WELLNESS POLICY
6142.101(a)
Instruction
School
Nutrition and Physical Activity (Student Wellness)
Purpose
and Goal
The Easton,
Redding, and Region 9 School Districts strive to make a
significant contribution to the general well-being and the
education of each student. It is the conviction of the boards of
education that good health optimizes student performance and
leads to richer lives. The ER9 School Districts therefore,
support the maintenance of an environment where students learn
healthy habits, participate in regular physical activity and
receive proper nutrition as part of their total educational
experience.
Creating,
sustaining and promoting opportunities for appropriate physical
activity assist every student to develop knowledge and skills
leading to fitness, increased physical awareness and
understanding of the benefits of an active and healthy
lifestyle. Physical education plays a critical role in
developing those skills and enhancing confidence. Provision of
safe, accessible and affordable opportunities, as well as
related instruction, guided by knowledgeable and supportive
adults, influence the extent to which students choose to engage
in and to enjoy physical activity throughout life.
In addition,
nutrition impacts general health and readiness to learn. The
lifelong habits of students are often affected by the foods they
select or those that are available to them. For this reason, all
foods available by the ER9 Schools Districts during mealtimes
shall meet or exceed nutritional guidelines. Further, other
foods and beverages offered at schools should include nutritious
options.
As part of
the larger community, the ER9 School Districts are committed to
providing learning environments that encourage lifelong healthy
behavior. All ER9 schools shall be aligned with goals that
positively influence students’ understanding, beliefs and habits
related to regular physical activity and good nutrition. The
school communities shall help reinforce these positive
messages.
The Boards of
Education shall establish an ER9 Wellness Advisory Committee
with appropriately diverse representation to develop school
district policies on physical activity and nutrition for
recommendation to and approval by the boards. In coordination
with school administrators, the committee will monitor the
implementation of the policy, evaluate its effectiveness and
make recommendations for modifications if necessary.
Physical Education and Physical Activity
Daily Physical
Education and Standards-Based, Sequential Physical Education
In providing a
quality physical education program the boards of education
encourage the schools in the districts to:
6142.101(b)
Instruction
School
Nutrition and Physical Activity (Student Wellness)
Daily Physical
Education and Standards-Based, Sequential Physical Education
(continued)
·
Strive to provide physical education instructional
periods for a period of time up to one hundred fifty minutes per
week for elementary schools, and up to two hundred twenty five
minutes per week for middle and high school students, while
meeting the minimum requirement of the completion of one credit
of physical education before high school graduation.
·
Promote student participation in moderate to vigorous physical
activity for at least 50 percent of physical education class
time.
·
Continue the implementation of developmentally-appropriate,
health-related fitness assessments (e.g., The “Second
Generation” Connecticut Physical Fitness Assessment, Physical
Best, Fitness Gram and President’s Council).
·
Utilize lesson plans that increase student activity level in
school and at home.
·
Maintain alignment of the physical education curriculum with
state and national standards.
·
Provide the opportunity for physical education instructors to
engage in professional development.
Physical
Activity Opportunities Before and After School and Use of School
Facilities Outside of School Hours
Schools and
communities can provide numerous opportunities, as well as
physical facilities, for students, staff members and community
to engage in structured and unstructured physical activity.
Therefore, (i) consistent with the policy adopted by the Board
of any District regarding the use of school facilities and (ii)
so long as such use is not in conflict with the mission or
purpose of any School District, the Districts strongly encourage
school personnel to:
-
Work with
recreation agencies and other area organizations to
coordinate and enhance opportunities available to students,
staff members and the community for physical activity
outside of the regular school day.
-
Develop
periodic and ongoing programs to increase activity choices
for students, staff members and the community.
-
Maintain
collaboration with area agencies and organizations to make
school facilities available to students, staff members and
the community for physical activity in a manner that does
not infringe on the overall educational curriculum.
