time of year, I start to feel the winter blues as the daily ups and downs of operations feel overwhelming. My patience isn’t quite where it needs to be and it is difficult to maintain a positive attitude. So, being an action minded individual, I started a list of things that remind me of why I do what I do and things I enjoy doing in my job. What are the things that bring you satisfaction in your job and how can you work it into your schedule to do more of it? Here are my favorite things that I do in my job. It is funny how they are always the first thing to go if operations are not going well. I have recommitted to putting time in my schedule to do these things. 1. Connecting with other food service directors. This looks like many different things. Sending an email, asking a question, making a phone call, setting up a meeting to go see another district’s program. Connecting with peers is fantastic for problem solving and creating new ideas. 2. Nutrition education with students. I love to go into classrooms to talk about school nutrition. I talk with our high school, middle school and intermediate students about our program and how it works. We have come up with labs for students to create their own smoothie breakfast recipes, parfait recipes and give feedback on lunch entree ideas. Building relationships with kids and seeing our customers is always positive. 3. Reading other district’s food service or manufacturer websites, SNA magazines, or digizines to get recipe and program ideas gives me a fresh perspective on what other districts are doing. 4. Participating in fun extras that are going on in the school whether it is dress up days, bring your own soup or potluck day with staff.

5. Going to co-op meetings to build relationships with peers, see manufacturer items and get training is really a great way to get excited again about school nutrition and what is coming up. 6. Changing my mindset from “I have to today” to “I get to today” helps shift my negative focus to a positive one. 7. Providing positive feedback to staff on what they are doing well is a great way to reinforce what staff are doing and also improve my mood. 8. Checking and maintaining the hydroponic plants. There is something very calming and reenergizing to checking the plants, the chemicals and water to make sure the herbs and lettuce are growing properly. The smell of rosemary and basil is a nice plus too! 9. Call me crazy but if things are especially out of wack, you may find me in the dish room. I enjoy figuring out how to keep the dishwasher running and not have any bottlenecks. Doing a repetitive task seems to help clear out my brain. The steam is a great facial too. 10. The creative part of me loves to take pictures of our food we serve, so spending some time doing food photography for marketing purposes also gives me the positive vibes. What part of the job do you like to do the most but you don’t get to do it regularly? Put it in your calendar as a non negotiable and do it! Even 15 minutes a day helps. I hope you all are keeping warm and staying positive. Please contact me at rterry@deforestschools.org if you have any other ideas that keep the winter blues away. We are halfway through the school year! winter 2024 • school tray today

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Over 100 attendees joined us for 1 or 2 days in Wisconsin Dells in December. Thanks to the WI Department of Public Instruction and all of our SNA-WI Industry members for a great Partnerships in Industry Conference. We hope you liked the new format.

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Got an interesting learning session idea? Or want to take attendees on a tour near the La Crosse area? Fill out our call for proposals on our conference webpage! The conference planning committee is looking for education related to our theme “revive & thrive.” We hope you’d consider sharing your time and talents with our conference attendees! Proposals are due Monday, February 12.

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EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR REPORT

TRAVEL SIMPLY BY IRENE PAWLISCH, 2023-2024 SNA-WI EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR

No Cook Sauces for Around the World Inspiration Around the World in 80 trays can be done simply with sauces you can add to your existing menu items. If you have not participated in this annual fun menu event, take a chance this year. Wisconsin DPI has a great deal of tried-and-true recipes. Perhaps your kitchen is not ready or unable to tackle a full menu. That is ok, here are some recipes that are no-cook and simple to pull together. I chose sauces that are readily available online or on shelves in local grocery stores. Don’t be surprised if the students already know about these products. Make them a try sample served in 1 oz portion cups. The recipes listed will be thick. If you want a thinner squeeze bottle consistency add water. Mayonnaise is a dairy free option. If you are not concerned about dairy, try replacing half of the mayonnaise with sour cream or all of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt. IRENE PAWLISCH

2023-24 SNA-WI COMMITTEE CHAIR | IRENE.PAWLISCH@GMAIL.COM

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Gochujang (Korea) can be purchased as a paste or sauce. I prefer the paste. Mix with mayonnaise as a smoky spread for any sandwich or to dip your fries. Restaurants love to pair this with sweet potato fries. I would drizzle this over oven roasted breakfast potatoes, too! Wasabi Sauce (Japan) is very spicy but mellows

out when mixed with mayonnaise. Great for giving a classic fish patty a little kick. You can add soy sauce, lemon or lime juice, and fresh ginger to make your own house made creation. If your kiddos lean toward citrus flavors, add lemon or lime juice. If they are a savory bunch, add a touch of soy sauce. If they like a punch, add the ginger.

