8510 - WELLNESS

Girard City School District

Bylaws & Policies

8510 - WELLNESS
Preamble

Whereas, children need access to healthful foods and opportunities to be physically active in order to grow, learn, and thrive;

Whereas, good health fosters student attendance and education;

Whereas, obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the last two (2) decades, and physical inactivity and excessive calorie intake are the predominant causes of obesity;

Whereas, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are responsible for two-thirds of deaths in the United States, and major risk factors for those diseases, including unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity, and obesity, often are established in childhood;

Whereas, thirty-three percent (33%) of high school students nationally do not participate in sufficient vigorous physical activity and seventy-two percent (72%) of high school students do not attend daily physical education classes;

Whereas, only two percent (2%) of children nationally (2 to 19 years) eat a healthy diet consistent with the five (5) main recommendations from the Food Guide Pyramid;

Whereas, nationally, the items most commonly sold from school vending machines, school stores, and snack bars include low-nutrition foods and beverages, such as soda, sports drinks, imitation fruit juices, chips, candy, cookies, and snack cakes;

Whereas, school districts around the country are facing significant fiscal and scheduling constraints; and

Whereas, community participation is essential to the development and implementation of successful school wellness policies;

Whereas, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 established a new requirement that all school districts with a Federally-funded school meals program develop and implement wellness policies that address nutrition and physical activity no later than the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year;

Thus, the Girard City School District is committed to providing school environments that promote and protect children's health, well being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. Therefore, it is the policy of the Girard City School District that:

	A.	The school district shall engage students, parents, teachers, food service professionals, health professionals, and other interested community members in developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing district-wide nutrition and physical activity policies.
	B.	All students in grades K-12 will have opportunities, support, and encouragement to be physically active on a regular basis.
	C.	Foods and beverages sold by school food services will meet the nutrition recommendations of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

	D.	Qualified child nutrition professionals will provide students with access to a variety of affordable, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students; will accommodate the religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the student body in meal planning; and will provide clean, safe, and pleasant settings and adequate time for students to eat.
	E.	To the maximum extent practicable, all schools in our district will participate in available federal school meal programs (including the School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program, and Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program (if applicable).
	F.	Schools will provide nutrition education and physical education to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity, and will establish linkages between health education and school meal programs, and with related community services.

TO ACHIEVE THESE POLICY GOALS
School Wellness Committee

The school district will create, strengthen, or work within the existing School Wellness Committee to develop, implement, monitor, review, and, as necessary, revise school nutrition and physical activity policies. The committee also will serve as resources to school sites for implementing those policies. (The School Wellness Committee shall be made up of individuals representing the school and community, and should include parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, members of the school board, school administrators, teachers, health professionals, and members of the public.)

Nutritional Goals and Quality of Foods and Beverages Sold and Served on Campus

School Meals. Meals served through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs will:

	A.	be appealing and attractive to children;
	B.	be served in clean and pleasant settings;
	C.	meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by local, State, and Federal statutes and regulations;
	D.	offer a variety of fruits and vegetables;¹
	E.	serve only low-fat (1 and 2%) and/or fat-free milk² and nutritionally-equivalent non-dairy alternatives (to be defined by USDA); and
	F.	ensure that half of the served grains are whole grain.³

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^{1 To the extent possible, schools will offer at least two (2) non-fried vegetable and two (2) fruit options each day and will offer five (5) different fruits and five (5) different vegetables over the course of a week. Schools are encouraged to source fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers when practicable.
^{2 As recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005.

^{3 A whole grain is one (1) labeled as a "whole" grain product or with a whole grain listed as the primary grain ingredient in the ingredient statement. Examples include "whole" wheat flour, cracked wheat, brown rice, and oatmeal.}}}

Breakfast. To help 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:

	A.	Schools will, to the extent possible, operate a School Breakfast Program in the elementary and intermediate schools.
	B.	Schools that serve breakfast to students will notify parents and students of the availability of the School Breakfast Program.
	C.	Schools will encourage parents to provide a healthy breakfast for their children through newsletter articles, take-home materials, or other means.

Nutrition and Physical Activity Promotion

Nutrition Education and Promotion. The Girard City School District aims to teach, encourage, and support healthy eating by students. Schools should provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion that:

