| Wa-Nee Community School Corporation |
| Bylaws & Policies |
8510 - WELLNESS
As required by law, the Board of Education establishes the following wellness policy for the Wa-Nee Community Schools.
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.
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 Corporation shall: |
| 1. | Nutrition education shall be included in the sequential, comprehensive Health curriculum in accordance with the curriculum standards and benchmarks established by the State. | ||
| 2. | Nutrition education may 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 may include enjoyable, developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant participatory activities, such as contests, promotions, taste testing, and others. | ||
| 5. | Nutrition education posters, such as the Food Pyramid Guide, will be displayed in the cafeteria. | ||
| 6. | 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. | ||
| 7. | Nutrition education shall reinforce lifelong balance by emphasizing the link between caloric intake (eating) and exercise in ways that are age-appropriate. | ||
| 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 accordance with the standards and benchmarks established by the State. | |||
| b. | The physical education curriculum shall provide sequential instruction related to the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to participate in lifelong, health-enhancing physical activity. | |||
| c. | 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. | |||
| d. | The sequential, comprehensive physical education curriculum shall stress the importance of remaining physically active for life. | |||
| e. | 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. | |||
| f. | Planned instruction in physical education shall be sufficient for students to achieve a proficient level with regard to the standards and benchmarks established by the State. | |||
| g. | The 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. | Properly certificated, highly qualified teachers 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, or harassment of any kind. | |||
| m. | Planned instruction in physical education shall include cooperative as well as competitive games. | |||
| n. | Planned instruction in physical education shall take into account gender and cultural differences, and ability levels. | |||
| o. | Planned instruction in physical education shall promote participation in physical activity outside the regular school day. |
| 2. | Physical Activity |
| a. | 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. | |||
| b. | All students in grades 6-12 shall be shall have the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities and intramural programs that emphasize physical activity. | |||
| c. | All students in grades 6-12 shall be shall have the opportunity to participate in interscholastic sports programs. | |||
| 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 healthcare 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. | 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. | ||
| 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. | 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 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.
| B. | 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. | |
| C. | 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. | |
| D. | The school food service may involve staff and school officials in the selection of competitive food items to be sold in the schools. | |
| E. | All food service personnel shall receive pre-service training in food service operations. | |
| F. | Continuing professional development shall be provided for all staff of the food service program. |
The Board designates the Superintendent as the individual 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 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 every five (5) 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 5/22/06