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District Wellness Procedure

Nutrition Promotion and Food Marketing-

School meals will follow USDA regulations and:

  • be served in clean and pleasant settings;
  • offer a variety of freshly prepared (local whenever possible) vegetables, fruit, meat and eggs.

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.

Schools should:

  • Engage students, through taste-tests of new entrees and surveys, in selecting foods sold through the school meal programs in order to identify new, healthful and appealing food choices.
  • Encourage students to eat a healthy breakfast at home or at school.
  • 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, placards, or other point-of-purchase materials.
  • Provide opportunities when appropriate to be involved in food service sourcing and recipe development.

Free and Reduced-price Meals Schools will eliminate any social stigma and prevent identification of students who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals.

Meal Times and Scheduling-

Schools:

  • Will provide students with adequate time to eat and will schedule meals at appropriate times (with the goal of lunch served between 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.). Students that arrive for breakfast with little time before school begins may take their breakfast with them to class;
  • Should not schedule tutoring, club or organizational meetings or activities during mealtimes, unless students may eat during such activities.

Sharing of Foods and BeveragesStudents are discouraged 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.

Water- Free, safe, and unflavored drinking water will be available to all students throughout the school day and throughout every school campus to promote hydration. The district will make drinking water available where school meals are served during mealtimes. In addition, students will be allowed to bring with them and carry approved water bottles (filled only with water).

Foods and Beverages Sold Individually to Students (i.e., foods sold outside of reimbursable school meals, such as through vending machines, cafeteria a la carte [snack] lines, fundraisers, school stores, etc.)-

In Elementary Schools- The school food service program will provide all food and beverage sales to students in elementary schools.  Foods sold to elementary students will be sold as balanced meals. If available, foods and beverages sold individually should be limited to low-fat and nonfat milk, fruits, and non-fried vegetables.

In Middle and High Schools- All foods and beverages sold individually outside the reimbursable school meal programs during the school day will meet Washington State standards. The standards are listed on OSPI’s Smart Snacks Reference Sheet (see Resources section below).

Fundraising Activities- To support children’s health and school nutrition education efforts, school fundraising activities during the school day will not involve food or will use only foods that meet the Smart Snack guidelines as the State of Washington does not allow exemptions for fundraisers. Schools are encouraged to utilize fundraisers that promote physical activity. Fundraisers held outside the regular school day are not required to meet the Smart Snack guidelines.

Snacks- Schools will assess if and when to offer snack times based on timing of school meals, children’s nutritional needs, children’s age, and other considerations.  Since snacks will not be school-provided, the district will add a link to a list of healthful snack ideas for parents (see Resources section below).

Food as Reward or Punishment- Schools should not use foods or beverages, especially those that do not meet the Smart Snack guidelines, as rewards for academic performance or good behavior, and will not withhold food or beverages (including food served through school meals) as a punishment.
Celebrations- Healthy food options are encouraged, but not required to be served during classroom celebrations.  The district will provide a link to a list of healthy party ideas for parents and teachers (see Resources section below).

School-sponsored Events (such as, but not limited to, athletic events, dances, or performances)-

Although foods and beverages sold at school-sponsored events outside the school day are not required to meet the smart snack guidelines, healthy options are encouraged at these events to maintain a consistent health-conscious message.

Communications with Parents- The district will provide information about healthy eating as well as physical education and other school-based physical activity opportunities.  The district supports parents’ efforts to provide their children with opportunities to be physically active outside of school. Such supports will include sharing information through a website, newsletters, other take-home materials, or physical education homework.

Food Marketing in SchoolsSchool-based marketing will be consistent with nutrition education and health promotion. Schools will limit food and beverage marketing to the promotion of foods and beverages that meet the Smart Snack guidelines. The promotion of healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products is also encouraged.
Staff Wellness- La Center School District highly values the health and well-being of every staff member and supports personal efforts by staff to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Nutrition Education and Promotion

Schools will provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion that:

  • is offered as part of a standards-based program designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health;
  • is part of health education classes and classroom instruction in subjects such as math, science, language arts, social sciences, and elective subjects;
  • includes enjoyable, developmentally-appropriate, participatory activities, such as promotions, taste testing, farm and related community visits, and school gardens;
  • links with school meal programs and nutrition-related community services; and
  • provide student opportunities, when appropriate, to be involved in food sourcing and recipe development.

Physical Activity and Physical Education

For students to receive the nationally-recommended amount of daily physical activity (i.e., at least 60 minutes per day) and for students to fully embrace regular physical activity as a personal behavior, students need opportunities for physical activity beyond physical education class.