Thai Red Curry Paste (Thailand) would be a

great with on a sliced deli sub or chicken patty sandwich. Traditionally, the paste is mixed with coconut milk in curry sauce to stew vegetables. If you have it available an Asian mayonnaise made with rice wine vinegar would be a great mixing option if you are making less than 4 cups. (1 cup mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt, 1-2 TBS Thai Red Curry Paste, 1 TBS fresh lime juice, 2 TBS fresh chopped cilantro with stems is optional).

Chermoula (Greece) is a seriously addicting fresh herb delight! Serve on any meat product. Toss over cooked USDA diced chicken just before serving to keep the herbs fresh. Often served over sliced beef. Try it on a burger. Simply put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the herbs are minced. Not to be confused with Cuban or Puerto Rican Chimichurri sauce. Chermoula holds for up to 3 days. It freezes well. Once defrosted use within 3 days. (1tsp cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 cup fresh cilantro with stems, 1 cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley with no big stems, 1 tsp fresh ginger, 2 cloves fresh garlic, ½ cup oil that you have on hand, 2 TBS lemon juice (if whole lemon use zest too), 1/4 or to taste chili flakes, 1/8 tsp salt). Remoulade (France) is normally associated with

seafood. I would suggest it as a coleslaw dressing served alongside a fish or chicken main dish. Cajun Remoulade sauce is very different from the French version. Tarragon is the preferred herb but not readily available in some areas. It grows wonderfully in school gardens in the summer months. Put this in your back pocket for a summer lunch menu treat. Mustard, lemon, and tarragon are a classic French combination. (1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 TBS Dijon mustard, 1 TBS white wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp pickle juice (cornichons are traditionally chopped finely into this sauce), 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, and 1/8 tsp onion powder, 2 TBS fresh herbs chopped fine of tarragon, parsley, or chives as available).

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The SNA-WI Legislative Committee invites you to attend our annual virtual Advocacy Day, Wednesday, February 7 from 1:30-3:45pm. Learn about Healthy School Meal for All (HSM4A) efforts in Wisconsin and how you can help! Hear from state-level elected officials Representative Karen Hurd (R- Fall Creek), Representative Kristina Shelton (D-Green Bay), Representative Francesca Hong (DMadison), and Senator Chris Larson (D- Milwaukee) about the latest on policy issues related to child nutrition. Then gain tips on grassroots advocacy at the local/district level and build your skills on talking about HSM4A with Matt Stienstra from Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. We need your support and hope you can join us!

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LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR REPORT

OUR CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE

BY JAMIE WILSON, SNS, WISCONSIN SNA LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR

In our ever-evolving roles, the concept of circles of influence holds real significance, serving as a guide for navigating the landscape of our day to day decisionmaking. At its core, circles of influence represent areas within and outside our control. Let’s take a minute to look at this concept and look into its application both within the realm of our professional duties and also in our personal lives. Within the school food service world, our influence extends to many aspects. We work to control menu planning, staff training, and serving efficiency as well as numerous other day to day tasks. These elements fall into our circle of our immediate influence, allowing us to shape the experience for our students positively. However, we must also wrestle with outside factors, such as budget constraints, building schedules and USDA regulations which, though beyond our immediate control, play a huge role in shaping the policies and procedures that we operate in. Similarly, when we look toward our personal lives, we find a similar dynamic. The choices we make concerning time management, self-care, and well-being are well within our circle of influence. Yet, the unexpected twists and turns that life throws at us may remain completely outside our immediate control.

