WELLNESS POLICY - ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES APPENDIX
The board promotes healthy students by supporting wellness, good nutrition and regular physical activity as a part of the total learning environment. The school district supports a healthy environment where students learn and participate in positive dietary and lifestyle practices. By facilitating learning through the support and promotion of good nutrition and physical activity, schools contribute to the basic health status of students. Improved health optimizes student performance potential.
The school district provides a comprehensive learning environment for developing and practicing lifelong wellness behaviors. The entire school environment, not just the classroom, shall be aligned with healthy school district goals to positively influence a student’s understanding, beliefs and habits as they relate to good nutrition and regular physical activity.
The school district supports and promotes proper dietary habits contributing to students’ health status and academic performance. All foods available on school grounds and at school-sponsored activities during the instructional day should meet or exceed the school district nutrition standards and be in compliance with state and federal law. Foods should be served with consideration toward nutritional integrity, variety, appeal, taste, safety and packaging to ensure high-quality meals. ( See the DE guidance on Healthy Kids Act) .
The school district will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to and prevent the overt identification of students who are eligible for free and reduced meals. Toward this end, the school district may utilize electronic identification and payment systems; provide meals at no charge to all children, regardless of income; and promote the availability of meals to all students.
The school district will develop a local wellness policy committee composed of parents, students, and representatives of the school food authority, the school board, school administrators and the public, physical education teachers, and school health professionals. The local wellness policy committee will develop a plan to implement the local wellness policy and review and update the policy every three years. The committee will designate an individual to monitor implementation and evaluation of the implementation of the policy. The committee will report annually to the board and community regarding the content and effectiveness of this policy and recommend updates if needed. When monitoring implementation, schools will be evaluated individually with reports prepared by the school district. The report will include if the school is in compliance with this policy, the extent to which this policy compares to the model Wellness policies and describe the progress made in achieving the goals of this policy.
SPECIFIC GOALS
- SPECIFIC GOALS FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION AND PROMOTION (SEE APPENDIX A)
- PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (SEE APPENDIX B)
- OTHER SCHOOL-BASED ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO PROMOTE STUDENT WELLNESS ( SEE APPENDIX C)
APPENDIX A - NUTRITION EDUCATION AND PROMOTION
The school district will provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion that:
- is offered at Pre, K,1,2,3,4 ,5,8 & Food and Consumer Science as part of a comprehensive program throughout a students educational career; elementary teachers will teach units reinforcing proper nutrition; high school health classes will each review the essentials and the importance of proper nutrition.
- includes enjoyable, developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant participatory activities such as contests, promotions, taste-testing, farm visits and work on getting a school garden started.
- promotes fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, healthy food preparation methods and health-enhancing nutrition practices;
Appendix B - PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES
DAILY PHYSICAL EDUCATION
The school district will provide physical education classes that:
- are taught by a certified physical education teacher;
- are for all students in grades K-12 for the entire school year, grades 9-12 for 2 trimesters, and can only have a waiver for one trimester for sport involvement and academic schedule. If a waiver is signed, the parent is responsible for making sure the time in physical activity is completed by the student.
- includes students with disabilities, students with special health-care needs may be provided in alternative educational settings;
- engage students in moderate to vigorous activity during at least 50 percent of physical education class time, examines possible fitness options for secondary students, (i.e. Pilates, yoga, tae chi, aerobic exercise), and encourages personal recordkeeping of fitness endeavors;
(The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes a week for elementary students and 225 minutes for middle and high school students);
Daily Recess:
Elementary schools should provide recess for students that:
- is at least 20 minutes a day;
- is preferably outdoors and if weather prohibits will be physically active in the classroom or other facilities within the building;
- encourages moderate to vigorous physical activity verbally and through the provision of space and equipment; recess monitors shall engage themselves with inactive students.
- discourages extended periods (i.e., periods of two or more hours) of inactivity.
When activities, such as mandatory school wide testing, make it necessary for students to remain indoors for long periods of time, schools should give students periodic breaks during which they are encouraged to stand and be moderately active.
