507.09 - Wellness Policy

 

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 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.

 

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 when needed.

 

The school district will develop a local wellness policy committee possibly 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 to the board and community regarding the content and effectiveness of this policy and recommend updates if needed.

 

The specific Wellness Goals for the district include:

1. Nutrition Education and Promotion

• The school district will provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion   that:

a) 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.

2. Physical Activity

• The school district will provide physical education that:

a) is for all students in grades K-12 for the entire school year unless the student is granted an exemption as outlined by Iowa Code;

b) is taught by a certified physical education teacher;

c) includes students with disabilities, students with special health-care needs may be provided in alternative educational settings; and,

d) engages students in moderate to vigorous activity during at least 50 percent of physical education class time.

• Elementary schools should provide recess for students that:

a) is at least 15 minutes a day;

b) is preferably outdoors;

c) encourages moderate to vigorous physical activity verbally and through the provision of space and equipment; and,

d) When activities, such as mandatory school-wide testing, make it necessary for students to remain indoors for long periods of time, schools should give students periodic breaks during which they are encouraged to stand and be moderately active.

• Employees should not use physical activity (e.g., running laps, pushups) or withhold opportunities for physical activity (e.g., recess, physical education) as punishment.

3. Integrating Physical Activity into Classroom Settings

• For students to receive the nationally recommended amount of daily physical activity and for students to fully embrace regular physical activity as a personal behavior, students need opportunities for physical activity beyond the physical education class. Toward that end, the school district will:

a) offer classroom health education that complements physical education by reinforcing the knowledge and self-management skills needed to maintain a physically active lifestyle and to reduce time spent on sedentary activities,

b) discourage sedentary activities, such as watching television, playing computer games, etc.

• Communication with Parents

a) encourage parents to pack healthy lunches and snacks and to refrain from including beverages and foods that do not meet the established nutrition standards for individual foods and beverages;

b) provide parents a list of foods that meet the school district’s snack standards and ideas for healthy celebrations/parties, rewards and fundraising activities,

c) include sharing information about physical activity and physical education through a web site, newsletter, other take-home materials, special events or physical education homework.

• Food Marketing in Schools

a) limit food and beverage marketing to the promotion of foods and beverages that meet the nutrition standards for meals or for foods and beverages sold individually,

b) market activities that promote healthful behaviors (and are therefore allowable) including: vending machine covers promoting water; pricing structures that promote healthy options in a la carte lines or vending machines; sales of fruit for fundraisers; and coupons for discount gym memberships.

• Staff Wellness

a) establish and maintain a staff wellness committee composed of at least one staff member, local hospital representative, dietitian or other health professional, recreation program representative, union representative and employee benefits specialist.

4. School Meals

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

a) be appealing and attractive to children;

b) be served in clean and pleasant settings;

c) meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by state and federal law:

d) offer a variety of fruits and vegetables, legumes and whole grains;

e) serve only low-fat (1%) and fat-free milk and nutritionally equivalent non-dairy alternatives (as defined by the USDA);

• 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:

a) arrange bus schedules and utilize methods to serve breakfasts that encourage participation, including serving breakfast in the classroom, “grab-and-go” breakfasts or breakfast during morning break or recess, to the extent possible;

b) notify parents and students of the availability of the School Breakfast Program, where available; and,

c) encourage parents to provide a healthy breakfast for their children through newsletter articles, take-home materials or other means.

• Free and Reduced-Priced Meals

a) 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:

1. utilize electronic identification and payment systems;

2. provide meals at no charge to all children, regardless of income; and,

3. promote the availability of meals to all students.

