The SHAPE Update - Spring 2012, Volume 1, Issue 2
Spring 2012 Shaping Health as Partners in Education (SHAPE) e-newsletter to provide SHAPE agencies with information, opportunities, and ideas to assist their ongoing development of healthier school environments.
SHAPEing Success | What's the Buzz? | Training Opportunities | Funding Opportunities
Initiatives | Resources | Research | Policies
Initiatives | Resources | Research | Policies
About Our E-Newsletter
The California Department of Education’s Nutrition Services Division (NSD) created this newsletter to provide SHAPE agencies with information, opportunities, and ideas to assist their ongoing development of healthier school environments. The newsletter includes information about upcoming training and funding opportunities, initiatives, useful resources, research, and policies. In addition, it offers SHAPE agencies an opportunity to share best practices with other SHAPE agencies and provide new ideas for creating healthier school environments.
The parent newsletter template ] (DOC; 2MB) and attachment 
(PDF) from the MyPlate “10 Tips Nutrition Education Series” are available for SHAPE schools to send home to parents. Please modify the newsletter as necessary for your audience.
(PDF) from the MyPlate “10 Tips Nutrition Education Series” are available for SHAPE schools to send home to parents. Please modify the newsletter as necessary for your audience.SHAPEing Success
Elk Grove Unified School District Wins the “HealthierUS School Challenge” in 39 Elementary Schools!
By Anne Gaffney, Nutrition Specialist, Elk Grove Unified School District
The Elk Grove Unified School District is proud to be the recipient of the USDA’s HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC) award. All 39 elementary schools in the district were recognized. Although the idea of receiving the recognition associated with the HUSSC award had long been appealing, submitting an application for the award was not a priority for our district until First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled her “Let’s Move!” campaign.
For years we have followed the SHAPE model and have been proud of the healthy meals served to students, the strong nutrition education program provided, and the efforts to give the wellness policy a strong presence on each campus. This year, we felt it was time to show that we were on board and ready to be recognized. As a SHAPE agency, we were already in compliance with most of the HUSSC requirements. Our biggest challenge was to apply for the award. The USDA simplified the application process by offering online e-mail submission and only one district application, which made it more attractive to apply.
Since receiving the HUSSC award, our district has seen many benefits that we had not expected or considered before we applied. We received recognition for our healthy school meals and nutrition education efforts at a press conference; each school was awarded a plaque. Representatives from all 39 sites were there to celebrate kids eating healthy meals. We have also been asked to speak on a Webinar and at a conference and write articles such as this. SHAPE agencies are already known for going above and beyond to provide a quality program. The HUSSC award not only provides recognition for the SHAPE agency and its staff—it also provides a marketing tool that lets teachers, administrators, parents, and the community know about the excellent quality of the nutrition program.
Share your story about how you are creating a healthier school environment in your SHAPE school or school district here!
The NSD encourages SHAPE agencies to use this newsletter as a communication tool to share best practices with other SHAPE agencies in California. If you have any questions or would like to share a “SHAPEing Success” story, please contact Emily Dimond, SHAPE E-Newsletter Editor, by phone at 916-445-9162 or by e-mail at edimond@cde.ca.gov.
What’s the Buzz?
USDA Releases New Meal Patterns and Nutrition Standards for School Meals
By Louise Casias, Nutrition Education Consultant, California Department of Education
Get ready for the new meal patterns and nutrition standards for breakfast and lunch! On January 26, 2012, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the final rule for the new meal patterns and nutrition standards. The changes align meal patterns with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and recommendations by the Institute of Medicine. The changes include increasing fruits, vegetables and whole grains; reducing fat in fluid milk; reducing the levels of sodium over time; and requiring an upper and lower limit for calories. A big change with Offer versus Serve requires students to select at least ½ cup