Rhea County School District

Wellness Policy

On June 30, 2004, the President signed Public Law 108-265, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. Section 204 of this law requires school districts/LEAs participating in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program to develop a local wellness policy that addresses student wellness and the growing problem of childhood obesity, by the school year 2006.

General Statements concerning Wellness:

• Children need access to healthful foods and opportunities to be physically active in order to grow, learn, and thrive.

• Good health fosters student attendance and education.

• Obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the last two decades, and physical inactivity and excessive calorie intake are the predominant causes of obesity.

• Heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are responsible for two-thirds of deaths in the United States, and major risk factors for those diseases, including unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity, and obesity, often are established in childhood.

• 33% of high school students do not participate in sufficient vigorous physical activity and 72% of high school students do not attend daily physical education classes;

• Only 2% of children (2 to 19 years) eat a healthy diet consistent with the five main recommendations from the Food Guide Pyramid/MyPyramid/Dietary Guidelines.

• Nationally, the items most commonly sold from school vending machines, school stores, and snack bars include low-nutrition foods and beverages, such as soda, sports drinks, imitation fruit juices, chips, candy, cookies, and snack cakes.

• School districts/LEAs around the country are facing significant fiscal and scheduling constraints.

• Community participation is essential to the development and implementation of successful school wellness policies.

The Rhea County School District is committed to providing school environments that promote and protect children’s health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. Therefore, it is the policy of the Rhea County School District that:

• The school district will engage students, parents, teachers, school nutrition professionals, health professionals, and other interested community members in developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing district-wide nutrition and physical activity policies.
  
  
• All students in grades K-12 will have opportunities, support, and encouragement to be physically active on a regular basis.

• Qualified child nutrition professionals will provide students with access to a variety of affordable, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students; and will provide clean, safe, and pleasant settings and adequate time for students to eat.

• All schools in our district will participate in available federal school meal programs (including the School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program) Schools that qualify may participate in the after-school snack program and the Summer Food Service Program.

TO ACHIEVE THESE POLICY GOALS:

The Rhea County School Wellness Committee consist of the following members:

Dallas Smith, Wellness Coordinator, Rhea County Director of Schools

Billy Graham, Rhea County School Board Member

Cindy Cooper, School Nutrition Program, TN State Department of Ed

Sally Lane, Rhea County School Nutrition Program Supervisor

Doug Keylon, Principal, Rhea Central Elementary

Micah Ruehling, Health & PE Teacher/Coach, Rhea County High

Amanda Tipton, PE Teacher, Frazier & Graysville Elementary

Jerry Cook, PE Teacher/Coach Spring City Middle School

Carolyn Haerr, RN Head Nurse, Rhea County School System

Christy Smith, Rhea County Health Educator

Vera Abel, La-Z-Boy Representative

Carol Revis, Suburban Manufacturing Representative

Christine Ralph, Rhea County United Way Representative

Kelly Lane, Rhea County High School Student

The school district and/or individual schools within the district will create, strengthen, or work within existing school health councils to develop, implement, monitor, review, and, revise school wellness policies. The council also will serve as resources to school sites for implementing those policies. The School Wellness Team consists of a group of individuals representing the school and community, and should include parents, students, and representatives of the school food authority, members of the school board, school administrators, teachers, health professionals, and members of the public.

Local Wellness Policy Components:

1. Nutrition Education Goals

2. Physical Activity Goals

3. Nutrition Standards

4. Other School-Based Activities

1. Nutrition Education Goals:

Nutrition Education:

· is offered 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.

· will be evident in the cafeteria/lunchroom setting by bulletin boards, posters, and menus that promote fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, and low-fat and fat-free dairy products, healthy food preparation methods, and health-enhancing nutrition practices.

· will include community outreach by the use of the LEAs Internet Website, Parent menus and flyers.

· Will discourage teachers from using high fat, sugar and sodium foods as rewards

· Offer a variety of low-fat foods

· Ensure that whole grain products are made available

· Promote more collaboration between food service staff and teachers

· Offer a variety of fruits and vegetables daily and will offer FRESH fruits/vegetables once per week.

· Serve a variety of milk, including fat-free, low-fat, flavored and unflavored, on a daily basis. The fat content of chocolate milk will be ½%.

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 training programs for child nutrition directors, school nutrition managers, and cafeteria workers, according to their levels of responsibility.

2. Physical Activity Goals:

• Each classroom teacher will encourage physical activity exercises with subject changes or at teacher’s discretion for a minimum of 20 minutes per day in addition to physical education classes for all students in grades K-12.

• Encourage the Presidents Physical Fitness Test or approved county wide local physical fitness test in the fall and spring.

• Develop system wide training for coaches including Little League for community involvement.

• Physical Activity and Punishment. Teachers and other school and community personnel will be discouraged from using physical activity (e.g., running laps, pushups) or withholding opportunities for physical activity (e.g., recess, education) as punishment.

