SNA-WI Spring 2023 School Tray Today

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.

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS

KAITLIN TAUIAINEN

JULIE MAGEROWSKI

JAMIE WILSON

BECKY TERRY

BOBBIE GUYETTE

CAITLIN HARRISON

BOBBIE GUYETTE

LAURA ROWELL

JOSHUA SCHMIDT

BECKY TERRY

SNA-WI STAFF

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR eric ostermann

ASSOCIATION DIRECTOR emily dieringer

EVENTS & MEMBERSHIP MANAGER drew reber

OFFICE MANAGER sandy shimon

GRAPHIC DESIGNER darling vang

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!

KADIE HAUG

NATHAN BUTZLAFF

JAMIE WILSON

Hyper local lettuce and basil, photos courtesy of Ashley Krause and Josh Schmidt, learn more on page 17

2022-23

Board of Directors PRESIDENT caitlin harrison, elmbrook school district

3555 north calhoun rd brookfield, wi 53005 harrisoc@elmbrookschools.org

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

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT irene pawlisch, madison area technical colllege 1701 wright st, madison, wi 53704 irene.pawlisch@gmail.com

SECRETARY/TREASURER

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

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

EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR kadie haug, la crosse school district 807 east ave s la crosse, wi 54601 khaug@lacrossesd.org

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR

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

MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE CHAIR

joshua schmidt, shell lake school district 271 hwy 63 s shell lake, wi 54871 schmidtj@shelllake.k12.wi.us

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

INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVE julie magerowski, street level food marketing n56 w13445 silver spring dr menomonee falls, wi 53051 julie.magerowski@streetlevelfm.com

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

ADVOCACY IN ACTION

BY CAITLIN HARRISON, 2022-2023 SNA-WI PRESIDENT

A warm hello to all of our SNA-WI member’s! Hopefully by now the temperature is warming up and we are all able to spend time outside and get some much needed sunshine and Vitamin D!

This School Tray Today edition is all about Advocacy in Action! You will hear from our statewide leaders on what that means and how impactful and important advocacy is in our profession.

On a large scale this year, Governor Evers included several important funding items in his budget proposal; healthy school meals for all, increased breakfast funding, increased local food funding and more. As you may have seen, several leaders, partners and supporters of our programs across the state have been attending the Joint Finance Committee Hearings that have been held across the state to express their support and advocate that these items stay in the state budget. Through the state budget planning process, the Joint Finance Committee held public hearings where anyone in the state had the opportunity to testify in support of a specific budget item. We were excited to see such a large presence of supporters across the state to ensure every child in the state has a healthy foundation for learning and growing.

While it’s important to continue large-scale advocacy, I also want to remind all of our members that the most important advocacy that can happen is grassroots advocacy. Simply put, grassroots advocacy is about advocating for and in your local community. This means building connections and gaining support for our programs with local elected officials, family members and students. You are probably already advocating for your program whether you know it or not! I encourage each of you to continue to build these relationships and gain support wherever possible. I also encourage you to invite locally elected officials into your District to see all the work that goes into feeding kids in your area- those visits are truly the most impactful.

We know we have a lot of work ahead of us to ensure all children in our state are fed healthy, quality meals. We also know that each and every child is worth this investment. Keep up the good work and I hope you enjoy this edition of the School Tray Today!

CAITLIN HARRISON PRESIDENT | HARRISOC@ELMBROOKSCHOOLS.ORG

You are probably already advocating for your program whether you know it or not!

WELCOME, NEW SNA-WI MEMBERS!

New Members as of 4/30/23

• Jenna Anthony, Oregon SD

• Debbie Ashmore, Boscobel Area SD

• Stephanie Boyd, Sun Prairie Area

• Wendy Corlett, Stone Bank SD

• Tom Dembski, West Bend Joint SD

• Hanna Heinrich, Elmbrook SD

• Pam Kevilus, Prentice

• Laena Klinger, DC Everest

• Holly Knight, Sun Prairie Area

• Ann Lestina, Kettle Moraine SD

• Robert Lips, Sun Prairie Area

• Melanie Lopata, Kettle Moraine SD

• Lois Ludwig, Ashwaubenon

• Angela Miller, Stone Bank SD

• Jessica Monteferrante, De Forest Area SD

• Heather Piontek, LUMIN Schools

• Jaclyn Sanders, Lake Geneva-Genoa City Uhs

• Jennifer Seonbuchner, Stone Bank SD

• Lisa Stubbe, Franklin Public SD

• Michelle Zvonar, WI Department of Public Instruction

Boelter

C a l l u s t o s c h e d u l e a n a p p o i n t m e n t o r p r i v a t e d e m o n s t r a t i o n t o d a y a t

( 2 6 2 ) 7 9 8 - 1 5 3 3

E m a i l : k e v i n @ s p e c i a l i z e d w i . c o m

E m a i l : j e s s i c a @ s p e c i a l i z e d w i . c o m

s p e c i a l i z e d w i . c o m

2023-2024 SNA-WI BALLOT

Get your vote in by June 17, 2023!

