DREXEL IV DISTRICT WELLNESS PROGRAM POLICY

DREXEL IV DISTRICT WELLNESS PROGRAM

 

The primary goals of the Drexel R-IV School District's wellness program are to promote student

health, reduce student overweight/obesity, facilitate student learning of lifelong healthy habits and

increase student achievement. The following procedures will guide the implementation of the

district wellness program.

 

Nutrition Guidelines

 

The district is committed to ensuring that all foods and beverages sold, provided or made available to

students on school campuses during the school day support healthy eating and create an environment

that reinforces the development of healthy eating habits. For that reason, and as required by law, the

district has set the following nutrition standards for its meal programs, competitive foods and

beverages sold outside the meal programs, and other foods and beverages provided or made

available to students during the school day.

 

For the purposes of this procedure, the school day is the time period from the midnight before to 30

minutes after the official school day. These meal standards do not apply to food sold at other times,

such as evening or weekend events.

 

Nutrition Standards for Meal Programs

 

The food sold to students as part of the district's meal programs will meet the requirements of the

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

 

Nutrition Standards for Competitive Foods and Beverages

 

The foods and beverages sold and served during the school day outside the reimbursable school meal

programs (competitive foods and beverages) will meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in School

(Smart Snacks) nutrition standards. These standards will apply in all locations any time foods and

beverages are sold to students during the school day, which includes, but is not limited to, foods and

beverages sold in vending machines, school stores, and snack or food carts; à la carte options in

cafeterias; and food and beverages sold through district-sponsored fundraising, including fundraising

by student-initiated groups, unless an exemption applies, as described below.

 

Fundraising Exemption to Nutrition Guidelines

 

Unless otherwise prohibited by Board policies or limitations on marketing, the following are

exemptions to the rule requiring that foods sold as fundraisers meet USDA standards:

 

1. Foods sold off campus, outside the school day or to nonstudents do not have to meet the

USDA standards.

2. Foods that do not meet USDA standards and are not intended for consumption at school may

be delivered during the school day, and order forms for such food may be distributed during

the school day, to the extent that these activities otherwise comply with district policies and

procedures.

3. Each school building within the district may hold up to five one-day fundraisers per school

year on district property during the school day that involve the sale of foods that do not meet

USDA standards.

 

Nutrition Standards for Foods and Beverages Provided to Students during the School Day

 

All foods and beverages the district provides or makes available to students during the school day

will meet or exceed the Smart Snacks nutrition standards. This includes, but is not limited to, foods

and beverages provided or made available to students for celebrations, classroom parties and

birthdays, regardless of the source of the food. The district will provide parents/guardians and

district employees a list of foods and beverages that meet the Smart Snacks nutrition standards and a

list of healthy party ideas, including nonfood celebration ideas.

 

Foods and beverages should not be used as a reward or withheld as punishment.

 

Water

 

Students will have access to safe and unflavored drinking water throughout the school day in every

district facility used by students. Free, safe and unflavored drinking water will be available to

students during mealtimes in the places where meals are served.

 

Nutrition Education

 

The district's nutrition education goal is to integrate sequential nutrition education with the

comprehensive health education program and, to the extent possible, the core curriculum taught at

every grade level in order to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to make

healthy nutrition decisions. In order to achieve the nutrition education goal, the district will:

 

1. Provide students at all grade levels with adequate nutrition knowledge including, but not

limited to:

• The benefits of healthy eating.

• Essential nutrients.

• Nutritional deficiencies.

• Principles of healthy weight management.

• The use and misuse of dietary supplements.

• Safe food preparation, handling and storage.

 

2. Provide students with nutrition-related skills that minimally include the ability to:

• Plan healthy meals.

• Understand and use food labels.

• Apply the principles of the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate.

• Critically evaluate nutrition information, misinformation and commercial food

advertising.

• Assess personal eating habits, nutrition goal-setting and achievement.

 

3. Provide instructional activities that stress the appealing aspects of healthy eating and are

hands-on, behavior based, culturally relevant, developmentally appropriate and enjoyable.

Examples of activities include, but are not limited to: food preparation, contests, promotions,

taste testing, farm visits and school gardens.

 

4. Encourage district staff to cooperate with local agencies and community groups to provide

students with opportunities for volunteer work related to nutrition, such as in food banks,

soup kitchens or after-school programs.

 

5. Coordinate the food service program with nutrition instruction. Food service staff should

also work closely with those responsible for other components of the school health program

to achieve common goals.

 

Nutrition Promotion

Nutrition promotion that uses evidence-based techniques to encourage healthy nutrition choices and

participation in school meal programs positively influences lifelong eating behaviors. Students and

staff will receive consistent nutrition messages throughout district facilities. Nutrition promotion

also includes marketing and advertising nutritious foods and beverages to students and is most

effective when implemented consistently by school staff, parents/guardians and the community. The

district will promote the importance of good nutrition in its schools and in the community through

one or more of the following activities:

 

• Providing nutrition information to parents/guardians via newsletters, handouts, presentations

or other appropriate means.

• Posting nutrition tips on district websites.

• Disseminating information about community programs that offer nutrition assistance to

families.