While looking for support from school principals, underscore the potential for improved academic outcomes and reduced disciplinary issues resulting from a well-nourished student body. If an opportunity presents itself to meet with your business manager, highlight the financial feasibility that it could bring to your program and mutually benefit partnerships with local businesses. When engaging with superintendents or your school board, emphasize the long-term benefits, portraying the initiative as an investment in the entire development of all students and a positive reflection on the school district’s image to help the community. By understanding our circles of influence and strategically crafting our advocacy, we can usher in positive change within the world of our own school food service department. Together, let’s champion the cause of providing healthier environments and nourishing meals for our students, fostering a brighter future for the districts we serve. JAMIE WILSON

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR | JAMIE.WILSON@SUPERIOR.K12.WI.US

Let’s shift focus to a matter that all school nutrition professionals are talking about — advocating for free healthy school meals for every student. Crafting a compelling argument demands a strategic approach that hinges on what we can control. Such as, showcasing successful implementation in other states to illustrate the feasibility of the Healthy School Meals for All initiative. Emphasize cost-effectiveness through local partnerships and spotlighting the potential positive impact on both students and the broader and the local community.

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

PLANNING FOR STATE ADVOCACY DAY ON FEBRUARY 7

BY NATHAN BUTZLAFF, SNA-WI LOBBYIST, HOVEN CONSULTING

Over the last few months, the SNA-WI Legislative Committee has been planning our 2024 Virtual Advocacy Day! This event will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, from 1:30PM – 3:45PM. We have a busy agenda planned for attendees! Here’s who you will be hearing from at this event: •

SNA-WI Madison Lobbyist Nathan Butzlaff – He will provide tips on advocating your elected officials on SNA-WI priorities.

•

State Representative Karen Hurd (R-Eau Claire Area) – She chaired the Assembly Speaker’s Task Force on Childhood Obesity and will be discussing her work leading that task force.

•

State Representatives Kristina Shelton (D-Green Bay), Francesca Hong (D-Madison) and State Senator Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) – They are the lead legislators on the Healthy School Meals for All Bill and will be discussing their work on this effort.

•

Matt Stienstra, the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Programs at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin – He will discuss grassroots advocacy with respect to the Healthy School Meals for all Legislation.

Consider joining us at this annual event! For more information and to sign up, go to the “Advocacy 2024” page on the SNA-WI website. Decided to Support Following Legislation Healthy School Meals for All Legislation Once again, SNA-WI is supporting the introduction of Healthy School Meals for All legislation during the 20232024 state legislative session. If this bill became law, enough state funding, coupled with existing federal funds, would go to Wisconsin schools to reimburse schools at the free meal reimbursement rate for each meal served.

Bay) and Francesca Hong (D-Madison), along with state Senator Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee), introduced this bill during the 2021-2022 state legislative session. Farm to School Grants Legislation This legislation provides $200,000 each year for farm-to-school grants and creates an additional preferred criterion for grant awards by requiring the state Department of Agriculture to give preference to proposals from school districts in which a high percentage of pupils are eligible for a free or reducedprice lunch. While farm-to-school grants were created in 2009, this program has never been funded. Farm-to-school grants support farm-to-school programs, which do various things including: (a) promoting production, processing, marketing and distribution of food produced in Wisconsin for sale to schools in Wisconsin; (b) construction or improvement of facilities for use of food produced in Wisconsin at schools in Wisconsin; (c) training for food service personnel, farmers, and distributors; and (d) nutritional and agricultural education in the classroom. Legislation allowing county financial assistance to food banks/pantries Under existing state law, county boards are not allowed to provide funding to private non-profit organizations that operate a food bank or food pantry in the county. This legislation simply allows county boards the ability to provide this funding, if they wish. It does not require county governments to provide funding to such organizations. NATHAN BUTZLAFF

SNA-WI LOBBYIST, HOVEN CONSULTING | NATHAN@HOVENCONSULTING.COM

SNA-WI was also a leading organization that supported this bill when state Representatives Kristina Shelton (D-Green winter 2024 • school tray today

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE CONT.

REQUESTED, ORGANIZED AND PRESENTED FOR CHILDHOOD OBESITY BY NATHAN BUTZLAFF, SNA-WI LOBBYIST, HOVEN CONSULTING

Presented beofe the Assembly Speaker’s Task Force on Childhood Obesity On November 1, 2023, SNA-WI member Joshua Perkins – the head of the Madison Metropolitan School District’s (MMSD) food and nutrition program – presented to the Assembly Speaker’s Task Force on Childhood Obesity. His presentation focused on the following areas: •

Challenges in school food and nutrition

•

Suggested solutions to main challenges

•

Incentives for healthier choices

•

Described how meal programs are developed at schools

•

Provided recommendations to increase access to healthy options.

•

This presentation was well attended among task force membership and SNA-WI received feedback from the leadership of the task force that the presentation was well received.