President-Elect: Kaitlin Tauriainen

Kaitlin is the Child Nutrition Coordinator and Registered Dietitian for the Ashwaubenon School District. She has a strong passion for feeding people and encouraging healthy lifestyles to all kids and adults. Kaitlin has worked in school nutrition for 12 years. She has served in the SNA-WI Legislative Committee, and loves to advocate for the hard work of her colleagues around the state and the country. Kaitlin also has 2 daughters and a dog.

Chapter President: Amy Fisher

Spring Valley School District

Hi, I am Amy Fisher and I am the Food Service Director of Spring Valley School District. In other terms, I am a Lunch Lady! I’m proud to be back-up mom for hundreds of kiddos every year. I want lunch time to be the best part of a student’s day at school, pleasant, positive and personal. Students do not run down the hall to English class…but they do run to the lunchroom! As SNA-WI’s chapter president representative, I hope to make your involvement in the school nutrition world FUN!

Mentor & Resource Committee Chair: Becky Terry

DeForest Area School District

Becky Terry, RDN, CD, MBA, has been the foodservice supervisor for DeForest Area School District since 2006. Prior to her school nutrition experience, she was the Nutrition Services Director for St. Clare Hospital and Health Services. She has a MBA from Cardinal Stritch University and a BS in Dietetics from UW-Madison. Becky’s favorite parts of her job are creating teamwork and coaching staff members, working with students and staff on new recipes and finding ways to connect with students. Her love for food spills over into her personal life as she tries to create healthy habits for her two children, Maggie (11) and Leo (6).

Ashwaubenon School District

Education Committee Chair: Irene Pawlisch

Irene Pawlisch SNS, CSC Irene is a School Nutrition Specialist and Certified Sous Chef with the American Culinary Federation (ACF). Irene has worked in dozens of Wisconsin school kitchens from the second largest urban district to a rural district with under 1,000 students. Irene has a 4-year degree in art therapy and psychology. After 7 years of raising two children, Irene returned to school for her culinary degree. Irene has enjoyed participating in several ACF culinary competitions. Earning a silver medal at a Minnesota Farmer's Market, Market Basket Challenge is her most proud accomplishment. Irene has worked as a nursing home activity director, K-12 substitute teacher, K-12 Chef/Director of Nutrition, and currently as a culinary instructor at Madison College. Irene has been featured in Food Management Magazine and the State Capital Times for her work in school nutrition and is a past president of SNA Wisconsin. She has presented at several state conferences and LAC. Irene's approach to training is hands-on with a sprinkling of laughter to engage different learning styles and physical abilities. When not going on food adventures with family, Irene is flower gardening, camping, and supporting her husband of 25 years addiction to earning pretty ribbons with their Chesapeake Bay retrievers.

Industry Advisory Board Rep/Chair: Jenny Thorkildson

For the past 9.5 years, I have been working as a K12 and healthcare specialist at Donovan Food Brokerage. In my position, I partner with schools, hospitals and LTC communities to support their nutritional programs. More importantly, I develop relationships with food service directors to gain a better understanding of their specific needs. Prior to working at DFB, I worked as a Bilingual Health Coach for Staywell Health Management and a Spanish Community Nutritionist with the Hennepin County WIC program. In 2006, I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BS in Food Science and Nutrition and a minor in Spanish Studies.

In addition to my work experience, I have 3 children of my own. Nutrition is a focal point in my family. Like schools, I menu plan for our entire week ensuring a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins. My children are learning the key nutrients in food that help maintain a healthy lifestyle.

During COVID, I witnessed firsthand the struggles school-aged families faced in balancing remote learning, workloads, and feeding their families. For many, including myself, the school lunch program provided a much-needed relief and structure. I view school nutrition programs as an essential support system for families nationwide and an extension of my wellness beliefs. I have served on the WI SNA Members & Marketing, Legislative, and Industry committees as an Industry Representative. I have also attended ACDA, LAC, and local Advocacy Days. Annually, I attend ANC to learn about innovative products and trends launching nationwide. I would love the opportunity to support the WI SNA in a higher capacity as the Industry Advisory Representative. I have fun ideas to increase conference involvement and mix things up. Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Thank you for your consideration.

Madison Area Technical College

Donovan Food Brokerage

ADVOCACY IS EDUCATION

BY BOBBIE GUYETTE, 2022-2023 SNA-WI PRESIDENT-ELECT

From the outside looking in, anyone who is not a “School Nutrition Professional” would have no idea all the details that go into our work. One of these key details is the topic of advocacy. Oxford dictionary defines advocacy as “the public support of a particular cause.” This definition seems intimidating to many, and rightly so. It takes a lot of courage to speak for what you believe to be right or true in a public setting. There is always a possibility that you will be met with disagreement or questions you may not know the answer to. These are legitimate fears that have kept many in our profession quiet.

I would like to flip the script on advocacy. Personally, I feel like Wikipedia’s definition of education better defines what advocacy really is: “Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims…These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty.” Put even more simply, advocacy is just telling your story! The realization that I did not have to fully understand the intricacies of government business, and only had to share my perspective on the work I perform every day was a game changer for me when advocating for school nutrition programs at the federal and state levels.