The use of
school facilities shall be in accordance with Board Policy and
this section is not intended to enlarge or otherwise alter the
conditions of such use under any policy.
Daily Recess
and Physical Activity and Punishment (Pre-K – 8)
Recess
provides opportunities for physical activity, which helps
students stay alert and attentive in class and provides other
educational and social benefits. Therefore, the Districts
shall:
6142.101(c)
Instruction
School
Nutrition and Physical Activity (Student Wellness)
Daily Recess
and Physical Activity and Punishment (Pre-K – 8)
(continued)
·
Encourage schedules that provide time, to the extent possible,
within every school day for students to enjoy supervised recess.
·
Have playgrounds or other facilities and equipment available for
recess.
·
Encourage students to be physically active at recess to
supplement the daily recommended activity time for children.
-
Not
substitute recess for physical education classes.
-
A planning
and placement team may develop a different schedule for a
child requiring special education and related services in
accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities
Educational Act.
-
Strongly
discourage the denial of a student’s participation in recess
or other scheduled physical activity as a form of discipline
or punishment (except for when the safety of the student
and/or others is at risk or when the student is abusing the
recess privilege itself).
-
Strongly
discourage the cancellation of recess to make up
instructional time.
Incorporating Physical Activity into the Classroom
The ER9 School
Districts strongly encourage professional development as a means
of increasing the knowledge base of staff members as it relates
to a healthy lifestyle. Staff members are encouraged to
integrate physical activity as part of the learning process.
Nutrition
Education and Promotion
To ensure the
well-being and health of all students, it is the policy of the
Boards that the following practices shall be implemented:
-
Nutrition,
health and fitness topics shall be integrated within the
sequential, comprehensive health education curriculum.
-
Nutrition
education curriculum shall be based on theories and methods
proved through published research and current science and
shall be consistent with state and national standards. All
resources and materials will be complete, accurate, balanced
and consistent with the Districts’ educational goals and
curriculum guidelines. All commercial materials shall be
reviewed for accuracy and appropriateness by the ER9
Wellness Advisory Committee.
-
Collaboration between the Districts’ health and physical
education programs and food services programs is encouraged.
Nutrition promotion shall be offered in the school cafeteria
and classrooms as appropriate.
-
The entire
school environment, not just the classroom, shall be aligned
with healthy school goals to encourage good nutrition. Staff
members are encouraged to model healthy eating behaviors.
Nutrition education, activities and promotions will be
provided to staff members, parents, students, coaches,
nurses and other caregivers in the school community as
appropriate. These activities may include but are not
limited to handouts, professional development workshops,
postings on the district website, articles, school
newsletters, and presentations that focus on nutritional
value, disease prevention, body image and self-acceptance,
stress management, and other issues related to healthy
lifestyles.
6142.101(d)
Instruction
School
Nutrition and Physical Activity (Student Wellness)
-
Staff
members responsible for nutrition education shall be
adequately prepared through regular participation in
training to effectively deliver the nutrition curriculum.
Training shall include instructional techniques and
strategies designed to promote healthy eating behaviors.
-
It is
encouraged that nutrition instruction be integrated into
other subject areas as appropriate and reasonable.
Nutrition Standards
School Meals
Nutrition
Guidelines
School meals
shall offer varied and nutritious food choices that are
consistent with USDA nutrition standards and dietary
guidelines. School meals shall meet or exceed nutrition
requirements established by local, state and federal statutes
and regulations. A variety of fruits and vegetables, milk
(according to recommendations of the USDA and AAP), water, 100%
fruit juice and whole grains will be available for purchase.
Nutritional
content of meals will be shared with students, staff members and
families.
Menu Planning
School menus
shall be planned to incorporate the principles of balance,
variety, contrast, color and eye appeal. Menu planning will
consider input from students, parents and staff members.
Breakfast
The Districts
shall promote the value of a nutritious breakfast through
implementation of a variety of promotional efforts.
