WELLNESS

WELLNESS

po8510Adopted July 8, 2008Revised April 14, 2026

8510 - WELLNESS

As required by law, the Board for the Manitowoc Public School District establishes the following wellness policy.

Policy Preamble

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 their 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 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:

  1. promote nutrition education with the objective of improving students’ health;

  2. 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;

  3. 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;

  4. 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;

  5. promote the health and wellness of students and staff through other school-based activities.

Wellness Policy Leadership

The Superintendent shall implement and ensure compliance with the policy by leading the review, update, and evaluation of the policy. 

Required Public Involvement

The Superintendent 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.

District Wellness Committee

Committee Formation

The District shall convene a Wellness Committee that meets at least four (4) times during the school year to establish goals and oversee school health policies and programs, including development, implementation, and periodic review and update of this Wellness Policy.

The District shall invite a diverse group of collaborators to participate in the development, implementation, and periodic review and update of the Wellness Policy.

Collaborators may include:

  1. administrator(s)
  2. Board member(s)
  3. classroom teacher(s)
  4. physical education teacher(s)
  5. school food service representative(s)
  6. school nurse(s)
  7. community member/parent(s)
  8. student(s)
  9. medical/health care professional(s)
  10. nutrition and/or health education teacher(s)
  11. school counselor(s)
  12. local business representative(s)

Nutrition Standard for All Foods

The District is committed to serving healthy meals to our students. The school meal programs aim to improve the diet and health of school children, model healthy eating patterns, and support healthy choices while accommodating cultural food preferences and special dietary needs.

School Meal Programs

Standards and Guidelines for School Meal Programs

  1. All meals meet or exceed current nutrition requirements established under the Healthy Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010. (https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp/national-school-lunch-program-meal-pattern-chart)
  2. Drinking water is available for students during mealtimes.
  3. All meals are accessible to all students.
  4. Withholding food as a punishment shall be strictly prohibited.
  5. All meals are appealing and attractive and served in clean and pleasant settings.
  6. Students are provided at least ten (10) minutes to eat breakfast and at least twenty (20) to eat lunch after being seated.
  7. Menus shall be posted on the District website and will include nutrient content.
  8. All school nutrition program directors, managers, and staff shall meet or exceed hiring and annual continuing education/training requirements in the USDA professional standards for child nutrition professionals.

School Meal Program Participation

Standards for Foods and Beverages Sold Outside of School Meals

Foods Offered/Provided but Not Sold

The District encourages that foods offered on the school campus meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards, including those provided at celebrations and parties, and classroom snacks brought by staff or family members. Non-food celebrations will be promoted, and a list of ideas is available.
The District allows four (4) celebrations per classroom per school year.

Fund-Raising

Schools will restrict food and beverage marketing to only those foods and beverages that meet the nutrition standards set forth by the USDA’s Nutrition Standards for All

Marketing

Schools will restrict food and beverage marketing to only those foods and beverages that meet the nutrition standards set forth by USDA’s Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools (Smart Snacks) rule. Marketing includes brand names, trademarks, logos, or tags except when placed on a food or beverage product/container; displays, such as vending machine exteriors; corporate/brand names, logos, trademarks on cups, posters, school supplies, education materials, food service equipment, and school equipment (e.g. message boards, scoreboards, uniforms); advertisements in school publications/mailings; sponsorship of school activities, fund-raisers, or sports teams; educational incentive programs such as contests or programs; and free samples or coupons displaying advertising of a product.

Nutrition Education

  1. The primary goal of nutrition education is to influence students’ lifelong eating behaviors.
  2. Nutrition education, a component of comprehensive health education, shall be offered every year to all students of the District. The District aims to teach, model, encourage, and support healthy eating by providing nutrition education.
  3. Schools shall provide nutrition education that helps students develop lifelong healthy eating behaviors.
  4. Nutrition education shall be incorporated into the Health curriculum and other aspects of the curriculum, including science, math, language arts, and elective courses.
  5. Nutrition education shall be included in the sequential, comprehensive health curriculum in accordance with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Model Academic Standards for Nutrition.
  6. Nutrition education shall be integrated into other subject areas of the curriculum, when appropriate, to complement, but not replace, the standards and benchmarks for health education.
  7. Nutrition education shall include enjoyable, developmentally appropriate, and culturally relevant participatory activities, such as contests, promotions, taste testing, and others.
  8. Nutrition education shall include opportunities for appropriate student projects related to nutrition, involving, when possible, community agencies and organizations.
  9. Nutrition education shall extend beyond the classroom by engaging and involving the school's food service staff.
  10. Nutrition education posters, such as the MyPlate Guide, will be displayed in the cafeteria.
  11. The school cafeteria shall serve as a learning lab by allowing students to apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills taught in the classroom when making choices at mealtime.
  12. Nutrition education shall extend beyond the school by engaging and involving families and the community.
  13. Nutrition education shall reinforce lifelong balance by emphasizing the link between caloric intake (eating) and exercise in ways that are age-appropriate.
  14. Nutrition education benchmarks and standards include a focus on media literacy as it relates to food marketing strategies.
  15. 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.
  16. Staff responsible for providing instruction in nutrition education shall regularly participate in professional development activities designed to better enable them to teach the benchmarks and standards.
  17. Instruction related to the standards and benchmarks for nutrition education shall be provided by highly qualified teachers.