An even more important realization we as a profession have come to realize this year in the state of Wisconsin is the need to educate and advocate in our own districts and communities. District staff, students, parents, and community members alike simply do not understand the details of our programs, and what it takes to provide a meal program suited for and liked by students. At the end of the day our main goal is shared by all—providing for children!

My hope is what you are reading in this edition of School Tray Today motivates you to educate someone in your direct reach about what you do for kids, what you need to do it better, and what you are lacking that restrains you. If you can lay out those pieces to those who surround you in your work and life you will help us push the dial forward in school nutrition. If this is brand new to you, take the pressure off and have this conversation with your mom or an office neighbor. Every time you tell your story you will learn something and build on the experience for the next time. Go for it!

At the end of the day our main goal is shared by all—providing for children!

BOBBIE GUYETTE, MPH, RD, CD PRESIDENT-ELECT | BGUYETTE@NEWRICHMOND.K12.WI.US

Summer 2022 Study Committee in Madison, WI

Speaking at JFC in Eau Claire - Spring 2023

ADVOCATING EXTERNALLY FOR SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAMS

BY LAURA ROWELL, 2022-2023 SNA-WI SECRETARY/TREASURER

Serving healthy school meals to families (including students and family members) doesn’t always have to be in a school cafeteria. We have taken an out of the box thinking approach for our community and want to share ideas with you that advocate for the health and wellbeing of the students.

Our district is grateful to be able to partner with our local non-profit food pantry to serve food to families in creative yet thoughtful ways and promote school nutrition. We collaborate with staff of the pantry to understand the greatest needs and connect the dots to what our School Nutrition department can provide.

For many years, we have received a list of families that are in a place where they would welcome food that is not consumed (either pre-packaged or wrapped) during the meal service. Instead of our kitchen staff throwing it away, we collect it for them at our ‘Giving Table.’ See photo below. The kitchen staff members are in constant communication with the families to coordinate pickups at least once a week. This helps reduce food waste for the kitchen staff while providing a small donation to families in our community. It’s a win-win situation for all.

Along with the Giving Table, our district hosts an extravagant event each year which includes an auction and multiple fundraising strategies to raise money for families in our community. All the proceeds that are raised are used to put countless backpacks together in August so that children that are in need in the district are prepared with grade specific school supplies and ready to start the school year strong. This event also supports monthly food, student/ family assistance, school supplies, transportation,

hygiene items, field trips, socks and underwear, and a Holiday Store. Our School Nutrition is part of this event to serve one of our homemade staple items of our choice. This year we chose to serve our Creamy Chicken Dumpling Soup which warms every soul - whether it be a student, parent, or community member. We do this every year because it allows us to share what our School Nutrition program is all about. It also provides an example of what is served in schools to our community so they can see and taste the amazing food we provide to our students, many times their own children!

Finally, we partner with The Giving Tree to collaborate with a united communication to all our families to ensure families know why applying for free/reduced meal benefits may benefit their students. Working together creates an atmosphere where the stigma of "proof of poverty" can be lightened and families see School Nutrition as another tool their family can access for support.

Hopefully this article has sparked your brain in some way that will allow you to take a creative yet thoughtful idea to your communities to advocate for your school nutrition program and school district. Knowing that sharing and showcasing the amazing foods, customer service and love being served to children daily also helps to promote School Nutrition programs across the state of Wisconsin.

LAURA ROWELL SNA-WI SECRETARY/TREASURER | LAURROWE@HSSDSCHOOLS.ORG

Left to Right: Laura Rowell, SNA WI Treasure/Secretary and School Nutrition Director, Michelle Stemper, Bay Port High School Production Supervisor, Kristi Pfotenhauer, School Nutrition Coordinator all for the Howard Suamico School District

Example of The Giving Tree sharing in Howard Elementary School

INSPIRATION TO GROW

BY JOSHUA SCHMIDT, 2022-2023 SNA-WI MARKETING AND MEMBERSHIP SERVICES CHAIR

Greetings from Shell Lake, I hope you are enjoying spring, whether you are going on walks outside, accomplishing yard work or new projects, or maybe even getting your seeds planted and garden area prepared. We had plenty of “this is enough winter” moments this year so I am enjoying the change of seasons and I am sure you are also.

Often the topic of advocating for school meals comes up within our industry. You may have different reactions to this. Maybe you think “We don’t advocate for school meals well at our school.” Or maybe, “That is my favorite part about this industry, we love advocating for school meals!” No matter where your thoughts align, know that you are not alone.

Personally, I had felt that we don’t advocate for our school meals well and I didn’t think I had anything to promote. I didn’t feel we did anything special or worth posting about. The truth is, we have plenty to promote. Maybe you feel that you don’t do anything special or outstanding, but that’s only a mindset. You feed children every day, you are part of a team that makes it happen every day for the students in your District. I bet the students would know if meals weren’t there. We have the opportunity to provide students with nutritious meals

and you make a difference by being a part of that process. Be proud of what you do and the steps that you take to insure nutritious meals for the student body.

Here are a few things that we have been fortunate enough to have support with and to promote here in Shell Lake:

• Sending pictures of our school meals to be posted on social media.

• Speaking to the School Board to give them updates about our program. If you are able to be a part of this, please do! Getting in front of the School Board, even if it is to give an update, helps keep us on the forefront of their minds.

