The board promotes healthy students by supporting wellness, good nutrition and regular physical activity as a part of the total learning environment. The school district supports a healthy environment where students learn and participate in positive dietary and lifestyle practices. By facilitating learning through the support and promotion of good nutrition and physical activity, schools contribute to the basic health status of students. Improved health optimizes student performance potential.
The school district provides a comprehensive learning environment for developing and practicing lifelong wellness behaviors. The entire school environment, not just the classroom, shall be aligned with healthy school district goals to positively influence a student's understanding, beliefs and habits as they relate to good nutrition and regular physical activity.
The school district supports and promotes proper dietary habits contributing to students' health status and academic performance. All foods available on school grounds and at school-sponsored activities during the instructional day should meet or exceed the school district nutrition standards and in compliance with state and federal law. Foods should be served with consideration toward nutritional integrity, variety, appeal, taste, safety and packaging to ensure high-quality meals. See the DE guidance on Healthy Kids Act.
The school district will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to, and prevent the overt identification of, students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. Toward this end, the school district may utilize electronic identification and payment systems; provide meals at no charge to all children, regardless of income; promote the availability of meals to all students; and/or use nontraditional methods for serving meals, such as "grab-and-go" or classroom breakfast.
The school district will develop a local wellness policy committee comprised of parents, students, and representatives of the school food authority, the school board, school administrators, and the public, physical education teachers, and school health professionals. The local wellness policy committee will develop a plan to implement the local wellness policy and periodically review and update the policy. The committee will designate an individual to monitor implementation and evaluation the implementation of the policy. The committee will report annually to the board and community regarding the content and effectiveness of this policy and recommend updates if needed. When monitoring implementation, schools will be evaluated individually with reports prepared by each school and the school district as a whole. The report will include which schools are in compliance with this policy, the extent to which this policy compares to model Wellness policies and describe the progress made in achieving the goals of this policy.
Specific Wellness Goals specific goals for nutrition education and promotion, (see Appendix A)
physical activity, (see Appendix B)
other school-based activities that are designed to promote student wellness, (see Appendix C)
The nutrition guidelines for all foods available will focus on promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity in the school district.
The board will monitor and evaluate this policy by - see Appendix E).
Legal Reference:
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.;Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.; Iowa Code §§ 256.7(29), 256.11(6). 281 IAC 12.5(19),
12.5(20), ch. 58.
Cross Reference:
- Student Fund Raising
- Student Activity Program
- 710 School Food Services
Approved Reviewed 3-25-14 1-28-19 11-22-21 11-20-23 Revised 7-17-12