Wellness Policy
by Kristal LeRette
January 11, 2010
PUTNAM COUNTY COMMUNITY UNIT SCHOOL DISTRICT #535
WELLNESS POLICY
BELIEF STATEMENT
The Board of Education of Putnam County Community Unit School District #535 is committed to providing a learning environment that supports and promotes wellness, good nutrition, and an active lifestyle, recognizing the positive relationship among good nutrition, physical activity, and the capacity of students to develop and learn. The school environment shall be aligned with healthy school goals to positively influence students’ beliefs and habits to promote health and wellness, good nutrition, and regular physical activity. In addition, school staff shall be encouraged to model healthy eating and physical activity as a valuable part of daily life.
BELIEF STATEMENT
The purpose of this policy is to ensure a total school environment that promotes and supports student health and wellness, helps to reduce childhood obesity, and meets the requirements of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 and the Illinois School Code, including without limitation, goals for nutrition education, physical activity, and other school based activities that are designed to promote student wellness; nutrition guidelines for all foods available during the school day; a plan for measuring implementation; and involvement of parents, students, school food service providers, the school board, and the public in developing this policy.
RATIONALE
A disturbing number of children are inactive and do not eat well. As a result, 16 percent of children and adolescents are overweight, and this represents a three-fold increase since 1980. Congress passed the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 on June 30, 2004. Recognizing the role that schools can play in health promotion, this law requires local education agencies to participate in a program authorized by the National School Lunch Act or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to develop a local wellness policy. The objectives of the wellness policy are to improve the school nutrition program, promote student health, and reduce childhood obesity. Public Act 094-0199 amends the Illinois School Code, requiring the Illinois State Board of Education to establish a state goal that all districts have a wellness policy.
The connection between learning and nutrition is well documented. Healthy eating patterns are essential for students to achieve their highest academic potential, full physical and mental growth, and lifelong health and well being. Healthy eating is substantially linked to reduced risk for mortality and development of many chronic illnesses. Schools have a responsibility to help students acquire the knowledge and skills that are necessary to establish and maintain lifelong healthy eating patterns. Wellness plans that are planned and implemented effectively have demonstrated a positive influence on children’s health.
Schools have a responsibility to help students establish and maintain lifelong habits of remaining physically active. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, regular physical activity is one of the most important ways in which people can maintain and improve their physical health, mental health, and overall well-being. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, colon cancer, diabetes, and even premature death.
GOALS FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION
1. Students in grades kindergarten through grade 12 shall receive nutrition education as part of a sequential program that is coordinated within a comprehensive health education curriculum. The program shall be designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to use healthy eating behaviors and shall be aimed at influencing students’ knowledge, attitudes, and eating habits. As eating habits are established at an early age, special emphasis should be placed on nutrition education in preschool through primary grades. The curriculum should also be consistent with and incorporate the relevant Illinois Learning Standards.
2. Nutrition education shall be integrated into the standards-based lesson plans of other school subjects, such as math, science, language arts, physical education, health, family/consumer sciences, and social sciences to maximize classroom time and to achieve positive changes in students’ eating behaviors.
3. A minimum of fifty contact hours of nutrition education is recommended for students each school year. These contact hours can be provided through a combination of classroom instruction, nutrition education in the cafeteria, health fairs, field trips, and/or assemblies.
4. The nutrition education program may include enjoyable activities such as contests, taste testing, promotions, field trips, and school gardens.
GOALS FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
1. Students in kindergarten through grade 12 shall participate in daily physical education that enables them to achieve and maintain a high level of personal fitness, emphasizing self-management skills including energy balance (calories in minus calories out). This program should also remain consistent with the Illinois Learning Standards and should be coordinated within a comprehensive health education curriculum.
2. It is recommended that elementary students participate in physical education for a minimum of 150 minutes per week, and middle school students for 225 minutes per week (National Association for Sport and Physical Education recommendations). Special emphasis should be placed on promoting an active lifestyle in kindergarten through primary grades as health habits are established at a young age. Accommodations shall be made for students with disabilities, 504 plans, and other limitations.
3. Schools shall provide a daily supervised recess period for elementary students.
4. Students shall be provided opportunities for physical activity through a range of before and after school programs including intramurals, sports programs, or physical activity clubs.
5. As students should engage in a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity a day, the physical education program shall actively engage families as partners in providing physical activity beyond the school day.
GOALS FOR OTHER SCHOOL-BASED ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO PROMOTE STUDENT WELLNESS
Parent Partnerships
1. Schools shall support parents’ efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children. This support shall begin in elementary school and continue through middle and high school.
