Georgia Gems Winter 2022

From The President

Alyssia Wright

Season’s Greetings!

As another year draws close many of you will be in the midst of preparations for a festive holiday season. We are so very fortunate that we are in an industry that will allow us to take a break from our everyday work schedules and enjoy this special time of the year. It provides many of us with time to enjoy family and friends that is all too often missing throughout the year. Please, use this time to reflect on the special moments and cherish the relationships that you have nurtured over the years.

As your President, my most favorite aspect of the job is working with the many professionals that give of their Time, Talent, and Treasures to serve our association and our members. We’ve been busy! It has truly been a privilege working with our Executive Board, Executive Committee and the GSNA Staff as we seek to accomplish our goals for the year. Interacting with our members and having the opportunity to work with such talented professionals is something I cherish and will forever appreciate.

What’s New!

As you view this month’s issue of Georgia Gems you will notice Ad’s from our Industry Partners. The Ad’s have hyperlinks or QR Codes that will that you to their website or additional information on the products you are viewing. So, click the link to find out more!

Stand Up & Advocate! Let your voice be heard as we charge The Hill! The Georgia Legislative Advocacy Conference is going to be dynamic! So, make plans to join us February 21 22, 2023, as we keep our fingers on The Pulse of GSNA. Be prepared to LEAD, ADVOCATE, and ENGAGE.

Jekyll Island Anyone? The perfect way to enjoy conference and get involved is to Volunteer! Now seeking volunteers for various roles during the annual conference. Scan the QR Code to sign up today!

Volunteer for Annual Conference

Gifts…Gifts…Gifts! The RADA Cutlery fundraiser is a great opportunity to grab gifts for the holidays, so get yours today! Check out the ad in this issue to learn more.

My GIFT to you…The Gift of Happiness. The Gift of Love. The Gift of Health. May all these be yours this holiday season and throughout the years to come! Now, before saying goodbye to 2022, I want to wish you and your families a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year. Here’s to an amazing 2023 full of endless possibilities!

Alyssia Wright GSNA President, 2022-2023 WrightAL@fultonschools.org

GSNA Industry Seminar: A

Learning Event

Join us for GSNA’s Industry Seminar on December 8 9, 2022, to mix & mingle with your school nutrition peers and Industry Influencers. The “season” gets underway as GSNA brings you and our industry partners together at one of Georgia’s top holiday destinations Stone Mountain, GA! Make lasting connections throughout the event at Networking Tables, Innovation Stations Sessions, Resource Room Time, evening events, & more! For accommodations and more information, visit https://www.georgiaschoolnutrition.com/industry-seminar

Make A Difference Show You Care

Why be an Advocate? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of your coworkers and children at your school? Do you know where to start? Dr. Seuss, The Lorax says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” You must be the one who The Lorax is talking about because we know you care!

Let’s look at several characteristics that can help us identify as an advocate, as well as, become an active GSNA member who is making a difference. An advocate is someone who publicly supports a cause. On a more focused note, an effective advocate is one who influences public policy and laws by using different strategies and information to encourage leaders to take action. This can be Y O U!

It is very important to know what you are advocating. Our position paper is a great place to start. This will help you identify what issues are facing our state employees, and collectively, what GSNA is advocating. [continued on page 8]

[continued from page 7] There is power in number and when we speak, we are heard. There are also talking points that go along with the position paper that will guide you in better understanding the issues. Conveying your message becomes easier when you gain a thorough understanding of what you are supporting.

Tell your story or the story of those the issues effect. Your Legislature either looks at his or her email or has someone to read your email. This is where the stories and pictures can make a difference. They want to know what is happening to those they represent and that cannot happen if you do not tell them. Invite them to come visit your school(s) and see what awesome work is happening in your cafeteria.

Let them see your passion. Be confidant, yet sensitive. Remember that you are speaking for not only yourself, but also all others within school nutrition programs across Georgia. When you care, you show others that this is not just a simple

personal issue, but also an issue that can affect the lives of many!

