8510 - WELLNESS
As required by law, the Board of the Barron Area School District establishes the following wellness policy.
The Board recognizes that good nutrition and regular physical activity affect the health and well-being of the District's students. Furthermore, research suggests that there is a positive correlation between a student's health and well-being and his/her ability to learn. Moreover, schools can play an important role in the developmental process by which students establish their health and nutrition habits by providing nutritious meals and snacks through the schools' meal programs, supporting the development of good eating habits, and promoting increased physical activity both in and out of school.
Schools alone, however, cannot develop in students healthy behaviors and habits with regard to eating and exercise; it cannot be accomplished by the schools alone. It will be necessary for not only the staff, but also parents and the public at large to be involved in a community-wide effort to promote, support, and model such healthy behaviors and habits.
The Board sets the following goals in an effort to enable students to establish good health and nutrition choices to:
promote nutrition education with the objective of improving students' health;
improve the health and well-being of our children, increase consumption of healthful foods during the school day, and create an environment that reinforces the development of healthy eating habits;
promote nutrition guidelines, a healthy eating environment, child nutrition programs, and food safety and security on each school campus with the objective of promoting student health;
provide opportunities for every student to develop the knowledge and skills for specific physical activities, maintain physical fitness, regularly participate in physical activity, and understand the short and long-term benefits of a physically active lifestyle;
promote the health and wellness of students and staff through other school-based activities.
Wellness Policy Leadership
The District Administrator shall implement and ensure compliance with the policy by leading the review, update, and evaluation of the policy.
Public Involvement
The District Administrator shall obtain the input of District collaborators to participate in the development, implementation, and periodic review and update of the policy. The collaborators may include parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, educational staff (including physical education teachers), school health professionals, Board members, members of the public, medical/health care professionals, and other school administrators
The wellness committee shall be an administrative committee with members recruited and appointed by the District Administrator.
Policy Leadership and Reporting Requirement
The District Administrator will oversee the development, implementation, and evaluation of the wellness procedures and is authorized to designate a staff member or members with the responsibility to assure that wellness initiatives are followed in the District's schools.
The District Administrator shall conduct reviews of the progress toward school wellness procedures, identify areas for improvement, and recommend revision of procedures as necessary.
Before the end of each school year, the wellness committee shall submit to the District Administrator and Board their report in which they describe the environment in each of the District's schools and the implementation of the wellness policy in each school, and identify any revisions to the policy the committee deems necessary.
The District Administrator or a designee of the wellness committee shall report annually to the Board on the District's wellness programs, including the assessment of the environment in the District, evaluation of wellness policy implementation District-wide, and the areas for improvement, if any, identified. The District Administrator or a designee of the wellness committee shall also report on the status of compliance by individual schools and progress made in attaining goals established in the policy.
The program developed shall include the following items, along with any additional measures deemed appropriate:
identify specific goals for nutrition promotion and education, physical activity, and other school-based activities that promote student wellness, with consideration for evidence-based strategies;
develop nutrition guidelines for all foods and beverages sold during the school day, that are consistent with Federal requirements for meal nutrition standards and Smart Snacks, and restrict marketing efforts to only those items that meet established guidelines;
develop policies pertaining to other food items in the schools, including for classroom parties, birthday snacks, or other food items not for sale, but distributed in the schools;
describes the process and public involvement in the development of the wellness program and initiatives.
Nutrition Education
Nutrition education shall be incorporated into the Health curriculum and other aspects of the curriculum, including science, math, language arts, and elective courses.
Nutrition education shall extend beyond the classroom by engaging and involving the school's food service staff.
Nutrition education posters, such as the MyPlate Guide, will be displayed in the cafeteria.
Nutrition education standards and benchmarks promote the benefits of a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, and low-fat and fat-free dairy products.
Nutrition Promotion
All foods available to students in District programs, other than the food service program, shall be served with consideration for promoting student health and well-being.
Physical Activity
Physical Education
A sequential, comprehensive physical education program shall be provided for students in K through grade twelve (12) in accordance with the physical education academic content standards and benchmarks adopted by the State.
The sequential, comprehensive physical education curriculum shall provide students with opportunities to learn, practice, and be assessed on developmentally appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to engage in lifelong, health-enhancing physical activity.
Physical Activity
Physical activity and movement shall be integrated, when possible, across the curricula and throughout the school day.
Other School-Based Strategies for Wellness:
An organized wellness program shall be available to all staff.
The school may provide opportunities for staff, parents, and other community members to model healthy eating habits by dining with students in the school dining areas.
Additional Strategies for Consideration:
The schools shall schedule mealtimes so there is minimum disruption by bus schedules, recess, and other special programs or events.
The school shall provide attractive, clean environments in which the students eat.
Schools in our system utilize electronic identification and payment systems, therefore, eliminating any stigma or identification of students eligible to receive free and/or reduced meals.
Students are discouraged from sharing their foods or beverages with one another during meal times, given concerns about allergies and other restrictions on some students' diets.
Furthermore, with the objectives of enhancing student health and well-being, and reducing childhood obesity, the following guidelines are established:
In accordance with Policy 8500, entitled Food Services, the food service program shall comply with Federal and State regulations pertaining to the selection, preparation, consumption, and disposal of food and beverages as well as to the fiscal management of the program.
As set forth in Policy 8531, entitled Free and Reduced Price Meals, the guidelines for reimbursable school meals are not less restrictive than the guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The food service program will provide all students affordable access to the varied and nutritious foods they need to be healthy and to learn well.
The school food service program may involve students, parents, staff, and school officials in the selection of competitive food items to be sold in the schools.
The food service program shall be administered by a director who is properly qualified, certificated, licensed, or credentialed, according to current professional standards.
All food service personnel shall receive pre-service training in food service operations.
Continuing professional development shall be provided for all staff of the food service program.
Public Notice
The District Administrator shall be responsible for informing the public, including parents, students, and community members, on the content and implementation of this policy. In order to inform the public, the District Administrator shall distribute information at the beginning of the school year to families of school children online and post the wellness policy on the District's website, including the assessment of the implementation of the policy prepared by the District.
Record Retention
The District Administrator shall require that the District retains documentation pertaining to the development, review, evaluation, and update of the policy including:
copy of the current policy;
documentation pertaining to the most recent assessment of implementation of wellness initiatives identified in the policy;
documentation of efforts to publicize the policy;
documentation of efforts to review and update the policy, including identification of the participating and invited stakeholders. Review of this policy shall occur every three (3) years, by a committee appointed by the Board, consisting of a representative(s) of the Board, the administration, the food service provider, the parents, the students, and the public. The committee shall provide the Board with a review of the performance of the programs and any recommended changes to this policy.
Nondiscrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
- Mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or - Fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or - E-mail:
program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Revised 10/21/24
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