Policy 6702

Wellness Policy

 

The wellness policy must include, but is not limited to, the following:

 

• Goals for nutrition education, nutrition promotion, and other school-based activities to promote wellness;
• The Smart Snacks in School standards for all foods and beverages sold to students on campus during the school day, including access to water;
• Standards consistent with federal regulations for school meal programs and the Smart Snacks in School standards for other foods available to students (e.g., food brought from home for classroom events/parties and food used as rewards or incentives); 
• Policies for marketing only food and beverages that meet the Smart Snacks in School standards;
• Standards for quality physical education and nutrition education programs aligned to state learning standards that help students develop lifelong healthy behaviors;
• Promotion of activities that provide students opportunities to be physically active before, during, and after school;
• Engagement of the community in support of the district’s work in creating continuity between school and other settings for students and staff to practice lifelong healthy habits;
• Establishment of a wellness committee that includes representatives from the school and that permits participation from members of the community;
• Designation of one or more school official(s) to ensure compliance of each school; and
• Direct committee review and assessment of the wellness policy every three years.

 

Wellness Committee 

The district will convene a wellness committee to establish goals for the district-level wellness policy and to oversee its development, implementation, periodic review, and updating. The membership of the committee will represent all school levels (elementary and secondary schools). The following parties must be permitted to participate as committee members:

 

• Parents and caregivers;
• Students;
• Representatives of the school nutrition program (e.g., school nutrition director);
• Physical education teachers;
• School health professionals (e.g., health education teachers, school nurses, health educators, and other allied health personnel who provide school health services, school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers); 
• School administrators (e.g., superintendent, principal, vice principal);
• School board members;
• Health professionals (e.g., dietitians, doctors, nurses, physicians, dentists, psychiatrists); and
• Members of the general public.

 

The wellness committee is responsible for the following:

 

• Establishing committee membership and operating protocol;
• Understanding wellness policy compliance requirements;
• Developing an implementation plan for the wellness policy;
• Recordkeeping;
• Annual public notification of the wellness policy;
• Triennial progress assessments;
• Revising the wellness policy; and
• Leading community involvement, outreach, and communications initiatives regarding the wellness policy.

 

Wellness Policy Implementation Plan

The wellness committee will develop and maintain a plan for the implementation, management, and coordination of the wellness policy. The district will use online tools or other resources to review and consider evidence-based strategies (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) School Health Index) in determining goals for nutrition promotion and education, physical activity and other school-based activities (e.g., school vegetable garden) for each school. [District Note – the CDC’s School Health Index cited here can be used to do school-level assessments, create action plans for implementation, and to generate an annual report].

 

The plan will include the following:

 

• Roles, responsibilities, actions, and timelines specific to each school; 
• The district official designated to oversee the wellness policy; and
• An action plan to implement all required elements of the wellness policy.

 

Annual Notification

The district will notify families and the public, on an annual basis, of the availability of the wellness policy, and provide information that would enable interested households to obtain more details. 

 

Triennial Progress Assessments

At least once every three years, the district will evaluate its compliance with the wellness policy. The triennial assessment will consider the following:

 

• The extent to which schools under the jurisdiction of the district are in compliance with the wellness policy;
• The extent to which the district’s wellness policy compares to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s model wellness policy; and
• The extent to which progress has been made in attaining the goals of the district’s wellness policy.

 

The assessment report will include the position/person responsible for managing the triennial assessment and their contact information.

 

Updates to the Policy

The wellness committee will update or modify the wellness policy based on the results of the annual School Health Index and triennial assessments and/or as priorities change and new federal or state guidance or standards are issued.

 

Community Involvement, Outreach, and Communications

The district will actively communicate ways in which members of the wellness committee and others can participate in the development, implementation, and periodic review and update of the wellness policy through a variety of means. The district will also inform parents of the improvements that have been made to school meals and compliance with school meal standards, the availability of child nutrition programs and how to apply for those programs, and district compliance with Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards. 

 

Recordkeeping

The district will maintain and make available for public inspection records documenting compliance with the wellness policy. They will be available on the District’s website. 

 

Records will include, but will not be limited to, the following:

 

• The written wellness policy;
• Documentation of the triennial assessment; and
• Documentation to demonstrate compliance with the annual public notification requirement.

Family and Community Engagement

The district will offer opportunities to promote family and community involvement in supporting and reinforcing physical education and physical activity in the schools. Schools should ensure that the following occurs:

 

• Physical education activity ideas are sent home with students;
• Families are invited to attend and participate in physical education activity programs and health fairs;
• School staff are encouraged to cooperate with other agencies and community groups to provide opportunities for students to participate in physical activity programs.
• Families are actively notified of opportunities and invited to participate in school-sponsored physical activities and receive information about health promotion efforts.

 

Staff Wellness and Health Promotion

The district will offer, subject to available resources, opportunities that focus on staff wellness issues, and/or identify and disseminate wellness resources in coordination with human resources staff.

 

Active Transport

The district will identify safe and active routes to and from school to promote alternative transport methods for children, such as walking and bicycle programs. The district will encourage this behavior by engaging and promoting activities such as the following:

 

• Designation of safe or preferred routes to school;
• Promotional activities such as participation in International Walk to School Week, National Walk and Bike to School Week;
• Instruction on walking/bicycling safety provided to students;
• Promotion of safe routes program to students, staff, and parents via newsletters, websites, local newspaper;
• Use of crossing guards; and
• Ensuring crosswalks exist on streets leading to schools. 

 

School District Facilities

Access to school sites will be provided through permitting use of facilities to community youth sports groups consistent with the district’s facilities use policy, community college, and municipal joint use agreements and partnerships with youth organizations so additional opportunities are available for all youth in the community to participate in quality physical activity, fitness, sports, and recreation programs.

 

Originally adopted as part of Policy 6700 July 24, 2018.

Adoption Date: June 25, 2024