There is an old saying, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”. This is very true as we as GSNA members work to resolve issues and achieve success through our advocacy. Get started now by asking questions, communicating with others and know your Legislative Representatives and Senators. Your voice will be heard, and you will make a difference!

Laura Lynn Public Policy & Legislation Chair, 2022-2023 laura.lynn@brantley.k12.ga.us

Advocacy In Action

The Georgia School Nutrition Program provides fuel for a successful Georgia by offering healthy and accessible food to its students, by procuring locally sourced foods to support Georgia’s economy and offering a workforce to residents across the state. It is critical these elements are not significantly and continuously impacted.

Over the past several years, Georgia’s school nutrition programs have faced many impactful variables that if made permanent would be detrimental to the program. Issues with personnel retention, food shortages, delivery problems, and remaining compliant with federal regulation have affected the ability to operate effectively. It is important to remember that food and agriculture essential workers span the entire food supply chain, from farm workers to restaurant and school nutrition employees.

In school year 2021-2022, Georgia schools served approximately 195 million lunches and 112 million breakfasts to meet the needs of over 1.5 million students. A team of approximately 14,900 School Nutrition Employees working across Georgia in the school setting accomplished this very important feat. Georgia school nutrition programs also provide support to the Georgia agricultural industry through more than $59M in purchases of Georgia Grown items in school year 2021 2022 alone.

To support the continued health of Georgia’s students, and ensure the financial sustainability of Georgia’s economy and school nutrition programs, GSNA requests the General Assembly:

1. Expand the funding (multiplier) for the Public School Employee’s Retirement System (PSERS) $0.25 from the current $16.00 to $16.25 to be included in the FY 2024 budget.

2. Provide $5.5 million to state funding for School Nutrition in the FY 2023 budget. The addition of these funds would be earmarked to cover the cost of breakfast for reduced paying student.

National School Lunch Week

Persistent, Prepared & Polite

Dr. Dana Bing

As the new GSNA president of District 10, I have been given the honor of interacting collectively with the wonderful counties constituting our district. This year, we have geared our attention toward supporting membership in GSNA and recommending participation in its numerous activities which foster growth in school nutrition. Our constant goal has been to bring about positive change through raising awareness and advocating the essential role of nutrition in student achievement.

The District 10 executive board has been very successful with strengthening our membership using a 3P Plan. Our chances of overall accomplishment increase when we are Persistent, Prepared and Polite. Individuals usually have a lot occupying their time and attention thus simply offering something once may not be enough to promote prioritization. Therefore, we are persistent in offering numerous opportunities for involvement and participation in various creative GSNA activities.

If an individual finally does grant us their most prized possession, their time, we make sure that we are prepared to offer them an experience that will be beneficial to their continued success.

We prepare professional development presentations, delicious food/refreshments and social engagement activities (…thus nourishing mind, body and soul) at each of our District 10 meetings. Finally, we take into consideration that, in the words of one of our members, “polite people are so much more attractive”. By polite we mean making efforts to provide a warm, friendly social climate at our meetings, fostering quality interaction and a desire to remain “a part” versus “apart”.

What I most enjoy about district 10 and the entire GSNA culture is the ability to surround yourself with people who are only going to lift you higher. Advocacy takes courage and GSNA does not show up today expecting yesterday’s results. It’s all about betterment!

Dr. Dana Bing District 10 President, 2022 2023 BingDa@BOE.Richmond.k12.ga.us

Stakeholder Relationships

Tift County School Nutrition

From our parents to community businesses and organizations, we work hard to ensure that our relationships are strong and that those relationships help to make our community stronger.

In our latest endeavor, we resumed the tradition of having our parents join us for Thanksgiving. Of course, this was a big deal because it hasn't happened since before the pandemic began.

