Tag Archives: Professional Nutrition Software

New Jersey School Breakfast and Lunch Program

Program Description

The School Breakfast Program (SBP) provides cash assistance to states to operate nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and residential childcare institutions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition service administers the SBP at the Federal level. State education agencies administer the SBP at the state level, and local school food authorities operate the program in schools.

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day.

General Program Requirements

For this benefit program, you must be a resident of the state of New Jersey.

Income eligibility guidelines are used to determine eligibility for free and reduced priced meals or free milk.

If you are earning at or below current Income Eligibility Guidelines, we encourage you to contact your school to fill out a school meal application. The school or local education agency will process your application and issue an eligibility determination.

If you are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, your child automatically qualifies for free school meals. If you are eligible for unemployment compensation, you might also be eligible for free or reduced price school meals.

Because many programs offer services to families that may qualify them under other local criteria, we strongly recommend you contact the program in your community for more information and guidance.

Your Next Steps

The following information will lead you to the next steps to apply for this program.

Application Process

Schools send school meal applications home at the beginning of each school year. However, you may apply for school meals at any time throughout the school year by submitting a household application directly to your school. Your school will provide you with an application upon request.

Contact your state’s agency to participate.

Program Contact Information

For additional information, please visit the New Jersey School Nutrition Programs page.
Or visit the following websites:
USDA’s National School Breakfast Program
USDA’s School Lunch Program

 

Wordware’s Cafeteria Accounting Software will Increase Your Revenue & Reduce Operating Cost

Every business requires utmost management skills Cafeteria sector also. From managing the reservations, to allotting tables to customers, manage wait list , to keeping eye on timely delivery of orders, each aspect needs to be managed up to perfection. There will be major customer dissatisfaction in any kind of delay or not proper service. A simple way to avoid such errors is to use a Cafeteria Accounting Software.

There are so many service provider in the field of food industry who provides Cafeteria Accounting Software. We have partner with various top industry leaders like FEE ZEEAffinety Solutions, EduTrak Software, rSchool Today, Efunds, and Convenient Payments.

These softwares have been in the market for quite long time. Cafeteria owners hesitated in adopting new technologies; however, with time they could understand that such software can increase efficiency and the output on efforts few years ago. Billing, food reservations, order handling and delivery to the food, all these are now handled by the software systems.

However, good Cafeteria Accounting Software like Lunch Cashier System, go much beyond the operation management functionalities and provide in-depth data & reports for the top management. Below are 7 features that can help you increase your organization’s profitability and become the catalyst for its growth.

  1. Web Based Solutions- All of our solutions are web based or have a web based option. This makes the LCS line of products usable on virtually any HTML5 capable device. You do not need to worry about troublesome installations or user access problems. LCS runs on MAC, Windows, Linux, Android and old and new equipment. Depending on your deployments selections, you may be able to run the system from home.
  1. Forecasting with Quick and Easy setup. No program installations required! – As Cafeteria sales depend on many external factors like weekends, school exams, weather conditions and even sporting events, it becomes increasing important to forecast the sales. Automated forecasts produced every week/month along with charts in the software would show your progress, real time history, sales progress and multiple department forecasts.
  1. a)       The LCS 1000 can be setup after breakfast and it will be ready to serve before lunch! That’s the efficiency that this new appliance has to offer to your institution.
  1. b)       We have removed the need to install or transfer data from one office computer to another. No more time spent transferring programs from an old computer to a new one. No time consuming installations. No more problems with compatibility from one version of a Windows to another.
  1. c)       This box plugs into your network and is set up like any other server, then it is ready to go. No further involvement from a school technician is required. Wordware’s friendly technical support staff will take over answering all questions and concerns, plus addressing the initial importing of the schools current information into the new system. You will lose absolutely no data and the process takes only minutes.
  1. d)       No servers set up in your school? That’s just fine! The LCS 1000 works in a normal server environment, or can just be staged in the cafeteria alone, connected to one computer that wants to do it all, or as many computers as you need to get it all done. The perfect answer for any school, large or small.
  1. Automated Backups – “Valuable” doesn’t even begin to describe your lunch accounting information, and losing any of it is not an option. With this in mind, we are including the peace of mind that only automatic backups can bring and then taking it a step further. Not only will the LCS 1000 back up it’s information every day, but it will also upload it to the Wordware Inc cloud servers as an extra level of protection. Your data will be safely stored in multiple locations, ensuring that you always have the ability to recover from any change in a matter of moments, so you always have a backup plan. Bottleneck of any Cafeteria is its seating capacity. Efficient management of tables thus becomes a necessity. A Cloud Based Cafeteria Management Software can aid in carrying out this activity and also manage advance reservations.
  1. Data Bridge – Our unique data bridge was developed to easily pull your student and family information from your SIS into Wordware so both systems contain the same information. No dual entry or manual effort is needed.
  1. Reporting– After rentals and labour, food costs are typically the largest expense for any Cafeterias. The food cost reporting of the Cafeteria management software can show you the actual vs predicted cost and the accompanying difference. This is done by researching on the cost variation in the same item offered by different stores along with a list of top and bottom pricing. These features become increasingly important in multi branch organizations. Reporting and Charts. We understand that food service reporting is critical to the administration and success of your schools. Not only does Wordware provide and extensive offering of reports in the software for cash sales reporting, free and reduced, line reports, etc. Wordware will work with you to make sure you are getting the information you need from your software.
  1. Product planning to decrease and nullify food waste – Wasted food is another critical cost center for a Cafeteria. The product planning report will give you a real-time measure of the amount of food that is wasted thereby contributes to lowering the waste generated.
  1. Labour Cost reports – The labour cost report is another critical aid you will get from the Cafeteria management software. It has the detailed information on your staffing and even goes up to the hourly, daily and monthly man hour utilization. With this report, your staff scheduling can be improved.