Nutrition Promotion

  1. School nutrition services shall use the  Wisconsin Team Nutrition Meal Appeal Self-Assessment (dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/wisconsin-school-meals-rock/_files/meal-appeal-self-assessment.pdf) to determine ways to improve the school meals environment.
  2. School nutrition services shall implement at least ten (10)  Wisconsin Team Nutrition Meal Appeal techniques at each school.
  3. Other: 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

  1. The District shall provide students with age and grade-appropriate opportunities to engage in physical activity.
  2. Physical activity during the school day shall not be withheld as punishment.
  3. Physical activity and movement shall be integrated, when possible, across the curricula and throughout the school day.
  4. Outdoor recess shall be offered, weather permitting.

Physical Education

  1. A sequential, comprehensive physical education program shall be provided for students in K-12 in accordance with the physical education academic content standards and benchmarks adopted by the State.
  2. 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.
  3. All-District high school students are required to receive at least 1.5 credits of physical education prior to graduation unless the District allows for the substitution of 0.5 credits per Policy 5460 - Graduation Requirements.
  4. All physical education classes are taught by licensed teachers who are certified to teach physical education.
  5. Physical education staff shall receive professional development on a yearly basis.

Other Activities That Promote School Wellness

  1. Students, parents, and other community members shall have access to, and be encouraged to use, the school's outdoor physical activity facilities outside the normal school day.
  2. The school shall provide opportunities for staff, parents, and other community members to model healthy eating habits by dining with students in the school dining areas.
  3. Nutrition information for competitive foods available during the school day shall be readily available near the point of purchase.

Staff Wellness

The District will implement the following activities to promote healthy eating and physical activity among school staff:  Educational activities for school staff members on healthy lifestyle behaviors.

Community Engagement

The District shall inform and invite parents to participate in school-sponsored activities throughout the year.

Additional Strategies for Consideration:

  1. The school shall provide attractive, clean environments in which the students eat.
  2. 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.

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

  1. In accordance with Policy 8500 - 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. As set forth in Policy 8531 - 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).

    All foods available on campus during the school day shall comply with the current USDA nutrition guidelines, including competitive foods that are available to students a la carte in the dining area, as classroom snacks, from vending machines, for classroom parties, or at holiday celebrations.
  3. The food service program will provide all students with affordable access to the varied and nutritious foods they need to be healthy and to learn well, regardless of unpaid meal balances, without stigma.

Monitoring and Evaluation - Triennial Assessment

  1. The District will evaluate compliance with the Wellness Policy no less than once every three years. The assessment will include the extent to which each school is in compliance with the policy, progress towards meeting policy goals, and how the policy compares to a model policy, as established by the USDA. The District will use the Wisconsin Local Wellness Policy Triennial Assessment Report Card to fulfill the triennial assessment requirement. The results of the triennial assessment will be made available to the public.
     
  2. The Wellness Committee shall evaluate compliance with the Wellness Policy no less than once every three years. The assessment will include the extent to which each school is in compliance with the policy and how the policy compares to a model policy, as established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The District will use the Wisconsin Local Wellness Policy Triennial Assessment Report Card to fulfill the triennial assessment requirement. The results of the triennial assessment will be made available to the Board and public.
     
  3. The District wellness policy will be updated as needed based on evaluation results, District changes, emersion of new health science information/technology, and/or new Federal or State guidance are issued.
     
  4. The District will actively inform families and the public about the content of and any updates to the policy through the District Website and newsletters.

The program developed shall include the following items, along with any additional measures deemed appropriate:

  1. The District wellness policy will be updated as needed based on evaluation results, District changes, emersion of new health science information/technology, and/or new Federal or State guidance are issued.
  2. The Superintendent shall conduct an annual review of the progress toward school wellness procedures, identify areas for improvement, and recommend revision of procedures as necessary.
  3. The Superintendent 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 Superintendent 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.
     
    1. 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;
    2. 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 restricting marketing efforts to only those items that meet established guidelines;
    3. 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;
    4. describes the process and public involvement in the development of the wellness program and initiatives.

Update/Inform the Public

The District will actively inform and update the public about the content of and any updates to the policy through the District website and Board meetings.

The Superintendent 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 District’s website, including the assessment of the implementation of the policy prepared by the District.

Record Retention

The Superintendent shall require that the District retain documentation pertaining to the development, review, evaluation, and update of the policy, including:

  1. copy of the current policy;
  2. documentation pertaining to the most recent assessment of the implementation of wellness initiatives identified in the policy;
  3. documentation of efforts to publicize the policy;
  4. documentation of efforts to review and update the policy, including identification of the participating and invited collaborators.

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 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.

Revised 3/10/15
Revised 4/9/19
Revised 5/13/25
Revised 2/10/25

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