To make things even more fun, we invited some community stakeholders to join us by helping serve our students and their families. We were joined by The Sensational Sigma Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and several members of Tift County Schools Administrative Office staff, including Superintendent Adam Hathaway, Assistant Superintendents Kevin Dobard and Mickey Weldon, and several of our system directors. These amazing individuals served as our Celebrity Servers for the day's festivities.

The smiles on the faces of our students and their families made every moment worth it! We can't wait to do it again and show everyone just how important Stakeholder Relationships and Blue Chip Talent is to our Blue Devil culture.

NAC Art Competition

Marching to the Heartbeat of your Mission – GA Harvest of the Month

Each year, GSNA promotes a statewide art contest based on the GSNA President’s theme for the year.

• All students who participate in a GSNA NAC charter are eligible to submit an entry. Three winners will be selected in these grade categories:

o One from grades K 5

o One from grades 6 8

o One from grades 9 12

• Each entry must be the student’s ORIGINAL drawing on an 8 ½” x 11” plain, white, unlined paper. Poster board is not allowed.

• All entries must be colorful so they can be reproduced if selected as a state winner.

• The student’s name, address, grade and school must appear on the back of the original artwork.

• All entries must be accompanied by a completed official entry form signed by the manager, teacher or NAC advisor of the student and their school principal.

• Award: The three state winners will receive a $50.00 gift cards for art supplies, a color copy of their artwork and a certificate of achievement.

For more information on the NAC Art Contest & Guidelines visit https://www.georgiaschoolnutrition.com/nac-art-contest

Sports Nutrition Collaboration

Marietta City School Nutrition

In an effort to bridge the gap between our sports department and school nutrition, we were able to use grant funds to stock our high school's strength and conditioning room with free chocolate milk for the student athletes. Chocolate milk is an excellent post exercise option for our young athletes as it has the proper balance of carbs and protein to aid with muscle recovery.

In addition to this, our Culinary Manager, Brittani Rowe, RD, will be conducting a series of sports nutrition education sessions at the beginning of select strength and conditioning classes. We hope to continue to develop and expand this relationship by increasing nutrition education and catering opportunities to tie school nutrition into our athlete's training program.

GET READY TO VOTE

GSNA Officer Elections

Don’t miss the opportunity to let your voice be heard! Cast your vote in the upcoming officer election

GSNA 2023 Election will take place through online voting ONLY.

• To be eligible to vote, your GSNA membership must have been valid and current as of November 1, 2022.

• Eligible voting members with current email addresses in our system will receive an email from GSNA with your member ID and a link to cast your vote.

• Anyone without an email can still vote by using the link or QR code below.

• All you will need to vote is your GA member ID. Anyone unsure of their GA member ID should call the GSNA office to obtain the correct number.

• Duplicate votes or votes cast with the improper member ID will not be counted.

• GSNA Corporate members are not eligible to vote in this election.

Eligible GSNA members will be able to cast their vote from January 3, 2023 – February 3, 2023.

To cast your vote, visit the link below or scan the QR code.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KQJ9D3F

Kimberly Kiker, Calhoun City

Kelly Fox, Richmond County

Amber Martin, Butts County

Dee Mathis, Hall County Siddhi Patel, Cobb County

National Farm to School Month

Spinach to Win It

Manager’s Retreat & Training

GSN Foundation Chair

Emily Hanlin

Hello GSNA Family! One of the privileges of serving as President of GSNA is that the following year you have the honor of serving as the Georgia School Nutrition Foundation chair. I thought it might be a great time to remind everyone what the GSN Foundation is all about. The Foundation collects financial donations either directly, through our silent auctions, or by our 50/50 events throughout each year. The funds go directly back to our members in a number of ways. Some that you should look into include:

• Scholarships: Scholarships in the amount of $1,000.00 are available each year to Georgia School Nutrition Association (GSNA) members and their children. The number of scholarships given depends on the budget. In addition, the Frances Coleman Griffin Scholarship awards $1,000.00 yearly to a member who is getting state certified in school nutrition. All recipients must be pursuing college credit courses leading to a degree at an accredited college or university.