• Taking the opportunity to either send letters to our local representatives or speak at the Joint Finance Committee hearings is also a great way to advocate for school meals. Sending a letter may be easier than you think. Every action counts!

• Growing hydroponic lettuce and sharing pictures of the process. This has been a dream of mine for years and last year we were able to make it happen. We started small and the following year we were able to purchase a few more towers. Now, we provide around 90% of our district with lettuce we hyper-grow!

• Taste test with your students. This may seem daunting, if so, then ask a broker or a rep if they would come and host a taste testing. They usually are very willing to do so. This allows your students to experience new food and give them a chance to express their opinion, giving you insight into their likes/dislikes.

I hope these ideas inspire you. Whether you are big into promoting your program or wanting to get started and do more, I encourage you to set goals for the upcoming school year to promote what you do in your school. Ask your team and see what their view of your school meals are and/or what they would like to see promoted. Keep moving forward and striding toward being an advocate for your school meals and I’m sure you’ll find many ways to do so within your school district.

JOSHUA SCHMIDT MARKETING AND MEMBERSHIP SERVICES CHAIR | SCHMIDTJ@SHELLLAKE.K12.WI.US

Be proud of what you do and the steps that you take to insure nutritious meals for the student body.

Hyper local lettuce, photos courtesy of Ashley Krause and Josh Schmidt

ADVOCATING FOR YOUR SCHOOL NUTRITION TEAM

BY BECKY TERRY, 2022-2023 SNA-WI NEXT GENERATION COMMITTEE CHAIR

Advocacy can mean so many different things in school nutrition. I have been thinking lately on how to advocate in our district for our school nutrition staff. I want them to know they are a valued part of the district and to acknowledge the hard work they put in daily to feed children. So often we are pulled into the daily operations of our work, that this piece gets put to the bottom of the list. In actuality it should be at the top of the list. It is easy to recognize and understand how much goes into making delicious and nutritious meals inside the department, but how do we reach the other members of our school districts to recognize and promote our staff and department work? In talking with my team and other school nutrition directors, I have compiled the following ideas:

1. Ask your team what would make them feel appreciated. In the past we have gotten t-shirts, hats, little gifts that some staff really like, others not so much. When I asked the question, our team unanimously said, “a sincere thank you and come look at what we do. We just want to be seen.” Isn’t that the truth? We work really hard at what we do, at all levels, and it means a lot when another staff member says thank you and notices a specific thing that you did. One easy thing to do for this is to print off thank you cards and ask your leadership team to sign them for your staff.

2. Invite other leaders or co-workers to come interact with

the department in some way. Everyone is extremely busy. Ask a principal, teacher or school nurse to come try a new recipe or bring them a serving to their office, I bet they will come. Small, positive interactions build community.

3. Ask school leaders to come serve breakfast or lunch for special events. Another great way to build community and get others involved. This past month we are EXTREMELY short staffed and I had to resort to an all district office email to see if anyone would be interested in helping serve lunch for an elementary school. I had 5 people say they would. It was amazing. On a very stressful day, I felt very supported.

4. One of my head cooks said there was a potluck at her school. Staff were asked to bring a dish to pass. So, she made a recipe and put her name and the recipe in the breakroom as she was serving lunch when the potluck was happening. She had multiple staff members stop by to tell her how delicious it was and built connections with different people.

5. Ask teachers or support staff if they would mind having students draw pictures or thank you cards for the school nutrition team. These little gems are awesome to hang in the kitchen.

continued on page 21

...we work really hard at what we do, at all levels, and it means a lot when another staff member says thank you...

DeForest Area School District Foodservice Team

6. Take pictures of the food you serve and send them to your leadership team so they know what students are eating in the cafeteria and how awesome the food is. Maybe they will start coming to get their own lunch.

7. Email and invite all school staff when there is a special salad, new recipe or dessert on the menu.

I am sure there are many more ideas out there that other districts do to build community between the school nutrition department and the rest of the school. All of these connections make our team feel like a valued part of the school or district. I would love to hear what other districts are doing to advocate for their team. Please email me at rterry@deforestschools.org.

In conclusion, hopefully our school nutrition staff feel appreciated and valued by their co-workers and leadership teams. Any way we can advocate for our staff and build relationships with people outside of our department is a winwin for everyone including the students we serve.

BECKY TERRY MENTOR & RESOURCE COMMITTEE CHAIR | BTERRY@DEFORESTSCHOOLS.ORG

DeForest Area School District Foodservice Team

KNOW YOUR FOOD, SHARE YOUR PROGRAM

BY KADIE HAUG, 2021-2023 SNA-WI EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR

By now you have heard about the USDA proposed updates to school nutrition standards. Including changes like: new sugar standards for school breakfast and lunch programs, reducing sodium limits in school meals, addressing long-term milk and whole grain standards, as well as strengthening the Buy American provision, and various other changes to school meal requirements and program regulations. You likely reviewed the proposed rule in detail and established an opinion one way or the other. For many, this included submitting feedback during the open comment period in hopes to help steer the outcome of the final rule. But there is more than one way for school nutrition professionals to advocate for our programs and it can be done all year long, not limited to a 90day comment period. In fact, school nutrition professionals should share with the public the continuous work that is done on a daily basis to provide the healthy meals that are served in our schools.