Schools should discourage extended periods (i.e., periods of two or more hours) of inactivity. 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.

3. Nutritional Guidelines of Foods and Beverages Available on Campus

Nutrition guidelines are implemented for a la carte, vending and other foods available on the school

campus effective July 1, 2006. The State Nutrition Standards/Alacarte Law will be followed by the

Elementary and Middle Schools. The High School will continue to follow the competitive food policy.

School Meals:

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

· be appealing and attractive to children;

· be served in clean and pleasant settings;

· meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by local, state, and federal regulations;

· offer a variety of fruits and vegetables daily and will offer FRESH fruits/vegetables once per week.

· serve a variety of milk, including fat-free, lowfat, flavored and unflavored, on a daily basis. The fat content of chocolate will be ½%.

· ensure that whole grain products are made available.

Schools should engage students and parents, through taste-tests of new entrees and surveys, in selecting foods sold through the school meal programs in order to identify acceptable new, healthful, and appealing food choices.

Breakfast. 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, to the extent possible, operate the School Breakfast Program

· Schools will, to the extent possible, arrange bus schedules and utilize methods to serve school breakfasts that encourage participation.

· Schools that serve breakfast to students will notify parents and students of the availability of the School Breakfast Program.

Meal Times and Scheduling.

Schools:

· will provide students with at least 10 minutes to eat after sitting down for breakfast and 20 minutes after sitting down for lunch;

· will discourage using high fat ,sugar and sodium foods as a REWARD or Punishment

4.OTHER SCHOOL BASED ACTIVITIES:

Cafeteria Atmosphere:

1. School dining areas have sufficient space for students to sit and consume meals.

2. School dining areas are clean, safe and pleasant environments that reflect the value of the social aspects of eating.

3. Enough serving areas are provided to ensure student access to school meals with a minimum of wait time.

4. Meal times are scheduled near the middle of the day.

5. Students are given adequate time to enjoy eating healthy meals with friends.

6. Food or physical activity will be discouraged from using as a reward or punishment.

Fundraising Activities. To support children’s health and school nutrition-education efforts, school fundraising activities will encourage the use of healthy food items. Schools will encourage fundraising activities that promote physical activity. The school district will make available a list of ideas for suggested fundraising activities.

Snacks. 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 low-fat and less sugar and sodium items. The district will disseminate a list of healthful snack items to teachers, after-school program personnel, and parents.

Rewards. Schools will discourage using high fat and sodium foods or beverages 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. Schools will limit the number of celebrations and encourage healthy foods being brought into the schools for celebrations such as popcorn, fresh fruits and vegetables. The Wellness Team will disseminate a list of healthy party ideas to parents and teachers. When celebrations occur, parents will be encouraged to bring non-homemade pre-packaged foods that are nutritious and safe.

Communications with Parents. The district/school will support parents’ efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children. The district/school will, send home nutrition information, post nutrition tips on school websites and menus. Schools should encourage parents to pack healthy lunches and snacks. The Wellness Committee will provide parents a list of foods and ideas for healthy celebrations/parties, rewards, and fundraising activities.

The Wellness Team will provide information about physical education and other school-based physical activity opportunities and support parents’ efforts to provide their children with opportunities to be physically active outside of school. Such supports will include sharing information about physical activity and physical education through a website, newsletter, or other take-home materials, special events, or physical education homework.

Monitoring and Policy Review

Monitoring. The Rhea County Director of Schools or Wellness Team Leader or several persons or the team or the SHI team leader will ensure compliance with established district-wide nutrition and physical activity wellness policies. In each school, the principal or designee will ensure compliance with those policies in his/her school and will report on the school’s compliance to the school district superintendent or designee.

School nutrition staff, at the school or district level, will ensure compliance with nutrition policies within school food service areas and will report on this matter to the school nutrition supervisor. In addition, the school district will report on the most recent USDA School Meals Initiative (SMI) review findings and any resulting changes.

The DOS or designee will develop a summary report every three years on district-wide compliance with the district’s established nutrition and physical activity wellness policies, based on input from schools within the district. That report will be provided to the school board and also distributed to all school health councils, parent/teacher organizations, school principals, and school health services personnel in the district.

Policy Review. To help with the initial development of the district’s wellness policies, each school in the district will conduct a baseline assessment of the school’s existing nutrition and physical activity environments and policies. The results of those school-by-school assessments will be compiled at the district level to identify and prioritize needs.

Assessments will be repeated every three years to help review policy compliance, assess progress, and determine areas in need of improvement. As part of that review, the school district will review our nutrition and physical activity policies; provision of an environment that supports healthy eating and physical activity; and nutrition and physical education policies and program elements. The district, and individual schools within the district, will, as necessary, revise the wellness policies and develop work plans to facilitate their implementation.

The School Health Index Assessment Tools for modules 1, 3, and 4 will be used to conduct the assessment. The top three priories for each module will be incorporated into the Wellness Policies Goal if not already a part of the goals.