Here is something you might not know about chronic absenteeism in the United States: in school year 2013-14 seven million students were chronically absent nationwide. “Chronic absence” is defined as missing ten percent or more days of school for any reason; both excused and unexcused absences and suspensions. According to Attendance Works: Children living in…
Our partners at the Food Research and Action Center have released their latest School Breakfast Scorecard for school year 2016-17, just in time for National School Breakfast Week, March 5-9. While the data shows school breakfast participation continues to grow, the rate of growth has slowed which means there is plenty of room for improvement.…
We’re so excited to celebrate National School Lunch Week next week, October 9-13, and we love this year’s #NSLW17 theme: “School Lunch: Recipes for Success.” How is your school celebrating NSLW 2017? We have a few suggestions, plus resources to help you put the finishing touches on your school’s celebration. National School Lunch Week Resources…
A common refrain we hear when talking about breakfast-in-the-classroom is, “If only there were more freshly-prepared foods!” It’s true that scratch and speed-scratch cooking can be a challenge when menuing for breakfast-in-the-classroom, but it’s not impossible. Looking for more information on scratch and speed-scratch cooking at school breakfast, we registered for a USDA FNS webinar…
Timikel Sharpe vividly remembers wondering, as a young child, why some children had homes and nice families while others did not. Though she grew up in a loving home with two parents, Sharpe was aware not everyone was so lucky. “I remember saying, ‘Mom, why doesn’t everyone just adopt one kid, and then there won’t…
Kelly Schein fell in love with school nutrition during her dietetic internship, so when a position as school nutrition director of Richmond County Schools (Ga.) opened up, she jumped at the opportunity and applied. “It’s home, and it’s where my heart’s at,” she said. “Almost two years—two years in July.” Although she and her team…
It all started with a phone call from a reporter. When consultant Lori Adkins picked up the phone in the summer of 2015, a local reporter was on the other line, chasing down a story on summer meals. Adkins immediately thought of nearby Waterford School District (Mich.). She offered to call ahead and ask some…
Each year approximately 40 percent of food produced in America—nearly $165 billion worth—is thrown away. As school nutrition professionals you’re already familiar with the issues and costs associated with food waste, and SNF’s latest partnership with the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) offers a way for you to be part of the solution. Register…
Several months ago we ran across this story about three women who created a cookbook inspired by, and using the original recipes for, their favorite school lunches from the past. When we posted a link to the story on the SNF Facebook page it turned out to be one of the most popular shares of…
As school nutrition professionals, we know many of our students rely on the school breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners we prepare throughout the school year. When winter break or summer vacation rolls around, our students still need the nutrition we provide but they may not have access. So when we saw one of our Partners…
