8510 - WELLNESS

Girard City School District

Bylaws & Policies

8510 - WELLNESS

As required by law, the Board of Education establishes the following wellness policy for the School District as a part of a comprehensive wellness initiative.

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.

Schools alone, however, cannot develop in students healthy behaviors and habits with regard to eating and exercise. 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 standards-based and provides students with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to lead healthy lives.

	2.	Nutrition education shall be included in the sequential, comprehensive Health curriculum in accordance with the curriculum standards and benchmarks established by the State.

	3.	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.

	4.	Nutrition education standards and benchmarks shall be age-appropriate and culturally relevant.


		5.	Nutrition education shall include enjoyable, developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant participatory activities, such as contests, promotions, taste testing, and others.

		6.	Nutrition education shall include opportunities for appropriate student projects related to nutrition, involving, when possible, community agencies and organizations.

		7.	Nutrition education shall extend beyond the classroom by engaging and involving the school's food service staff.

		8.	Nutrition education posters, such as the Food Pyramid Guide, will be displayed in the cafeteria.

		9.	The school cafeteria shall serve as a learning lab by allowing students to apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills taught in the classroom when making choices at mealtime.

		10.	Nutrition education shall extend beyond the school by engaging and involving families and the community.

		11.	Nutrition education shall reinforce lifelong balance by emphasizing the link between caloric intake (eating) and exercise in ways that are age-appropriate.

		12.	Nutrition education benchmarks and standards include a focus on media literacy as it relates to food marketing strategies.

		13.	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.

		14.	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.

		15.	Instruction related to the standards and benchmarks for nutrition education shall be provided by highly qualified teachers.


	16.	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:

	1.	Physical Education

		a.	A sequential, comprehensive physical education program shall be provided for students in K-12 in accordance with the physical education academic content standards and benchmarks adopted by the State.

		b.	The sequential, comprehensive physical education curriculum shall provide students with opportunities to learn, practice, and be assessed on developmentally appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to engage in lifelong, health-enhancing physical activity.

		c.	Planned instruction in physical education shall be sufficient for students to achieve a proficient level with regard to the standards and benchmarks adopted by the State.

		d.	Planned instruction in physical education shall promote participation in physical activity outside the regular school day.

		e.	All students in grades 1 - 6, including those with disabilities, special health care needs and in alternative educational settings (to the extent consistent with the students' IEPs), shall receive instruction in physical education for forty (40) minutes two (2) days per week for the entire school year.

		f.	All students, including those with disabilities, special health care needs and in alternative educational settings (to the extent consistent with the students' IEPs), shall receive instruction in physical education for forty (40) minutes five (5) days per week for at least one (1) semester in grades 7 -10.


			g.	The physical education curriculum shall provide sequential instruction related to the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to participate in lifelong, health-enhancing physical activity.

			h.	Physical education classes shall provide students with opportunities to learn, practice, and be assessed on developmentally appropriate motor skills and social skills, as well as knowledge.

			i.	The sequential, comprehensive physical education curriculum shall stress the importance of remaining physically active for life.

			j.	The K-12 program shall include instruction in physical education as well as opportunities to participate in competitive and non-competitive team sports to encourage lifelong physical activity.

			k.	Planned instruction in physical education shall require students to be engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least fifty percent (50%) of scheduled class time.

			l.	Teachers properly certificated/licensed in the subject area of physical education shall provide all instruction in physical education.

			m.	Professional development opportunities should focus on the physical education content area.

			n.	Planned instruction in physical education shall teach cooperation, fair play, and responsible participation.

			o.	Planned instruction in physical education shall meet the needs of all students, including those who are not athletically gifted.

			p.	Planned instruction in physical education shall be presented in an environment free of embarrassment, humiliation, shaming, taunting, bullying or harassment of any kind.


	q.	Planned instruction in physical education shall include cooperative as well as competitive games.

	r.	Planned instruction in physical education shall take into account gender and cultural differences.

2.	Physical Activity

	a.	Physical activity should not be employed as a form of discipline or punishment.

	b.	Physical activity and movement shall be integrated, when possible, across the curricula and throughout the school day.

	c.	Schools shall encourage families to provide physical activity outside the regular school day, such as outdoor play at home, participation in sports sponsored by community agencies or organizations, and in lifelong physical activities like bowling, swimming, or tennis.

	d.	The school shall provide information to families to encourage and assist them in their efforts to incorporate physical activity into their children's daily lives.

	e.	The school shall encourage families and community organizations to help develop and institute programs that support physical activity of all sorts.

	f.	All students in grades K - 12 shall have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities and intramural programs that emphasize physical activity.

	g.	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 thirty (30) minutes daily for students to eat.

	2.	The schools shall schedule mealtimes so there is minimum disruption by bus schedules, recess, and other special programs or events.

	3.	The school shall provide attractive, clean environments in which the students eat.

	4.	Students at all buildings are not permitted to have drinks in the classroom.

	5.	Activities, such as tutoring or club meetings, shall not be scheduled during mealtimes, unless students may eat during those meetings.

	6.	Schools may limit the number of celebrations involving serving food during the school day to no more than one (1) party(ies) per class per month.

	7.	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.

	8.	An organized wellness program shall be available to all staff.

	9.	The schools may use environmentally friendly practices, such as the use of locally grown foods and non-disposable tableware and dishes.

	10.	The schools may provide opportunities for staff, parents, and other community members to model healthy eating habits by dining with students in the school dining areas.

	11.	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.


		12.	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.

		13.	Students are discouraged from sharing their foods or beverages with one another during meal times, given concerns about allergies and other restrictions on some students' diets.

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 strive to be financially self-supporting; however, if it is necessary to subsidize the operation, it will not be through the sale of foods with minimal nutritious value.

	D.	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.

	E.	All foods available on campus during the school day shall comply with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including competitive foods that are available to students a la carte in the dining area, as classroom snacks, from vending machines, for classroom parties, or at holiday celebrations.

	F.	All foods available to students in the dining area during school food service hours shall comply with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including competitive foods available to student a la carte or from vending machines.


	G.	Beginning with 2010 - 2011 school year, all foods available to students on campus during the school day and outside school food service hours shall comply with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including foods available to students as classroom snacks, from vending machines for fund raisers, for classroom parties, or at holiday celebrations.

	H.	The school food service program may involve students, parents, staff, and/or school officials in the selection of competitive food items to be sold in the schools.

	I.	All foods available to students in District programs, other than the food service program, shall be served with consideration for promoting student health and well-being.

	J.	Each classroom party held during the school day may include no more than one (1) food or beverage that does not meet the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

	K.	The food service program shall be administered by a qualified nutrition professional.

	L.	The food service program shall be administered by a director who is properly qualified, certificated, licensed, or credentialed, according to current professional standards.

	M.	All food service personnel shall receive pre-service training in food service operations.

	N.	Continuing professional development shall be provided for all staff of the food service program.

The Board designates the Superintendent and/or 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 4/26/06
Revised 10/27/11