2. Parents shall be provided information to help them incorporate healthy eating and physical activity into their children’s lives. This information may be provided in the form of handouts, postings on the school website, newsletter articles, or presentations in workshop settings that focus on nutrition and healthy lifestyles.
Consistent School Activities and Environment-Healthy Eating
1. It is recommended that food providers share information about the nutritional content of school meals and/or individually sold foods with students, family, and school staff.
2. School meals shall be served in clean, safe, and pleasant settings with adequate time provided for students to eat, at a minimum, in accordance with state and federal standards and guidelines. The National Association of State Boards of Education recommends that students have adequate time to eat, relax, and socialize.
3. All food service personnel shall have adequate pre-service training and regularly participate in professional development activities that provide strategies including coordination of classroom and cafeteria activities.
4. Food providers should attempt to involve families, students, and other school personnel in choosing nutritious food and beverage selections for their local schools. This could include surveys, committees, taste-testing, and other activities designed to provide input into the decision-making process.
5. Food providers should work with suppliers to obtain foods and beverages that meet the nutrition requirements of school meals.
6. Food providers should work closely with school instructional staff to reinforce nutrition instruction and foster an environment where students can learn about and practice healthy eating.
7. Food providers shall take every measure to ensure that student access to foods and beverages on school campuses meet federal, state, and local laws and guidelines.
8. Students, parents, school staff, and community members bringing foods and beverages to school for parties/celebrations/meetings shall be encouraged to provide healthful options and shall be provided with a list of recommended food and beverage options. (Attachment B).
9. School-based organizations shall be encouraged to raise funds through the sale of items other than food.
10. To reduce competition with nutritionally balanced school meals and enhance student safety, it is recommended that, to the extent that it is practical, student are not permitted to leave school grounds to purchase foods or beverages.
11. Partnerships between schools and businesses are encouraged. To meet wellness objectives, it is recommended that commercial advertising relationships involve foods and beverages that meet nutrition standards. (Attachment A).
12. Schools shall take efforts to promote nutritious food and beverage choices consistent with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and Food Guidance System (My Pyramid) such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, and whole grain products.
13. Nutrition education shall be provided by trained and well-supported staff with adequate pre-service and in-service training.
14. All foods and beverages made available on campus shall comply with the federal, state, and local food safety and sanitation regulations.
15. To ensure safety and security of food, access to any area involved in storage, preparation, or service of food on the school campus shall be limited to authorized personnel.
Consistent School Activities and Environment-Physical Activity
1. Physical education shall be provided by trained and well-supported staff that is certified by the state to teach physical education. All physical education teachers shall regularly participate in continuing education activities that impart the knowledge and skills needed to effectively promote enjoyable lifelong healthy eating and physical activity among students.
2. Physical education classes should have a student to teacher ratio comparable to those in other curricular areas.
3. The physical education program shall be closely coordinated with the other components of the overall school health program. When possible, physical education topics should be integrated within other curricular areas.
4. Schools are encouraged to limit extended periods of inactivity. When activities, such as mandatory testing, make it necessary for students to be inactive for long periods of time, it is recommended that schools give breaks during which they are encouraged to stand and be moderately active.
5. Schools are encouraged to develop community partnerships with other child-serving organizations such as park districts and YMCA’s to provide students opportunities to be active.
6. Schools are encouraged to provide student and community access and promote the use of the school’s physical activity facilities outside of the normal school day.
7. Physical activity facilities and equipment on school grounds shall be safe.
8. Schools are encouraged to work with the community to create a community environment that is safe and supportive of students walking or biking to school.
Food or Physical Activity as a Reward of Punishment
1. School personnel shall be encouraged to use nonfood incentives or rewards with students (Attachment D) and shall not withhold food from students as punishment.
2. School personnel should be discouraged from using physical activity as a punishment or from withholding physical education class as a punishment.
NUTRITION GUIDELINES FOR ALL FOODS AND BEVERAGES AVAILABLE ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES DURING THE SCHOOL DAY
1. Food providers shall offer a variety of age-appropriate, appealing foods and beverage choices and employ food preparation, purchasing, and meal planning practices consistent with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
2. All foods and beverages sold individually (apart from the reimbursable school meal) on school campuses during the school day should meet nutrition standards (Attachment A).
3. Nutritious and appealing foods and beverages, such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, and whole grain products, should be encouraged whenever food is sold or otherwise offered at school.
GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOL MEALS
1. School meals shall be consistent with the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and/or meet, at a minimum, the nutrition requirements and regulations for the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program and all applicable state and local laws and regulations.
MEASURING AND IMPLEMENTATION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. The district superintendent shall be charged with operational responsibility for ensuring that each school meets the local wellness policy requirements.
