The Governing Board recognizes the link between student health and learning and desires to provide a comprehensive program promoting healthy eating and physical activity for district students.  The Superintendent or designee shall build a coordinated school health system that supports and reinforces health literacy through health education, physical education, health services, nutrition services, health promotion for staff, a safe and healthy school environment, and parent/guardian and community involvement.

The Board’s policy related to student wellness shall be developed with the involvement of parents/guardians, students, school food service professionals, school administrators, teachers, Board representatives, and members of the public.

The Superintendent or designee may form a district health committee consisting of representatives of the above groups.  The council or committee may also include district administrators, health professionals, school nurses, health educators, physical education teachers, regular classroom teachers, counselors, and/or others interested in school health issues.

The district health committee shall assist with policy development and advise the district on health-related issues, activities, policies, and programs.  At the discretion of the Superintendent or designee, the committee’s charges may include planning and implementing activities to promote health within the school or community.

The Board shall adopt policies for comprehensive health education and physical education that are designed to promote student wellness in a manner that the district determines appropriate.

The district’s nutrition education and physical education programs shall be based on research, consistent with the expectations established in the state’s curriculum frameworks, and aligned to state standards designed to build the skills and knowledge that all students need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Nutrition education shall be provided as part of the health education program in grades

Pre K-8 and, as appropriate, shall be integrated into core academic subjects.

All students in grades Pre K-8 shall be provided opportunities to be physically active on a regular basis.  Opportunities for moderate to vigorous physical activity shall be provided through physical education, recess, school athletic programs, extracurricular programs, before-and-after-school programs, and other structured and unstructured activities.

The Superintendent or designee shall encourage staff to serve as positive role models.  He/she shall promote and may provide opportunities for regular physical activity among employees.

To encourage consistent health messages between the home and school environment, the Superintendent or designee may disseminate health information to parents/guardians through district or school newsletters, handouts, parent/guardian meetings, the district or school web site, and other communications.  Outreach to parents/guardians shall emphasize the relationship between student health and academic performance.

The Board discourages the marketing and advertising of non-nutritious foods and beverages through signage, vending machine fronts, logos, scoreboards, school supplies, advertisements in school publications, coupon or incentive programs, or other means.

The Board shall adopt nutrition guidelines selected by the district for all foods available on each campus during the school day, with the objectives of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity.

The Board believes that foods and beverages available to students at district schools should support the health curriculum and promote optimal health.  Nutrition standards adopted by the district for all foods and beverages sold to students during school hours, including foods and beverages provided through the district’s food service program, student stores, vending machines, or other venues, shall meet or exceed state and federal nutrition standards.

The Superintendent or designee shall encourage school organizations to use healthy food items or non-food items for fundraising purposes.  He/she also shall encourage school staff to avoid the use of non-nutritious foods as a reward for student’s academic performance, accomplishments, or classroom behavior.

School staff shall encourage parents/guardians or other volunteers to support the district’s nutrition education program by considering nutritional quality when selecting any snacks which they may donate for occasional class parties. Limit food or beverages that do not meet nutritional standards to no more than one food or beverage per party.  Class parties or celebrations shall be held after the lunch period when possible.

Foods and beverages provided through federally reimbursable school meal programs shall meet or exceed federal regulations and guidance issued pursuant to 42 USC 1758(f)(1), 1766(a), and 1779(a) and (b), as they apply to schools.

In order to maximize the district’s ability to provide nutritious meals and snacks, all district schools shall participate in available federal school nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, to the extent possible.

The Superintendent or designee shall establish a plan for measuring implementation of the policy.  The Superintendent shall designate at least one person within the district and at each school who is charged with operational responsibility for ensuring that the school sites implement the district’s wellness policy.

The Superintendent or designee shall recommend for Board approval specific quality indicators that will be used to measure the implementation of the policy district wide and at each district school.  These measures shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis of the nutritional content of meals served; student participation rates in school meal programs; any sales of non-nutritious foods and beverages in fundraisers or other venues outside the district’s meal programs; physical fitness testing results, actual instruction minutes in physical education, and feedback from food service personnel, school administrators, the school health council, parents/guardians, students, and other appropriate persons.

 The Superintendent or designee shall report to the Board annually on the implementation of this policy and any other Board policies related to nutrition and physical activity.

Each school shall post the district’s policies and regulations on nutrition and physical activity in public view within all school cafeterias or in other central eating areas.

Each school shall also post a summary of nutrition and physical activity laws and regulations prepared by the California Department of Education.

 

Legal Reference:

EDUCATION CODE

49430-49436 Pupil Nutrition, Health, and Achievement Act of 2001

49490-49493 School breakfast and lunch programs

49500-40505 School meals

49510-49520 Nutrition

49530-49536 Child Nutrition Act

49540-49546 Child care food program

49547-49548.3 Comprehensive nutrition services

49550-49560 Meals for needy students

49565-49565.8 California Fresh Start pilot program

49570  National School Lunch Act

51222  Physical education

51223  Physical education, elementary schools

CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5

15500-15501  Food sales by student organizations

15510  Mandatory meals for needy students

15530-15535 Nutrition education

15550-15565 School lunch and breakfast programs

UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 42

1751-1769 National School Lunch Program, especially:

1751 Note Local wellness policy

1771-1791 Child Nutrition Act, including:

1773 School Breakfast Program 

1779 Rules and regulations, Child Nutrition Act

CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 7

210.1-210.31 National School Lunch Program

220.1-220.21 National School Breakfast Program

 

Management Resources:

CSBA POLICY BRIEFS

The New Nutritional Standards: Implications for Student Wellness Policies, November 2005

CSBA PUBLICATIONS

Student Wellness: A Healthy Food and Physical Activity Policy Resource Guide, rev. 2005

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS

Healthy Children Ready to Learn, January 2005

Health Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve, 2003

Physical Education Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade 12, 1994

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL PUBLICATIONS

School Health Index for Physical Activity and Health Eating: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide for Elementary and Middle/High Schools, 2004

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE BOARDS OF EDUCATION (NASBE) PUBLICATIONS

Fit, Health and Ready to Learn, 2000

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PUBLICATIONS

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005

Team Nutrition, Food and Nutrition Services, Changing the Scene, Improving the School Nutrition Environment: A Guide to Local Action, 2000

WEB SITES

CSBA: http://www.csba.org

California Department of Education, Nutrition Services Division: http://www.cde.ca.gov/Is/nu

California Department of Health Services: http://www.dhs.ca.gov

California Healthy Kids Resource Center: http://www.californiahealthykids.org

California Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition): http://www.californiaprojectlean.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): http://www.cdc.gov

Dairy Council of California:  http://www.dairycouncilofca.org

National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity: http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/nana.html

National Association of State Boards of Education: http://www.nasbe.org

National School Boards Association: http://www.nsba.org

School Nutrition Association: http://www.schoolnutrition.org

Society for Nutrition Education: http://www.sne.org

U.S. Department of Agriculture:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/wellnesspolicy_steps.html

  

ADOPTED by AESD Board of Trustees:    June 6, 2006