8510 - WELLNESS

As required by law, the School Board establishes the following wellness policy for the School Corporation as a part of a comprehensive wellness initiative.

The Board recognizes that good nutrition and regular physical activity affect the health and well-being of the Corporation'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, by supporting the development of good eating habits, and by 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 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 with respect to eating and exercise.

The Board sets the following goals in an effort to enable students to establish good health, healthy nutrition, and physical activity habits:

1. With regard to nutrition education:

   1. Nutrition education shall be included in the sequential, comprehensive health curriculum in accordance with the curriculum standards and benchmarks established by the State.

   2. The standards and benchmarks for nutrition education shall be behavior-focused.

   3. Nutrition education posters, such as the Food Pyramid Guide and USDA's MyPlate, will be displayed in the cafeteria and other appropriate areas visible to students and others in the school community.

   4. Nutrition education standards and benchmarks promote the benefits of a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, lean meats, fish, poultry, and plant-based proteins, and low-fat and fat-free milk and dairy products.

2. With regard to physical activity:

   1. Physical Education

      1. 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.

      2. The physical education curriculum shall provide sequential instruction related to the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to participate in lifelong, health-enhancing physical activity.

      3. Teachers properly certificated/licensed in the subject area of

   2. Physical Activity
       
      1. Physical activity and movement shall be integrated, when possible, across the curricula and throughout the school day (e.g., classroom physical activity breaks).
      2. The school shall encourage families and community organizations to help develop and institute programs that support physical activity of all sorts.
3. With regard to other school-based activities:
    
   1. Free drinking water shall be available to students during designated meal times and may be available throughout the school day.
   2. The schools shall provide at least twenty-five (25) minutes daily for students to eat.
   3. The schools shall schedule mealtimes so there is minimum disruption by bus schedules, recess, and other special programs or events.
   4. The school shall provide attractive, clean environments in which the students eat.
4. With regard to nutrition promotion, any foods and beverages marketed or promoted to students on the school campus, during the school day, will meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards. This includes marketing on school property, on educational materials, where food is purchased, in school publications and school media, and through fundraisers.
   
   Additionally, the Corporation shall:
    
   1. encourage students to increase their consumption of healthful foods during the school day;
   2. create an environment that reinforces the development of healthy eating habits, including offering the following healthy foods:
       
      1. a variety of fresh produce to include those prepared without added fats, sugars, refined sugars, and sodium
      2. a variety of vegetables daily to include five (5) specific subgroups outlined in the Dietary guidelines for Americans and promoted in the MyPlate materials (dark green, red/orange, beans/peas/lentils, starchy, and other)
      3. meals designed to meet specific calorie ranges for age/grade groups
   3. require students to select a fruit or vegetable as part of a complete reimbursable meal;

Furthermore, with the objectives of enhancing student health and well-being and reducing childhood obesity, the following guidelines are established:

1. In accordance with Policy 8500, entitled Food Service, 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.

2. The sale of foods of minimal nutritional value in the food service area during the lunch period is prohibited.

3. 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).

4. The sale to students of foods and beverages that do not meet the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards to be consumed on the school campus during the school day is prohibited. Competitive foods available for purchase by students à la carte in the dining area, foods or beverages sold from vending machines, and foods and beverages provided by the school or school staff for classroom parties or holiday celebrations are subject to this prohibition.

5. The food service program will provide information to families about free/reduced meal eligibility (e.g., sending applications home with all students once a year, posting the application on the school website, etc.).

6. All food items and beverages available for sale to students for consumption on campus between midnight and thirty (30) minutes after the close of the regular school day shall comply with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including, but not limited to, competitive foods that are available to students à la carte in the dining area, as well as food items and beverages from vending machines, school stores, or fund-raisers by student clubs and organizations, parent groups, or boosters clubs

The Board designates the Superintendent as the individual(s) charged with operational responsibility for measuring and evaluating the Corporation's implementation and progress under this policy.

The Superintendent includes parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, nutritionists or certified dietitians, educational staff (including health and physical education teachers), mental health and social services staff, school health professionals, the School Board, school administrators, and members of the public to oversee the development, implementation, evaluation, and periodic update, if necessary, of the wellness policy. School-level health advisory teams may assist in the planning and implementation of these Wellness initiatives.

The wellness committee shall be an ad hoc committee of the Board with members recruited and appointed annually.

The wellness committee shall:

1. assess the current environment in each of the Corporation’s schools;

2. measure the implementation of the Corporation’s wellness policy in each of the Corporation’s schools;

3. review the Corporation’s current wellness policy;

4. recommend revision of the policy, as appropriate; and

5. present the wellness policy, with any recommended revisions, to the Board for approval or re-adoption if revisions are recommended.

Before the end of each school year, the wellness committee shall submit to the Superintendent and Board their report in which they describe the environment in each of the Corporation’s schools and the implementation of the wellness policy in each school, and identify any revisions to the policy the committee deems necessary. In its review, the Wellness Committee shall consider evidence-based strategies in determining its recommendations.

The Superintendent shall report annually to the Board on the work of the wellness committee, including their assessment of the environment in the Corporation, their evaluation of wellness policy implementation Corporation-wide, and the areas for improvement, if any, that the committee identified. The committee shall also report on the status of compliance by individual schools and progress made in attaining goals established in the policy.

The Superintendent also 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 Superintendent shall distribute information at the beginning of the school year to families of school children, and post the wellness policy on the Corporation’s website, including the assessment of the implementation of the policy prepared by the Corporation.

The Corporation shall assess the Wellness Policy at least once every three (3) years on the extent to which schools in the Corporation are in compliance with the Corporation policy, the extent to which the Corporation policy compares to model wellness policies, and the progress made in attaining the goals of the Corporation Wellness Policy. To ensure continuing progress, the Corporation will evaluate implementation efforts and their impact on students and staff using the following tool: 

Xhttp://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/nutrition/evaluation-checklist_0.pdf

The assessment shall be made available to the public on the School Corporation’s website.

Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint-filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

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 a 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:

1. Mail:
   
   U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. Fax:
   
   (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. E-mail:
   
   program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

The above nondiscrimination statement complements the Corporation's nondiscrimination policies, including Policy 2260 - Nondiscrimination and Access to Equal Educational Opportunity and Policy 1422/Policy 3122/Policy 4122 - Nondiscrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity.

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