• Meal Times and Scheduling

a) Will try to provide students with at least 10 minutes to eat after sitting down for breakfast and 20 minutes after sitting down for lunch;

b) Will try to schedule meal periods at appropriate times, e.g., lunch should be scheduled between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; should not schedule tutoring, club or organizational meetings

or activities during mealtimes, unless students may eat during such activities;

c) Will try to schedule lunch periods to follow recess periods (in elementary schools);

d) will provide students access to hand washing or hand sanitizing before they eat meals or snacks; and,

e) should take reasonable steps to accommodate the tooth-brushing regimens of students with special oral health needs (e.g., orthodontia or high tooth decay risk).

• Qualification of Food Service Staff

a) provide continuing professional development for all nutrition professionals,

b) provide staff development programs that include appropriate certification and/or training programs for child nutrition directors, nutrition managers and cafeteria workers, according to their levels of responsibility.

• Sharing of Foods

a) The school district discourages students from sharing their foods or beverages with one another during meal or snack times, given concerns about allergies and other restrictions on some children’s diets.

• Foods Sold Outside the Meal (e.g. vending, a la carte, sales)

a) All foods and beverages sold individually outside the reimbursable meal programs (including those sold through a la carte [snack] lines, vending machines, student stores or fundraising activities) during the school day, or through programs for students after the school day will meet nutrition standards as required by state or federal law.

• Fundraising Activities

a) There are two types of fundraising – regulated and other. Regulated fundraisers are those that offer the sale of foods or beverages on school property and that are targeted primarily to PK-12 students by or through other PK-12 students, student groups, school organizations, or through oncampus school stores. Regulated fundraising activities must comply with the state nutrition

guidelines. All other fundraising activities are encouraged, but not required, to comply with the state nutrition guidelines if the activities involve foods and beverages.

• Snacks

a) Snacks served during the school day or in after-school care or enrichment programs will make a positive contribution to children’s diets and health, with an emphasis on serving fruits and vegetables as the primary snacks and water as the primary beverage. Schools will assess if and when to offer snacks based on timing of meals, children’s nutritional needs, children’s ages and other considerations. The school district will disseminate a list of healthful snack

items to teachers, after-school program personnel and parents.

• Rewards

a) The school district will not use foods or beverages, (including food served through meals) as a punishment.

• Celebrations

a) Schools should evaluate their celebrations practices that involve food during the school day.The school  district will disseminate a list of healthy party ideas to parents and teachers.

• School-Sponsored Events

a) Foods and beverages offered or sold at school-sponsored events outside the school day are encouraged to meet the nutrition standards for meals or for foods and beverages sold individually.

• Food Safety

a) All foods made available on campus comply with the state and local food safety and sanitation regulations. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans and guidelines are implemented to prevent food illness in schools.

5. Monitoring

• The superintendent or designee will ensure compliance with established school district-wide nutrition and physical activity wellness policies.

a) In each school:

1. the principal will ensure compliance with those policies in the school and will report on the school’s compliance to the superintendent or designee; and,

2. The district’s Head Cook will ensure compliance with nutrition policies within food service areas and will report on this matter to the superintendent, principal or designee.

b) In the school district:

1. the school district will report on the most recent USDA School Meals Initiative (SMI) review findings and any resulting changes. If the school district has not received a SMI review from the state agency within the past five years, the school district will request from the state agency that a SMI review be scheduled as soon as possible,

Policy Review

As part of that review, the school district will review the nutrition and physical activity policies and

practices and the provision of an environment that supports healthy eating and physical activity. The

district in conjunction with the Wellness Team will set yearly goals to try and achieve the goals outlined in this policy. The school district will revise the wellness policies at the conclusion of yearly Wellness Team meeting and develop work plans to facilitate their implementation.

 

Legal Reference:           42 U.S.C. §§ 1751 et seq.

                                          42 U.S.C. §§ 1771 et seq. 

Iowa Code §§ 256.7(29); 256.11(6).

281 I.A.C. 12.5; 58.11.

Cross Reference:    504.5   Student Fund Raising

                                          504.6   Student Activity Program

                                          710      School Food Services

 

Approved      1/18/21                              Reviewed       7/21/25                             Revised