CNAC Minutes for the September 9, 2019, Meeting

Members Present

Colby Bladow, Dena Boortz, Helen Chang, Caroline Danielson, Kim Frinzell, Maria Galleher, Lawrence Herrera, Clell Hoffman, Barbara Rohrer, Patrick Traynor

Representative for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Stephanie Papas

Members Absent

Nori Grossman, Cody Williams

Also Present

Mike Danzik, Lisa Melhouse, Shanine Coats, Alma Barreras, Sean Hardin, Cintya Loreto, Heather Reed, Crystal Young, Jennifer Kuo

Call to Order

Clell Hoffman, Chair, called the meeting to order at 10:08 a.m.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

There was no public comment

Approval of Agenda

Clell Hoffman, chair, moved to approve the agenda for September 2019.

Approval of Minutes for January and March

Clell Hoffman, chair, moved to approve the minutes for January and March.

Agenda Items

Item 1

Subject: State Superintendent and State and Federal Legislative Updates

From Stephanie Papas, Representative for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction

The topic of discussion: Update on Superintendent and the focus of his initiatives (Stephanie provided a handout detailing these)

Information/Discussion/Action:

• Adding a Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Office and an Equity Office
  
  
• Thirteen transition workgroups are working on the Superintendent’s initiatives
  
  
• The Superintendent indicated an interest in a possible partnership with Edible Schoolyard. Clell asked about Edible Schoolyard, whether it would be linking nutrition to curriculum or bringing products into the cafeteria. Stephanie indicated that it is more focused on linking nutrition to the curriculum.
  
  
• Larry brought up chronic absenteeism and how poor nutrition and health ties in to chronic absenteeism. Stephanie indicated that she would bring this up to the workgroup

From Government Affairs Division, Alma Barreras, Legislative Representative

The topic of discussion: Various Senate and Assembly Bills

Information/Discussion/Action:

• A handout was provided detailing various child nutrition bills and other bills of interest, and their status in the state legislature.
  
  
• Eight bills introduced this year, only two of which are still moving forward.
  
  
  • Some are two-year bills and will be considered next year.
    
  • Others do not have enough funding.
    

From: Shanine Coats, Federal Policy Liaison

The topic of discussion: Various federal updates

• A handout was provided detailing various updates and changes to federal legislation and regulations.
  
  
• Proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), combined with public charge regulations, could lead to fewer children being directly certified and an estimated 500,000 families losing automatic eligibility.
  
  
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has updated their April 2019 memorandum on the crediting of coconut, hominy, corn masa, and corn flour in nutrition programs. There is a link in the handout to this document.
  
  
• It is still possible that Congress will put forth a Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization bill.
  
  
  • The handout provides links to bills that may contribute to this conversation.
    
    
  • Likely inclusions to the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization bill are promotion of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), some efficiencies around administrative reviews (changing the time-based cycle to a risk-based cycle); and school equipment grants.

Item 2

Subject: School Food Pantries

From: Heather Reed

The topic of discussion: Overview of project, survey results, and discussion of how CNAC can help

Information/Discussion/Action:

• Handouts provided by Heather Reed and Crystal Young detailing the Why, What, and How of School Food Pantries, as well as results of the Nutrition Services Division’s School Food Pantry Survey released August 2019.
  
  
• Request for ideas and assistance from the Child Nutrition Advisory Council (CNAC): What should we be asking school districts who want to help and offer advice?
  
  
  • How to identify eligible students and families without making individuals feel stigmatized?
    
    
    • CEP model: If school is eligible, then all individuals are eligible
      
    • No forms or eligibility
      
      
• Remove food pantries from the cafeteria. It is a school community program; give it to the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTA/PTO) to organize, instead of the food service director
  
  
• Provide staples, plus methods for preparation
  
  
• Work it into the curriculum; have kids be involved in some part of the process (business academy, cooking classes, etc.)
  

Item 3

Subject: CNAC Recruitment Update

From: Mike Danzik

The topic of discussion: Update on recruitment of potential new board members

Information/Discussion/Action:

• Recruitment is for five positions
  
  
  • Consultant
    
  • School board member
    
  • Curriculum coordinator
    
  • School administrator
    
  • Classroom teacher
    
    
• Moving forward to put application out and start the recruitment process.

Item 4

Subject: Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

From: Cintya Loreto

The topic of discussion: 2019 debrief, strategies to increase meal participation, and discussion of how CNAC can help

Information/Discussion/Action:

• Ms. Loreto provided updates on the SFSP with a PowerPoint presentation. A handout of the slides was also provided.