The proposed rule for updating the school nutrition standards to better follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which points out that “most kids are consuming too much sugar, sodium, and saturated fat, and not enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains” (2023) on the surface, is difficult to challenge. Most can agree with and support an idea of doing what is best and healthy for kids. However, as school nutrition professionals, we know that the meals we already serve in our schools are healthy. In many cases, these are the healthiest meals some students receive in a day. “Research shows that students who participate in school meal programs consume more whole grains, milk, fruits, and vegetables during meal times and have better overall diet quality, than nonparticipants'' (School Meals, 2022). That said, many school nutrition programs don’t stop there. Work is constantly being done to continue to improve the meals we serve in our programs and to teach students the importance of healthy eating.

At the School District of La Crosse, we have school gardens, incorporate the Farm to School program, and work with local farmers to provide fresh produce and local beef options to students. These provide both an opportunity to support local farmers, and also to get students involved and help teach them the importance of knowing where their food comes from. It is commonly stated that when people can connect where their food comes from and are a part of the process, they are more inclined to consume it. Often, these local, gardengrown products are more nutritious and encourage healthier eating habits. There are various ways to get kids involved, including through implementing school gardens and/or the use of hydroponic growing systems in the classroom. In addition to continuously working more local, farm-raised products into our program, we also recently set up an account with the Life Time Foundation to work with Green Onion, an online tool that analyzes products for ingredients of concern based on the Ingredient Guide for Better School Food Purchasing. For the number of products served in schools that cannot be brought in from a local farm, or cultivated in a school garden or classroom, this program helps districts identify concerning ingredients (artificial flavors, colors, etc.) within those products, as well as to help find cleaner, more nutritious replacement options. This foundation supports the idea of serving the cleanest, most nutritious products in schools, and, in turn, has developed Green Onion to be available to help schools and product manufacturers achieve this. These details, the below surface-level facts that we know we are doing to make school meals even better, are what needs to get shared in our communities. People and groups cannot support what they don’t know.

There are a variety of resources and tools out there to help analyze and support school nutrition programs, but our greatest device for gaining support for our programs

continued on page 25

...the below surface-level facts that we know we are doing to make school meals even better, are what needs to get shared in our communities.

EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR REPORT (CONTINUED)

is us. Keep providing nutritious meals to students and encouraging their involvement in the process. Continue to work with, and increase, the number of farmers and local food sources that you can. Seek out the tools and resources available to you that will help analyze your products. Share what you are doing within your school nutrition program to the outside world so that when proposed updates to school nutrition standards come up in the future, or questions arise about the quality and nutrition of school foods, communities can stand in support with you during, and outside of, a 90-day comment period.

KADIE HAUG EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR | KHAUG@LACROSSESD.ORG

References:

1. CDC. (2022, October 19). School meals. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/ healthyschools/nutrition/schoolmeals.htm#:~:text=School%20 meals%20are%20nutritious.&text=Research%20shows%20 that%20students%20who,overall%20diet%20quality%2C%20 than%20nonparticipants

2. FoodCorps. (2019). Ingredient Guide for Better School Food Purchasing. FoodCorps. Retrieved April 2023, from https:// static1.squarespace.com/static/60ff21516720e75b65dffb27/t/ 613a68e61390dc360c6b7452/1631217896194/Ingredient_ Guide_2021.3.pdf

3. U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2023, March 6). Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Proposed Updates to the School Nutrition Standards. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https:// www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/Dietary_ Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf

Be a Vendor/Sponsor

Join School Nutrition Professionals from around WI for the 2023 SNA-WI Annual State Conference, June 18-21 at the Hilton Paper Valley and Fox Cities Exhibition Center in Appleton, WI.

SNA-WI is pleased to offer a variety of opportunities to sponsor event activities while networking with our over 200 attendees.

Governor Evers Submits FY2023-2025 Budget Request to Legislature

BY NATHAN BUTZLAFF, SNA-WI LOBBYIST, HOVEN CONSULTING

On February 15, Governor Tony Evers unveiled his budget bill request for the Fiscal Year 2023-2025 budget biennium. His proposed budget bill outlines how the State of Wisconsin would administer tax dollars, program revenue, and federal aid dollars over the next two years. In total, the budget aims to spend $103.8 billion ($52.1 billion in FY20232024 and $51.7 billion in FY2024-2025) on state government programs. For fiscal year 2023-2024, that's a $7.9 billion increase (17.9 percent) over the budget proposed by Evers in 2021.

Specifically, the following items in the budget request will be of interest to SNA-WI:

• Creates the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids program by providing $120.2 million in FY2024-25 to fully fund school breakfast and lunches for all children. This initiative is also known as “School Meals for All”.

• Provides adequate funding ($4.3 million in FY2023-24 and $4.7 million in FY202425) to fully reimburse school breakfasts at 15 cents per meal, as is called for in existing law.

• Incentivizes schools to support Wisconsin’s farmers, food producers, and local economies by providing $2.75 million in FY2024-25 for an enhanced 10 cents per meal reimbursement for meals that include locally sourced foods.

