Policy

Nekoosa School District Wellness Policy

8510 - WELLNESS

This policy supports the mission of the School District: Providing the environment that cultivates maximum student and staff potential. Nutrition influences a child’s development, health, well being and potential for learning. To afford students and staff the opportunity to fully participate in the education process, students and staff must attend school with minds and bodies ready to take advantage of their learning environment that supports lifelong healthy eating habits. Decisions made in all school programming need to reflect and encourage positive nutrition messages and healthy food choices.

Section 204 of Public Law 111-296

Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010

SEC. 204 LOCAL WELLNESS POLICY

At a minimum the School District will:

1. Include goals for nutrition education, physical activity and other school- based activities that are designed to promote student wellness in a manner that the School District determines are appropriate.

2. Include nutrition guidelines selected by the School District for all foods available during the school day with the objectives of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity. Also provide an assurance that guidelines for reimbursable school meals shall not be less restrictive than regulations and guidance issued by the Secretary of Agriculture.

3. Involve parents, students, food service personnel, members of the school board, school administrators, and the public in the development of the school wellness policy.

4. Establishes a plan for measuring implementation of the wellness policy, including the designation of one (1) or more persons at each school, charged with operational responsibility for ensuring that the school meets the wellness policy requirements.

School Curriculum

The School District curriculum will enable students to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to make healthy food choices and physical activity habits for a lifetime.

1. Nutrition education will be integrated into all curricular areas to provide students K-12 with a consistent message of building habits that support a healthy lifestyle. Nutrition education will be linked with the school food environment by modeling nutrition education messages in the classroom, the cafeteria and across the District by offering locally grown food whenever possible within the school meal program as well as al a carte sales and vending machines.
   

2. The School District will support the use of school property to promote nutrition, physical education, and curricular and co-curricular activities through the school gardens. The gardens will provide students with experiences in planting, harvesting, preparing, serving, and tasting foods, to be integrated with nutrition education and core curriculum, and articulated with state standards. The District will support the sustainability of school gardens through activities including, but not limited to, fundraising, solicitation of community donations, use of existing resources, and allocation of School District funds. Whenever possible, school gardens will be connected with food service.

3. The District will provide K-12 students with physical education programming that meets or exceeds the Department of Public Instruction/National Association for Sport and Physical Education standards(includes recess). Teacher to student ratio will be closely monitored by administration. The District will employ physical education staff members who are properly qualified, certified and/or credentialed professionals. The District will provide continuing education opportunities to those individuals.

4. The physical education curriculum will emphasize knowledge and skills for a lifetime of regular physical activity, be consistent with state and national standards, include a wide variety of physical activities, and encourage participation in physical activity after school and outside of school. The standards are; for elementary school students ninety (90) minutes per week, for secondary school students 215 minutes per week for the entire school year.

5. Elementary school students will have a minimum of twenty (20) minutes per day of supervised recess, preferably outdoors. During which, schools should encourage moderate to vigorous physical activity. Students can also earn additional physical activity time which may include, but not limited to, open gym or extra recess time.

6. The physical education curriculum for K-12 will include the five (5) components of physical fitness (cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition). The school will provide a physical and social environment that encourages safe and enjoyable activity for all students, including those who are not athletically gifted. Adequate equipment will be available for all students to participate in physical education.

7. Substitutions for physical activity curriculum will not be permitted without proper medical documentation.

8. Students will have the opportunity to participate in various activities (Wellness Breaks) during the school day. In addition, students will have opportunities to be involved in school sanctioned clubs and other extracurricular activities after the school day.

Nutrition Standards

All students have access to the school lunch program. The District strictly adheres to the income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced meals as established by the Secretary of Agriculture and disseminated to the District through the Department of Public Instruction. Income eligibility information is published annually. All requests for free and reduced meals are processed using state/federal approved forms. Each school year, after July 1st, families will receive an informational packet regarding free/reduced meals; in addition, this information will be posted at three different locations within the community. After the start of the school year, the District will continue to provide information about free/reduced meals. Assurances are made that guidelines for reimbursable meals shall not be less restrictive than regulation and guidelines established by the Secretary of Agriculture.

The Nekoosa School District will retain confidentiality regarding students personal meal information. All students will be provided meals regardless of their School Nutrition Program (SNP) account balance. The school district will work with families in a variety of ways to communicate and resolve negative account balances. The District utilizes a barcode system that maintains confidentiality for students purchasing free and reduced meals.

The School District strongly encourages the sale or distribution of nutrient dense foods for all school functions and activities. Nutrient dense foods are those foods that provide students with calories rich in the nutrient content needed to be healthy. In an effort to support the consumption of nutrient dense foods in the school setting, the School District has adopted the following Nutrition Standards governing the sale of food and beverages:

School Nutrition Guidelines

1. The School District will follow USDA National School Lunch and Breakfast Program Guidelines in planning meals offered. Meals served through the school lunch and breakfast program shall, over the course of five days, derive no more than thirty percent (30%) of their totalcalories from fat and less than ten percent (10%) for total calories from saturated and trans fats combined.

2. Nuts and seeds are exempt from these standards because they are nutrient dense and contain high levels of monounsaturated fat. Foods high in monounsaturated fat help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol and maintain "good" HDL cholesterol.

