Category: Nutrition

PRIORITY NOTICE: Toolkit of Resources Available to Promote the Meal Benefit Application

As schools across Maine prepare for the 2021/2022 school year with many changes, including the implementation of free school meals and the challenges of COVID-19, we are aware of the increasing difficulty you face with asking families to fill out the Meal Benefit Application.

Families, schools, communities, and our state can greatly benefit from the data that is gathered from the application, which includes key funding for school resources and additional resources for families in need.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has created a Meal Benefit Application Toolkit for schools/districts to help inform and promote the application within your school community:

Meal Benefit Application Toolkit for Schools

We hope that having these resources laid out in this toolkit can ease some of the burden to create your own promotional and informational materials. Here are some of the resources you will find in the toolkit:

  • Social Media Graphics – short informational graphics that can be shared on your district/school social media platforms.
  • Translated Informational Materials – a one-page info sheet that can be printed and distributed to families (translated versions available), info for teachers and school staff, and a letter to families expressing the importance of the Meal Benefit Application.
  • Meal Benefit Application Form Options – links to the original printable application, an online option, and an alternative sample form that can be used to help inform state subsidy calculations.

We recognize and appreciate all your hard work as you prepare for the start of the school year. Please contact Maine DOE for questions and/or additional resources:

  • If there is a specific additional resource you’d like to see in this toolkit, please contact Caroline Bennett (caroline.bennett@maine.gov) and Rachel Paling (rachel.paling@maine.gov).
  • For questions regarding application collection and SSO (Seamless Summer Option), please contact David Hartley (david.hartley@maine.gov).
  • To add your district to the web-based application via Nutrilink (we HIGHLY recommend this to increase accessibility of application), please contact Sarah Platt (sarah.d.platt@maine.gov).

MEDIA RELEASE: Call to Action for Maine Parents: Complete the Meal Benefit Application at School This Year – Even if School Meals are Free

Maine needs all parents and caregivers to take action this school year––by taking the time to complete the confidential Meal Benefit Application through your local school, even if school meals are already free for all students. Families, schools, communities, and our state can greatly benefit from the data that is gathered from the application, and this application is important for a number of reasons.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, when school meals became complementary, there has been a significant drop in Meal Benefit Application returns––meaning less families are filling out the application.

The family income data provided by the application informs key funding for school resources. This includes school meal reimbursements, funding for Title I programs, funding and resources for after school programs, funding provided to schools from the Maine State Legislature for essential programs and services at school, funding for special education, teacher loan forgiveness, and much, much more!

Federal and state government use the aggregate data from the application to distribute education funding to schools across the county and state of Maine. In other words, if there is no data to inform the needs of the community, it could result in less education funding for your local district and for Maine.

By completing the Meal Benefit Application, you are directly investing in your child’s education and the children and families in your community.

Specific programs that are funded by the data collected from Meal Benefit Application:

How can I complete the Meal Benefit Application?  The application is available through your local school administrative unit (SAU) school nutrition program and it is completely confidential. Most SAUs have the application available to be completed online. Follow this link to access your SAU’s online application (if your school district is not listed, please contact them directly). A printed version of the application is also required to be available––it will often be part of beginning of year paperwork that comes home with your child.

This past school year has certainly had its challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are thrilled that, despite these challenges, all Maine children have had the opportunity to access free healthy school meals on a daily basis. We would like to extend our gratitude to Maine parents and caregivers who have participated in their SAUs’ meal programs. We know that with the continued support of Maine’s incredible families, we can ensure the best for our children.

Maine DOE Child Nutrition Launches CNPWeb for School Year 2022

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Child Nutrition is excited to announce that we are moving over to a new program, CNPWeb, which will replace NEO for all School Nutrition functions.

CNPWeb will streamline the claiming, ordering, annual application and review process for all of our child nutrition programs. The system will go live in July 2021 at which time each district will need to submit their annual Sponsor Application and Site Information Sheets for approval.

Superintendents will have permissions to approve the monthly claim for reimbursement. However, if you wish to delegate another person as the Approving Officer, the Superintendent must email Pamela.Partridge@maine.gov to make this request.

For technical assistance and questions please contact Pam Partridge at Pamela.Partridge@maine.gov or (207) 624-6843 the Child Nutrition Team at child.nutrition@maine.gov, or (207) 624-6842.

Maine Chefs Highlight the Use of Local Ingredients in New Video Campaign  

The Child Nutrition Team at the Maine Department of Education (DOE) has set forth on a campaign to encourage schools to utilize fresh products the state of Maine offers in their school meal programs. The initiative, “Farm and Sea to School” brought in experts of cooking and agriculture to create videos on various recipes that use fresh ingredients grown or caught right here in Maine.  

Rob Dumas from the University of Maine School of Food and Agriculture was featured making several different recipes, including a bean burrito bowl and lentil shepherd’s pie. Dumas is the Food Science Innovation Coordinator at the University of Maine and a certified executive chef with the American Culinary Federation.