The bill was sent to the Wisconsin legislature where it was reviewed by the Joint Committee on Finance (JFC). On May 2, the JFC remove over 500 budget items from Governor Evers’ budget request, including the following DPI budget items of interest to SNA-WI:

• “School Meals for All” Funding

• Locally-Sourced Food Incentive Payments

• Grants for Milk Coolers and Dispensers

However, it is important to note that the JFC did not be vote to remove the increased school breakfast reimbursement funding that was included in the Governor’s budget request. While this is a “win” at this stage of the process, it is disheartening to have the other budget items removed. Watch for additional communcations by email on next steps in the process.

After the JFC has approved the budget bill, it will then be sent to the state Assembly and Senate for passage, likely in June. It’s important to note that Republican legislative leaders have stated publicly that they do not support the Governor’s budget proposal. Republicans control both houses of the legislature and major changes to the proposal are expected.

SNA-WI Members Testified Before Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee

In April, the State Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee held public budget listening sessions in Waukesha, Eau Claire, Wisconsin Dells and Minocqua. At these hearings, several SNA-WI members testified in support of funding for “School Meals for All,” as well

as fully funding the school breakfast reimbursement at 15-cents per meal served. Those members included SNA-WI President Caitlin Harrison, Bobbie Guyette, Mike Gasper, Josh Schmidt, and Irene Pawlisch.

During the budget listening session in Wisconsin Dells on April 12, Joint Finance Committee member/Rep. Alex Dallman (R-Green Lake) told a reporter from the Wheeler Report (a Madison publication focused on state government): “Free lunches for schools. I didn’t realize that these would be such a big issue. I was also surprised at how much they would actually cost the state, it’s like $120 million to do free lunches. That’s a big one.”

Please see page 39 for photos from the budget listening sessions.

SNA-WI Virtual Advocacy Day Held on February 27

On February 27, SNA-WI held its annual State Advocacy Day virtually. Over 30 members attended. The goal of Advocacy Day is to provide members with grassroots advocacy training, explain how members can make a difference in advocating the state legislature, and provide them with an opportunity to hear from key state officials regarding school nutrition policy.

This year, the keynote speaker was State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jill Underly. She spoke about the state Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) Fiscal Year 2023-2025 budget priorities, including “School Meals for All,” and provided an opportunity for attendees to ask questions.

In addition, several state legislators spoke to attendees. In particular, state Representatives Kristina Shelton (D-Green Bay) and Francesca Hong (D-Madison), spoke to attendees

regarding their Universal Free School Meals bill that they introduced during the 2021-2022 legislative session, as well as their ongoing advocacy on this issue. In the place of State Representative Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa), who was slated to attend, his chief of staff spoke about Rep. Krug’s support for increasing the school breakfast reimbursement rate.

To round out the presentations, SNA-WI Madison-based lobbyists Tim Hoven and Nathan Butzlaff presented on Advocacy 101, as well as on SNA-WI’s two budget priorities – increasing school breakfast funding and School Meals for All. Also, SNA-WI Legislative Committee members provided a demonstration of how to handle a meeting with a state legislator.

State Senator Tours Marshfield School District Food Service Operation

On February 24, State Senator Jesse James (R-Altoona) toured the food service operation in the Marshfield School District, which is located in his state Senate district. Food Service Director Melanie Hanneman, RDN, had the opportunity to show him their food service operation and educate him on SNA-WI’s budget priorities. In addition, he even took the time to serve lunch to students!

Spring Election Summary Report

The following is a report on the Spring election, which occurred on April 4:

Supreme Court Race

Janet Protasiewicz - “liberal” 55.5% defeated Daniel Kelly -“conservative” (44.5%)

Key points in the races: Statewide voter turnout was 39% , one of the largest turnouts in a nonpresidential election.

• The Protasiewicz win will create a 4-3 liberal majority on the court, when she starts her term on the court on August 1, 2023.

Sen. Jesse James (R-Altoona) serving lunch at the Marshfield School District. (Photo Credit: Melanie Hanneman)

• Kelly consistently emphasized his commitment to the state constitution. He questioned and criticized Protasiewicz over sentences she handed down to criminal defendants that he considered soft.

• Protasiewicz sought to make the race about abortion and a defender of reproductive rights. In addition, she also advocated redrawing the legislative maps and revisiting previously enacted Republican initiatives.

• Former Justice Dan Kelly lost in 2020 to supreme court candidate Jill Karofsky by 10 points.

• Campaign finance records indicate nearly $50 million was spent by the candidate and outside groups.

Special Election-Senate 8th District:

When State Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) resigned from office, this led to a special election to fill the rest of her term. The district includes parts of Ozaukee, Washington, and Milwaukee counties. The district is generally considered a 54% Republican district.

• In the general election, State Representative Dan Knodl (R-Germantown) defeated first time candidate Jodi Habush-Sinykin (D) with 50.9% to 49.1%.

• Senator-elect Knodl’ s victory will provide Senate Republicans with a 22 to 11 super majority.

