Perry Township Schools
Bylaws & Policies
 

8510 - WELLNESS

As required by law, the School Board establishes the following wellness policy for the School Corporation 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 Corporation'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:

 
 

1.

Health education will be provided as part of a comprehensive health education program and taught by a licensed health education instructor.

 
 

2.

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.

 

3.

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

 
 

4.

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

 
 

5.

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

 
 

6.

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

 
 

7.

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.

 
 

8.

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

 
 

B.

With regard to physical activity, the Corporation 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.

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

 

f.

Physical education classes 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.

 
 

g.

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.

 
 

h.

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.

 
 

i.

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

 
 

j.

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

 
 

k.

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

 
 

l.

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

 
 

m.

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.

All students in grades K- 5/6 shall be provided with a daily recess period at least twenty (20) minutes in duration.

 
 

d.

In addition to planned physical education, the school shall provide age-appropriate physical activities (e.g., recess during the school day, intramurals and clubs before and after school, and interscholastic sports) that meet the needs of all students, including males, females, students with disabilities, and students with special health care needs.

 
 

C.

With regard to other school-based activities the Corporation shall:

 
 

1.

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

 
 

2.

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

 
 

3.

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

 
 

4.

An organized wellness program shall be available to all staff.

 
 

5.

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.

 
 

6.

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.

 
 

7.

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.

 
 

D.

With regard to nutrition promotion, the Corporation shall:

 
 

1.

create an environment that reinforces the development of healthy eating habits, including offering the following healthy foods:

 
 

a.

a variety of fresh produce to include those prepared without added fats, sugars, refined sugars, and sodium

 
 

b.

whole grain products – all grains will be whole grain rich

 
 

c.

fluid milk that is fat-free (unflavored and flavored) and low-fat (unflavored)

 
 

d.

meals designed to meet specific calorie ranges for age/grade groups

 
 

2.

eliminate trans-fat from school meals;

 
 

3.

require students to select a fruit or vegetable as part of a complete reimbursable meal;

 
 

4.

provide opportunities for students to develop the knowledge and skills for consuming healthful foods;

 
 

5.

marketing of food and beverages on the school campus during the school day will only be of food and beverages that meet Smart Snacks requirements

 
 

6.

food and beverages not sold, but available during the school day on the school campus, should be encouraged to include nutritious snacks and beverages.

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 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.

 
 

F.

The school food service program may involve staff and school officials in the selection of competitive food items to be sold in the schools.

 

G.

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

 
 

H.

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

 
 

I.

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

The Board designates the Superintendent and designee(s) as the individual(s) charged with operational responsibility for measuring and evaluating the Corporation's implementation and progress under this policy. The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines necessary to implement this policy.

The Superintendent and designee(s) shall appoint the Corporation wellness committee that includes parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, educational staff (including physical education teachers), school health professionals, parents, interested members of the public, representatives of interested community organizations, and school administrators to oversee the development, implementation, evaluation, and periodic update, if necessary, of the wellness policy.

The wellness committee shall be an ad hoc committee of the Board with members recruited and appointed annually.

The appointed Corporation wellness committee shall be responsible for accomplishing the following:

 

A.

assess the current environment in each of the Corporation’s schools;

 
 

B.

measure the implementation of the Corporation’s wellness policy in each of the Corporation’s schools;

 
 

C.

review the Corporation’s current wellness policy;

 
 

D.

recommend revision of the policy, as appropriate; and

 

E.

present the wellness policy, with any recommended revisions, to the Board for approval or re-adoption if revisions are recommended.

Before the end of each school year the wellness committee shall submit to the Superintendent and Board their report in which they describe the environment in each of the Corporation’s schools and the implementation of the wellness policy in each school, and identify any revisions to the policy the committee deems necessary.

The Superintendent shall report annually to the Board on the work of the wellness committee, including their assessment of the environment in the Corporation, their evaluation of wellness policy implementation Corporation-wide, and the areas for improvement, if any, that the committee identified. The committee also shall report on the status of compliance by individual schools and progress made in attaining goals established in the policy.

The Superintendent also shall be responsible for informing the public, including parents, students and community members, on the content and implementation of this policy. In order to inform the public, the Superintendent shall post the wellness policy on the Corporation’s website, including the assessment of the implementation of the policy prepared by the Corporation.

The Superintendent shall report on the Corporation'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 annually, 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.

Every three years, the wellness policy will be evaluated with an Evaluation Tool (IDOE Wellness Policy Evaluation Checklist) and the public will be notified of the results.

I.C. 20-26-9-18
42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.
42 U.S.C. 1758b
42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.
7 C.F.R. Parts 210 and 220

Revised 5/16/11
Revised 6/12/17

© Neola 2017