Jeff Wolovitz from Heiwa Tofu in Rockport demonstrated how to make a crispy tofu recipe. Mike Flynn, head of School Nutrition at RSU 12, with the assistance of Food Corps service member Maggie Blumenthal made a crunchy baked fish. Annie Watson, co-owner of Sheepscot Valley Farm in Whitefield, made “Mac and Trees”- a healthy spin on a classic meal. Finally, Caitlin Frame from Milkhouse Farm and Creamery in Monmouth created a Waldorf Chicken Salad with a healthy yogurt replacement to the traditional mayonnaise-filled recipe. 

All of the chefs demonstrated how to use fresh ingredients to create healthy and nutritious meals. Throughout their videos, they also teach the audience various cooking skills, including food safety, several knife skills, tricks for keeping your workspace tidy, and many other kitchen hacks.

Information in this article is just a snippet of what these amazing chefs show in their videos. Check out the playlist below for some new recipes and skills to try out!  For more information contact Robin Kerber, Maine DOE Farm and Sea to School Coordinator at 207-592-0820 or Robin.Kerber@maine.gov.

Letter for Families: Importance of Completing the Meal Benefit Application for SY 2022

The Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition team has created a letter geared to Maine parents and families to express the importance of completing the meal benefit application. The letter can be downloaded and sent out to your district’s family mailing list. This letter can serve as a first step to get families thinking about the meal benefit application as we go into summer and can be sent out along with any other end of school year materials/reminders.

School and district administrators are encouraged to utilize their avenues of communication with families to share this resource.

Here is the link to this letter: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Meal%20Benefit%20Application%20Promotion%20Letter%20to%20Families.pdf

There will be many promotional efforts coming this summer to ensure higher application return rates and meal participation!

For further questions, please contact Caroline Bennett, Ending Hunger in Maine AmeriCorps VISTA, Maine Department of Education at Caroline.Bennett@maine.gov

School Nutrition Staff Go Above and Beyond at Whitefield Elementary

Vicki Dill pictured with student Kiara Luce- 2021 Farm to School Cook-off Champions
Vicki Dill pictured with student Kiara Luce- 2021 Farm to School Cook-off Champions

What are the Whitefield Wildcats, 2021 Farm to School Cook-off Champions, up to right now? They are making an impact on students in their school. This school year has presented many challenges for all school staff and students. With challenges there are also opportunities. At Whitefield Elementary, the school nutrition staff Vicki Dill and Ashley Burdick went above and beyond to work with grades K-2 to make the end of school year experience a memorable one. The K-2 classrooms have been doing an “ABC Countdown to Summer”, and over the last 26 days of school used a theme based on the letter of the day.

On B day (Bubbles and Balls) their breakfast was served in bags with bubbles. On F day (Forest Day) students were provided lunches in bindles to eat in the forest. On S day (Scavenger Hunt Day) they took the time to create a scavenger hunt for students to find their lunches. According to Sarah Brewer, grade 2 teacher, “the kids absolutely loved everything they did. It’s been a very hard and stressful year for both teachers and students and these two lovely ladies went above and beyond what was expected of them to make the kid’s year a memorable one”.

Kudos to Vicki and Ashley for their partnership with the classrooms at Whitefield Elementary! This is one example of how school nutrition staff have made a positive impact in student’s lives during a challenging and ever-changing year. We thank all nutrition staff for their dedication and efforts over the past year and wish everyone a safe and healthy summer!

MEDIA RELEASE: School Nutrition Programs to Feed Children Beyond School Year with Summer Food Service Program

AUGUSTA — With the assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine public schools have long offered a nutritious breakfast and lunch meal program to thousands of children in Maine during the school year. During the pandemic, many flexibilities were put into place to ensure children had access to complementary meals while learning remotely from home or attending school in person.

We applaud those who worked tirelessly to provide food to children during a challenging school year. With summer right around the corner, that important service will continue in many areas of Maine. The Summer Food Service Program, a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, operates at hundreds of sites across Maine to ensure children get the nutrition they need.

“Maine’s National School Lunch Programs are an invaluable lifeline to our students for whom schools are a much needed and consistent source for food.” said Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “The Summer Food Service Program helps schools continue to provide this critical resource to Maine students through the summer months, and we are committed to assisting schools and communities as they address the needs of the whole child.”

The Summer Food Service Program may be offered statewide in areas or at sites where more than 50 percent of the children are eligible for free or reduced meal benefits under the National School Lunch Program or where census track data supports the need. This summer, area eligibility waivers have allowed sites to operate in areas that have need due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Eligible sponsoring organizations include schools, nonprofit residential summer camps, government agencies, and tax-exempt organizations including faith-based organizations.

In July 2020, 112 sponsors participated in the program, serving meals at 730 sites throughout the state. Sponsors operate open sites in all 16 counties in Maine; anyone 18 and under may come to eat at no cost. Many sponsors will be utilizing USDA flexibilities which allow meals to be consumed off site to promote physical distancing and are offering innovative delivery and service models to meet the demand safely.

To find nearby Summer Meal sites, please visit USDA’s Summer Meal Site Finder website at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids, text “Summer Meals” to 97779 or call Maine 211.