	A.	Nutrition education shall be included in the sequential, comprehensive Health and PE curriculum in accordance with the curriculum standards and benchmarks established by the State.
	B.	Nutrition education shall be integrated into core curriculum areas, when appropriate, to complement, but not replace, the standards and benchmarks for health education.
	C.	Nutrition education shall include opportunities for appropriate student projects related to nutrition, involving, when possible, community agencies and organizations.
	D.	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. Each cafeteria shall display nutrition information.
	E.	Nutrition education shall extend beyond the school by engaging and involving families and the community through newsletters and one Family Nutrition night per school year. 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 and provide healthy meals.
	F.	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 and teach the skills they need to adopt healthy living behaviors.
	G.	Staff responsible for providing instruction in nutrition education shall annually participate in professional development activities designed to better enable them to teach the benchmarks and standards.
	H.	The District shall eliminate the sale of carbonated and high sugar beverages in cafeterias by the start of the 2006-2007 school year.
	I.	The District shall reduce the sale of carbonated and high sugar beverages in vending machines outside of the cafeterias by fifty percent (50%) in 2006-2007 and by seventy-five percent (75%) in 2007-2008 and thereafter.
	J.	The District shall decrease the sale of low-nutrition snacks in ala-carte and vending machines by fifty percent (50%) for the 2006-2007 school year (over the 2005-2006 school year).
	K.	The District shall offer all students two percent (2%), one percent (1%), and/or fat-free milk.
	L.	The District shall promote fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, healthy food preparation methods, and health-enhancing nutrition practices.

Goals for Physical Activity Opportunities and Physical Education

Physical Activity and Physical Education - The Girard City Board of Education believes that all students are entitled to comprehensive physical education activities in order to promote each student's physical well being.

	A.	All students shall be given opportunities for physical activity during the school day through PE classes, daily recess periods for elementary students, and the integration of physical activity into the academic curriculum.
	B.	A sequential, comprehensive physical education program That integrates health and nutrition shall be provided to students in K-12 in accordance with the standards and shall include age-appropriate assessments.
	C.	All students in grades 1-6 shall receive instruction in physical education for forty (40) minutes two (2) days per week for the entire school year.
	D.	All students in grades 7-10 shall take semester or semester equivalent course in physical education annually.
	E.	The physical education curriculum shall provide sequential, comprehensive physical education that will 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.
	F.	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.
	G.	Planned instruction in physical education shall require students to be engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least eighty percent (80%) of scheduled class time.
	H.	Properly certificated, highly qualified teachers shall provide as the teacher of record all instruction in physical education.
	I.	The District shall provide information to families to encourage and assist them in their efforts to incorporate physical activity into their children's daily lives outside of the regular school day.
	J.	Teachers will not withhold opportunities for physical activity in PE classes as punishment or as a means to make up work missed due to excused absence. Further, the District will limit lunch detentions to no more than two (2) days per week at any building.
	K.	The District shall encourage and expect that physical activity is integrated into the classroom setting. For students to receive the nationally-recommended amount of daily physical activity and for students to fully embrace regular physical activity as a personal behavior, students need opportunities for physical activity beyond physical education class. Toward that end:

		1.	classroom health education will complement physical education by reinforcing the knowledge and self-management skills needed to maintain a physically-active lifestyle and to reduce time spent on sedentary activities, such as watching television;
		2.	opportunities for physical activity will be incorporated into other subject lessons; and
		3.	classroom teachers will provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes, as appropriate.

Goals for Other School and Community-based Activities

The Girard City Board of Education believes that a comprehensive Wellness program combines school and community to present a unified message to students.

	A.	The District shall limit the number of celebrations involving serving food during the school day to no more than one (1) party per class per school year. Each party should include no more than one (1) food or beverage that does not meet nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold individually. The district will disseminate a list of healthy party ideas to parents and teachers.
	B.	The District will assure that snacks served during the school day or in after-school enrichment and intervention programs will make a positive contribution to children's diets and health, with an emphasis on serving fruits and vegetables as the primary snacks and water as the primary beverage. Schools will assess if and when to offer snacks based on timing of school meals, children's nutritional needs, children's ages, and other considerations. The district will disseminate a list of healthful snack items to teachers, after-school program personnel, and parents. If eligible, schools that provide snacks through after-school programs will pursue receiving reimbursements through the National School Lunch Program.
	C.	Schools will limit the use of 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,⁴ and will not withhold food or beverages (including food served through school meals) as a punishment.
	D.	An organized wellness program shall be available to all staff. A staff Wellness plan shall be submitted annually to the Wellness Committee that outlines ways to encourage healthy eating, physical activity, and other elements of healthy lifestyles.
	E.	School District highly values the health and well-being of every staff member and will plan and implement activities and policies that support personal efforts by staff to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Each school should establish and maintain a staff wellness committee composed of at least one (1) staff member, a wellness committee member, school nurse, and union representatives. The committee should develop, promote, and oversee a multifaceted plan to promote staff health and wellness. The plan should be based on input solicited from school staff and should outline ways to encourage healthy eating, physical activity, and other elements of a healthy lifestyle among school staff. The staff wellness committee should distribute its plan to the district's Wellness Committee annually.

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^{4 Unless this practice is allowed by a student's Individual Education Plan (IEP)

F. The District shall attempt to make school spaces and facilities available to students, staff, and community members, during, non-school hours when possible. These spaces and facilities also should be available to community agencies and organizations offering physical activity and nutrition programs. School policies concerning safety will apply at all times.

G. The District shall partner with community support groups to increase the sale of nutritious foods while decreasing the sale of foods and beverages with minimal nutritious value at concession stands during school events. District and support group representatives will make every effort to assure that foods and beverages offered or sold at school-sponsored events outside the school day will meet the nutrition standards for meals or for foods and beverages sold individually.