These are only a few ways in which a Cafeteria management software can aid you. The benefits of using one such software are multiple. If you aren’t using these functionalities of your Cafeteria management software, you immediately need work with your team, and study these reports and if you current software doesn’t provide such in depth reports, you many need to upgrade your software. Wordware’s Lunch cashier software has been implemented in . school cafeterias, college and universities, hospital settings and commercial building cafeterias in all over USA.

You can also talk to one of our Cafeteriamanagement software analyst for any assistance you will require Call: (800) 934-2621.

Food and Nutrition

Working with educators, parents, business people, students, policy-makers and other concerned people throughout the United States

Food and Nutrition

The Minnesota charter statute does not specifically address food service. Charter schools have the same responsibilities in this area as school districts. While nothing in state law mandates that public schools must provide meals to students, in most cases it will be necessary.

This section includes information on:

  • Funding
  • Food Service Options
  • Resources

The Food and Nutrition Service at the Minnesota Department of Education administers the School Meal Programs. The programs include: the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program, After School Snack Program, Food Distribution Program, Summer Food Service Program and the Minnesota Kindergarten Milk Program.

Participation in the food programs requires a substantial amount of paperwork, in terms of record keeping and regular reporting. Many of the software packages that schools use to report information include lunch programs, which can make the process much easier. MDE provides periodic training on the implementation of the School Meal Programs. Schools are strongly encouraged to attend one of these trainings well before school begins, so that a system can be set up to ensure prompt, full reimbursement. Once operating, schools should contact MDE if they have questions about operating the programs. Schools that do not implement the program properly might not receive the full amount of reimbursement to which they are entitled.

For more information about the School Meal Programs, please visit the Food and Nutrition Service website at fns.state.mn.us or the U.S. Department of Agriculture website at fns.usda.gov. The Food and Nutrition Service also provides periodic training on the School Meal Programs.

Funding 
Charter schools that choose to participate in the School Meal Programs may receive cash subsidies (reimbursements) for each meal served. For some programs, schools receive state subsidies and USDA commodities in addition to the federal awards. In order to participate in the programs, schools must serve meals that meet federal nutritional guidelines, keep accurate records of meals served and submit monthly reimbursement claim forms during the required timeframe.

Schools will be reimbursed at some level for all reimbursable meals served, although the amount is greater for meals served to students who qualify for free and reduced meals than for those who don’t. The amount of federal subsidy depends on each student’s eligibility category. Eligibility for free or reduced meals is based on the family’s income level. Children with family incomes at or below 130% of the poverty level are eligible for free meals, and those with incomes between 130% and 185% of the poverty level are eligible for reduced price meals.

Most charter schools will have a number of students eligible for free or reduced price meals. To determine whether a student qualifies, his or her family must complete an “Application for Educational Benefits” form. This is the same form used by schools to determine eligibility for certain state and federally funded programs aimed at high risk, low income students (e.g., Title I). Families must complete this form each year their child is enrolled at the school. It is important to have completed forms on file, especially for those schools with a substantial low-income population. You may lose significant financial benefits if these forms are not on file.

