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June 2014
SHAPE E-Newsletter
The SHAPE Update
About Our E-Newsletter
The California Department of Education’s Nutrition Services Division created this newsletter to provide SHAPE agencies with information, opportunities, and ideas to support ongoing
development of healthier school environments. It includes current information about upcoming training and funding opportunities, initiatives, useful resources, research, and policies. In addition, it offers SHAPE agencies a chance to share best practices with others.
SHAPEing Success
After School and School Nutrition Services - Partnerships that Make Success Natomas Unified School District
Sacramento County
When the bell rings for students to transition from class to the after school program, food is on their minds!
Fortunately, for students in Natomas Unified School District, hot suppers and snacks are provided to sustain them for their afternoon activities. Even for the students who eat breakfast and lunch at the cafeteria, they “still come hungry for supper” claims cafeteria lead Betty South. She adds, “Plus, the students love the meals because there is so much variety.”
The after school meals are provided for free to children 18 years or younger through the Child and Adult Care Food Program.700 hundred students a day participate in this program at Bannon Creek Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, American Lakes Elementary, H. Allen Hight Elementary, Leroy Greene Academy, Natomas High School, and Inderkum High School. Supper meals are made in bulk at the central kitchen in Natomas by Chef Vince Caguin and his team and then shipped to satellite locations. Site staff put the finishing touches on the
Left to right: Chef Vince Caguin, Joyce Rubalcaba, and Rylee Horner Photo courtesy of Natomas Unified School District.
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menu item and plate it for the students. Given the smaller scale compared to the school lunch program, Food Services is able to be more experimental in their approach to the supper menu. Some of the most popular items include Baked Chicken with Bacon Green Beans, Red Beans and Rice, and Chile Verde.
The key to a successful supper program is a student-driven recipe. When a new supper item is rolled out, both staff and students closely examine the food. Comments such as, “this would taste better if it were served with mash potatoes” or “it needs a little more spice” are
conversations that students and the food service team have with each other on a daily basis. This process involves the students and focuses the staff on how to better serve the students. For food service staff who serve the whole student population in a given meal period, the cafeteria becomes the biggest classroom on campus.
The district has seen positive results with the supper program. Retention has increased in afterschool programs and more and more students participate in afterschool band practice and sport activities. “Kids show up to after school tutoring partly to get help with their assignments but also to get a (supper) meal.” says Angela Herrera, Principal at Leroy Greene Academy. This creates a win-win situation.
The supper program has a lot more room to grow since it is still in its infancy. With the
structure of after school programs there are endless opportunities for growth. It is the goal of Natomas Unified Food Services to one day provide a structured nutrition education lesson in every program and even teach kids how to cook. Students will learn how to be lifelong healthy eaters and equipped with the skills they need to teach others that food has the ability to
positively impact the mind, body, and soul.
The after school meal program is a component of the Child and Adult Care Food Program, which is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and
Nutrition Services Division. It provides federal reimbursement to Expanded Learning programs to serve a healthful meal and/or snack to children in low-income areas. The program reaches 3.3 million children in low-income areas each day with nutritious meals and snacks.
See the California Department of Education Web site <http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/as/ > to learn more about partnerships to start supper in your district or after school program.
Share your story about how you are creating a smarter and healthier school meal and environment in your SHAPE school or school district here.
The NSD encourages SHAPE agencies to use this newsletter as a communication tool to share best practices with other California SHAPE agencies. If you have any questions or would like to share a “SHAPEing Success” story, please contact Jackie Russum, SHAPE
E-Newsletter Editor, at the California Healthy Kids Resource Center (CHKRC) by phone at 888-318-8188 or by e-mail at [email protected].
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What’s the Buzz?
Ignite Community School Partnerships
Community school partnerships improve outcomes for children, families and the greater community by promoting services and support from non-profits, businesses, social service organizations, and government agencies. Through collaboration, these partnerships enhance access to services.
Cities, counties, and schools are taking action through community schools and other strategies to resolve complex issues such as childhood obesity. The CCS (Cities, Counties, Schools) Partnership was created to join three partnering associations (the California State Association of Counties, the California School Boards Association, and the League of California Cities to identify common issues and discuss solutions. One of the resources developed by the CCS is the Healthy Children, Healthy Communities Community Action Guide. The document, crafted in 2006 with input from local communities, provides a set of principles and strategies that serve as an “Action Guide for Communities” working towards reducing childhood obesity and
creating community wellness for children and families. Sample presentation materials are included to inform leaders about the problem and provide and strategies for Local
Communities to take action: 1. Plan collaboratively.
