| Farwell Area Schools |
| Bylaws & Policies |
8510 - WELLNESS
As required by law, the Board of Education establishes the following wellness policy for the Farwell School District.
The Board recognizes that good nutrition and regular physical activity affect the health and well-being of the District's students. Furthermore, research concludes 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 integrated into other subject areas of the curriculum, when appropriate, to complement, but not replace, the standards and benchmarks for health education. | ||
| 2. | Nutrition education standards and benchmarks shall be age-appropriate and culturally relevant. | ||
| 3. | Nutrition education shall extend beyond the classroom by engaging and involving the school's food service staff. | ||
| 4. | Nutrition education posters, such as the Food Pyramid Guide, will be displayed in the cafeteria. | ||
| 5. | Nutrition education shall reinforce lifelong balance by emphasizing the link between caloric intake (eating) and exercise in ways that are age-appropriate. | ||
| 6. | Nutrition education standards and benchmarks promote the benefits of a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, and low-fat and fat-free dairy products. | ||
| 7. | Staff responsible for providing instruction in nutrition education shall regularly participate in professional development activities designed to better enable them to teach the benchmarks and standards. | ||
| 8. | The District shall provide information to parents that is designed to encourage them to reinforce at home the standards and benchmarks being taught in the classroom. |
| B. | With regard to physical activity, the District shall: | |
| A sequential, comprehensive physical education program shall be provided for students in K-12 in accordance with the standards and benchmarks established by the State. | ||
| C. | With regard to other school-based activities the District shall: |
| 1. | The school shall provide attractive, clean environments in which the students eat. | ||
| 2. | Students, parents, and other community members shall have access to, and be encouraged to use, the school's outdoor physical activity facilities outside the normal school day. | ||
| 3. | The schools may demonstrate support for the health of all students by hosting health clinics and screenings and encouraging parents to enroll their eligible children in Medicaid or in other children's health insurance programs for which they may qualify. |
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 school food service program may involve students, parents, staff, school officials in the selection of competitive food items to be sold in the schools. | |
| E. | The food service program shall be administered by a qualified nutrition professional. |
The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines necessary to implement this policy, including, but not limited to, the manner in which the implementation of this policy shall be regularly evaluated by the principal of each school. The Board designates the Superintendent and Food Service Director as the individuals charged with operational responsibility for verifying that the District meets the goals established in 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 one (1) year, 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 7/1/06