Guide to School Visits

1. Guide to School Visits

2. Why Get Involved? To Build Relationships To Improve Communication Involve Key Players

3. Who to Invite Local V.I.P. • School committee / member • Board of selectmen / member • Finance committee/ member • Fire or Police chief • Local pediatrician or medical field representative with emphasis on child health and nutrition. • Local farmer or food vendor Government V.I.P. • Mayor • State representative • Member of Congress • USDA representative • Secretary of Education / ESE representative from “Healthy, Safety & Nutrition”. • Governor • Senator Keep in mind, inviting students to award events or having breakfast/ lunch with the invited guest make great photo opportunities!

4. Promote your ProgramInvite your V.I.P. to Events that Promote your School Nutrition Program • “National School Lunch” or “National School Breakfast” week. • “Farm to School Week” – highlighting local farms or salad bar lines. • “World Food Day” • “Team Nutrition School” • “Fuel up to Play 60 School” • “Healthier USDA Challenge Award “ • “Fuel up to Play 60 Grant Winner” • “New England Dairy Grant Winner” • Grant Awards from other sources. • New or improved breakfast program. • Catered events promoting your food service or to show off new cafeteria or kitchen improvements.

5. Planning the Event • Meet with Superintendent, Business Manager and building Principal on type of event you would like to hold and who you would like to invite. • You will need their support to hold a successful event! • Organize a group to help coordinate the event from the beginning to end. • Group size depends on the length and type of event being held. Will it be a short 15 minute photo opportunity with a grant award or a sit down breakfast/lunch with a “meet and greet” session? • Set date, time and place. • If inviting a member of Congress or Senate allow enough time between the invitation and event. Schedule your event when representatives are not in session to increase chance of attending. • Create guest list and send out invitations. • Make sure to include your contact info, phone numbers, e-mail, and physical address of event. • Write a list of who will be part of the greeting party and who will be speaking. • Make a schedule of events noting time and length of speeches, breakfast/lunch and photo opportunity. Forward and confirm list with participants. • Start media blitz on upcoming event.

6. Before the Event • Review area of where the event will be held and start a check list of cleaning or staging needs. • Will you need a podium, microphone, table, and chairs? Is photo opportunity area large enough for a group? Are there posters and banners celebrating event? • Make sure to have drinking water, paper, and pens available. • Permission/release slips for media statements and student pictures. • One week before confirm list of greeters and speakers. • Breakfast/lunch event? • Have your group/staff walk through your kitchen and cafeteria as if it was their first visit and note areas that may need some attention or brightening up with posters or decorations. • Student wall art celebrating the event is an inexpensive way to decorate and is always a big hit! • Meet with your staff if they are preparing and serving during the event to address their concerns. • Have a fun mock run though of the event to ease their fears. • Is it time for some new uniforms, aprons or hats? • Everyone should look their personal best when celebrating an event.

7. Before the Event • Write a one page article about your food service program and use facts for conversation with your V.I.P. • This is your chance to promote all the good things going on in your food service! • Gather Your Current Data On: • ADP’s, enrollment, F/R %’s, relevant Bills/Legislation in process at the state or federal level, etc. and insert on district info talking points sheet. Download Director Info – Cheat Sheet from power point. • Prepare a Packet that Includes: • Agenda, guest list, cheat sheet facts, contact information for guests/speakers, media information and a thank you card.

8. Talking Points School Breakfast • More kids are participating in the School Breakfast Program (SBP)1 • 11.6 million children served daily • 83,600 schools participate in SBP School Lunch • More kids are participating in National School Lunch Program (NSLP)1 • 31 million children served daily • 96,500 schools participate in NSLP • Students who eat school meals provided through the NSLP and the SBP are more likely to be at a healthy weight.2 • NSLP participants are more likely than non-participants to consume vegetables, milk and milk products, and meat and other protein-rich foods, both at lunch and over 24 hours; they also consume less soda and/or fruit drinks.1 School Meals are Balanced and Healthy NSLP lunches must meet federal nutrition guidelines.  These meals must: • Limit fat and saturated fat • Provide one-third of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of protein, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C • Contain age-appropriate portion sizes • Provide the right balance of protein, dairy • Grains, fruits and vegetables. 1 Source: USDA 2 Source: Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, August 2003 3 Source: Classroom Breakfast Scores High in Maryland, Maryland Meals for Achievement. October 2001

9. Talking Points – Sound Bites • We are the largest restaurant in town. • We are the largest child feeding site and serve a healthy balanced meals using local fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, and meats from __________ at an affordable price. • Students who eat school breakfast have greater gains in standardized test scores and show improvements in math, reading, and vocabulary scores.3 • Research has shown that students who eat school meals perform their best academically. Student behavior and attention improve significantly in class when a child is not hungry. • Healthy eating correlates with less trips to the school nurse and less absenteeism. Get quotes and facts from school nurse. • Quote from student or faculty on your food program. Make sure to mention their name and grade. 1 Source: USDA 2 Source: Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, August 2003 3 Source: Classroom Breakfast Scores High in Maryland, Maryland Meals for Achievement. October 2001

10. District Info – Cheat Sheet • Cut & copy this slide into a Word Document to enter your own information. • The current enrollment in our district is _______ in grades _____to _______of that enrollment currently ______% are approved to participate in the free/reduced feeding program. • In our district we have _______ feeding sites that serve breakfast and ______ and _________serve lunch. • Our average daily participation (ADP) is _______for breakfast and ________for lunch. • Our ADP for free/reduced breakfast is _______% and _________% for lunch. • In addition we currently have _________afternoon snack programs and or _________ afterschool meals. • During the summer we have __________ feeding sites that feed an average of _________per day. • Our district supplies ________ weekend food backpacks. • We currently serve or satellite meals to _________?Ex: Senior meals, private schools or head start programs. • Our breakfast cost _________ and lunch ____________. • Reduced breakfast cost __________ reduced lunch cost ______. • We currently participate in _____________programs. Ex: Farm to School, Team Nutrition and “Fuel up to Play 60”. • Our schools have /or are receiving funding from grants/rewards from ___________. With this funding we are currently ____________ or have purchased __________. • Currently there is a bill/ruling/amendment #____________going before the house/senate on ___________ we would appreciate your support in passing/not passing because ___________________ will have a positive/negative effect on our food program.

11. Have a Great Event Take Pictures Share with: • Local Newspaper • School Newsletter • School Committee • School Nutrition Association of MA

12. Helpful Links • www.schoolnutrition.info • www.schoolnutrtion.org/pr • www.traytalk.org • www.fns.usda.gov/team-nutrition • www.actionforhealthykids.org • www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/farm-school • www.farmtoschool.org

13. After the Event • Personally thank all committee members, staff, faculty and students that helped make your event successful. • Hand out your pre-prepared packet of the days event which includes the agenda, guest list, cheat sheet facts, contact information for guests/speakers and a thank you card to your V.I.P. and media present. • Committee members could hand out prior to start of event or closing minutes. • E-mail / Mail your packet to media that were not able to attend. • 1-2 weeks after the event send a written note along with a photo of the days event to your V.I.P’s. and committee members, staff, faculty and students that helped make your event successful.