2. Ensure access to healthy foods.
3. Offer programs and facilities for access to physical activity. 4. Plan for walking, biking, and access to open space.
5. Educate the public.
Find more information about Healthy Children, Healthy Communities and community schools at <http://www.ccspartnership.org>.
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Initiatives
Build a Partnership with a Chef
An integral part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative and its goal of solving the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation, is the Chefs Move to Schools program. This program creates a platform for chefs and schools to create partnerships in their communities with the mission of collaboratively educating kids about food and healthy eating.
The Success Stories section highlights chef and school partnership stories from around the country. Each month four partnership stories are selected from chef and school submissions and featured in this highlight section. The program was previously administered by the United States Department of Agriculture. Now, the Chefs Move to School Coalition, made up of leading culinary, nutrition, and school organizations oversees the Chefs Move to Schools program. The program and Coalition provide leadership, resources, and direction for the Chefs Move to School initiative.
Find more information about partnering with chefs at < http://www.chefsmovetoschools.org >.
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United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
One of the latest USDA creations is a Spanish electronic toolkit made for faith-based and community leaders to learn about various ways to partner with USDA to ensure that Latinos have access to nutrition programs. The La Mesa Completa toolkit includes helpful links, best practices, stories, and even videos about families
successfully accessing programs that help to improve their nutrition and health. Access the toolkit and “how to” instructions for using the toolkit at <http://www.fns.usda.gov/get-involved/la-mesa-completa>.
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The USDA’s People’s Garden has grown into a collaborative effort of over 700 local and national organizations working together to establish community and school gardens. People from across the country share their successes with a network of supporters, igniting interest in starting gardens in local communities.
Community gardens are assets that benefit entire neighborhoods, cities, and towns. There are thousands of community gardens across California. Starting a community garden is an activity that people of all ages can enjoy. Begin by bringing people and different organizations together to identify concerns, solutions, and support. Urban communities often find patches of land to host community gardens, and invite families and adults to help plant, harvest, and enjoy the produce as part of a healthy diet.
To start a garden in your community, access the Community Garden Checklist at
<http://www.letsmove.gov/community-garden-checklist>. It offers step-by-step information to organize, design, and safely grow fruits and vegetables with others in your community. <
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Research
Take a Partnership Approach for State and Local Action
This article describes the results of a literature review across the policy science and public health fields. It distills key theories of policy making and develops a framework to inform policy, systems, and environmental change to prevent obesity. Three domains of the policy process are described: the problem domain, the policy domain, and the political domain. The authors identify key activities in the policy process including: (a) assessing the social and political environment; (b) engaging, educating, and collaborating with key individuals and groups; (c) identifying and framing the problem; (d) utilizing available evidence; (e) identifying policy solutions; and (f) building public support and political will. The review provides policy change resources and case studies to guide and support local and state efforts around obesity prevention.
Lyn, R.; Aytur, S.; Davis, T.A.; Eyler, A.A.: Evenson, K.R.; Chriqui, J.F.; Cradock, A.L.; Goins, K.V.; Litt, J.; Brownson, R.C. (2013) Policy, systems, and environmental approaches for obesity prevention: a framework to inform local and state action. J Public Health Manag Pract. May-Jun;19(3 Suppl 1):23-33.
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Trainings
Check out the following upcoming trainings to support your SHAPE objectives: Training Title and Location
Online/ In
Person Date For More Information
American Community Gardening Association
In person August 7–10, 2014
https://communitygarden.org
Cal-Pro-NET
San Jose State University Mandatory 2014 Summer Food Service Program for Returning Sponsors
Online Ongoing http://www.nufs.sjsu.edu/calpr onet/SFSP_2014_instruct.htm
California School Nutrition Association Annual Conference Sacramento, CA In person November 13–16, 2014 http://www.calsna.org/events/a nnualConference2014.php
The Growing Classroom: 2-Day Intensive on Garden-Based Learning (Grades 2-6) Santa Cruz, California
In-person July 24–25, 2014
http://www.lifelab.org/for-educators/workshops/gcworks
hops/tgc/
Competitive Food and Beverage Training
California Department of Education, Nutrition Services Division
Online Ongoing http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/he /compfoodtrain.asp
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Funding Opportunities
American Honda FoundationDeadline: February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1, annually. Maximum Grant Request: $20,000 and $75,000
Accepts proposals from individuals and organizations for Youth education, specifically in the
areas of science, the environment, job training, and literacy. < http://corporate.honda.com/america/philanthropy.aspx?id=ahf >
Target Foundation – Field Trip Grants
Deadline: August 1, 2014 through September 30, 2014 Maximum Grant Request: $700
Looking for ways for students to extend their learning about nutrition, health, gardens, and farming outside of the classroom? The Target Foundation accepts proposals from agencies such as non-profit programs, public schools, public libraries, public parks, and law enforcement agencies that are in the communities where Target has stores. Target stores award Field Trip Grants to schools nationwide.