Special
Dietary Needs
With appropriate medical documentation, modified meals shall be
prepared for students with food allergies or other special
dietary needs.
Other Foods and Beverages
Vending
Machines and Other Sources of Food/Snacks
Availability
of snacks and beverages sold from vending machines will be
monitored in accordance with state and federal statutes. All
vending machines accessible to students shall include a variety
of low-fat, low-sugar items such as water and 100% fruit juices.
Only beverages consistent with Public Act 06-63 should be
dispensed in student areas.
6142.101(e)
Instruction
School
Nutrition and Physical Activity (Student Wellness)
Vending
Machines and Other Sources of Food/Snacks
(continued)
Foods and
snacks that are high in sugar and/or candy will not be available
and/or distributed to students during lunchtimes through the
food service, vending machines or fundraisers. Candy is defined
as any processed food item that has any form of sugar listed as
one of its first two ingredients (e.g., table sugar, sucrose,
brown sugar, corn sweetener, fructose, glucose, dextrose, high
fructose corn syrup, honey, lactose, maltose, molasses, and raw
sugar).
Food or
Beverage Contracts
The Districts
shall evaluate all agreements with food or vending companies to
sell foods or beverages in school for compliance with the
Districts’ nutrition standards.
Fundraisers
The sale of
non-food items is strongly encouraged. To the extent fundraising
projects by students, staff members or parent organizations
include food items; it is encouraged that the products be
nutrient dense.
It is
recognized that there might be occasions when the school
principal or the head of school
could allow a school group to deviate from these
standards. Such discretion is left to the school principal or
the head of school. When occasions have been approved by the
school principal or the head of school, the sale of beverages
that are high in sugar and/or candy (as defined in vending
machine section above) to students must be conducted in
connection with an event occurring after the end of the regular
school day or on the weekend. Such sale must be at the location
of such event, and beverages and/or candy may not be sold from a
vending machine or from a school store or a school cafeteria.
Each school
should develop and distribute fundraiser guidelines that inform
the sellers about Connecticut General Statutes Section 10-221
and Public Act 06-63 regarding fundraising and low-fat food
availability and discourage the sale of candy and other sugary,
high-fat foods.
Nutrition
Practices in the Classroom and School Culture
Appropriate
portion sizes of healthy snacks are strongly encouraged in terms
of both teacher and parent practices. The use of high-sugar,
low-nutrient food items as student incentives in the classroom
is strongly discouraged. Incentives that result in increased
physical activity are encouraged (e.g., lengthened recess and
active games).
Teachers and
parents should be encouraged to limit the frequency of
celebrations that include high-sugar, low-nutrient food items.
The promotion of non-food alternatives is strongly encouraged.
Pre-K - 8
schools will provide suggestions to parents for healthy
alternatives to low-nutrient, high-sugar food items to be served
as snacks or for celebrations.
6142.101(f)
Instruction
School
Nutrition and Physical Activity (Student Wellness)
Nutrition
Practices in the Classroom and School Culture
(continued)
Schools should
assess if and when to offer snacks based on timing of school
meals, children’s nutritional needs, ages and other
considerations.
Other School-Based Activities to Promote Student Wellness
Surroundings for Eating
School meals
shall be served in clean and pleasant settings.
Time for and Scheduling of Meals
Schools shall
provide appropriate mealtimes with adequate time allocated, per
state statute, for students to eat. All full day students will
have a daily lunch period of not less than twenty minutes.
Qualifications of Food Service
The Boards
will contract with food service providers who follow state and
federal guidelines for training and safety and who include
professional development on strategies for promoting healthy
eating behaviors.
Staff Wellness
The ER9 School
Districts value the health and well-being of staff members and
support their efforts to maintain healthy lifestyles. Staff
members are encouraged to serve as role models for a healthy
lifestyle.
