Code No. 507.09
WELLNESS POLICY
The board promotes healthy students by supporting wellness, good nutrition and regular physical activity as a part of the total learning environment. The school district supports a healthy environment where students learn and participate in positive dietary and lifestyle practices. By facilitating learning through the support and promotion of good nutrition and physical activity, schools contribute to the basic health status of students. Improved health optimizes student performance potential.
The school district provides a comprehensive learning environment for developing and practices lifelong wellness behaviors. The entire school environment, not just the classroom, shall be aligned with healthy school district goals to positively influence a student's understanding, beliefs and habits as they relate to good nutrition and regular physical activity.
The school district supports and promotes proper dietary habits contributing to students' health status and academic performance. All food available on school grounds and at school-sponsored activities during the instructional day should meet or exceed the school district nutrition standards and in compliance with state and federal law. Foods should be served with consideration toward nutritional integrity, variety, appeal, taste, safety and packaging to ensure high-quality meals.
The school district will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to, and prevent the overt identification of, students who are eligible for free and reduced - price meals. Toward this end, the school district may utilize electronic identification and payment systems; provide meals at no charge to all children, regardless of income; promote the availability of meals to all students; and/or use nontraditional methods for serving meals, such as "grab-and-go" of classroom breakfast.
The school district will develop a local wellness policy committee comprised of representatives of the board, parents, leaders in food/exercise authority and employees. The local wellness policy committee will develop a plan to implement the local wellness policy and periodically review and update the policy. The committee will designate an individual to monitor implementation and evaluation the implementation of the policy. The committee will report annually to the board and community regarding the content and effectiveness of this policy and recommend updates if needed. When monitoring implementation, schools will be evaluated individually with reports prepared by each school and the school district as a whole. The report will include which schools are in compliance with this policy, the extent to which this policy compares to model Wellness policies and describe the progress made in achieving the goals of this policy
** Specific Wellness Goals
• specific goals nutrition education and promotion, (appendix A)
• physical activity (appendix B)
• other school-based activities that are designed to promote student wellness
The nutrition guidelines for all foods available will focus on promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity (insert specific guidelines (appendix D)
The board will monitor and evaluate this policy by (appendix E)
Code No. 507.09
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WELLNESS POLICY
Approved 06/12/06 Reviewed 03/09/11; 10/21/15; 4/11/16; 4/6/21 Revised 08/11/10; 7/11/12; 4/9/19
Legal Reference: Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42U.S.C. 1751 etseq (2005)
Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.,
Iowa Code 256.7(29), 256.11(6)
281 IAC 12.5(19), 12.5 (20), 58.11
Cross Reference: 504.6 Student Activity Program
710 School Food Services
MORNING SUN COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Code No.507.09
Appendix A
NUTRITION EDUCATION AND PROMOTION
The school district will provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion that:
- is offered at each grade level as part of a sequential, comprehensive, standards-based program designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health
- is part of not only health education classes, but also classroom instruction in subjects such as math, science, language arts, social sciences, and elective subjects
- includes enjoyable, developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant participatory activities, such as contests, promotions, taste-testing, farm visits, and school gardent
- promotes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, healthy food preparation methods, and health-enhancing nutrition practices
- emphasizes caloric balance between food intake and physical activity
- links with meal programs, other foods, and nutrition-related community services
- includes training for teacher and other staff
Code No. 507.09
Appendix B
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Daily Physical Education
The school district will provide physical education that:
- is for all students in grade K-6 for the entire year
- is taught by a certified physical education teacher
- includes students with disabilities, students with special health-care needs may be provided in alternative educational settings
- engages students in moderate to vigorous activity during at least 50 percent of physical education class time
(The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes a week for elementary students and 225 minutes a week for middle and high school students);
Daily Recess
Elementary schools should provide recess for students that:
- is at least 20 minutes a day
- is preferably outdoors
- encourages moderate to vigorous physical activity verbally and through the provision of space and equipment
- discourages extended periods (i.e. periods of two or more hours) of inactivity
When activities, such as mandatory school-wide testing, make it necessary for students to remain indoors for long periods of time, schools should give students periodic breaks during which they are encouraged to stand and be moderately active.
Physical Activity and Punishment
Employees should not use physical activity (e.g. running laps, pushups) or withhold opportunities for physical activity (e.g. recess, physical education) as punishment.
Code No. 507.09
Appendix C
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OTHER SCHOOL -BASED ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE STUDENT WELLNESS
Integrating Physical Activity into Classroom Settings
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 the physical education class. Toward that end, the school district will:
- offer classroom health education that complements 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
- discourage sedentary activities, such as watching television, playing computer games, etc
- provide opportunities for physical activity to be incorporated into other subject lessons
- encourage classroom teacher to provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes, as appropriate
Optional Issues
Communication with Parents
The school district will support parents' efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children. The school district will:
- offer healthy eating seminars for parents, send home nutrition information, post nutrition tips on school web sites, and provide nutrient analyses of school menus
- encourage parents to pack healthy lunches and snacks and to refrain from including beverages and foods that do not meet the established nutrition standards for individual foods and beverages
- provide parents a list of foods that meet the school district's snack standards and ideas for healthy celebrations/parties, rewards and fundraising activities
- provide opportunities for parents to share their healthy food practices with others in the school community
- provide information about physical education and other school-based physical activity opportunities before, during, and after the school day
- support parents' efforts to provide their children with opportunities to be physically active outside of school
- include sharing information about physical activity and physical education through a web site, newsletter, other take-home materials, special events, or physical education homework
Food Marketing in Schools
Morning Sun Community School District promotes the sale and advertisement of healthy foods and beverages.