Updated information will be available late-June.

For more information about the Maine DOE’s Summer Food Service Program, contact adriane.ackroyd@maine.gov, call 592-1722 or visit https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/programs/sfsp.

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In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.  Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1)     mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2)      fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3)      email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

The Maine Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, religion, ancestry or national origin.

Complaints of discrimination must be filed at the office of the Maine Human Rights Commission, 51 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0051. If you wish to file a discrimination complaint electronically, visit the Human Rights Commission website at https://www.maine.gov/mhrc/file/instructions and complete an intake questionnaire. Maine is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Toolkit of Resources for Increasing Meal Participation

As part of effort to increase school meal participation and access to healthy foods, the Maine DOE Child Nutrition team has created a toolkit of resources for Food Service Directors. This toolkit contains information and tips on how to increase meal participation, as well as social media graphics and templates.

All materials are located under “Training” on the Child Nutrition webpage: https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/training

All Food Service Directors from districts across the state are encouraged to utilize these materials to continue to spread a positive message about school nutrition programs to reach more Maine students. Templates and graphics in this toolkit can be used and customized for social media updates (and other avenues of communicating with families).** As school meals continue to be free to all students into the next school year, we want to ensure that as many children as possible are accessing the nutrition needed to fuel their learning!

**Please note: if distributing materials containing information on accessing benefits and services, a full non-discrimination statement must be included.

For questions, please contact Caroline Bennett: Ending Hunger in Maine AmeriCorps VISTA  (caroline.bennett@maine.gov)

MEDIA ADVISORY: School Nutrition Teams to Compete in 2021 Farm to School Cook-off Finals Competition

The Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition Team is hosting the 6th annual Farm to School finals competition in which a panel of judges including a chef, school nutrition director, and farmer will score dishes made by school nutrition teams based on presentation, taste, creativity, and feasibility to be used in a school breakfast or lunch program. Other criteria will include food safety and time management. In the competition, local “challenge” ingredients will be incorporated into the meals, including eggs donated from Weston’s Meat and Poultry in Gardiner, and parsnips donated from Goranson Farm in Dresden.

Who: RSU 12 (which includes the town of Whitefield) and South Portland

When: May 5, 2021 at 1:00pm

Where:
Child Nutrition Culinary Classroom
90 Blossom Lane, Deering Building, 1st Floor, Augusta, ME 04333

Detailed Agenda: 2021 Culinary Classroom final cook-off agenda

Members of the media are welcome to attend the final cook-off in-person but need to confirm prior to the day of the event. For more information and to confirm coverage, contact: Kelli Deveaux at kelli.deveaux@maine.gov.

The event will also be live streamed and recorded on the Maine DOE’s YouTube Channel. View the Cook-off here on May 5th at 1pm. 

Background Information: Maine DOE kicked off their 6th annual Farm to School Cook-off this spring; however, it took on a different form. Cook-off teams representing four school districts from Maine participated in a virtual cook-off event where voting took place and determined the top two teams who advance to the finals round. The teams, consisting of a student and school nutrition professional, created tasty and nutritious breakfast and lunch meals that showcased Maine grown ingredients and followed recipe guidelines of the competition. This criteria included producing meals that meet the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) meal pattern and include at least three local ingredients and one USDA food.

The team that wins the over-all competition will be awarded a plaque and have the opportunity to be spokespeople and participate on the judging panel for the cook off in School Year 2022.  Recipes used in the cook-off will later be shared with all schools in a Maine farm to school cook-book.

 

 

PRIORITY NOTICE: School Year 2022 Nationwide Waivers Available for Schools and Day Care Facilities to Support Safe Reopening and Nutritious Meals  

Maine Department of Education (DOE) is thrilled to share that USDA has released twelve additional Nationwide Waivers for SY 2022.  These are meant to support the safe reopening of facilities while providing nutritious meals for children and adolescents. The new waivers can be accessed here.   

Maine DOE’s Child Nutrition team is reading through the waivers carefully in order to provide the best support to the field. As some of these are different from those issued in the past. We support the action of USDA to release waivers to support the safe provision of nutritious meals for Maine students. These waivers will allow students all over the state to access meals and will provide much needed flexibilities during the current public health emergency.    

More information will be provided by Child Nutrition Director Walter Beesley on Wednesday, April 28th at 1:00. Those interested can register for the webinar  

For questions regarding these USDA nationwide waivers, contact Walter Beesley, Child Nutrition Director, at 207-624-6875 walter.beesley@maine.gov.  

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In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.  

 Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.  Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. 

 To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: 

 (1)     mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
          Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
          1400 Independence Avenue, SW
          Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
 (2)      fax: (202) 690-7442; or  
 (3)      email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
The Maine Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, religion, ancestry or national origin.
Complaints of discrimination must be filed at the office of the Maine Human Rights Commission, 51 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0051. If you wish to file a discrimination complaint electronically, visit the Human Rights Commission website at https://www.maine.gov/mhrc/file/instructions and complete an intake questionnaire. Maine is an equal opportunity provider and employer.