3. It is recognized that there may be rare special occasions when the school principal may allow a school group to deviate from these guidelines.

4. The School District will provide food options that are low in fat, calories, sodium, and added sugars and encourage the consumption of nutrient dense foods. For example, whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables.

5. Fresh whole foods meeting the nutritional guidelines will be purchased locally and included in the school lunch and breakfast programs when feasible. Also, locally grown, fresh whole foods will be sold on the ala carte menu when feasible.

Non-Food Service Nutrition Guidelines

1. Vending machines shall be turned off during the instructional day as to not interfere with the school lunch program.

2. The School District will offer, promote, and competitively price healthy food choices to be more attractive to students than unhealthy ones. The Go, Slow, Whoa model will be used as a marketing tool to inform students and staff of healthier food options. Promotion of unhealthy food choices will be restricted.

3. The School District will ensure food and beverages sold in vending and ala carte will adhere to nutrition standards based on the current USDA food nutrition guidelines. Classroom teachers will consult with the head cook to ascertain whether a food item meets nutritional guidelines.

-USDA Smart Snack Standards are:

• Calories: 200 or less

• Sodium: 200mg or less

• Total Fat: 35% of calories or less

• Sugars: 35% by weight or less

* The classroom teacher will need authorization from the building principal to deviate from these guidelines.

Beverages

1. Vending sales of soda, artificially sweetened, or caffeinated drinks will not be permitted during the times when school lunch or breakfast programs are operating.
   

2. Vending sales of soda, artificially sweetened, or caffeinated drinks will be discouraged.

3. The vending sale of beverages with less than ten percent (10%) fruit juice may begin at the conclusion of the instructional day.

4. Low-fat milk, water, and fruit juices may be sold or made available on school grounds both prior to and throughout the instructional day.

5. The School District will encourage increased consumption of water throughout the day.; water fountains and bottle fillers are available to students through the day including during meal times.

Candy

The vending of candy will not be permitted during the instructional day.

Fundraising

1. All fundraising projects are encouraged to offer healthier alternative items.

2. Items being sold must not interfere or compete with the school lunch or breakfast programs.

3. Food and beverages sold through school stores will follow USDA guidelines surrounding products sold.

The policy of the School District is to:

1. Provide a positive environment and appropriate knowledge regarding food.

1. Ensure that all students have access to healthy food choices during school and at school functions.

2. Provide a pleasant eating environment for students and staff.

3. Allow a minimum of twenty (20) minutes for students to eat lunch and socialize in the designated cafeteria area.

4. Enable students to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to make healthy food choices for a lifetime.

2. School food service, in partnership with other school departments and community organizations, will work to creatively market and promote locally grown food to students. Staff will also increase the availability of fresh whole foods and limit consumption of processed foods during the school lunch program. Marketing will be done to increase participation in the school lunch program.
   

3. Teachers, parents, and support staff are encouraged to consider non-food items as student incentives or rewards. If food is used for celebrations or incentives, those food items should adhere to the nutrition guidelines. Anyone who brings a group snack will be encouraged to use whole grains, fruits, vegetables, or other foods that make a positive contribution the children’s diet and health. Parents will be encouraged to provide nutritional treats that are prepackaged such as raisins, unsalted nuts, dried fruit, or low-fat string cheese.

4. When curricular-based food experiences are planned, staff and students are encouraged to seek out good nutrition choices whenever appropriate.

5. The School District hires a food service vendor to manage the school nutrition program. They insure staff are properly qualified, certified, and/or credentialed in school nutrition operations, as well as properly trained.

2. Reduce student access to foods of minimal nutritional value.

1. In keeping with the contractual obligations of the school lunch and breakfast programs, ensure the integrity of the school lunch and breakfast programs by prohibiting food and beverage sales that are in direct conflict with the lunch and breakfast programs.

2. Encourage the practice of good nutrition by reducing the sale or distribution of foods of minimal nutritional value through a three-year plan that focuses on:

1. Reducing access to non-nutritional foods

2. Educating students about healthy foods

3. Selective pricing that favors sales of healthy foods

Wellness Committee

According to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, various players are to play an active role in the development, implementation, and assessment of wellness policies. The School District will establish and maintain a wellness committee to advise and implement wellness policies, procedures, and goals.

1. The wellness committee will establish and evaluate a plan for policy implementation.

2. The wellness committee will meet a minimum of quarterly throughout the year.

3. The wellness committee will measure the implementation of the policy as well as identify which schools are in compliance.

4. The wellness committee will address strategies to improve the wellness of staff and students.
   

5. The School District or school will request participation of parents, students, food service personnel, teachers, school health professionals, school board members, administrators, and community members to meet District wellness goals as well as state and federal mandates.

Wellness Evaluation:

1. The Wellness Committee will meet annually to specifically review the wellness policy and make recommendations for improvements to the School Board Policy Committee. The Wellness Committee and building administrators will be responsible for ensuring that each school meets the local policy and will implement practices and procedures for meeting the requirements of the wellness policy.

2. The Nekoosa Wellness Committee will complete an assessment every three years following guidelines from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI); this assessment will include a plan for updating the wellness policy based on the results of the assessment. The results of the triennial assessment and updates to the wellness policy will be made available to the public through presentations at school board meetings and on the district website under the wellness link.