Professional Development
To assist school nutrition managers, program directors and supervisors, VDOE provides productivity and efficiency tools as well as a variety of training, technical assistance professional development opportunities.
Training Resources
Certification of Compilance with the new Meal Patterns
- See related Regulation requirements, guidance and the required USDA Certifiction tools.
- School Nutrition Programs 6 Cents Certification Training (PDF) – This presentation is a basic overview of the process and procedures for applying for certification of compliance with the new meal pattern, as present by VDOE in webinars on September 18, 19 and 28, 2012. The presentation includes an overview of the certification requirements and demonstrates the required USDA certification tools.
- Certification process flow chart (PDF)
Training includes:
- A brief background on the law requirements
- The certification process
- The information that must be submitted by the school division on behalf of all their participating schools
- How to use the USDA certification tools
- Where and how to submit the required documentation
New Meal Pattern & Nutrition Standards in School Meals
- See related Regulation requirements, guidance and the required USDA Certifiction tools.
- Final Rule to Update School Lunches and Breakfasts: New Meal Pattern 101 (PDF) – This presentation is a basic overview of the new meal pattern requirements present by VDOE at a Webinar on February 10, 2012. It introduces the new USDA regulations (approximately 2 hours of training)
Training includes:
- A brief background on the law requirements and the proposed rule,
- The new meal pattern,
- The implementation timeline year-by-year.
- Some general provisions, the meal components, and dietary specifications.
- Brief review of the current standards versus the new rule
- Changes to offer versus serve.
- Monitoring and compliance
- Making Healthy Changes for Healthy Children and Healthy Choices – New Meal Pattern Training Resource. This is training on the New meal pattern targeted to the school nutrition managers and staff. Two training modules from the 2012 Summer Managers Workshops provide training opportunities for school nutrition program staff.
- Module #1: Understanding the New Meal Pattern – Help staff members increase their understanding of the new lunch meal pattern changes for school year 2012-13. Review the implementation requirements of the new lunch meal pattern
- Module #2: Offer vs. Serve – How to implement Offer vs. Serve with the New School Meals (2012) – This module help staff members recognize a reimbursable meal using the Offer vs. Serve option. Review the implementation of Offer vs. Serve using the new meal requirements.
- Resources for Recognizing Reimbursable Meals
- Build a Healthy Meal
- Offer vs. Serve Poster (PDF)
- Identifying a Reimbursable Meal Flyer (Word) Grades K-5 and 6-8 | Grades 9-12
- Daily Menu Components Flyer (Word) Grades K-5 and 6-8 | Grades 9-12
- Build a Healthy Meal
Productivity & Efficiency Tools
- USDA Non-Program Revenue Calculator Tool (XLS)
- A La Carte Items Profit Analysis (XLS)
- How to Determine A Time Standard for a Food Production Task (Word)
- Master Production Schedule-Blank (XLS)
- Daily Production Schedule- Blank (XLS)
- Weekly Cleaning Schedule-Blank (Word)
- Service Line Schedule- Blank (XLS)
- Just-in-time Food Preparation-Sample (Word)
- Loss-per-Portion/Cost of Over-Serving Chart (XLS)
- Inventory Control Self-Check (Word)
- Meals-per-Labor-Hour Worksheet 2012-2013 (XLS)
- Factors that Affect the Number of Labor Hours Needed (Word)
- Cost of Time Wasted/Lost-Labor Productivity (XLS)
Training Opportunities
School Nutrition Managers Workshops
Annual workshops on specific content areas for school nutrition program managers are offered throughout the state in July and August. Workshop flyers with registration information are distributed by VDOE to all school nutrition directors for managers in their division.
New Directors' Academies
- New Director’s Academy Phase I – For newly appointed school nutrition program directors and supervisors, a workshop is conduced each fall for newly appointed directors and supervisors with overall program responsibility and includes an onsite visit by the assigned school nutrition program specialist.
- New Director's Academy Phase II – Workshop offered annually in Richmond to provide an orientation to overall program management and the responsibilities of the school nutrition program director.
- New Director's Academy Phase III – A follow-up workshop for school nutrition program directors who have completed Phase I and II that provides participants an opportunity to discuss specific issues in their school nutrition program.
Regional Meetings
VDOE conducts annual fall and spring meetings for local program directors and supervisors that are held regionally with an assigned specialist acting as facilitator.
Other Resources
- USDA Team Nutrition Healthy Schools
- USDA Team Nutrition Resource Library
- Accommodating Children with Special Dietary Needs in School Nutrition Programs (PDF)
- Eligibility Manual for School Meals (PDF)
- A Biosecurity Checklist for School Foodservice Programs: Developing a Biosecurity Management Plan (PDF)
- Guidance for School Food Authorities: Developing a School Food Safety Program Based on the Process Approach to HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) Principles (PDF)
- MyPyramid.gov
- National Food Service Management Institute
- School Nutrition Association
- School Nutrition Association of Virginia
- Society for Nutrition Education