Physical Education (P.E.) K-12- Students will receive physical education following the Health and Physical Education Standards for Washington State. Physical education will be taught by a certified physical education teacher.

Daily Recess- All elementary school students will have at least 20 minutes a day of supervised recess, preferably outdoors, during which schools should encourage moderate to vigorous physical activity through the provision of space and equipment.

Physical Activity Opportunities Before and After School- All elementary, middle, and high schools will encourage and support extracurricular physical activity programs, such as physical activity clubs or intramural programs.  All high schools, and middle schools as appropriate, will offer interscholastic sports programs.  After-school child care and enrichment programs will encourage periods of moderate to vigorous physical activity for all participants.  Teachers are encouraged to allow physical activity or “brain breaks” during class time.

Physical Activity and Punishment- Withholding physical activity or using physical activity as a consequence will be allowed only as a positive behavior support, or as a logical or natural consequence to student actions.

Safe Routes to School- The district will work together with local public entities to encourage, as well as make it safer and easier, for students to walk and bike to school.

Use of School Facilities Outside of School Hours– School spaces and facilities are made available when school is not in session to community sports and other organizations offering physical activity and nutrition programs.  School policies concerning safety and rental guidelines apply at all times.

Social Emotional Learning

La Center School District will continue to develop and implement a district wide social emotional framework which will incorporate OSPI benchmarks and indicators as they are developed.  This framework will be the foundation for establishing a “whole child” educational culture in La Center that will address the social and emotional needs of its students and staff. The SEL framework will be developed by La Center School District and its stakeholders. To promote sustainability, the framework will be evaluated and improved as deemed appropriate by district staff and stakeholders’ feedback.  Changes and improvements will be guided by principles of best practices that are research-based and promote equity and inclusion to influence and promote students’ success.

Staff Training– In order to integrate the awareness, attitudes, knowledge and skills inherent for social emotional well-being into a school wide culture, teachers and all support staff, including volunteers, will be provided training and support to promote and ensure compassionate education.

Comprehensive School Counseling Program– School counselors will support the SEL framework by utilizing the OSPI Comprehensive School Counseling Program for educating and providing interventions for students as appropriate.  Counselors will work collaboratively with staff, parents and community organizations to provide students with age-appropriate education and interventions.

Student Education– A spiral approach to social emotional learning competencies will be provided for students in Pre K-8 grades.  These competencies will be addressed using a 3-tiered approach with age-appropriate content.  The first tier will provide all students the opportunity to experience learning SEL benchmarks while in the classroom or other whole group settings.  For grades Pre K-12, the tier 2 support will be provided for students identified as needing more support, either in the classroom, in groups with counselors or other trusted adults, or with peer support groups.  Tier 3 support will be determined as appropriate for students in need of a more personalized approach to gain the SEL skills that they need to succeed.  This may include individual counseling services, administrative support or referrals to appropriate resources in the school or community.

Parent Education and/or Communication– Parents will be provided opportunities for education about the SEL standards and benchmarks. These opportunities might be through parent curriculum night, special parenting class offerings or parent support groups as deemed appropriate.  Communication will be transparent and ongoing at all school levels to ensure that parents clearly understand why SEL learning is important and how they can help at home to support the culture of wellness. Communication may be in the form of newsletters, handouts, emails, and teacher/counselor websites.

Resources

 

Wellness Procedure Resources –

Smart Snacks Reference Sheet and Chart – The Smart Snacks guidelines apply to foods and beverages sold to students during the school day.

Healthy Classroom/School Celebrations

Healthy and Active Non-Food Rewards

Tips for Teachers

Healthy Fundraiser Ideas for Schools

 

Staff Wellness –

Employee Wellness Strategies Includes ideas on de-stressing (i.e., self-massage techniques, deep breathing meditation, stretching, etc.)

Monthly Health Topics Thrive at Work (Kaiser Permanente Business Monthly Health Topics)

 

Nutrition –

OSPI Child Nutrition Resources Website – Assists school districts in providing quality nutrition programs that promote lifelong healthful living while providing nutritious meals each day that prepare children for learning.

 

Physical Activity –

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans 2nd Edition

Promote Active Play through Written Policies and Practices

Active Play, Active Learning, Brain Breaks Guide

 

Social and Emotional Learning –

OSPI Social and Emotional Learning

CASEL – Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning

Washington State Comprehensive School Counseling and Guidance Program Model

Links updated 10/21/2019

 

 

Adopted: October 23, 2018

La Center School District