Physical Activity and Punishment
Employees should not use physical activity( e.g. running laps, pushups) or withhold opportunities for physical activity ( e.g. recess, physical education) for punishment.
Note- Iowa law now requires elementary students, k-5, to have 30 minutes of physical activity, not physical education, per day. This requirement can be met through a combination of PE, recess, classroom and other activities. Middle and high school students must have at least 120 minutes of physical activity per week. Again this is not just physical education but can be met with a combination of
PE, school and non-school sponsored athletics and other activities where the body is exerted. Should a student wish to meet the requirements outside of school, the student and the school district must have an agreement detailing the outside activity. A physical activity sample agreement may be found at East Buchanan Physical Activity Contract
Appendix C - OTHER SCHOOL-BASED ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE STUDENT WELLNESS
Integrating Physical Activity into Classroom Settings
For students to receive the nationally recommended amount of daily physical activity and for students to fully embrace regular physical activity as personal behavior, students need opportunities for physical activity beyond the physical education class. To ward that end, the school district will:
. encourage classroom teachers to provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes, as appropriate.
OPTIONAL ISSUES
COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS
The school district will support parents’ efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children. The school district will:
. provide nutrient analyses of school menus;
. encourage parents to pack healthy lunches and to refrain from including beverages and foods that do not meet the established nutrition standards for individual foods and beverages or are larger than 20 ounces. (e.g. no pop or juice containing less than 50% fruit juice for cold lunches and field trips).
Food Marketing in Schools
School-based marketing will be consistent with nutrition education and health promotion. The school district will:
. limit food and beverage marketing to the promotion of foods and beverages that meet the nutrition standards for meals or for foods and beverages sold individually;
. promote healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low fat dairy products.
Staff Wellness
The school district values the health and well-being of every staff member and will plan and implement activities and policies that support efforts by staff to maintain a healthy lifestyle:
. establish and maintain a staff wellness committee composed of staff members, school nurse, students, physical education teacher, students, food service, administration, parents, school board members and community members.
Appendix D - NUTRITION GUIDELINES FOR ALL FOODS AVAILABLE ON CAMPUS
School Meals
Meals served through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs will:
- be appealing and attractive to children
- be served in a clean and pleasant setting
- meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by local, state and federal law
- offer a variety of fruits and vegetables, legumes and whole grains;
- serve only low-fat (1%) and fat-free milk and nutritionally equivalent non-dairy alternatives (as defined by the USDA)
- have nutritional substitutes (salads or salad bar) for the main entrée .
Schools should:
- engage students and parents, through taste-tests of new entrée and surveys ( establish Taste-Test Ambassadors from student council and each elementary classroom), in selecting foods offered through the meal programs in order to identify new, healthful and appealing food choices: and,
- share information about the nutritional content of meals with parents and students. Enlist a student cadet to help food service publish the nutritional content on the school website and menu board.
Breakfast
To ensure that all children have breakfast, either at home or at school, in order to meet their nutritional needs and enhance their ability to learn the school will:
- operate the breakfast program, to the extent possible;
- arrange bus schedules and utilize methods to serve breakfasts that encourage participation,
Free and Reduced-Priced Meals
The school district will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to, and prevent the overt identification of, students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. Toward this end the school district may:
- utilize electronic identification and payment systems;
- provide meals at no charge to all children, regardless of income; and,
- promote the availability of meals to all students.
Meal Times and Scheduling
The school district:
- will provide students with at least 10 minutes to eat after sitting down for breakfast and 20 minutes after sitting down for lunch
- should schedule meal periods at appropriate times, e.g. lunch should be scheduled between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.: should not schedule tutoring, club or organizational meetings or activities during mealtimes, unless students may eat during such activities;
- will attempt to schedule lunch periods to follow recess periods (in elementary schools)
- will provide students access to hand washing or hand sanitizing before they eat meals or snacks
- take reasonable steps to accommodate students with special oral health needs (e.g., orthodontia or high tooth decay risk).