Any child may purchase meals served by schools participating in the School Meal Programs. Schools may not charge students eligible for reduced price meals more than $0.40 for lunch. In the 2003-2004 school year, state breakfast reimbursements were increased to allow schools to serve breakfast at no charge to reduced eligible students and at a low price to paid eligible students.

In general, schools charge and are reimbursed for after school snacks on the same basis as other meals, although special rules apply for schools that operate in an area where at least 50% of the students are eligible for free meals.

Beginning in the second year of operation, the school will qualify for USDA commodity foods from the Food Distribution Program. In addition to school year food programs, there is also a Summer Food Service Program.

Reimbursement Rates
Although these rates change annually, as a point of reference, the combined federal and state reimbursement rates for the 2003-2004 school year are:

Breakfast Lunch Snack
Free $1.20 $2.27 $0.60
Reduced $1.20 $1.87 $0.30
Paid $0.77 $0.29 $0.05

Food Service Options 
When providing food service, a charter school has three basic options:

  1. Prepare meals on site. This gives the school complete control over the program, in exchange for greater responsibility. Unless the school has access to an institutional kitchen, however, equipment needs are likely to pose a significant barrier. Schools that prepare their own meals must have equipment certified by the National Sanitation Foundation, which is quite expensive. Schools that choose to prepare their own meals will have additional health and safety requirements and should also expect more frequent health inspections.
  2. Ask the local school district to provide food service for the school. A district that agrees to provide food service may have a minimum number of meals that they are willing to serve, or a minimum number in order to serve hot, rather than cold, meals. You will also likely be tied to the district’s schedule. Some smaller districts, particularly in rural areas where each school has a small kitchen, may be unable to provide food services.
  3. Contract with a private caterer for school meals. A private caterer might be more flexible in terms of types of meals, special preparations, special meals for field trips, schedules, etc. Most charter schools that provide meals choose this option.

IMPORTANT: Regardless of the food service option the school chooses, the school is ultimately responsible for making sure that federal and state requirements are met. For example, the school must comply with requirements regarding food storage, handling and safety. The school will also be responsible for submitting the paperwork for meal subsidies and for billing students who don’t qualify for free meals. All employees and volunteers working with the School Meal Programs should have an understanding of the following:

  • Sanitation and food safety
  • Required meal components and serving sizes
  • Counting meals by eligibility category at the point of service

When exploring food service options, consider speaking with staff at nearby charter schools and visiting other schools to watch their meal service.

Other Considerations 
During the first year, it is very difficult to break even on food service, given equipment needs. Even if someone else is preparing the food, schools will need serving areas, coolers for storage and, often, warming ovens. Schools should budget for these expenses. Free or inexpensive equipment may be available to schools through the federal surplus property program. To learn more about this program, contact the State of Minnesota Surplus Services at
(651) 639-4024.

When providing meals, schools must comply with federal nutritional guidelines for schools. These include, for example, portion sizes for different age groups and sample meal patterns. These guidelines are available on the Food and Nutrition Service website.

In addition to nutritional requirements, schools must also comply with the state health department’s requirements for sanitation and food handling. Regardless of whether the school actually prepares its own food, the staff is required to ensure proper food storage and handling. For example, a school must have a way to keep food at temperature-warm or cold. The state or local health department will inspect your facility yearly. In addition, any school that serves food must have one certified food manager on staff. To become certified, this person must take a course and an exam and register with the Department of Health. The Department of Health charges approximately $150 for the certification process. For more information about the requirements for food handling, safety and inspections, contact the Environmental Health Services Section of the MN Department of Health at (651) 215-0870. If you plan to prepare meals on site, you should contact the Plan Review Specialists at the MN Department of Health at (651) 215-0862.

Resources
Minnesota Department of Education Food and Nutrition Service 
1500 Highway 36 West
Roseville, MN 55113
(651) 582-8526 or (800) 366-8922

USDA Food and Nutrition Service

American School Food Service Association

MN School Food Service Association

Minnesota Department of Health Division of Environmental Health

For easy to understand Food Safety Fact sheets, see: health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/food/fs/index.htm

For information regarding food service construction requirements and licensure, see:health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/food/license/summary.htm.
(651) 215-0870

As public schools, charters are eligible to obtain surplus federal property from the state for free or a nominal charge. Food service equipment may be available. To learn more about this program, contact:

State of Minnesota Surplus Services
5420 Highway 8
New Brighton, MN 55112
(651) 639-4024

 

Bearcat Diner – School Food Service Department – Kearney Public School

Bearcat Diner

Offices are located at Sunrise Middle School

4611 Avenue N Kearney Nebraska  68847,  308-698-8158

BEARCAT DINER MENUS

Eat Your Fruits & Veggies
The Bearcat Diner receives a Grant each year through the USDA to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to students at Bryant, Central and Emerson Elementary Schools and KEC as a daily snack.
FUN FACTS
Did you know that…
• Unlike most fruits, pears ripen better off the tree.
• Figs provide more fiber than any other common fruit or vegetable.
• British sailors used to be called “Limeys” because they ate citrus fruits to prevent scurvy on long sea voyages.
• Some Chinese varieties of peaches are flat like donuts.
• Strawberries are the only fruit that have their seeds on the outside.
• Bell peppers can be green, red, yellow, orange or purple.
• Yams and sweet potatoes are not the same.
• Many of the nutrients in a potato are located just below the skin.
• Hawaii is the leading producer of bananas in the U.S.
• Lychee trees can live for more than 100 years.
• The first carrots were white, purple and yellow.
• Ancient Greeks awarded celery to winners of sports events.
• Broccoflower is a cross between cauliflower and broccoli. It has more vitamin C than oranges and more vitamin A than either broccoli or cauliflower.
The Bearcat Diner Mission Statement
The purpose of Kearney Public School’s Bearcat Diner is to prepare and serve nutritious and appealing meals that meet the dietary guidelines to students, staff, and community in a positive, cheerful manner, while maintaining financial soundness, and contributing to the quality and excellence of a student’s education experience.
NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

“In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, ore reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information made be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: ttp://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Bearcat Diner Office Location & Phone Number
4611 Ave N
Kearney, NE 68847
308-698-8158

Parent Information Letter Free & Reduced Meal Application
Instructions for Completing the Free & Reduced Application
Lunch Prices &
Monthly Payment Schedule
Check your Diner Account Balance Make an Online Payment to your Lunch Account through Efunds Menus
Healthy Changes in our School Cafeterias
Healthy Changes-Spanish Version

VAIS uses a computerized lunch accounting program (Wordware LCS1000 Mayflower)

Breakfasts and Hot Lunches

The cost of an elementary school lunch is currently $1.95. Monthly lunch and breakfast menus can be found on the district website. Students who do not wish to eat a school lunch should bring a lunch from home. These students have the option to purchase milk in the cafeteria.

VAIS uses a computerized lunch accounting program. Only one account is needed per family. Accounts must contain a positive balance. Families have two options for making payments to the account:

(1) Checks made payable to Child Nutrition can be sent to :

Child Nutrition Services

P.O. Box 930007

Verona, WI 53593

(2) Electronic deposits to the account can be made using your credit card or checking account can be made at any time via e-Funds for Schools.

Families can view lunch-account balances, payments, and meal history via Wordware. Your family ID and password/PIN are required. For assistance with your ID or password (or for more information), call the Child Nutrition Office at 845-4139.

Meal Assistance

The district offers a meal-assistance program for qualifying families, in the form of free or reduce-price lunches. Great care is given to respect the privacy of families receiving assistance. Applications are submitted direction to Child Nutrition Services. School staff, other students, and families do not have access to information about which students receive free or reduced-price lunches. For more information, call the Child Nutrition Office at 845-4139.

Elgin Public Schools – Wordware, Inc. Family Login Becomes More Secure

Elgin Public Schools Wordware, Inc. Family Login Becomes More Secure

The school year is upon us and we have rolled out a new tool allowing families to use usernames and passwords to check their lunch account balance online.  This will ensure family financial information remains secure.

What do I have to do?

Log in to Wordware, Inc. family login as usual using the Lunch Account Balance link in the Quick Links section of the front page of our website.

A short message will come up with a message regarding the changes and an option to complete the registration form.

Please complete our REGISTRATION FORM for a user account.

After you register your user account you will then be able to access the family login using your secure username and password.  If you have not signed up to go online to check your family lunch balance or you have any difficulties with the system, please contact Ann Beckman or Paula Jensen to sign up!

Loyola Catholic School – hot lunch account software for your family

Plainview Elgin Millville Community Schools – Lunch Account Balances and Online Payments

Plainview Elgin Millville Community Schools – Lunch Account Balances and Online Payments

Access to lunch account balances and online payments for lunch accounts is now processed through our Wordware Nutrition software. If this is your first time accessing your account through this system, please follow the steps below. Otherwise, click on the Wordware icon below to view your balance or make an online payment.