State Supreme Court Rules that State Legislative District Maps Are Unconstitutional On December 22, 2023, the State Supreme Court issued a ruling that Wisconsin’s state legislative district maps are unconstitutional and the maps for each such district must be redrawn before the 2024 elections. State Supreme Court justices voted 4-3 in favor of this ruling. The decision focused on specific state legislative districts that include non-contiguous portions of land, which the court found violated the state constitution. Specifically, the court ruled that the legislature must redraw the boundaries for each state Assembly and state Senate district in advance of the August 2024 primary election. If the legislature and Governor Evers are not able to agree on legislation creating new district boundaries, the court noted that it will decide on the new boundaries. As a practical matter, the state Elections Commission has noted that new district boundaries will need to be finalized by March 15, 2024. It is quite possible that this case will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. winter 2024 • school tray today

Wrightstown’s Korean Meatballs

Throp’s Around the World Menu

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s School Nutrition Team came up with the idea five years ago as a way of shaking things up a bit in the school lunch biz, and as a way of celebrating the diversity of students. Around the World in 80 Trays was back in 2024! The week had everything schools need for the biggest field trip ever – without leaving the lunchroom. Here are a few photos posted throughout the week. Check out the video from DPI here!

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Wautoma’s North Aftrican Gumbo

SPASH’s Butternut Squash & Wild Rice Soup and Three Sister Salad!

DePere’s Vietnamese Carrot Salad

Wausau’s Greek Salad

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INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVE REPORT

FIGHTING THE WINTER BLUES

WHAT WARMS THE HEARTS (AND BELLIES) OF WISCONSIN STUDENTS BY JENNY THORKILDSON, 2023-2024 SNA-WI INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVE

According to the Office of Children’s Mental Health, school aged children struggling with anxiety and depression has increased by 10% between 2020 and 2021 and is continuing to rise. In addition to generalized anxiety and depression, up to 5.5% of children may have Seasonal Affective Disorder. Up to 20% of students experience the milder version of SAD considered the “Winter Blues.” In addition to the winter blues, there is a new kid on the block categorized as “Winter Burnout” which not only affects students, but also K12 staff. In fact, K12 workers are experiencing the highest burnout rate among the nation. I am sure this does not come as a surprise to you but eating healthfully is listed as one of the top ways to combat depression and the Winter Blues. As many of us already know, food insecurity among children in Wisconsin is at an all-time high, so for many students getting enough to eat, much less eating healthy, is a real struggle. I am not intending to paint a bleak picture for you all, but instead highlight the importance of what you all do. School meals are invaluable to many students. In fact, many students report that lunch at school is the much-needed break within their school days, especially among older students where recess is no longer built in. School lunch is the time in the day where you can’t answer something incorrectly. You get to visit with your peers and re-energize your body for the rest of the day. And if you are lucky enough, you get to go out for recess after.

In order to hopefully provide a bit of cheer during the darkest days of the year, I interviewed random school aged children at my children’s wrestling tournament and reached out to my friends across Wisconsin this weekend asking them about school lunch, and their responses were heartwarming.

School lunch is the part of the day that I look forward to most because I get to eat food and see my friends. – Sophomore at DeForest SD What do you like about school lunch? PIZZA! If you could change anything about lunch, what would it be? PIZZA! – Kindergarten at Marshall SD

School lunch is important. It keeps me going. Without school lunch, I wouldn’t do as well at school. – GENIUS 7th grader at Platteville Schools I like cheeseburgers with pickles and ketchup. They give you oranges and apples. If you could make any changes to the school lunches, what would you do? I would do cheeseburgers then hot dogs then cheeseburgers then hot dogs. Wait, I would add pancakes in there so cheeseburgers and hot dogs and then pancakes. Do you ever get too much of anything? Nope. I eat it all. – 2nd grader at Sun Prairie SD

My favorite meal at lunch is the orange chicken or teriyaki chicken. I really like to hang out with my friends and eat. School lunch is important, so kids don’t starve all day. They need all the important necessities in their lunch. – 6th grader at DeForest Schools

I really like the school spaghetti. I like to visit with my friends during lunch.– 4th grader at Lake Mills Gym is my favorite class, but I also like lunch. I really like the Swedish meatballs that they serve. I never get that at home. I am not sure my family knows what they are (mom laughs). If you could tell the lunch staff anything, what would you tell them? Good Job! – 6th grader at Cambridge SD

