Polk County Schools Wellness Policy

On June 30, 2004, the President signed Public Law 108-265, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. Section 204 of this law requires school districts/LEAs participating in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program to develop a local wellness policy that addresses student wellness and the growing problem of childhood obesity, by the school year 2006.

General Statements concerning Wellness:

• Children need access to healthful foods and opportunities to be physically active in order to grow, learn, and thrive.

• Good health fosters student attendance and education.

• Obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the last two decades, and physical inactivity and excessive calorie intake are the predominant causes of obesity.

• Heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are responsible for two-thirds of deaths in the United States, and major risk factors for those diseases, including unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity, and obesity, often are established in childhood.

• 33% of high school students do not participate in sufficient vigorous physical activity and 72% of high school students do not attend daily physical education classes;

• Only 2% of children (2 to 19 years) eat a healthy diet consistent with the five main recommendations from the Food Guide Pyramid/MyPyramid/Dietary Guidelines.

• Nationally, the items most commonly sold from school vending machines, school stores, and snack bars include low-nutrition foods and beverages, such as soda, sports drinks, imitation fruit juices, chips, candy, cookies, and snack cakes.

• School districts LEAs around the country are facing significant fiscal and scheduling constraints.

• Community participation is essential to the development and implementation of successful school wellness policies.

The Polk County School District is committed to providing school environments that promote and protect children’s health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. Therefore, it is the policy of the Polk County School District that:

· The school district will engage students, parents, teachers, school nutrition professionals, health professionals, and other interested community members in developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing district-wide nutrition and physical activity policies.

· All students in grades K-12 will have opportunities, support, and encouragement to be physically active on a regular basis.

· Foods and beverages sold or served at school will meet the nutrition recommendations of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

· Qualified child nutrition professionals will provide students with access to a variety of affordable, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students; and will provide clean, safe, and pleasant settings and adequate time for students to eat.

· All schools in our district will participate in available federal school meal programs including the School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program .

TO ACHIEVE THESE POLICY GOALS:

School Health Council or School Wellness Councils TEAM .

James Jones – Director of Schools

David Bigham- School Board Member

Phyllis Hamby- School Nurse

Janice Brewer- Food Service Manager

Jill Swafford- Testing Supervisor

Treva Hyatt- Parent

Louetta Moats- Curriculum Director

Chandler Moats – Student

James Keel-Teacher –PE

Jennifer Wood- Food Service Supervisor

The school district and/or individual schools within the district will create, strengthen, or work within existing school health councils to develop, implement, monitor, review, and, revise school wellness policies. The council also will serve as resources to school sites for implementing those policies.The School Wellness Team consists of a group of individuals representing the school and community, and should include parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, members of the school board, school administrators, teachers, health professionals, and members of the public.

Local Wellness Policy Components:

1. Nutrition Education Goals

2. Physical Activity Goals

3. Nutrition Standards

4. Other School-Based Activities

1.Nutrition Education Goals:

Nutrition Education:

· is offered at each grade level as part of a sequential, comprehensive, standards-based program designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health.

· will be evident in the cafeteria/lunchroom setting by bulletin boards, posters, and menus that promote fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, healthy food preparation methods, and health-enhancing nutrition practices.

· will be include community outreach by the use of the LEAs Internet Website,Parent Menus and Flyers.

· materials are provided to USDA Team Nutrition schools. All schools will be USDA Team Nutrition Schools.

Qualifications of School Food Service Staff. Qualified nutrition professionals will administer the school meal programs. As part of the school district’s responsibility to operate a food service program, we will provide continuing professional development for all nutrition professionals in schools. Staff development programs should include appropriate certification and/or training programs for child nutrition directors, school nutrition managers, and cafeteria workers, according to their levels of responsibility.

3. Nutritional Guidelines of Foods and Beverages Available on Campus

Nutrition guidelines are implemented for a la carte, vending and other foods available on the school campus effective July 1, 2006. The State Nutrition Standards/Alacarte Law will be followed by the Elementary, and Middle Schools.

School Meals:

Meals served through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs will:

· be appealing and attractive to children;

· be served in clean and pleasant settings;

· meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by local, state, and federal regulations;

· offer a variety of fruits and vegetables daily; fresh fruits and vegetables

· at least twice weekly.

· serve a variety of milk, including fat-free, lowfat, flavored ,unflavored and !/2 % chocolate milk on a daily basis.

· ensure that half of the served grains are whole grain.

Schools should engage students and parents, through taste-tests of new entrees and surveys, in selecting foods sold through the school meal programs in order to identify acceptable new, healthful, and appealing food choices. In addition, schools should share information about the nutritional content of meals with parents and students. Such information could be made available on menus, a website, on cafeteria menu boards.

School menus are followed and analyzed using USDA-approved software.

Breakfast. To ensure that all children have breakfast, either at home or at school, in order to meet their nutritional needs and enhance their ability to learn:

· Schools will, to the extent possible, operate the School Breakfast Program.

· Schools will, to the extent possible, arrange bus schedules and utilize methods to serve school breakfasts that encourage participation. High

· Schools will offer “grab-and-go” breakfast, or breakfast during morning break or recess.