Effective March 9, 2015:

PEM has implemented a new system for viewing lunch account balances and payment of lunch accounts with debit & credit cards. This system requires the use of our Lunch Account Software, Wordware, to view the lunch account balance or make a payment. Follow these steps the first time you access the system:

1) Request a ‘Family Key Letter to be sent to your email address. Click on the Family Key Letter icon below to request this letter. Our Lunch Account Services staff will complete the request within one business day. Once you receive the letter, follow the instructions to set up your Wordware username and password.

2) Sign into Wordware Nutrition Software to view your account. The initial page will provide your current account balance and an option to Add Funds. Additional tabs are available to manage your account, view family members, and transaction history (including lunch charges and payments). Click the Wordware icon below to begin:

If you wish to make an online payment, follow these additional steps:

1) Click the Add Funds icon to make a debit or credit card payment.

2) Enter the amount to Add to Lunch Account and click on the Add to Cart and Pay Now icon. Then click on the Check Out icon.

3) If this is the FIRST time you are making a debit or credit card payment to our new system, you must create an account within the payment system. Click on the Create New Account icon. Enter in the appropriate information. We recommend using the same Username and Password for this account as the one you used for Wordware. Click on the Save & Checkout icon.

4) If this is NOT the first time you are making a debit or credit card payment to our new system, click on the Login to My Family Account icon and login with your username and password.

5) Enter in your credit card information and click on the Submit Payment icon. Note: For security purposes, your credit card information will no longer be stored within your account. The card information must be entered with each subsequent payment.

6) A payment receipt will display and will also be automatically emailed to the email address on the account.

 

Contact: Kari Welti

Brookings School District – School Lunch Software Instructions

Brookings School District – School Lunch Software Instructions

Welcome to the Brookings School District Homepage.

Superintendent
Dr. Roger DeGroot

MISSION STATEMENT

Working Together….Educating with Excellence….Inspiring Learners for Life

GOALS

  • Improve communication among home, school, and community.
  • Provide quality education to prepare students for their futures.
  • Promote respect and responsibility among all individuals.

School Lunch Software Instructions
Resources…
Teacher

Student
Parent
Wellmark Insurance

School nutritional program to provide best Nutrient for the child – Wordware Inc.

Need to start thinking out of the box for your school lunch program? Some days it is hard to find where ‘out of the box’ is. Try viewing this You Tube video for starters, “School Lunch in Japan – It’s Not Just About Eating!” (youtube.com). It is a totally different experience to that of our USA approach to school lunch so it’s worth a trip out of the box!

The students eat in their classrooms with their teachers, for a 45 minute lunch period that same as a class. We first notice students bringing their personal items in their lunch bags, including a toothbrush, cup for brushing teeth, a napkin, chopsticks, and placemat. The school has a ‘farm’ for veggies and everything is made from scratch, five kitchen staff for 570 students. Everyone wears head and face masks around food from kitchen staff to the students. It appears that everyone has a mask, hat, and coat in their desks to don during the pre-eating activities.

Each class sends students to pick up the lunches for the day, which are individually dispersed in the classrooms. They even keep track of leftovers through a report from the students and they find out where all the food is from, local farms, sixth graders in the school farm, so forth. The recycling is amazing. All the milk cartons are broken down and flattened, then washed and set aside for drying. Everyone brushes their teeth at the end of the meal. Even the last 20 minutes before returning to class they sweep, scrub floors and do maintenance cleaning.

Out of the box thinking does not mean one system is better than other. These ideas can be the catalyst to solve a problem confronting us today. And it is just interesting to see how others handle lunch!

School nutritional program  to provide best Nutrient for the child

School nutritional programs to provide best nutritious meals to the child growth. Increasing participation ensures students never go without nutritious meals while wordware also guaranteeing your School nutritional programs success. Across the country we work with schools to help them achieve excellence with their school nutrition. We Power School Nutrition Departments. Our Nutrient Analysis component is easier than manual systems or other software programs. You’ll find it’s also:

  • Wordware LCS1000 is approved for nutrient analyses required in the school meal programs
  • Child Nutrition Database
  • Food-based analysis
  • Includes the nutrient standards from the Final Rule
  • Accessible from central office or school site
  • Ability to build and add local ingredients