8510 - WELLNESS

Southern Local School District

Bylaws & Policies

8510 - WELLNESS

As required by law, the Board of Education establishes the following wellness policy for the Southern Local 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 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:

With regard to nutrition education, the District shall:

		1.	Nutrition education shall be included in the Health curriculum so that instruction is sequential and standards-based and provides students with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to lead healthy lives.
		2.	Nutrition education shall be included in the sequential, comprehensive Health curriculum in accordance with the curriculum standards and benchmarks established by the State.
		3.	Nutrition education shall include enjoyable, developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant participatory activities, such as contests, promotions, taste testing, and others.
		4.	Nutrition education posters, such as the Food Pyramid Guide, will be displayed in the cafeteria.
		5.	Nutrition education shall extend beyond the school by engaging and involving families and the community.
		6.	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.
		7.	Staff responsible for providing instruction in nutrition education shall participate in professional development activities designed to better enable them to teach the benchmarks and standards.
		8.	The family and consumer science lab and elementary mobile kitchen unit will serve as a learning lab by allowing students to apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills taught in the classroom when making choices at mealtime.

With regard to physical activity, the District shall:

Physical Education

			a.	A sequential, comprehensive physical education program shall be provided for students in K-12 in accordance with the standards and benchmarks established by the State.
			b.	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.
			c.	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.
			d.	Planned instruction in physical education shall teach cooperation, fair play, and responsible participation.

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 3-12 shall have the opportunity to participate in interscholastic sports programs.

With regard to other school-based activities the District shall:

		1.	The schools shall provide at least twenty (20) minutes daily for students to eat.
		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.	Schools may limit the number of celebrations involving serving food during the school day to no more than one (1) party per class per month.
		5.	The schools may demonstrate support for the health of all students by hosting health clinics and screenings and encouraging parents to enroll their eligible children in Medicaid or in other children's health insurance programs for which they may qualify.
		6.	Schools in our system utilize electronic identification and payment systems, therefore, eliminating any stigma or identification of students eligible to receive free and/or reduced meals.
		7.	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.	In accordance with Policy 8500, entitled Food Service, the food service program shall comply with Federal and State regulations pertaining to the selection, preparation, consumption, and disposal of food and beverages as well as to the fiscal management of the program.
	B.	As set forth in Policy 8531, entitled Free and Reduced Price Meals, the guidelines for reimbursable school meals are not less restrictive than the guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
	C.	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.
	D.	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.
	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.
	G.	Each classroom party held during the school day may include one (1) or more food or beverage that does meet the current USDA Dietary Guidelines or Americans.

The Board designates the building principals as the individual(s) charged with operational responsibility for measuring and evaluating the District's implementation and progress under this policy. The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines necessary to implement this 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 two (2) 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

Effective: August 1, 2006

Adopted 4/24/06