As required by law, the Board of Education establishes the following wellness policy for the Medina City 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 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:
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| | | 1. | Maintain nutrition education within the curriculum. The District shall strive to integrate nutrition education into the school community.
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| | | 2. | Each school facility shall establish a Diverse School Wellness Advisory Team to include certified and classified staff, food service, parents, community members, and students. This group's responsibility will be to implement and structure programs appropriate to each school and report progress towards wellness policy compliance to the District's Wellness Committee.
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| | | 3. | Schools will demonstrate support for the health of all students by jointly sponsoring such programs as "Nutrition Week" during the month of March.
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| | | 4. | 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.
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| | | 5. | Nutrition education posters, such as "The My Pyramid" will be displayed in the cafeteria.
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| | | 6. | The Food Services Department will gather data on student breakfast habits to coincide with a marketing plan to introduce and implement a "pilot' school breakfast program.
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| | | 7. | The Food Services Department will develop a list of healthy snack suggestions for parents, staff and school organizations.
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| | B. | With regard to physical activity, the District shall:
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| | | 1. | Stress the importance of remaining physically active for life in the sequential, comprehensive physical education curriculum.
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| | | | a. | Strive for year round participation in physical activity for all students K-12.
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| | | | b. | Planned instruction in physical education shall include cooperative as well as competitive games and will meet the needs of all students.
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| | | | c. | Planned instruction in physical education shall strive to engage students to be engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least seventy-five (75%) of scheduled class time.
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| | | 2. | Physical activity and movement shall be integrated, when possible, across the curriculum and throughout the school day.
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| | | | a. | In addition to planned physical education, the school shall provide age-appropriate physical activity (e.g., recess during the school day, intramurals and clubs before and after school, and interscholastic sports) that meet the needs of all students.
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| | | | b. | Schools shall encourage families to provide physical activity outside the regular school day, such as walking or biking to and from school, outdoor play at home, participation in sports sponsored by community agencies or organizations, and in lifelong physical activities like bowling, swimming, or tennis.
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| | C. | With regard to other school-based activities the District shall:
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| | | 1. | Schedule mealtimes so there is minimum disruption by bus schedules, recess, and other special programs or events.
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| | | 2. | The schools shall provide at least fifteen (15) uninterrupted minutes daily for students to sit down and eat aside from recess time.
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| | | 3. | Activities, such as tutoring or club meetings, shall not be scheduled during mealtimes, unless students may eat during these meetings.
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| | | 4. | Schools shall limit the number of celebrations involving serving unhealthy food choices to no more than one per class per month and will be scheduled so as not to interfere with or affect the school lunch participation.
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| | | 5. | Schools shall encourage fundraisers that promote positive health habits such as the sale of non-food and nutritious food items, as well as fundraising to support physical activity events.
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| | | 6. | Schools in Medina City Schools utilize electronic identification and payment systems, therefore, eliminating any stigma or identification of students eligible to receive free and/or reduced meals.
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| | | 7. | The schools may participate in various nutrition program opportunities for staff, parents, and other community members. All adults are encouraged to model healthy eating habits when dining with students in the school dining areas.
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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.
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| | | 1. | 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 students a la carte, from vending machines, as classroom snacks, for fund raising, for classroom parties, or at holiday celebrations.
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| | | 2. | Food items that are utilized as a component of the type A lunch program may not follow these guidelines. The food items from the type A lunch are nutritionally evaluated using the required one (1) week averaging for all items of the lunch.
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| | | 3. | Food items not a component of the type A lunch program will have the following guidelines:
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| | | | a. | No deep fried foods.
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| | | | b. | No more than thirty-five percent (35%) calories from fat.
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| | | | c. | No more than thirty-five percent (35%) weight from sugar.
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| | | | d. | Beverages (other than milk, water, and 100% fruit juice) all other products will not have more than 300 calories per container.
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| | | 4. | All vending machines accessible to students during lunch periods must adhere to current USDA Dietary Guidelines and may not be in direct competition with the school lunch program.
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| | | 5. | Of the snack choices available at any given time, excluding milk, juice and water, elementary and secondary students will be limited to the total number of snack purchases.
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| | | 6. | Encourage availability of healthy food choices at concession stand sales and during any school-related event.
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| | B. | As set forth in Policy 8531, entitled Free and Reduced Price Meals, the guideline for reimbursable school meals are not less restrictive than the guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
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| | | 1. | The food service program shall be administered by a director who is properly qualified, certificated, licensed or credentialed according to current nutritional professional standards.
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| | | 2. | Continuing professional development shall be provided for all staff of the food service program.
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The Board designates the building principals as the individuals 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 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