State-Wide Referenda

There were also three statewide referendum questions on Tuesday’s ballot – two of which were amendments to the state constitution and one of which was an advisory referendum. Lawmakers can use the results of an advisory referendum to gauge public opinion on an issue and inform policy decisions, according to state documents. However, both political parties have increasingly used referendums to draw voters, particularly with nonpartisan spring elections, which don't usually generate additional turnout.

Question 1:

State Constitutional Amendment - Define Conditions of Release – Passed "Conditions of release before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose on an accused person being released before conviction conditions that are designed to protect the community from serious harm?”

Question 2:

State Constitutional Amendment - Cash Bail Before Conviction – Passed “Cash bail before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose cash bail on a person accused of a violent crime based on the totality of the circumstances, including the accused’s previous convictions for a violent crime, the probability that the accused will fail to appear, the need to protect the community from serious harm and prevent witness intimidation, and potential affirmative defenses.

Advisory Referendum:

Welfare Benefits – Passed“Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded benefits.”

SNA-WI ADVOCACY IN ACTION

SNA Legislative Action Conference

Board members attended the SNA Legislative Action Conference in early March in Washington, D.C. The Legislative Action Conference (LAC) is one of SNA’s most highly anticipated and informative conferences. LAC allows attendees to experience firsthand the inner workings of the democratic process, learn about current legislative and regulatory challenges facing school nutrition and advocate directly with their legislators.

SNA’s National Leadership Conference

SNA-WI leaders attended SNA’s National Leadership Conference in Louisville April 27-29 Held annually, the National Leadership Conference (NLC) is tailored for state association leaders to learn, network and build leadership skills. The SNAWI team started putting together the 2023-24 Plan of Action. Stay tuned for some exciting changes next year that will better support our valued members!

Pictured: Bobbie Guyette- President Elect, Jamie Wilson- Legislative Chair, Kaitlin TauriainenLegislative Committee Co-Chair, Caitlin Harrison- President, Mike Gasper- Past President and National SNA Board member.

Building a Relationship with Elected Officials

One of the most impactful things SNA-WI members can do to support our policy priorities is to talk about what we do with our elected officials. Or better yet, show them what goes on in a school kitchen by inviting them on a tour of your food service operations. Building and maintaing relationships with your School Board, local municipal and county leaders, State Representatives and Senators and even members of Congress can be daunting at first. Remember, you are their constituent and their job is to listen to and serve you! And YOU are the EXPERT in what you do. Share that passion for school nutrition and feeding children with them either through a phone call, email, conversation, meeting or tour!

To schedule your own local tour or for tips on how to get started in building a relationship, use the resource and tools available on SNA-WI’s website: sna-wi.org/page/ advocacyday2023.

State Representative Gae Magnafici and State Senator Rob Stafsholt visit with School Nutrition Directors Susan Mayer of Osceola and Jon McBride of Amery, in New Richmond.

US Congressman Tom Tiffany tours Superior High School’s food service operations with Food Service Director and Legislative Committee Chair Jamie Wilson earlier this school year.

2023 WI State Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee Public Listening Sessions

SNA-WI members and supporters were out in full force at the 2023 WI State Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee public listening sessions on the 2023-25 governor’s proposed budget held in April in Waukesha, Eau Clair, Wisconsin Dells, and Minocqua. Thank you for sharing your testimony supporting School Breakfast Reimbursement and Healthy School Meals for All!

TELL YOUR STORY!

BY JAMIE WILSON, 2022-2023 SNA-WI LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR

2015 was the first fall that I was in the Food Service Director role and I had an opportunity to give the State Superintendent, Tony Evers, a tour through our high school cafeteria and tell him about our child nutrition programs. As a new director, I was really nervous and didn't know what to say, but I wanted him to know how important our programs are to the day-to-day success of our students. In our 10-15 minute conversation I learned some things about him. As expected, Mr. Evers has a passion for education and shared with me that he enjoyed his time as a principal in the Tomah area. He asked what my background was and I shared that I grew up in Superior and had worked in food service for a very long time, but was relatively new to school nutrition. Mr. Evers listened as I shared that our district hovers right around a 50% free and reduced meal benefit population and that we have a successful program where 65%-70% of our students eat lunch with us each day. I continued our conversation by telling him about our free after school meals at our high school and middle school and shared that we are able to provide Universal Free Breakfast at all 8 of our schools. I relayed to him the story of Monday mornings that some of our students at the high school and middle school will arrive early and wait for breakfast to be served. The students are excited for hot food, fresh fruits and juices and on more than one occasion students have told staff that they don't get breakfast at home over the weekend or that they don't have enough food to eat when they are home. Some of our students come to school hungry and look forward to Monday morning breakfast at school. I'm sure this is no surprise to you, but the State Superintendent had

not heard this before. At the end of our meeting I thanked Mr. Evers for his time and didn't think much more about the stories that I shared with him.