2. The district superintendent shall appoint a district wellness team/council that includes at least one school administrator, parent, school board member, student, and representatives of the school food authority to help develop, implement, and evaluate the wellness policy.
3. The appointed district wellness team/council shall be responsible for:
a. creating and maintaining bylaws for operation; b. assessment of the current school environment; c. development and/or review of a wellness policy; d. presenting the wellness policy to the school board for approval; e. recommending revision of the policy as deemed necessary by the wellness team/council.
4. The principal or other designee of each campus shall be responsible for the implementation of the local wellness policy and shall appoint a school-based evaluation team to develop and implement an annual evaluation plan.
5. The school-based evaluation team shall report their findings to the campus principal and develop with him/her a plan for improvement, as needed.
6. The wellness team/council shall hear reports from each campus group annually or as needed.
7. Before the end of each school year, the wellness team/council shall recommend to the district superintendent any revisions to the policy it deems necessary.
8. The wellness team/council shall report to the superintendent and school board annually on the progress of the wellness team/council and the status of compliance by the campuses (or as deemed necessary by the superintendent).
Healthier US School Challenge Nutrition Standards*
These criteria focus on decreasing fat and added sugar, increasing nutrient density, and moderating portion size.
Fruits and Non-Fried Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables may be fresh, frozen, canned or dried, and they must be found in the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs.
http://schoolmeals.nal.usda.gov/FBG/2003FBG%20Section%202.pdf
Examples of products that cannot be sold/served as a fruit or vegetable include:
• Snack-type foods made from vegetables or fruits, such as potato chips, and banana chips;
• Pickle relish, jam, jelly; and
• Tomato catsup and chili sauce
Approved Beverages
•Flavored or plain reduced fat (2%), low-fat (1%), skim/nonfat fluid milk meeting State and local standards for pasteurized fluid milk and/or USDA approved alternative dairy beverages
• 100% full-strength fruit and vegetable juices; and
• Water (non-flavored, non-sweetened, and non-carbonated)
• Carbonated drinks – diet ONLY
Any Other Individual Food Sales/Service
• Calories from total fat must be at or below 35%**, excluding nuts, seeds, and nut butters. This is determined by dividing the calories from total fat by the total calories and multiplying by 100. If calories from fat are not available, multiply the grams of fat by 9 to equal calories from fat.
• Calories from saturated fat must be at or below 10%. This is determined by dividing the calories from saturated fat by the total calories and multiplying by 100. If calories from saturated fat are not available, multiply grams of saturated fat by 9 to equal calories from saturated fat.
• Total sugar must be at or below 35% by weight. This is determined by dividing the grams of total sugar by the gram weight of the product and multiplying by 100. This includes both naturally occurring and added sugars. This limit does not include fruits and vegetables or flavored milk as defined above.
• For vending sales the item package or container is not to exceed 200 calories.
There are no USDA approved dairy beverages at this time. Public Law 108-265 (Child Nutrition Program Reauthorization) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to establish nutritionally equivalent non-dairy beverages by July 1, 2005. Please check with the Illinois State Board of Education for clarification.
*The above Nutrition Standards are criteria for sales/service of a la carte and/or vended items from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Healthier US School Challenge. Please be aware that these criteria are only meant to apply to individually sold foods and that foods sold as part of a reimbursable school meal may not necessarily meet these criteria although menus meet the nutrition standard set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for school meals. Local policy makers may wish to modify the standards but should be aware that this may make schools ineligible to meet the criteria for the Healthier US School Challenge.
**The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 recommend a total fat intake of 20 to 35% for school-age children.
Healthful Food and Beverage Options for School Functions*
At any school function (parties, celebrations, meetings, etc.) healthful food options should be made available to promote student, staff and community wellness. Examples of nutritious food and beverages that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are listed below.
• Raw vegetable sticks/slices with low-fat dressing or yogurt dip
• Fresh fruit wedges – cantaloupe, honey dew, watermelon, pineapple, oranges, tangelos, etc.
• Sliced fruit -- nectarines, peaches, kiwi, star fruit, plums, pears, mangos, apples, etc.
• Fruit salad
• Cereal and low-fat milk
• 100% fruit or vegetable juice
• Frozen fruit pops with fruit juice or fruit as the first ingredient
• Dried fruits – raisins, cranberries, apples, apricots,
• Single serving applesauce or canned fruit in juice
• Peanut butter with apple wedges or celery sticks
• Fruit smoothies made with fat-free or low-fat milk
• Trail mix (dried fruits and nuts)
• Dry roasted peanuts, tree nuts and soy nuts (not coconut or palm nuts)
• Lean meats and reduced fat cheese sandwiches (use light or reduced fat mayonnaise in chicken/tuna salads)
• Party mix (variety of cereals, nut, pretzels, etc.)