“ “

• Grants-in-Aid: Grants of $500.00 each are available each year to GSNA members. The number of Grants awarded varies each year according to funds available. Grants may be used for continuing education needs, including books or travel expense.

• Manager's Retreat: A training program targeted to the school food service manager. Eight hours of specialized topics and sharing of best practices in a small group setting. Funding includes overnight housing, meals, materials, and trainers.

• GSNA Leadership Academy: Foundation donations provide training facilities and materials for Leadership Academy members. Members commit to a yearlong process of training and meetings. The purpose of the Leadership Academy is to train GSNA members who show leadership potential to take on additional leadership roles and responsibilities within GSNA, at the local, district, and, eventually, the state level. The skills learned may be applied to leadership positions in the member's employment and community.

For more information about the Foundation check out the GSNA website today!

Emily Hanlin

GSN Foundation Chair, 2022-2023 Emily.Hanlin@cobbk12.org

School Level Chair

Adina Tyre

“ “

I hope that everyone is having a great school year so far. Before you know it, this year will be over, and we will start a new one.

We had an Awesome Manager’s Retreat on October 6 7th at Lake Blackshear Resort Cordele, GA. We had the most First Timers I have ever seen, and it was so much fun. Industry and our presenters did an amazing job.

I hope that you are getting excited about SNAP Training. It will be in February 2023. We hope to have another great training session and I am looking forward to seeing you there.

Continue to contact your legislators about our 2022 position paper and hope to see you at the Legislative Advocacy Conference in February.

Let us continue to serve and feed our wonderful children to the best of our ability. They are like our own. A smile and a hug can also make a difference in a child's life.

Adina Tyre School Level Chair, 2022-2023 ATyre@wayne.k12.ga.us

Member Services Committee Chair

“ “

The holiday season has begun, and a new year is speeding towards us like a child waking up on Christmas morning and rushing to see what gifts Santa left under the tree. Gifts come in all sorts of ways; a wrapped package, a card, monetary and even acts of service, and some of the most lasting gifts are the ones actually given and not necessarily received. GSNA represents a majestic Christmas tree with twinkling lights that illuminate the soul for School Nutrition, and for those basking in the glow, it is overflowing with bountiful gifts filled with fellowship, personal and professional growth and leadership goals.

When looking for that perfect gift for yourself and your staff consider the gift that keeps on giving all year long, membership to GSNA. Even if you are already blessed with the gift of membership, you can share the joys of GSNA with someone else and inspire that person to be a part of the greatest gift of all! Now is the right time to jump on the GSNA membership polar express, because it is steaming full throttle ahead towards Atlanta and Washington, DC for the Legislative Advocacy Conference. This is the time and place to inform our state and national leaders what the gift of School Nutrition means to the children we serve every day, and an opportunity to highlight our wish list for well deserved benefit increases and much needed reform to the National School Lunch and School Breakfast meal patterns. With a GSNA membership comes the blessings of being heard and making a difference. Advocacy is just one of many specially wrapped presents under the GSNA Christmas tree.

Take a moment and visit the Georgia School Nutrition Association website at georgiaschoolnutrition.com and take a peek under the GSNA Christmas tree for gift ideas from RADA Cutlery, a fundraiser supporting the Georgia School Nutrition Foundation scholarship fund. Additionally, you can find GSNA t shirts and sweatshirts while supplies last to give to your friends that will always remind them to never stop Marching to the Heartbeat of Our Mission. Also, look for the membership forms for District owned membership as well as individual membership. No one will return the gift of membership to the best and most recognized professional organization in the country!

Every new year brings a new beginning, so invest in yourself with a GSNA membership and experience the wonderment of a gift that keeps on giving. Happy New Year!!!