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WINTER BLUES CONTINUED

I like dipping donuts and cookies in milk at breakfast. When asked about lunch, this kiddo had many likes, Tortillas, Corn Dogs and Chicken Nuggets. When asked why he likes the chicken nuggets so much, he responded with They come with broccoli and carrots. (Mom was surprised that he ate these) And when we get chicken nuggets, I always get 1 BBQ packet, 1 ranch cup and 1 ketchup and then mix them together. Thats how I like my sauces! – 2nd grader at Lodi I really like pizza dippers because they are like stuffed crust pizza but just the crust. I don’t eat the crust at home, but I like the stuffed crust stuff at school. I like to hang out with my friends at lunch. School lunch is important so we can eat during the school day and not starve. I make sure to say please and thank you at lunch every day. – 3rd grader at DeForest SD My favorite meal is chicken patties. Do you think it is important that they serve you school lunch? I think it is important that they serve you school lunch, but I am not sure why. If you could tell the people in charge of school lunches, what would you tell them? I like the food you cook! – 4th grader at Sun Prairie Last but not least, I got the opportunity to speak with a principle from Platteville schools and he had amazing things to share about their school lunch program. This principle raved about their school lunch program. He talked about how much he loved the farm to school program and the introduction of new fruits and vegetables, like purple carrots. He spends time in the cafeteria and talks with the students. He tries the new food items. He also encourages students to try new things. It doesn’t always work, but he says that it is worth a shot. He knew his director by name and praised her for her efforts. The winter is a struggle for many of us, even the students. What you do every day makes a difference. It is impacting our youth and they recognize it, whether they can fully articulate it or not. Keep up the great work. Spring is just around the corner.

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SNA-WI AWARD LIFETIME

Nominate a Colleague You Admire!

ACHIEVEMENT AWARD The Dr. Katie Wilson Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes SNA-WI members who have outstanding contributions to SNA-WI and school nutrition during their school nutrition career. Naming of the Award: The award recognizes lifetime achievement in school nutrition and no one in recent history has accomplished more in school nutrition than Dr. Katie Wilson. Dr. Katie Wilson has served as SNA-WI President, SNA National President, Director of ICN, Deputy under the Secretary of Food and Consumer Sciences at the USDA and is the Executive Director of the Urban School Food Alliance. Dr. Katie Wilson has been a strong advocate for School Nutrition throughout her career.

Award Criteria The nominee: Must have worked in school nutrition, either at the School District Level, State Agency, or in an educational institution directly involved in the training of School Nutrition Professionals. Nomination for this award can be made by any current SNA-WI member. Candidates for this award do not have to be a current member of SNA-WI but do need to have been a past member of at least 10 years of service. Have served SNA-WI as an officer or board member on the Chapter or State level.

Selection of Winner The winner from the pool of nominees will be selected by the members of the SNA-WI Executive Board.

Submit Nomination *Nominations are due by May 1st

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Nominate a Colleague You Admire! The Director of the Year Award recognizes school nutrition directors for the contributions they have made throughout their school nutrition career.

Who Can Be Nominated? The nominee must be: Currently and for the past three years, a School Nutrition Director at the school district level. Currently and for the past three years, an SNA member in the District Director or Major City Director sections. The nominee must also have: Served in at least one position on the state or national executive board OR as a member on a state or national committee.

Are There Any Restrictions? The nominee cannot be: A current state or national SNA president. A current SNA national Board of Directors member. A current SNA member in the Employee or Manager category. Hold a title or job responsibilities that do not confirm the nominee's status as school nutrition director. A previous national winner of the Outstanding Director of the Year award or Director of the Year award. Self-nominations are accepted and highly encouraged! Nominations must be submitted through the Submittable platform. SNA will not accept nominations from current members of the SNA national Board of Directors or of SNA national.

How Will the Entries Be Judged? The nominee will be judged on four categories: Cafeteria Environment (worth 30% of total score). Management and Staff Development (worth 20% of total score). SNA Involvement (worth 15% of total score). School and Community Outreach (worth 30% of total score). Has SNA Certificate or Credential (worth 5% of total score). State Judging: Each year, every state association may award one individual with the Employee of the Year award. State entries will be judged by a panel appointed by the State President to determine a state winner. State winners submitted to SNA by March 15 will automatically advance to the regional judging. Regional Judging: State winning entries will be judged by a panel of volunteers to determine a regional winner. Regional winners will automatically advance to the national judging. National Judging: Regional winning entries will be judged by the National SNA Board of Directors to determine a national winner.