• Pretzels or reduced fat crackers
• Baked chips with salsa or low-fat dip (Ranch, onion, bean, etc.)
• Low-fat muffins (small or mini), granola bars and cookies (graham crackers, fig bars)
• Mini bagels with whipped light or fat-free cream cheese
• Pasta salad
• Bread sticks with marinara
• Fat-free or low-fat flavored yogurt & fruit parfaits
• Fat-free or low-fat pudding cups
• Fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products (string cheese, single-serving cottage cheese, cheese cubes)
• Flavored soy milk fortified with calcium
• Pure ice cold water
*This list is not all inclusive and is meant only to provide parents and school staff with guidance for healthier food and beverage choices. Not all food and beverage items on this list will necessarily meet district nutrient standards (Attachment A) as items vary in sugar, fat and calorie content from brand to brand. However, all of the items in the list are believed to be consistent with the intent of the wellness policy to promote student health and reduce childhood obesity.
Fundraising Ideas
• Raffle
• Candles
• Book sale
• Cookbook
• *Car wash
• *Walkathons
• Student artwork
• Stuffed animals
• Stadium pillows
• School photo ID
• Educational games
• Holiday decorations
• Shopping donation programs
• School mascot temporary tattoos
• Faculty and/or student talent show
• Teacher/student sports competition
• Auction of donated goods and services
• Balloon bouquets for special occasions
• Bottled water with the schools own label
• Refillable water bottle with the school logo
• Glow in the dark novelties (popular at dances)
• Greeting cards, especially designed by students
• School calendars with all the important school dates on them
• Party bags for kids’ birthday parties filled with non-food novelties
• Sale of flowers and balloons for the family to purchase for student graduates
• School spirit items – tee shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, lanyards, pennants, bracelets and caps
• Growing and/or selling flowers and plants for holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day
*These fundraisers have the added benefit of promoting physical activity for students.
Classroom rewards
• A smile
• Going first
• Verbal praise
• Sit by friends
• Teaching the class
• Helping the teacher
• Enjoy class outdoors
• A field trip for the class
• Choosing a class activity
• Walk with a teacher during lunch
• Eat lunch outdoors with the class
• Eat lunch with a teacher or principal
• Extra credit or class participation points
• Taking care of the class animal for a day
• Have lunch or breakfast in the classroom
• A photo recognition board in a prominent location in the school
• A note from the teacher to the student commending his or her achievement
• A phone call, email, or letter sent home to parents or guardians commending a child’s accomplishment
• Recognition of a child’s achievement on the school-wide morning announcements or school website
• Ribbon, certificate in recognition of achievement or a sticker with an affirming message (e.g. “Great job”)
• Take a trip to the treasure box (filled with: stickers, temporary tattoos, pencils, pens, highlighters, sidewalk chalk, notepads, erasers, bookmarks, etc.)
References
1. Prevalence of Overweight among Children and Adolescents: United States, National Center for Health Statistics. www.cdc.gov/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/overwght99.htm
2. Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-265, Sec. 204).
http://thomas.loc.gov/bss
3. Public Act 094-0199, www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=094-0199
4. Illinois School Code, www.ilga.gov/legislation
a. Daily Physical Ed Requirements – Section 27-6 of the School Code (105 ILCS 5/27-61)
b. Rules for Comprehensive Health Education – (23 Ill. Adm. Code 253) issued pursuant to the Critical Health Problems and Comprehensive Health Education Act (105 ILCS 110).
5. Illinois Learning Standards, Illinois State Board of Education, 1997, www.isbe.state.il.us/ils
6. Nutrition services: An essential component of comprehensive school health programs – Joint Position of the American Dietetic Association, Society for Nutrition Education, and the American School Food Service Association, Journal of Nutrition Education 35:2, 2003.
7. Executive Summary, Shape of the Nation 2001. National Association of Sports and Physical Education (NASPE), 2001, www.aahperd.org/naspe/pdf_files/shape_nation.pdf
8. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Agriculture, 2005, www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines
9. Fit, Healthy and Ready to Learn. National Association of State Boards of Education, 2000.
10. MyPyramid.gov, United States Department of Agriculture, www.mypyramid.gov
11. Minimum School Meal Requirements – section 9(f)(l), 17(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(f)(l), 1766(a)0
12. Minimum School Meal Requirements – subsections (a) and (b) of section 10 of the Child Nutrition Act (42 U.S.C. 1779)
13. Illinois School Food Service – Ill. Adm. Code Section 305.