Budd Member Services Committee Chair, 2022-2023 lisa.budd@mcschools.org

Lisa

Lisa Budd

In my role at Pace Reps, I have the amazing opportunity to visit schools across Georgia. This allows me so many opportunities to hear your stories and passion for feeding the children in your communities. Each story has its own unique twist or turn, but every story ultimately leads back to the passion each of you have for your job, community, or the children that you get to serve every day. I too have a similar passion. My goal is to help you accomplish your goals maybe it’s by introducing a new piece of equipment or maybe it is by sharing some new recipe that I have been working on or maybe it is just to provide a simple smile and tell you that I appreciate all that you are doing day in and day out! Georgia’s school nutrition employees ROCK! Keep up the awesome work you are appreciated! [continued on page 32]

Industry Connections

Is it really December? Didn’t the school year just start? Time is moving so quickly. So, let’s pause for just a few minutes – take a deep breath and catch up with each other. Hello, my name in Tina Palumbo, of Pace Reps, and I currently serve as co chair of your GSNA Industry Advisory Board. If you have blinked in the last couple of months, you might have missed some great opportunities to learn, network with your peers and, well, just have fun! I wanted to take a little of your time and remind you of all that great resources and networking opportunities that are coming to a city near you.

Tina Palumbo

[continued from page 31] Before we go any further, I have a fun trivia question for you. What is the name of the Christmas movie that has grossed the highest amount to date? If you guessed The Grinch, you guessed correctly. The Grinch has grossed $512 million. Did anyone think it might be Home Alone? Well, that movie is second on the list grossing $476 million. Some of you are thinking there is no way some other movie is at the top of the list. If you are interested, click this link and see the where your favorite movie is on the list.

The holiday season is rapidly approaching and there is so much to do before it gets here. Many school systems are preparing holiday lunches and starting to think about what will be served, how to get it all prepared in time, asking ourselves if we have enough equipment to get it all done on time, is there enough seating in the cafeteria and all the other things that need to be planned for such a fun event.

Okay don’t panic… that holiday lunch always gets done on time and everyone that comes to eat is provided a tray with the delicious meals that have been prepared.

Take a deep breath and let me switch gears. I want to remind you of the spectacular members of the GSNA Industry Advisory Board that are here to serve you in any capacity that they can. Take a look at the list of District Industry Partners! Each member serves as a resource to help districts looking to have industry represented at their local meetings or maybe even speak to your local chapters. If you have not already met your industry partner, please reach out to them and let them know how they may assist you. If you do know your industry partner, don’t forget to invite them to participate in the fun events happening in your area.

In addition to attending local meetings, or speaking at local chapter meetings, your industry members also spend their time and resources attending conferences and trades shows for training, networking, and educational purposes.

So, I have shared with you a little bit about how our industry partners are investing in GSNA… now it’s your turn. If you are not currently a member of GSNA, it’s not too late to join the “family”. The GSNA family accepts everyone willing to promote and further the goals of Georgia School Nutrition. You will fit right into this family. There are so many opportunities to get involved if you choose to. Reach out to your co-workers or industry partners!

As you can see, there is so much to do and so many places to go! Your industry partners are everywhere… and we want to see you one day soon. Please come introduce yourself or shake our hand or even give us a hug if you choose to. We are here to serve you and the entire GSNA family. Again, I appreciate all that you do! Happy Holidays!

Tina Palumbo Pace Reps – IAB Co-Chair tina@pacereps.com

Growing Chefs

Douglas County School Nutrition & Gordon Food Sales

Douglas County School Nutrition & Gordon Food Service (GFS) have partnered up this school year to enhance our after school program. Cafeteria manager Randy Jones started the Growing Chefs (GC) program during the After School Program at Lithia Springs Elementary School. GC is a three class experience that gives students insight into what a kitchen looks like & how it operates.