Code No. 507.09
Appendix C
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Code No. 507.09
Appendix D
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NUTRITION GUIDELINES FOR ALL FOODS AVAILABLE ON CAMPUS
School Meals
Meals served through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs will:
- be appealing and attractive to children
- be served in clean and pleasant settings
- meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by local, state, and federal law
- offer a variety of fruits and vegetables
- serve only low-fat (1%) and fat-free milk and nutritionally equivalent non-dairy alternatives as definted by the USDA
- ensure that half of the served grains are whole grain
Schools should:
- engage students through taste tests of new entrees and surveys in selecting foods offered through the meal programs in order to identify new, healthful, and appealing food choices
- share information about the nutritional content of meals with parents and students. The information could be made available on menus, a web site, on cafeteria menu boards, placards or other point-of-purchase materials.
Breakfast
To 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, schools will:
- operate the breakfast program, to the extent possible
- arrange bus schedules and utilize methods to serve breakfasts that encourage participation
- notify parents and students of the availability of the School breakfasts Program where available
- encourate parents to provide a healthy breakfaset for their children through newsletter articles, take-home materials, or other means
• operate the breakfast program, to the extent possible;
Free and Reduced-Priced Meals
The school district will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to, and prevent the overt identification of, students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. Toward this end, the school district may:
• utilize electronic identification and payment systems;
• provide meals at no charge to all children, regardless of income; and,
• promote the availability of meals to all students.
Code No. 507.09
Appendix D
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Meal Times and Scheduling
The school district:
- will provide students with at least 10 minutes to eat after sitting down for breakfast and 20 minutes after sitting down for lunch
- should schedule meal periods at appropriate times, e.g. lunch should be schedules between 11 am and 1 pm; should not schedule tutoring, club, or organizational meetings or activities during mealtimes unless students may eat during such activities
- will provide students access to hand washing or hand sanitizing before they eat meals or snacks
- should take reasonable steps to accommodate the tooth brushing regimens of students with special oral health needs (e.g. orthodontia or high tooth fdecay risk
Qualification of Food Service Staff
Qualified nutrition professionals will administer the meal programs. As part of the school district's responsibility to operate a food service program, the school district will:
- provide continuing professional development for all nutrition professionals
- provide staff development programs that include appropriate certification and/or training programs for child nutrition directors, nutrition managers, and cafeteria workers, according to their levels of responsibility
Sharing of Foods
The school district discourages students from sharing their foods or beverages with on another during meal or snack times, given concerns about allergies and other restrictions on some children's diets.
Foods Sold Outside the Meal (e.g. vending, a la carte, sales)
All foods and beverages sold individually outside the reimburseable meal programs (including those sold through a la carte (snack) lines, vending machines, student stores or fundraising activities) during the school day, or through programs for students after the school day will meet nutrition standards as required by state and federal law. For current state guidelines, go to http://tinyurl.com/Iowa-HKA.
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Appendix D
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Fundraising Activities
There are two types of fundraising – regulated and other. Regulated fundraisers are those that offer the sale of foods and beverages on school property and that are targeted primarily to PK-12 students by or through other PK-12 students, student groups, school organizations, or through on-campus school stores. Regulated fundraising activities must comply with the state nutrition guidelines. All other fundraising activities are encouraged, but not required, to comply with the state nutrition guidelines if the activities involve foods and beverages.
Snacks
Snacks served during the school day or in after-school care or enrichment 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 meals, children's nutritional needs, children's ages and other considerations. The school 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.
Rewards
The school district will not use 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, and will not withhold food or beverages (including food served through meals) as a punishment.
Celebrations
Schools should evaluate their celebrations practices that involve food during the school day. The school district will disseminate a list of healthy party ideas to parents and teachers.
School-Sponsored Events
Foods and beverages offered or sold at school-sponsored events outside the school day are encouraged to meet the nutrition standards for meals or for foods and beverages sold individually.
Food Safety
All foods made available on campus adhere to food safety and security guidelines.
Code 507.09
Appendix D
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• All foods made available on campus comply with the state and local food safety and sanitation regulations. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans and guidelines are implemented to prevent food illness in schools.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/resources/servingsafe_chapter6.pdf
• For the safety and security of the food and facility, access to the food service operations are limited to child nutrition staff and authorized personnel.
Summer Meals
Schools in which more than 50 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals will sponsor the Summer Food Service Program for at least six weeks between the last day of the academic school year and the first day of the following school year, and, preferably, throughout the entire summer vacation.
Code No. 507.09
Appendix E
PLAN FOR MEASURING IMPLEMENTATION
Monitoring
The superintendent will ensure compliance with established school district-wide nutrition and physical activity wellness policies.
In each school:
- the principal will ensure compliance with those policies in the school and will report on the school's compliance to the superintendent
- food service staff, at the school or district level, will ensure compliance with nutrition policies within food service areas and will report on this matter to the superintendent or principal
In the school district:
- the school district will report on the most recent USDA School Meals Initiative (SMI) review findings and any resulting changes. If the school has not received a SMI review from the state agency within the past five years, the school district will request from the state agency that a SMI review be scheduled as soon as possible;
- the superintendent will develop a summary report every three years on school district-wide compliance with the school district's established nutrition and physical activity wellness policies, based on input from schools within the school district; and,
- the report will be provided to the school board and also distributed to all school wellness committees, parent/teacher organizations, principals and health services personnel in the school district.
Policy Review
To help with the initial development of the school district's wellness policies, each school in the school district will conduct a baseline assessment of the school's existing nutrition and physical activity environments and practices. The results of those school-by-school assessments will be compiled at the school district level to identify and prioritize needs.
Assessments will be repeated every 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 the nutrition and physical activity policies and the provision of an environment that supports healthy eating and physical activity. The school district, and individual schools within the school district will, revise the wellness policies and develop work plans to facilitate their implementation.