| Van Buren Intermediate School District |
| Bylaws & Policies |
8510 - WELLNESS
As required by law, the Board of Education establishes the following wellness policy for the Van Buren Intermediate 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. | Instruction related to the standards and benchmarks for nutrition education shall be provided by highly qualified teachers. |
| B. | With regard to physical activity, the District shall: |
| 1. | Physical Education |
| a. | 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. | |||
| b. | 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. | |||
| c. | Planned instruction in physical education shall be presented in an environment free of embarrassment, humiliation, shaming, taunting, or harassment of any kind. |
| 2. | Physical Activity |
| a. | Physical activity shall not be employed as a form of discipline or punishment. | |||
| b. | 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. |
| C. | With regard to other school-based activities the District 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. | An organized wellness program shall be available to all staff. |
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 food service program shall be administered by a director who is properly qualified, certificated, licensed, or credentialed, according to current professional standards. | |
| E. | Continuing professional development shall be provided for all staff of the food service program. |
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 as the individual 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 three (3) 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 8/2/06