Cooking & baking can be lots of fun, but elementary students need to learn the safety rules so they can avoid injuries or food poisoning. Students engage in cooking lessons that teach them how to take the temperature of food and how to prepare meals. These activities help students learn how to prepare and cook food and use the kitchen safely.

"I like to expose students to different things & ideas, so they make more

informed decisions later in life," Jones said. Principal Tonia Small said “Students are excited about seeing behind the scenes in our school cafeteria. GC provides a great opportunity to connect math & science lessons to real life experiences.” Tim Reed Sales Manager for GFS says, “GFS is always happy to support Douglas County & their students.” The students love the chef hats provided by Douglas County & the food thermometers they received from one of our Industry Partners GFS.

District of the Month

GSNA District of The Month highlights the best practice activities taking place from a local district throughout the State of Georgia.

November District of The Month: Cobb County School Nutrition!

Cobb County is LIGHT ing up the school year with Cafeteria Promotions! Annually, Cobb County participates in cafeteria promotions to help encourage and support healthy eating by students. During November, Cobb hosted Wellness Events in celebration of STEM/STEAM Day, participated in Harvest of the Month, decked out the cafe for Glow Day, and celebrated National Nacho Day at lunch.

Cobb County is part of District 7. Congratulations, Cobb County School Nutrition! This is NACHO average lunch!

October District of The Month: Hall County School Nutrition!

Hall County is SQUASH-ing it this year! During the month of October, Roasted Brown Sugar Butternut Squash was served at lunch as part of Hall County's School Nutrition Harvest of the Month Program.

Hall County is part of District 9! Congratulations, Hall County School Nutrition! Keep up the GOURD vibes!

Around The State

Check out what s happening in Georgia

GSNA District 1

Treutlen

GSNA District 2

Laurens County Local high school student conducting a nutrition education lesson with elementary students entitled, “Where Does Your Food Come From?”.

County Treutlen Elementary had fresh local collard greens for lunch.

Dougherty County Lake Park Elementary students were able to taste the fruits of their labor, Sweet Potato Souffle was served at lunch.

Brooks County Annual Thanksgiving luncheon.

GSNA District 4

Lee County Ap”peel”ing messages for students on National Banana Day.

Houston County A ROARing goodtime was had district wide as schools celebrated the Houston County Fair.

Newton County Happy Halloween from the Spooktacular School Nutrition Team!

Gwinnett County Grandparents at Suwanee Elementary.

GSNA District 5

GSNA District 6

Atlanta Public Schools African Stew was a hit during chef’s table at North Atlanta High! 90% of the students gave a thumbs up for our upcoming menu.

Carrollton City Indian Heritage Week celebrations at lunch.

Coweta County Moo Brew Iced Coffee launch at East Coweta High School

Calhoun City The Culinary Arts team and SNP

up to serve chicken & spinach pizza and spinach salad to the high school students.

teamed

Glynn County Assistant Managers completed 150 hours of MIT training & held a special "Spice It Up" taste testing event.

Gordon County It was a SPOOOOKY Halloween in the cafes!

Wayne County Celebrating Glow Day at Screven Elementary.

GSNA District 8

Banks

GSNA District 9

GSNA District 10

Baldwin

County Jaemor Farms, a local fresh produce farm, donated a peach for every person for their beginning of the year kickoff.

County MHA FoodCorp Service member works with students in sauteing zucchini, yellow squash and peppers harvested from their school garden.

Hall County Hosted a fun kitchen tour that the kids were very excited about. They loved the hairnets.

Putnam County Student’s decorating locally grown pumpkins which were then displayed on café serving lines.

Georgia Gems

Georgia Gems is published by the Georgia School Nutrition Association. Articles and editorials in Georgia Gems represent the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect official policy of the Georgia School Nutrition Association nor does acceptance of any advertising imply endorsement of the product(s) or service(s).

Share your news with other members! Send items & photos to gsnasocialscroll@gmail.com

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.