• Posting links on district websites to research and articles explaining the connections between

good nutrition and academic performance.

• Providing school meals that meet a variety of cultural preferences with a special emphasis on

the populations served by the district.

• Posting menus, including nutrient contents and ingredients, on district and school websites.

 

If practical, the district will provide information in a language understandable to the

parents/guardians.

 

Marketing and Advertising

 

The district will strive to promote the wellness program and educate parents/guardians regarding the quality of district foods.  Food and beverage marketing will be limited to the promotion of foods and beverages that meet the Smart Snacks nutrition standards. Other examples of marketing and advertising the district will scrutinize include, but are not limited to, pricing strategies that promote healthy food choices; audiovisual programming; educational incentive programs; scoreboards; book covers; district

transportation; and vending machine displays.

 

Physical Activity

 

The district's physical activity goal is to assist students in learning to value and enjoy physical

activity as an ongoing part of a healthy lifestyle by ensuring that every student has the opportunity to

develop the knowledge, skills and desire to perform a variety of physical activities, maintain

physical fitness and regularly participate in physical activity. In order to achieve the physical

activity goal, the district will:

 

1. Develop a sequential program of appropriate physical education aligned with Missouri

Learning Standards for every student. The elementary program will provide for:

• 20 minutes of recess per day. Recess may be incorporated into the lunch period, but will be scheduled before lunch and held outdoors when possible.

• 30 minutes of physical activity each day.

• 50 minutes per week minutes per week of physical education

under the supervision of a certified physical education instructor.

• The middle school program will provide for 225 minutes of

moderate physical activity during each school week and 3,000) minutes of physical education per year.

• The high school program will required: 1 unit of physical education prior to graduation.

 

All activity will:

 

• Emphasize knowledge and skills for a lifetime of regular physical activity.

• Meet the needs of all students, especially those who are not physically skilled or who

have special needs.

• Provide a variety of activity choices, feature cooperative as well as competitive

activities, and account for gender and cultural differences in students' interests.

• Prohibit exemptions from physical education courses on the basis of participation in

an athletic team, community recreation program, ROTC, marching band or other

school or community activity.

• Contribute to achieving the goals established in the district's wellness policy and be

closely coordinated with the other components of the overall school health program.

 

2. Provide opportunities and encouragement for students to voluntarily participate in before-

and after-school physical activity programs designed to supplement, not replace, the district's

physical education offerings, such as community recreation activities, interscholastic athletics and clubs

 

3.  Prohibit the use of physical activity as a form of discipline or punishment and ensure that

physical education and recess will not be withheld as punishment.

 

4.  Discourage periods of inactivity that exceed two or more hours. When activities such as

mandatory schoolwide testing makes it necessary for students to remain indoors for long

periods of time, staff should give students periodic breaks during which they are encouraged

to stand and be moderately active.

 

5.  Provide opportunities and encouragement for staff to be physically active by:

• Planning, establishing and implementing activities to promote physical activity

among staff and providing opportunities for staff to conveniently engage in regular

physical activity.

 

Other School-Based Activities

 

The district's goal for other school-based activities is to ensure an integrated whole-school approach

to the district's wellness program. The district will achieve this goal by addressing the areas

itemized below.

 

Community Involvement

The wellness program shall make effective use of district and community resources and equitably

serve the needs and interests of all students and staff, taking into consideration differences of gender,

cultural norms, physical and cognitive abilities and fitness level.

 

Family Involvement

 

The district will strive to engage families as partners in their children's education by supporting

parental efforts to motivate and help their children with maintaining and improving their health,

preventing disease and avoiding health-related risk behaviors. Strategies the district may implement

to achieve family involvement may include, but are not limited to:

 

• Providing nutrient analyses of district menus.

• Supporting efforts of parents/guardians to provide their children with opportunities to be

physically active outside of school.

• Providing information about physical education and other school-based physical activity

opportunities available to students before, during and after the school day.

• Sharing information about physical activity and physical education via the district's website,

newsletter, other take-home materials, special events or physical education homework.

• Working with families to provide consistent sun safety information that includes an overview

of the district's sun safety program, an explanation of how parents/guardians can reinforce

the program at home and how they can become involved with and support the district's

program.

• Encouraging parents/guardians to volunteer time in the classroom, cafeteria or at special

events that promote student health.

• Providing opportunities for parent/guardian involvement with the district wellness

committee.

• If practical, the district will provide information in a language understandable to parents/guardians.

 

Indoor Air Quality

 

District employees will refrain from using candles, oils, sprays, plug-ins and other sources of

fragrance. Pesticides and cleaning products will be used only in accordance with district policies

and procedures.

 

Mealtimes

Students are not permitted to leave school campus during the school day to purchase food or

beverages. Mealtimes will comply with the following guidelines:

 

• Mealtimes will provide students with at least 10 minutes to eat after

sitting down for breakfast and 20 minutes after sitting down for

lunch.

• Activities such as tutoring or meetings will not be held during mealtimes unless students may

eat during such activities.

• Free, safe and unflavored drinking water will be available to students during meals in the

meal service area.