Qualification of Food Service Staff
Qualified nutrition professionals will administer the meal programs. As part of the school district’s responsibility to operate a food service program, the school district will
- provide continuing professional development for all nutrition professionals; and,
- provide staff development programs that include appropriate certification and/or training programs for cafeteria workers according to their levels of responsibility.
- hire a part time dietician or other food service specialist to help food service staff develop and serve healthy attractive complete meals that meet federal guidelines.
Sharing of Foods
The school district discourages students from sharing their foods or beverages, except from the sharing table, with one another during meal or snack times, given concerns about allergies and some children’s diet restrictions.
Foods Sold Outside the Meal (e.g. vending, a la carte, sales)
All foods and beverages sold individually outside the reimbursable meal programs( including those sold through a la carte lines, vending machines, student stores or fundraising activities) during the school day, or through programs for students after the school day will meet nutrition standards as required by state and federal law.
Fundraising Activities
There are two types of fundraising-regulated and other. Regulated fundraisers are those that offer the sale of foods or beverages on school property and that are targeted primarily to PK-12 students by or through other PK-12 students, student groups, school organizations or through on-campus school stores. Regulated fundraising activities must comply with the state nutritional guidelines. All other fundraising activities are encouraged, but not required, to comply with the state nutritional guidelines if the activities involve foods and beverages.
The school district encourages fundraising activities that promote physical activity.
Snacks
Snacks served during the school day will make a positive contribution to children’s diets and health. With an emphasis on serving fruits and vegetables as the primary snack, a fruit or a vegetable will be offered for elementary snacks on Tuesday and Thursday. The wellness committee will look into applying for a fruit and vegetable grant for the upcoming years. Schools will assess if and when to offer snacks based on timing of meals, children’s nutritional needs, children’s ages and other considerations. Snacks offered at school will come from the cafeteria.
Rewards
The school district will not use foods or beverages, especially those that do not meet the nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold individually, as rewards for academic performance or good behavior, and will not withhold food or beverages (including food served through meals) as a punishment.
Celebrations
Schools should evaluate their celebrations/birthday practices that involve food during the school day.
School-Sponsored Events
Foods and beverages offered or sold at school-sponsored events outside the school day are encouraged to comply with nutrition standards for meals or for foods and beverages sold individually.
Food Safety
All foods made available on campus comply with the state and local food safety and security guidelines.
- All foods made available on campus comply with state and local food safety and sanitation regulations. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans and guidelines are implemented to prevent food illness in schools.
- For the safety and security of food and facility, access to the food service operations are limited to food service staff and authorized personnel.
MONITORING GUIDELINES
The superintendent will ensure compliance with established school district-wide nutrition and physical activity wellness policies.
In each school:
- the principal will ensure compliance with those policies in the school and will report on the schools compliance to the superintendent; and
- food service staff will ensure compliance with nutrition policies within food service areas and will report on this matter to the superintendent or principal.
In the school district:
- The school district will report on the most recent USDA School Meals Initiative (SMI) review findings and any resulting changes. If the school district has not received a SMI review from the state agency within the past five years, the school district will request from the state agency that a SMI review be scheduled as soon as possible;
- the superintendent will develop a summary report every three years on school district-wide compliance with the school district’s established nutrition and physical activity, wellness policies; based on input from schools within the district’ and
- The report will be provided to the school board and also distributed to all school wellness committee, principals and health service personnel in the school district.
POLICY REVIEW
To help with the initial development of the school district’s wellness policies, each building in the school district will conduct a baseline assessment of the school’s existing nutrition and physical activity environments and practices. The results of those assessments will be compiled at the school district level to identify and prioritize needs.
Assessments will be repeated every year to help review policy compliance, assess progress and determine areas in need of improvement. As part of that review, the school district will review the nutrition and physical activity policies and practices and the provision of an environment that supports healthy eating and physical activity. The school district will revise the wellness policies and develop work plans to facilitate their implementation.
Approved September 13, 2023
Reviewed___September 13, 2023_______