Thursday, August 23, 2012

Student Announcements - Thursday, August 23, 2012 Day A

1) Birthday's Today - August 23rd...Jayce Kennedy.

2) The Jefferson Middle School broadcasting group (currently Java) is looking for students who are interested in being a part of our crew! Our focus is to present the announcements to the students and staff in a professional way that promotes school spirit and involvement. A few of the positions include camera operators, reporters, anchors, and research/designers. You could be a part of the daily production of our TV broadcast or even be on TV! If you are interested in signing up, please visit Mrs. Hancock in the library for an application. Everyone in 8th grade is invited to apply! The application deadline is Friday, August 24, 2012 at 8am. All application must be completed and turned in prior to this date and time. Thanks!

3) All LEAP registration forms are due in the main office on or before September 5th.

Iowa Youth Survey Attention: Parents/Guardians We will be offering the Iowa Youth Survey this year for grades 6, 8, and 11. Please review this in the Parent-Student Handbook under Health and Wellness for information regarding the purpose of the survey and your rights as a parent/guardian. The deadline for receiving refusal of consent is September 20, 2012. The survey is offered every two years in the fall. This year it will offered between September 24 and November 2 of 2012. The District will post the notification in the Handbook each year instead of mailing individual letters. If you need a copy of the Handbook, please contact your student’s school. The Handbook is also available online at www.dbqschools.org. If further questions may also contact: Rhonda Simpson, MSN ARNP, Health Services Coordinator 563-552-3084 rsimpson@dbqschools.org

The new Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is leading to menu and portion size changes. The changes are designed to:

• ensure students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week
• substantially increase offerings of whole grain-rich foods
• offer only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties
• limit calories based on the age of children being served to ensure proper portion size
• and increase the focus on reducing the amounts of saturated fat, trans fats and sodium.

Students will now be required to have 1/2 cup of fruit or vegetables on their tray in order for it to count as a full meal (If they don’t, all items will be charged a la carte). We plan to offer a variety of fruits and vegetables daily to give students more options to choose from.

The regulations also limit how much meat/meat alternate and grains can be offered. Because of this, the portion sizes of some main dishes may be smaller than in the past. (Remember, though, there will be more fruits and vegetables available for the meal to ensure students have plenty to eat!)

Overall, healthy eating habits remain the priority of the food and nutrition services office. Here are a few other things you will see this year in regard to the new requirements:

• Fresh fruit and vegetables will be offered as often as possible.
• Sandwiches will be served on whole wheat buns.
• All pasta served will be whole grain.
• Dark green and orange vegetables will be served on a weekly basis.
• Beans will be incorporated into the weekly menu.
• Garden salad will include both romaine lettuce and spinach.

Know that we are working hard to implement these changes and appreciate your support as we transition into these new requirements. We will continue to work hard to provide meals that are both healthy and enjoyable.

You can learn more about to the changes at www.dbqschools.org/Lunch or feel free to email me at food@dbqschools.org with any questions you may have.
Sincerely,

Joann Franck
Manager of Food and Nutrition Services