• Students will have access to hand-washing facilities before they eat meals or snacks.

• The district will take reasonable steps to accommodate the toothbrushing regimens of

students.

• Students will be allowed to converse during meals.

• The cafeteria will be clean, orderly and inviting.

• Adequate seating and supervision will be provided during mealtimes.

 

Outdoor Air Quality

• The principal or designee of each school will be responsible for daily monitoring of Air Quality

• Index (AQI) information provided by local authorities.

• When the AQI is "code orange" (unhealthy for sensitive groups of people), students with a

history of reactions to ozone exposure will be permitted to reduce their outdoor exertion

level or time spent outdoors, and the staff will arrange alternative indoor physical activities.

• Appropriately trained staff responsible for student supervision will monitor such students for

symptoms of respiratory distress.

• When the AQI is "code red" (unhealthy), students with a history of reactions to ozone

exposure will remain indoors and participate in indoor physical activities. Appropriately

trained staff responsible for student supervision will monitor such students for symptoms of

respiratory distress. All other students will be allowed to engage in no more than one hour of

heavy exertion (i.e., activities that involve high-intensity exercise such as basketball, soccer

and running) while outdoors.

• When the AQI is "code purple" (very unhealthy) or "code maroon" (hazardous), all students

will be kept indoors and participate in indoor physical activities. Appropriately trained staff

responsible for student supervision will monitor all students for symptoms of respiratory

distress.

 

Staff Development and Training

 

All staff will be provided with ongoing training and professional development related to all areas of

student wellness. The pre-service and ongoing in-service training will include teaching strategies for

behavior change and will focus on giving teachers the skills they need to use non-lecture, active

learning methods. Staff responsible for nutrition education will be adequately prepared and

regularly participate in professional development activities to effectively deliver the nutrition

education program as planned. Staff responsible for implementing the physical education program

will be properly certified and regularly participate in area-specific professional development

activities.

 

Qualified nutrition professionals will administer the district meal programs and will receive ongoing,

area-specific professional development. The district will provide continuing professional

development for all district nutrition professionals. Staff development programs will include

appropriate certification and/or training programs for child nutrition directors, school nutrition

managers and cafeteria workers according to their levels of responsibility.

 

Staff Wellness

 

The Drexel R-IV School District highly values the health and well-being of every staff member

and will plan and implement activities and policies that support personal efforts by staff to maintain

a healthy lifestyle. The district will offer staff wellness programs that include education on nutrition,

healthy eating behaviors and maintaining a healthy weight for optimal health. The district will

establish and maintain a staff wellness committee composed of at least one staff member; wellness

committee member; registered dietitian, school nurse or other health professional; employee benefits

specialist; and other appropriate personnel. The staff wellness committee will serve as a

subcommittee of the district wellness committee. The staff wellness committee will develop,

promote and oversee a multifaceted plan to promote staff health and wellness. The plan will be

based on input solicited from district staff and will outline ways to encourage healthy eating,

physical activity, sun safety and other elements of a healthy lifestyle. The staff wellness committee

will provide a copy of its plan to the wellness program committee.

 

Sun Safety

 

"Sun safety" describes a range of behaviors that include wearing appropriate clothing, applying

sunscreen and limiting sun exposure. The sun safety program will focus on outdoor behavior and

will be developmentally appropriate, active, engaging and taught in lessons that emphasize the

benefits of sun safety. Sun safety education will be designed to assist students with:

1. Knowledge about the harmful effects of the sun and ways to protect skin.

2. Sun-safe skills, including the correct use of protective clothing, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen

and lip balm as well as seeking shade and limiting sun exposure when possible and practical

during the hours of peak sun intensity.

3. Knowledge about how to assess personal sun safety habits, set goals for improvement and

achieve these goals.

 

Tobacco

 

Tobacco use prevention education will focus on all grades with particular emphasis on middle school

and reinforcement in all later grades. Instructional activities will be participatory and

developmentally appropriate. Tobacco use prevention education programs will be implemented in

accordance with Board policy, relevant administrative procedures and law.

 

Oversight and Assessment

 

The wellness program coordinators are responsible for monitoring implementation and assessing the

effectiveness of the district wellness program by:

 

• Completing the required triennial assessment.

• Prioritizing wellness goals and writing work plans for each goal.

• Measuring implementation of the district wellness policy and procedure.

• Ensuring that the district meets the goals of the wellness policy and procedure.

• Reporting to the Board on compliance and progress.

• Comparing the district's policy to model policies.

 

Compliance Indicators

 

The program coordinators will use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) School

Health Index as a measure of the overall effectiveness of the local wellness program. In addition, the

wellness program coordinators will identify at least one other assessment tool, including those

available through the USDA or CDC, that provides measures not covered by the School Health

Index. Assessment tools may be locally created.

 

Policy Review

 

The wellness program coordinators will provide policy revision recommendations to the Board as

part of the periodic report. The recommendations will be based on analysis of the compliance

indicators and comparison of the district's policy to model policies provided, recommended or

referenced by the USDA. The Board will revise the wellness policy as it deems necessary.

Administrative procedures will be revised accordingly.