How Will Winner be Recognized and Rewarded? Award winners will receive the below prizes: State winners will receive a certificate and ribbon. Regional winners will received a pin, certificate, and $50. National winners will receive a plaque and all-expense paid trip to ANC, up to $1,000. Additional awards and recognition may be given to state winners by the state association.

Submit Nomination *Nominations are due by March 1st

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Nominate a Colleague You Admire! The Manager of the Year Award, in honor of Louise Sublette, recognizes school nutrition managers for the contributions they have made throughout their school nutrition career.

Who Can Be Nominated? The nominee must be: A current SNA member in the Foodservice/Nutrition Manager/Head Cook/Assistant Manager section. Assigned to one school OR to a central kitchen that serves multiple schools. Currently acts as manager, head cook, or assistant manager and is assigned to one school OR to a central kitchen that serves multiple schools.

Are There Any Restrictions? The nominee cannot be: A current state or national SNA president. A current SNA national Board of Directors member. A current member of an SNA national standing or strategic committee. Employed as a supervisor on a system-wide bases. An SNA member in the Employee or Director category. Hold a title or have job responsibilities that do not confirm the nominee's status as a manager. A previous national winner of the Manager of the Year award. Self-nominations are accepted and highly encouraged! Nominations must be submitted through the Submittable platform. SNA will not accept nominations from current members of the SNA national Board of Directors or of SNA national.

Submit Nomination *Nominations are due by March 1st

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Nominate a Colleague You Admire! Nominate your colleague for SNA’s Employee of the Year Award. The Employee of the Year award recognizes non-managerial school nutrition employees for the contributions they have made throughout their school nutrition career.

Who Can Be Nominated? The nominee must be: A current SNA member in the School Nutrition or Child Care Employee Section. Currently employed in a school foodservice or childcare nutrition program. Currently employed in a non-managerial role in the school nutrition profession, such as a cook, baker, cashier, assistant, etc.

Are There Any Restrictions? The nominee cannot be: A current state or national SNA president. A current SNA national Board of Directors member. A current member of an SNA national standing or strategic committee. A current SNA member in the Manager or Director category. Hold a title or job responsibilities that do not confirm the nominee's stats as non-managerial staff. A previous national winner of the Employee of the Year Award or Hear of the Program Award. Self-nominations are accepted and highly encouraged! Nominations must be submitted through the Submittable platform. SNA will not accept nominations from current members of the SNA national Board of Directors or of SNA national.

How Will the Entries Be Judged? The nominee will be judged on four categories: Customer Service Skills (worth 30% of total score). Creativity (worth 20% of total score). Commitment to Professional Development (worth 15% of total score). Dedication to the School Nutrition Profession (worth 30% of total score). Has SNA Certificate (worth 5% of total score). State Judging: Each year, every state association may award one individual with the Employee of the Year award. State entries will be judged by a panel appointed by the State President to determine a state winner. State winners submitted to SNA by March 15 will automatically advance to the regional judging. Regional Judging: State winning entries will be judged by a panel of volunteers to determine a regional winner. Regional winners will automatically advance to the national judging. National Judging: Regional winning entries will be judged by the National SNA Board of Directors to determine a national winner.

Submit Nomination *Nominations are due by March 1st

Additional awards and recognition may be given to state winners by the state association.

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SNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NOTES FROM NATIONAL BY MICHAEL GASPER, SNS