Communication and Promotion
Consistent Health Messages
The Districts
shall provide a learning environment for developing and
practicing lifelong wellness behaviors. The entire school
environment shall be aligned with healthy goals to positively
influence a student’s understanding, beliefs and habits as they
relate to good nutrition and regular physical activity.
Engaging Families & Partnering with Community Organizations
The Districts
respect families’ efforts to provide healthy foods and daily
physical activity for children. The Districts also encourage
family, as well as community involvement, in supporting and
reinforcing a healthy lifestyle.
6142.101(g)
Instruction
School
Nutrition and Physical Activity (Student Wellness)
Engaging
Families & Partnering with Community Organizations
(continued)
The Districts
support nutrition education for parents that may include, but is
not limited, to providing healthy eating seminars, sending home
nutrition information, postings on
schools’ websites, providing nutrient analyses of school
menus and any other appropriate and effective methods for
reaching families.
The Districts
may promote school and community-based physical activity
opportunities by sharing information through various means,
including announcements, websites, newsletters or take-home
materials.
Engaging Students
Schools shall
engage students in planning and promoting a healthy school
environment. Key health messages shall be encouraged by
collaborative efforts between classroom and cafeteria personnel
and through planned promotions. Such promotions could include,
but not be limited to, health fairs and nutrition
initiatives.
Food Marketing
in Schools
School-based
marketing shall be consistent with nutrition education and
health promotion. The promotion of healthy foods, including
fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products,
shall be encouraged.
Measuring and Evaluating
Monitoring
The Boards designate the Superintendent or his/her designee with
the operational responsibility for ensuring that each school
meets the requirements of the ER9 District Wellness Policy.
The Principals and the Head of School, or their designees, shall
be responsible for the implementation and evaluation of the
effectiveness of the wellness program.
The ER9 Wellness Advisory Committee will meet a minimum of twice
a year. Members shall include, but need not be limited to, board
members, school administrators, food service personnel,
parents/guardians, representative students, physical and/or
health education teachers, a school nurse, to the extent
possible a registered dietician, and community members as
appointed by the Superintendent.
The ER9
Wellness Advisory Committee should regularly assess the unique
needs for meals or snacks at each school taking into account the
time spent at school by students and staff. In addition, the
Food Service Director will provide regular reports to the ER9
Wellness Advisory Committee related to students’ patterns of
food and snack purchases from the food service program. This
information may be used in assessing improvements in the overall
food program.
6142.101(h)
Instruction
School
Nutrition and Physical Activity (Student Wellness)
Monitoring
(continued)
The schools’
lunch service should be offered the opportunity to address these
needs and concerns first with supplementation from vending
machines and other sources as needed.
Policy Review
The following procedure shall be used to evaluate the
effectiveness of the Wellness Policy:
• The ER9 Wellness Advisory Committee shall monitor the
implementation of the Wellness Policy; evaluate progress in
implementing policy; serve as a resource to school sites; and
recommend revisions of the policy through the Superintendent or
his/her designee, as determined necessary.
• The policy shall be biennially reviewed to determine if it is
meeting current needs and is workable in promoting healthy
eating and physical activity.
The Principals and the Head of School, or their designees, are
responsible for annually evaluating the effectiveness of the
School Wellness Program in promoting healthy eating and physical
activity by ensuring:
1. Board policy is implemented as written.
2. All
building, grade-level nutrition and physical education
curriculum and materials are assessed for accuracy,
completeness, balance and consistency with state and local
district educational goals and standards.
3. Nutrition
education is provided through the Districts’ age-appropriate,
comprehensive nutrition program.
4. Teachers
responsible for nutrition and physical education receive
curriculum-specific professional development.
5. Families
and community organizations are involved, to the extent
practicable, in nutrition education.
(cf. 3542.33 –
Food Sales for the School Lunch Program)
Legal
Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
10-16b Prescribed courses of
study.
10-215
Lunches, breakfasts and the feeding programs for public school
children and employees.
