| Defiance City School District |
| Bylaws & Policies |
8510 - WELLNESS
As required by law, the Board of Education establishes the following wellness policy for the District.
The Board recognizes that good nutrition and regular physical activity affect the health and well being of the District's students. Furthermore, research suggests that there is a positive correlation between a student's health and well being and his/her ability to learn. Moreover, schools can play an important role in the developmental process by which students establish their health and nutrition habits by providing nutritious meals and snacks through the schools' meal programs, by supporting the development of good eating habits, and by promoting increased physical activity both in and out of school.
The Board, however, believes this effort to support the students' development of healthy behaviors and habits with regard to eating and exercise cannot be accomplished by the schools alone. It will be necessary for not only the staff, but also parents and the public at large to be involved in a community-wide effort to promote, support, and model such healthy behaviors and habits.
The Board sets the following goals in an effort to enable students to establish good health and nutrition habits:
| A. | With regard to nutrition education, the District shall: |
| 1. | Nutrition education shall be included in the Health curriculum so that instruction is sequential and provides students with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to lead healthy lives. | ||
| 2. | Nutrition education shall be integrated into other subject areas of the curriculum, when appropriate. | ||
| 3. | Nutrition education shall extend beyond the school by engaging and involving families and the community. | ||
| 4. | Professional development activities in the area of nutrition shall be provided to the staff yearly. |
| B. | With regard to physical activity, the District shall: |
| 1. | Physical Education |
| a. | The physical education curriculum shall provide sequential instruction related to the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to participate in lifelong, health-enhancing physical activity. | |||
| b. | Properly certificated, highly qualified teachers shall provide all instruction in physical education. | |||
| c. | Planned instruction in physical education shall teach cooperation, fair play, and responsible participation. | |||
| d. | Planned instruction in physical education shall be presented in an environment free of embarrassment, humiliation, shaming, taunting, or harassment of any kind. |
| 2. | Physical Activity |
| a. | All students in grades K - 6 shall be provided with a daily recess. | |||
| b. | The school shall provide information to families to assist them in their efforts to incorporate physical activity into their children's daily lives. | |||
| c. | All students in grades 7-12 shall have the opportunity to participate in interscholastic sports programs. |
| C. | With regard to other school-based activities the District shall: |
| 1. | The schools shall provide at least twenty (20) minutes daily for students to eat. | ||
| 2. | The school shall provide attractive, clean environments in which the students eat. | ||
| 3. | Schools will encourage nutritional and healthy snacks. |
4 Schools in our system utilize electronic identification and payment systems, therefore, eliminating any stigma or identification of students eligible to receive free and/or reduced meals.
Furthermore, with the objectives of enhancing student health and well being, and reducing childhood obesity, the following guidelines are established:
| A. | In accordance with Policy 8500, entitled Food Service, the food service program shall comply with Federal and State regulations pertaining to the selection, preparation, consumption, and disposal of food and beverages as well as to the fiscal management of the program. | |
| B. | As set forth in Policy 8531, entitled Free and Reduced Price Meals, the guidelines for reimbursable school meals are not less restrictive than the guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). | |
| C. | The food service program will provide all students affordable access to the varied and nutritious foods they need to be healthy and to learn well. | |
| D. | The food service program shall be administered by a director who is properly qualified, certificated, licensed, or credentialed, according to current professional standards. |
The Board designates the building principals as the individual(s) charged with operational responsibility for measuring and evaluating the District's implementation and progress under this policy. The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines necessary to implement this policy.
The Superintendent shall report on the District's compliance with this policy and the progress toward achieving the goals set forth herein when requested to do so by the Board.
Review of this policy shall occur every two (2) years, by a committee appointed by the Board, consisting of a representative(s) of the Board, the administration, the food service provider, the parents, the students, and the public. The committee shall provide the Board with any recommended changes to this policy.
42 U.S.C. 1751, Sec. 204
42 U.S.C. 1771
Adopted 6/26/06