Fast forward to Sept 2022 and we were lucky enough to have the now Governor Tony Evers visit one of our elementary schools. Now if you have had the opportunity to have someone of the Governor's caliber to visit your schools, you know that these visits can be somewhat chaotic and kind of a whirlwind. There are lots of people traveling with him and just as many people on the district side who want a chance to chat with his team. The elementary school food service team started serving lunch to 3rd and 4th graders when Governor Evers arrived at the other end of our large cafeteria. I headed out of the kitchen to try and buy some time until our students got through the serving line and we could get him into the kitchen to talk with our food service team. Structured chaos ensued as his team was walking through the cafeteria, students are at a stand still in the serving line because they hear that this is the Governor

continued on page 45

...you should never assume your conversations with local and state officials don't make an impact...

and the cafeteria is clamoring over the same topic. As I reintroduce myself to Mr Evers, he politely interrupts me and says, “Weren't you here the last time I came through Superior? You told me the story of how some of your high school students would wait on Monday morning for the cafeteria doors to open because they didn't have enough food to eat at home. I have been telling that story all over the state since you told me that.” His staff responded saying that they hear him tell the story all the time. I told him that it really meant a lot that he remembered that story and that he shared it with me. I then thanked him for supporting our child nutrition programs and for earmarking more funds for that very same breakfast program in his proposal for the upcoming budget year. All and all it was another great 10-15 minutes spent with him in our kitchen. We had a chance to talk some more while he and the current State Superintendent, Jill Underly, helped us serve chicken and waffles to the rest of our elementary students.

A couple of weeks after the Governor visited our district, I was on a virtual Healthy School Meals for all Coalition Meeting. Just like the title implies, this group advocates

for how to make free meals part of every kid's day at school. One of Governor Evers' staff was bringing us up to speed on the proposed budget for the next 2 years and while he was explaining about one of the proposals to provide more funding for school meals, he told my story, again about kids coming to school on Mondays waiting for the cafeteria to open. What I am trying to get across is that you should never assume your conversations with local and state officials don't make an impact. Share your stories about the positive impact school meals have on your students.

Want to have the opportunity to tell your state political leaders your story and promote Healthy School Meals for All students? Click this link for more info and watch your SNA emails for more information about our Spring Virtual Advocacy Day where we can help you craft your story.

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

2023 AWARD WINNERS

Director of the Year Winner

The Director of the Year award recognizes school nutrition directors for the contributions they have made throughout their school nutrition career.

Jamie Wilson, Director of Food Service, School District of Superior

From the nominator: Jamie has worked closely with their distributor to bring in products that are available when ordered items may not be available. This may be inventory that the distributor may be long on, which helps feed kids and move product. He created and maintains a partnership with local produce companies and has brought more fresh products to his menu and attends local farmers market are reaches out to local farmers to build partnership to provide fresh local produce within the program.

From the awardee: "I am incredibly honored and grateful to be receiving the WI SNA Director of the Year Award. It is a privilege to be recognized by all of our dedicated colleagues, and I am proud to accept this award on behalf of my entire team of professionals that I work with each day. I consider myself very lucky to serve students and families in the community that I grew up in and raised my own family in."

SNA Midwest Region Manager of the Year Winner

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.

Megan Walters, School Nutrition Lead, School District of New Richmond

From the nominator: Megan not only shines in her own kitchen, but is a motivator for all building leads in monthly leadership meetings, and a key component to our recipe development. During monthly leadership meetings you will always see her speaking like a coach to others when negative discussions arise. She is continuously volunteering herself and her team to be a site for recipe testing and development. Her constant positivity and willingness to advance our programs are key to our success.

From the awardee: "I'm completely honored to receive this award! To have won an award for doing a job that is so rewarding, fun, and important is an extreme honor! This job does not feel like work! I have the most amazing Nutrition Director, Bobbie Guyette, who sets the bar so high! My fellow Kitchen Leads are a huge inspiration! My team at Hillside has helped me accomplish so many of my goals, they make everything possible! I'm blessed!"

SNA Midwest Employee of the Year Winner

The Employee of the Year award recognizes non-managerial school nutrition employees for the contributions they have made throughout their school nutrition career.

Jeanette Barteck, Cook, School District of La Crosse

From the nominator: Jeannette is an integral part of our allergen meal program. She took the lead on this project. Our building handles making, sealing, and sending out all of the celiac, soy free, & egg free meals. She comes up with the menu rotation to be as close to our regular menu as possible and figures out how many meals we need to prep, and how many go to each building. We currently make 14 monthly totes to send out to our children with food allergies.

From the awardee: ""I was very surprised and honored to receive such an acknowledgment. We do this job for the kids to make sure they are fed healthy meals for good learning. Nothing is more important than making sure our youth know that we will always provide good, healthy, made with love meals for them."

Click here to view the 2023 SNA Virtual Awards Ceremony.

For SDM multiple applicants, you may use a spreadsheet found at www.schoolnutrition.org/sdm.

See reverse side for important information.

to change.

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.

3. Print your email address and job title. o

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.

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

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

Retired Members.

Supervisors, Specialist, Executive Chefs

School Nutrition Director, Supervisor, Specialist (Major City)

State Agency Director, Supervisor, Specialist School Nutrition Educator Other

Part-Time Staff (less than 4 hours daily)

Managers, head cooks, head chefs, assistant managers. Working in a school nutrition program at the school district level.

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

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

Faculty working in a college/university setting. Principals, Superintendents, Teachers, etc. Does not include right to vote.

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.

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.