< https://corporate.target.com/corporate-responsibility/grants/field-trip-grants>
Whole Kids Foundation Deadline: Ongoing
Maximum Grant Request: $2,000
Support for a variety of school projects including gardens, salad bars, and healthy teachers. <http://www.wholekidsfoundation.org/gardengrants.php>
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Resources
California Healthy Kids Resource Center (CHKRC)
The following resources are available for loan from the CHKRC library. Follow the links below or search our online database for additional materials here
<http://www.californiahealthykids.org/index>. For more information about our library please contact the CHKRC by phone at 888-318-8188 or contact Jackie Russum, Program Manager, by e-mail at [email protected].
Education and Public Health: Natural Partners in Learning for Life - #3645 This unique guide explores ways schools and public health can partner to improve student learning and engagement with their communities. Various partnership models are examined, with an emphasis on the characteristics of a supportive infrastructure. Multiple examples of successful school-public health partnerships are showcased, particularly those engaging students in focused public health service-learning opportunities. Program assessment guidance, sample forms, tools, and additional resources for educators are also included.
< http://www.californiahealthykids.org/product/3645> Project HEART Toolkit - #8033
This toolkit is the product of student-led project that aimed to help students make healthy decisions and healthy changes in their schools and communities. The toolkit is designed to help staff, teachers, and community members lead similar projects in their schools and communities. It contains four sections: Social Marketing, Advocacy, Education, and Putting It Together. Each section includes strategies, sample products (banners and recipe books), lessons learned, and recommended activities. The last part of the toolkit consists of a DVD (40 min.) and two CD-ROMs. The DVD has two sample video projects, as well as three hip-hop songs that focus on health messages. The CD-ROMs include posters, discussion guides, advocacy and training materials, evaluations, and other tools.
<http://www.californiahealthykids.org/product/8033>
School, Family, and Community Partnerships (3rd Edition) - #5176
This resource provides guidance for creating effective school, family, and community partnerships at the school and district level. It describes six types of involvement at the elementary, middle, and high school levels: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision-making, and collaborating with the community. The
strategies are aimed at promoting connectedness and building a positive school climate to enhance the students' sense of achievement, well-being, and safety. This revised edition includes information for evaluating school-based partnerships and for networking with other schools. It provides a CD-ROM with workshop planning tools, including a
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PowerPoint presentation, reproducible handouts, and selected Spanish translations of the materials.
< http://www.californiahealthykids.org/product/5176>
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Engage Parents for Student Wellness
Healthier Middle Schools: Everyone Can HelpThis Web page from Team Nutrition includes communication tools to help you engage
teachers, principals, parents, food service managers, and students in school wellness efforts. A school-wide coordinated approach brings everyone together to promote student wellness and prevent childhood obesity.
The resources include a tailored audience-tested video and a print handout for each audience: teachers, principals, parents, food service managers, and students. Focus groups across the country informed the development of these tools to make them practical and inspiring.
< http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/resource-library-healthier-middle-schools>
176 Ways to Involve Parents: Practical Strategies for Partnering with Families – CHKRC ID #8477
This four part book offers strategies to engage families and the community in partnering with their children's schools. This resource offers 176 ideas to increase and promote parental and family involvement and additional resources are offered through a list of Web site links. Strategies include volunteer recruitment and development, effective communication, developing community relationships, fundraising development, and capacity building. < http://www.californiahealthykids.org/product/8477>
The SHAPE E-Newsletter is funded by the California Department of Education (CDE). The USDA and the CDE are equal opportunity providers and employers.
