UPDATES 12.20.11

- SHIP Update (Meghann):
The first iteration of SHIP ended June 30, 2011. However, the legislature approved unspent funds to be appropriated back to the grantees in the same percentage that they had received in the first iteration. This created Bridging Period #1 (July-September).

SHIP 2.0 was funded by the legislature in July for $15 million. Part of this $15 million was used for Bridging Period #2 (October-December). During this time, a new RFP was sent out for January 2012-June 2013 funding. There were 29 applicants, and 18 funded parties. The Carlton-Cook-Lake-St. Louis and Aitkin-Itasca-Koochiching Community Health Boards were a recipient of almost $1 million (of the ~$11 million available).

Unfortunately, I will not be continuing with School Nutrition and Active Living in Moose Lake. However, I (Meghann) will be beginning more directed efforts with Safe Routes to School in Moose Lake. In addition, I will be beginning School Nutrition, Safe Routes to School, and Community Active Living in Cloquet.

I will still be around as a resource person, and will be putting together a group/sub-group (with members from both the Active Living Coalition and the School Wellness Committee) for the Safe Routes to School effort. I will continue to forward on information for trainings, curriculum, etc. to the appropriate recipients!

- Lunchroom (Becky):
Edible landscape - We are still using the dried herbs in food we are preparing. Last week we added basil and oregano to our home made spaghetti sauce.

Kitchen equipment - We are using the blender to make smoothies for breakfast each month. Now that we've mastered the strawberry and banana flavor, we will try a blueberry, with frozen blueberries that we got from our government commodities.

With the addition of more salad bar containers and tongs we are able to provide more salad ingredients, which often change. Black beans, shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, sunflower seeds go along with our usual serving of chicken, turkey ham, cheese, romaine lettuce and whole wheat breadsticks. We often provide an extra salad to try such as cottage cheese, carrot salad, tuna or chicken salad, pineapple coleslaw, broccoli salad or wild rice salad.
The new salad bar provides extra refrigeration for the salad bar options and for milk.

Hydration station - The kids really like the hydration station and look forward to seeing what we have put inside for flavor. They are drinking a lot of water! Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, peaches, carrots, mixed frozen fruit or canned fruit, and mint are some of the things we have tried. It's a hassle for me to go and buy ice, and sometimes fruit, at the grocery store, just to keep things changing, but I'm going to buy ice cube trays so we can make our own ice now.

Taste testing - We've incorporated foods that we have taste tested in the past into our menu: pumpkin chili is served with our chili dogs, sweet potato fries, whole grain pizza, chicken wraps, bar b q turkey, Jamie Oliver's glazed carrots, meatballs. We did the farm to cafeteria promotion and the kids were able to taste different foods from that: zucchini, eggplant, and kohlrabi sticks, locally grown watermelon, green beans, green pepper, corn on the cob, squash and apples. Each month we've been adding a new dish to the menu and they have been well received. We've also been offering a healthier dessert. Apple and cherry cobbler, chocolate applesauce cake, raisin and oatmeal cookies, pumpkin bars and carrot cake.

Meal Magic - It provides the nutritional values of breakfast and lunch on the web site and the computer monitor in the lunch line. I'm starting analyze the different components of the meal to increase or reduce levels, such as sodium. I like the program and would like to continue with it another year so I can use all the technology it has to offer. It's hard to find the time to work with it, so things go slowly.

Nutrition nuggets - These go out at the end of the month with the school monthly calendar.

- Curriculum (update from Ann and Joe):
Joe has started using the curriculum and really enjoys how it is laid out. He said it is very comprehensive and is also laid out by standards, so he knows he is meeting them. He is finding it difficult to use the games purchased, only because of time, but thinks they are valuable.

Joe has been including the nutrition facts provided on the lunch menu on his board everyday and the students comment if it is not there. It has been valuable for the students in decision making, and also combining with their food journaling.

Elementary teachers will be using the health curriculum purchased for them in their own classrooms.

- Worm Composting (Trish):
The worms are eating and making ‘tea’ (or worm juice)! Meghann will send Trish more information on the plan for using the ‘tea’ as a fundraiser, in hopes of being able to re-start the healthy snack cart and fund it from the proceeds.

The plan is to ultimately create a worm composting system on a larger scale, combined with a recycling program in the lunchroom—Stowe Elementary is a great example.

The District Office ‘babysat’ the worms for the summer and enjoyed feeding and taking care of them—even without much instruction!

- Indoor Walking Signs (Tim):
The Indoor Walking Route Signs arrived, but have yet to be installed. Tim will talk to maintenance about that, and they will be up soon!

- Library Resources:
No update from Mary, however, Joe said he has used a few of the items and is working his way through the list of items that would be useful in his classroom.

- Webinar:
I was asked to speak on a national webinar through the Public Health Law Center (the people who helped us with policy language for the Health Snacks/Treats Policy, Wellness Policy, and Bicycling and Walking to School Policy). I was able to talk about all of the great things you have done!

Here is the link for the webinar, and I encourage you to watch it when you have time (it is about 1.5 hours). The information from the three presenters before me was great!
https://publichealthlawnetwork.webex.com/publichealthlawnetwork/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=4488677&rKey=40cf1df1a5651291