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 practicing 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 foods 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. See the DE guidance on
Healthy Kids Act
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; promote the availability of meals to all students;
and/or use nontraditional methods for serving meals, such as "grab-and-go" or classroom breakfast.
The school district will develop a local wellness policy committee comprised of parents, students, and representatives of the school food authority, the school board,
school administrators, the public, physical education teachers, and school health professionals. 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 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 for nutrition education and promotion, (see Appendix)
- physical activity, (see Appendix)
- other school-based activities that are designed to promote student wellness, (see Appendix)
The nutrition guidelines for all foods available will focus on promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity in the school district.
The board will monitor and evaluate this policy. (- see Appendix).
Appendix
Nutrition Education and Promotion
The school district will provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion that:
- promotes fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, healthy food preparation methods and health-enhancing nutrition
practices; - includes enjoyable, developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant participatory activities, such as contests, promotions, taste-testing, farm visits and
school gardens; - emphasizes caloric balance between food intake and physical activity;
- emphasizes reading a label and knowing nutritional values; and,
- includes training for teachers and other staff.
Physical Activity
The school district will provide physical education that:
- is for all students in grades K-12 for the entire school year;
- is taught by a certified physical education teacher at least 60 minutes a week for elementary students and 90 minutes a week for middle and high school
students; - includes students with disabilities (students with special health-care needs may be provided in alternative educational settings); and,
- engages students in moderate to vigorous activity during at least 50 percent of physical education class time.
The elementary school should provide recess for students that:
- is at least 40 minutes per day for PK-4 and preferably outdoors;
- is at least 20 minutes per day for 5-6 and preferably outdoors;
- encourages moderate to vigorous physical activity verbally and through the provision of space and equipment; and,
- discourages extended periods of inactivity (periods of two or more hours).
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.
Students will have a total physical activity time (including physical education, recess, and personal activity) for a minimum of 30 minutes per day for elementary (PK-5)
students and 120 minutes per week for secondary (6-12) students.
Note - Iowa law now requires elementary students, K-5, to have 30 minutes of physical activity, not physical education, per day. This requirement can be met
through a combination of PE, recess, classroom and other activities. Middle and high school students must have at least 120 minutes of physical activity per week.
Again this is not just physical education but can be met with a combination of PE, school and non-school sponsored athletics and other activities where the body is
exerted. Should a student wish to meet the requirement outside of school, the student and school district must have an agreement detailing the outside activity. A
physical activity sample agreement may be found on IASB's Web site at: http://www.ia-sb.org/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=7768 or the Iowa Department of
Education Healthy Kids Act.
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.
Physical Activity Opportunities after School
After-school child care and enrichment programs will provide and encourage—verbally, and through the provision of space, equipment and activities—daily periods of
moderate to vigorous physical activity for all participants.
Other School-Based Activities that Promote Student Wellness
The school district will support parents’ efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children . The school district will:
- discourage sedentary activities, such as watching television, playing computer games, etc.;
- encourage classroom teachers to provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes, as appropriate;
- 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;
- include sharing information about physical activity and physical education through a web site, newsletter, other take-home materials, special events or physical education homework;
- share information about nutritional content of meals with parents and students; and,
- provide healthy alternatives for food sold individually.
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.
All foods made available on campus adhere to food safety and security guidelines.
- 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.
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; and,
- food service staff, at the school or school 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 district 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 practices 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.
Legal Reference: Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq. (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: 504.5 Student Fund Raising
504.6 Student Activity Program
710 School Food Services
Approved _6-16-2014__
Reviewed _7-20-2015__
Revised ______________