“Spring: a reminder of how beautiful change can truly be.” — Unknown Spring signifies a new beginning in nature. Plants, Trees, Flows and lawns spring to life. School Nutrition is much the same. Spring signifies a time to begin planning for the coming school year, but for SNA it also means so much more! SNA’s School Nutrition Industry Conference just concluded January 16th in not so sunny Orlando. I had the pleasure of attending along with a few Wisconsin Directors and Industry members. If you have not attended this conference in the past, I would highly encourage you to do so. It is a great opportunity to connect with our valued industry members and network. Recently SNA released its 2024 School Nutrition Trends Report. This report is based off of a survey that was sent out to members in the Fall of 2023 to evaluate trends in our programs and concerns with the proposed new Nutrition Standards that will be made public in April 2024. While I am sure that most of the results will not be shocking to operators I thought I would share some of the findings with you. The Top five concerns in this order are: 1. Increasing costs 2. Staff shortages 3. Menu item shortages 4. Menu items discontinued 5. Suppliers not carrying sufficient menu items needed to meet nutrition standards (e.g. wholegrain, low-sodium, low-fat The survey also revealed persistent procurement problems in the K-12 market. These findings are particularly worrisome given the proposed federal nutrition standards. 93% of respondents reported concerns about proposed further sodium cuts and new milk and added sugar mandates. A positive finding was that programs offering free meals to all students reported that unpaid meal debt was not a challenge at a rate almost 10 times higher (72.2%, n = 469) than programs that do not offer free meals to all students (7.3%, n = 49). More reason to support the Healthy School Meals for All Coalition in Wisconsin! (https://www.healthyschoolmealsforallwi.org/ )

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SNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NOTES FROM NATIONAL BY MICHAEL GASPER, SNS

You can find the report and a whole lot of interesting findings at this link: https://schoolnutrition.org/ resource/2024-school-nutrition-trends-report/ SNA Legislative Action Conference is coming up on March 3rd – 5th in Washington DC and promises to be another great opportunity to advocate for School Nutrition. Along with LAC comes the release of SNA’s legislative priorities, also known as the Position Paper. SNA’s legislative priorities include: • 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 learn more about the position paper by clicking on this link: https://schoolnutrition.org/snanews/sna-drafts-2024-position-paper/ I encourage everyone to familiarize your self with the Position Paper and reach out to you members of congress and urge them to support these priorities. The future of School Nutrition depends on our members advocating for our programs. SNA is committed to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and access (DEIA) with clearly defined strategies for meaningful action. In fact, DEIA is a fundamental element in the 2020-21 Plan of Action and will continue to be so into the future. . SNA has been working with our DEIA working group to identify ways in which the Association can make sure that it is inclusive of all members. This work has been ongoing for over a year. At our last SNA Board meeting we were able to hear and work directly with the DEIA Working Group to identify issues and more importantly, develop some actionable solutions to barriers that currently exist. It is an exciting time to be a part of these efforts and I look forward to seeing our association evolve. The future of SNA will be bright because of these efforts for we are truly Stronger Together. I consider it a great honor to have been elected to represent our members on SNA’s Board of Directors. I look forward to helping shape our Association for the future as well as serving all of you! I am always happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have, so shoot me an email at gasmic@holmen.k12. wi.us and we can set up a time to chat. Springs marks a time of renewal, growth and fresh starts. It can provide an opportunity for personal and professional growth and positive change. I challenge all of you to make it a point to get involved on both a State and National level and make this Spring a memorable one for you AND SNA!

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National and State New Member Application Member ID 1

Have you ever been a SNA member?

First Name

Last Name

Job Title

School District

Work Phone

Work Mailing Address (Please indicate preferred mailing address

Yes

Work

City

Home)

Suite

State

Zip

Home Mailing Address Address

Suite/Apt

City 10 Who referred you

to SNA?

Chapter No.

Home Phone

Address

School Name

First Name

State

Zip

Last Name

(Optional) Member ID:

Membership Category (Check either individual membership or school district/state agency membership (SDM). See back for description)

Member Categories SN Employee Student Retired SN Manager District Director/Supv/Spec Major City Director/Supv/Spec State Agency Director and Staff Nutrition Educator Other Affiliate Employee Affiliate Retired

12 Employed by?

National Dues School District/ Individual State Agency Membership Membership $40 $40 $40 $42 $143 $143 $143 $143 $143 $20 $20

Public School Private School

Private Management Company CACFP

13 Does your employer pay your dues?

$40 N/A N/A

14 Are you responsible for school nutrition

operations in your school district?

$42 $143 $143 $143 $143 $143 N/A N/A

Yes

National, State Dues and Processing Fee are required.

$ 16 STATE DUES* $ 17 PROCESSING FEE $ 18 TOTAL DUES $ 19 Tax-deductible contribution to SN Foundation ___$10 ___$25 ___$50 ___Other $ 20 TOTAL PAYMENT $ 15 NATIONAL DUES

16 Your STATE DUES are: (Record state dues in the space provided on right) * Select one.

. . 3.0 0 . . .

