As required by law, the Board of Education establishes the following wellness policy for the DeWitt Public 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, 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 ensure that:
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| | | 1. | Nutrition education is included in the Health curriculum so that instruction is sequential and standards-based and provides students with knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to lead healthy lives.
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| | | 2. | Nutrition education is integrated into other subject areas of the curriculum, when appropriate, to complement, but not replace, the standards and benchmarks for health education.
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| | | 3. | Nutrition education standards and benchmarks promote the benefits of a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, and low-fat and fat-free dairy products.
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| | | 4. | Parents are provided information that is designed to encourage them to reinforce at home the standards and benchmarks being taught in the classroom.
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| | B. | With regard to physical education, the District shall ensure that:
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| | | 1. | All students in grades 1-8, including those with disabilities, special health care needs and in alternative educational settings (to the extent consistent with the students' IEPs), shall receive regular and consistent instruction in physical education.
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| | | 2. | All students graduating in 2010 or less, including those with disabilities, special health care needs and in alternative educational settings (to the extent consistent with the students' IEPs), shall receive instruction in physical education for at least one (1) semester in grades 9-12. All students graduation in 2011 or beyond, including those with disabilities, special health care needs and in alternative educational settings (to the extent consistent with the students' IEPs), shall receive instruction in physical education for at least nine (9) weeks in grades 9-12.
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| | | 3. | The quality, 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.
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| | | 4. | 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.
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| | C. | With regard to physical activity, the District shall ensure that:
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| | | 1. | Physical activity should not be employed as a form of discipline or punishment during the normal school day.
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| | | 2. | All students in grades 1-6 shall be provided with an opportunity for daily physical activity.
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| | | 3. | The District shall promote a wide range of physical activities outside the regular school day that meets the needs, interests, and abilities of all students.
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| | D. | With regard to other school-based activities the District shall ensure that:
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| | | 1. | 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.
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| | | 2. | Schools will promote the health of all students by hosting health clinics and screenings when appropriate and encouraging parents to enroll their eligible children in Medicaid or in other children's health insurance programs for which they may qualify.
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| | E. | With regard to food service for students the District shall ensure that:
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| | | 1. | Students are provided with healthy food options that meet the Michigan Department of Education recommendations in school ala cart options, food service, normal school day concessions, vending machines, and promote healthy food options at parties, fundraisers and other school-related activities.
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| | | 2. | The food service program will strive to provide meals and healthier ala cart items to students at efficient speeds to increase the number of students purchasing meals and healthier options.
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| | | 3. | 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.
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| | | 4. | 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.
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| | | 5. | All foods available and routinely offered 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 students ala carte or from vending machines. Michigan Department of Education recommendations will also be considered when reducing the number of unhealthy foods offered.
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| | | 6. | All foods available to students in District programs, other than the food service program, shall be served with consideration for promoting student health and well-being by presenting balanced choices. Occasional treats are permitted.
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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 the 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 8/14/06
Revised 3/12/07