H. Qualified nutrition professionals will administer the school meal programs. As part of the school district's responsibility to operate a food service program, the District will provide continuing professional development for nutrition professionals in schools. Staff development programs should include appropriate certification and/or training programs for child nutrition directors, school nutrition managers, and cafeteria workers, according to their levels of responsibility.⁵

I. To support children's health and school nutrition programs, the District will limit fundraising activities that use foods of minimal nutritious value and encourage fundraising activities that promote physical activity and healthy choices. The school district will make available a list of ideas for acceptable fundraising activities.

J. The District will not permit staff, business, or student entrepreneurs to sell (excluding approved fundraisers) food or beverages.

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^{5 School nutrition staff development programs are available through the USDA, School Nutrition Association, and National Food Service Management Institute.

K. The district/school will support parents' efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children. The district/school will offer informational meetings for parents, send home nutrition information, post nutrition tips on school websites, and provide school menus. The District will encourage parents to pack healthy lunches and snacks. The district/schools will provide parents and staff a list of foods that meet the district's snack standards and ideas for healthy celebrations/parties, rewards, and fundraising activities.

L. The district will support parents' efforts to provide their children with opportunities to be physically active outside of school. Such supports will include sharing information about physical activity and physical education through a website, newsletter, or other take-home materials, informational meetings and special events.}}Monitoring and Policy Review

Monitoring. The Superintendent or designee will ensure compliance with established district-wide nutrition and physical activity wellness policies. In each school, the principal or designee will ensure compliance with those policies in his/her school and will report on the school's compliance to the school district superintendent or designee.

School food service staff, at the school or district level, will ensure compliance with nutrition policies within school food service areas and will report on this matter to the superintendent (or if done at the school level, to the school principal). In addition, the school district will report on the most recent USDA School Meals Initiative (SMI) review findings and any resulting changes. If the district has not received a SMI review from the state agency within the past five (5) years, the district will request from the state agency that a SMI review be scheduled as soon as possible.

The Superintendent or designee will develop a summary report every three (3) years on district-wide compliance with the district's established nutrition and physical activity wellness policies, based on input from schools within the district. That report will be provided to the school board and also distributed to all school health councils, parent/teacher organizations, school principals, and school health services personnel in the district.

Policy Review. To help with the initial development of the district's wellness policies, each school in the district will conduct a baseline assessment of the school's existing nutrition and physical activity environments and policies.⁶ The results of those school-by-school assessments will be compiled at the district level to identify and prioritize needs.

Assessments will be repeated every three (3) years to help review policy compliance, assess progress, and determine areas in need of improvement. As part of that review, the school district will review our nutrition and physical activity policies; provision of an environment that supports healthy eating and physical activity; and nutrition and physical education policies and program elements. The district, and individual schools within the district, will, as necessary, revise the wellness policies and develop work plans to facilitate their implementation.

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^{6 Useful self-assessment and planning tools include the School Health Index from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Changing the Scene from the Team Nutrition Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Opportunity to Learn Standards for Elementary, Middle, and High School Physical Education from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education
42 U.S.C. 1751, Sec. 204

42 U.S.C. 1771}

Adopted 4/26/06

	F.	The District shall attempt to make school spaces and facilities available to students, staff, and community members, during, non-school hours when possible. These spaces and facilities also should be available to community agencies and organizations offering physical activity and nutrition programs. School policies concerning safety will apply at all times.
	G.	The District shall partner with community support groups to increase the sale of nutritious foods while decreasing the sale of foods and beverages with minimal nutritious value at concession stands during school events. District and support group representatives will make every effort to assure that foods and beverages offered or sold at school-sponsored events outside the school day will meet the nutrition standards for meals or for foods and beverages sold individually.
	H.	Qualified nutrition professionals will administer the school meal programs. As part of the school district's responsibility to operate a food service program, the District will provide continuing professional development for nutrition professionals in schools. Staff development programs should include appropriate certification and/or training programs for child nutrition directors, school nutrition managers, and cafeteria workers, according to their levels of responsibility.⁵
	I.	To support children's health and school nutrition programs, the District will limit fundraising activities that use foods of minimal nutritious value and encourage fundraising activities that promote physical activity and healthy choices. The school district will make available a list of ideas for acceptable fundraising activities.
	J.	The District will not permit staff, business, or student entrepreneurs to sell (excluding approved fundraisers) food or beverages.

	K.	The district/school will support parents' efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children. The district/school will offer informational meetings for parents, send home nutrition information, post nutrition tips on school websites, and provide school menus. The District will encourage parents to pack healthy lunches and snacks. The district/schools will provide parents and staff a list of foods that meet the district's snack standards and ideas for healthy celebrations/parties, rewards, and fundraising activities.
	L.	The district will support parents' efforts to provide their children with opportunities to be physically active outside of school. Such supports will include sharing information about physical activity and physical education through a website, newsletter, or other take-home materials, informational meetings and special events.