For credit card payment, please visit www.schoolnutrition.org

FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT MEMBERSHIP (SDM) ONLY

23 Individual Membership Signature __________________________________ Date _________

For SDM multiple applicants, you may use a spreadsheet found at www.schoolnutrition.org/sdm. See reverse side for important information. Dues subject to change.

Rev 08/22

SDM Main Contact Name __________________________________ (Optional) SDM Main Contact Member ID____________________ Email ____________________________________________________ Business Phone Number ____________________________________

Return this form with your check or money order made payable to SNA. Mail application to SNA Depository PO Box 719297, Philadelphia, PA 19171-9297

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SNA National and State Membership Application Guidelines Membership Application for Individual and School District Memberships.

Instructions for completing the front of this application: 1. Please indicate if you have ever been a SNA member. 2. Print your full name as you would like it to appear in your membership record and on your membership card. o . 3. Print your email address and job title. 4. Print your current school district. 5. Print your current school name. 6. If you know your local chapter number, please fill in. 7. Print your work and home phone number. 8. Print your work mailing address. 9. Print your home mailing address. 10. Print full name of member referrer who introduced you to SNA (only needed for new members). This will give the person credits for Star Club and annual membership campaign drives. Optional: Include referrer s SNA member ID. 11. Please review the membership categories listed. Check one that best describes your position. School District/State Agency Membership (SDM) is a membership managed or coordinated by the school district/state agency and can be transferred to another individual in the same membership category. Please check with your district to see if you are eligible for SDM. 12. Please check if you are employed by public school, private school, or private management company. 13. Please indicate if your employer pays your dues. 14. Please indicate if you are responsible for school nutrition operations in your school district. 15. Record your national dues based on membership category checked. 16. Record your state dues based on the dues listed on left side of application under “Your state dues are:" 17. All applications must include the processing fee. 18. Please add national, state dues and processing fee amounts. This is the total dues amount to be paid. Applications with incorrect total amount will be returned resulting in a delay of member benefits. 19. Record your optional contribution to the School Nutrition Foundation. The School Nutrition Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization and donations are tax deductible. Your contribution of $10 or more will be acknowledged by the School Nutrition Foundation. 20. Add national dues, state dues, processing fee and any optional contributions. This is the total payment. 21. If paying by credit card, please visit www.schoolnutrition.org. 22. This box must be completed for SDM applicants. 23. Please sign and date your completed application. Required for individual membership only. Mail your application and payment to SNA, SNA Depository PO Box 719297, Philadelphia, PA 19171-9297 Membership dues cover a full year of member benefits. Processing of application takes approximately two to four weeks from receipt of payment. Once application is processed, new members will be able to access and print their membership card by logging in at www.schoolnutrition.org.

School District/ Individual State Agency Membership Membership $40 $40

Dues Category Membership Category SNE School Nutrition Employee

Description Cooks, chefs, bakers, bookkeepers, technicians, assistants, etc.

STU

Student

Full-time students enrolled in post-secondary nutrition, health or other food related program. Does not include right to vote.

$40

N/A

RET

Retired

Retired Members.

$40

N/A

SNM

School Nutrition Manager

Managers, head cooks, head chefs, assistant managers.

$42

DDS

School Nutrition Director, Supervisors, Working in a school nutrition program at the school district Specialist, Executive Chefs level.

$143

MCD

School Nutrition Director, Supervisor, Specialist (Major City)

Working in a school nutrition program where the school district enrollment is 40,000 or more or city population is 200,000 or more.

$143

SDS

State Agency Director, Supervisor, Specialist

Working in state office for child nutrition programs, including nutrition education.

$143

EDU

School Nutrition Educator

Faculty working in a college/university setting.

$143

OTH

Other

Principals, Superintendents, Teachers, etc. Does not include right to vote.

$143

AFE

Affiliate Part-Time Staff (less than 4 hours daily)

Optional membership category for retired or part-time school nutrition staff. Does not include a subscription to SN magazine or the right to vote in the annual SNA election.

$20

N/A

AFR

Affiliate Retired

$20

N/A

Note: Contributions or gifts to SNA are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Contributions to the Foundation are deductible for IRS purposes. $2.00 of your national dues is used for your subscription to the SN magazine.

School Nutrition Association * 2900 S Quincy Street, Suite 700 * Arlington, VA 22206 Phone: 800-877-8822 * Web site: www.schoolnutrition.org * E-mail: membership@schoolnutrition.org winter 2024 • school tray today

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