GivingTuesday is around the corner! Since 2012, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has been a day of Global Giving, with GivingTuesday. This year, on December 3rd, join in on the fun and give back by getting involved and supporting organizations that play an essential role in your community.

Recently, I had the chance to meet with Cathy Anderson, Assistant to the Superintendent of Yorkville Community Unit School District. In search of a new payment provider, Cathy discovered MySchoolBucks through her district’s use of Synergy for their Student Information System. Their district is a new MySchoolBucks customer and we were excited to hear from her about the experience so far. 

The news is out - registration is now open for Connect 2025! Join us from March 19th to 20th in Phoenix, Arizona, to learn from our industry experts how to get the most out of your Heartland products. 

As schools aim to provide a healthy and balanced diet for their students, dietitians play a crucial role in ensuring the school lunch program runs smoothly while keeping up with the changing trends and regulations. With so many students to manage, there are a number of common challenges that may be faced along the way. We spoke with a dietitian to learn about some of the biggest challenges and a few ideas to help you overcome them. 

Since 1962, National School Lunch Week has been an important reminder that a healthy school lunch is an important part of a student's life, helping them thrive in and out of the classroom. Every year, during the second week of October, cafeterias across the nation celebrate with a week of fun. This year, from October 14-18, join the celebration and “find your treasure” with this year's School Lunch Pirates theme!

Check out these resources from SNA that can help you dive into the fun:

Join us for Connect 2025, our annual conference, in Phoenix, Arizona! From March 19-20, 2025, prepare to learn from our product experts how you and your team can get the most out of Heartland products. 

Did you know MySchoolBucks now has over 25 key integrations and partnerships with other top K-12 vendors? These integrations allow MySchoolBucks customers to manage the entire fee collection and payment process across existing district systems, which provides district staff and parents with a more seamless user experience.

As every new school year begins, so do all the back-to-school to do lists! Districts nationwide are preparing plans for their school programs and the collection of fees that come along with them. From class fees to parking passes, schools are managing countless student programs that require payments. Many schools still rely on physical cash and check payments, even though parents may prefer to pay electronically. By leveraging an online School Commerce Platform, like MySchoolBucks, schools can simplify how they collect and manage fees district-wide.

Here's the top 5 fees we see schools managing each year and how to collect them more efficiently:

We’re heading to ANC 2024 and hope to see you there! The School Nutrition Association's Annual National Conference is taking place in Boston, July 14-16. Our team is looking forward to seeing you, so stop by booth #1115.   We can't wait to show you how we're working to shape the future of nutrition technology.

The USDA is always working to balance nutrition and taste in school meals, ensuring they are both healthy and delicious. In April 2024, the USDA revealed the final rule for updates to school nutrition standards,which will start to come into effect in the 2025-2026 school year and will need to be fully integrated by the 2027 school year.