11:59 p.m. Lunch

Reconvened meeting at 1:06 p.m.

Item 5

Subject: National School Breakfast Week (March 2–6, 2020)

From: CNAC, Clell Hoffman, Chair

Topic of discussion: Marketing strategies for increasing participation in the School Breakfast Program during National School Breakfast Week

Information/Discussion/Action

• Goal is to provide ideas and objectives as to how to market breakfast or any barriers school may have to providing breakfast
  • Staffing issues: Who will watch over kids?
    
  • Logistics issue: Where will students eat?
    
  • Idea: Breakfast in the classroom
    
  • Barriers:
    
    
    • Objections from teachers
      
      • It infringes on instructional minutes
        
      • How do teachers tie it into learning outcomes?
        
    • Custodians: More work cleaning up the classrooms
      
    • Who delivers the carts to the classrooms?
      
      
  • Idea: Breakfast during morning recess (elementary schools)
    
    
    • Similar to Second Chance Breakfast
      
      
  • Education to providers could help them get behind the idea. Consider how serving breakfast affects all stakeholders
    
    
    • Find out what percentage of students are eating breakfast
      
    • Provide data about breakfast’s importance to kids and learning
      
      
  • Idea: grab and go breakfast. If kids are allowed to eat their breakfast in first period, it would encourage more kids to eat breakfast.
    
    
  • Step 1: Inform. Information should go to all stakeholders (custodians, teachers, administrators, etc.)
    
    
    • Teachers can give ownership to students over handing out food, cleaning up, etc.
      
    • Limit types of foods in classroom to limit possibility of messes
      
    • The principal and superintendent need to be behind the idea in order to enforce it with teachers
      
      
  • Step 2: Provide information about different modes of service
    
    
    • Breakfast in the Classroom
      
      • This is the most difficult mode, with the most variation
        
      • Schools could use Universal Breakfast or CEP to ease the process
        
    • Need more people involved in process (administrators, teachers, custodians, students, food service)
      
    • Grab and go
      
      • Have carts in different locations where there is high-traffic
        
        
  • Idea: Create a brochure giving schools options about how to serve breakfast
    
    
  • Barrier: There are resources already available on CDE and USDA websites
    
    
  • Educating kids on importance of breakfast
    
    
  • Get resources/information into the hands of people
    
    
  • An information campaign: informing schools and districts about the need for breakfast, as well as providing them with some of the modes of service
    
    
    • Wellness Committees are a good place to start
      
    • Find out data on what schools are serving breakfast and share this as part of information campaign
      
      • Data on numbers, number of breakfasts, number of schools serving
        
    • A web page that is succinct and provides the following information:
      
      • Why serve breakfast?
        
      • Obstacles to serving breakfast
        
      • How to overcome obstacles
        
      • Getting stakeholder buy-in: How will this affect everybody?
        
      • Tips to promoting breakfast in schools
        
      • Provide links to the USDA breakfast resources
        
        
  • School Breakfast Week could be the launch for this
    
    
• Anything that is developed needs to be approved by the November meeting in order for it to happen for National Breakfast Week in March
  
  
  • Bring ideas and information back for the next meeting on November 18
    
    • Need to develop and agree on content
      
      
• This could also be an ongoing project, beyond March, but there needs to be agreement on what will be rolled out in March

Headings and areas to research:

• Why is this important? (Barbara, Patrick)
  
  • Learning outcomes
    
  • Statistics/research (Caroline)
  • Interconnection between breakfast, academic success, and health (physical, emotional, mental) (Helen, Colby)
    
• How to increase participation; styles of serving/programs (Larry)
  
  • Marketing
    
  • Styles of serving/programs (Larry)
    
    • Grab and go
      
    • Second chance carts
      
    • Breakfast after the bell
      
• Obstacles/barriers (Clell)
  
• Stakeholders/stakeholder buy-in
  
• Reimbursement/financial impact (Clell)
  
• Menu ideas
  
• Process to begin SBP
  
  • Assessing program and the need
    
  • CNIPS application
    
• Resources—marketing, posters, trainings, recipes

Item 6

Subject: Agenda topics for next meeting

From CNAC, Clell Hoffman, Chair

The topic of discussion: Brainstorming for agenda items

Information/Discussion/Action:

• Standing items
  
• Legislative Update
  
• Use the bulk of the meeting for finalizing Item 5 above

Clell Hoffman, Chair, adjourned the meeting at 2:47 p.m.