533.5 Physical Wellness Policy

Physical Wellness Policy

I. PURPOSE

The Anoka-Hennepin School District is committed to promoting and protecting students’ health, physical well-being and ability to learn. Thus, Anoka-Hennepin School District supports healthy eating, healthy physical activity, and strives to provide a healthy environment which is conducive to good learning.

II. GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY

By working toward the following goals, Anoka-Hennepin School District supports the evidence based link between health wellness and improved educational outcomes of Anoka-Hennepin School District students.

1. Food and beverages sold or served at school, as part of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, will meet the nutrition guidelines as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture.
2. Students will have access to a variety of affordable, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet their health and nutrition needs. The Anoka-Hennepin School District will provide clean, safe and pleasant settings and provide students adequate time to eat. School stores and snack vending machines that provide service during the school day, will offer snacks that follow the same state and federal regulations as the Child Nutrition Program for nutrient content. 
3. To the maximum extent practicable, all schools will participate in available federal school meal programs (including the School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program [including after school snacks], Summer Food Service Program, Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program, and Child and Adult Care Food Program [including suppers]).
4. Schools will provide nutrition promotion, nutrition education and physical education to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity. Schools will establish connections between health education, school meal programs and related community services.
5. All students will have opportunities, support and encouragement to be physically active on a regular basis.
6. Each school will have a School Health, Wellness and Safety Committee. The committee will assist the district Health, Wellness and Safety Committee with the implementation, monitoring and reporting requirements of this policy. School/Site administrators will meet with their building committee at least two times per year to discuss wellness issues at their school.     
7. A Student Wellness page will be established on the district/school website to publicize opportunities in the area of nutrition and physical activity throughout the district. 

III. NUTRITION AND ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES DURING THE SCHOOL DAY^[1]

      A. Food Environment 

1. Students will be encouraged to start each day with a healthy breakfast. Studies continue to show that children who eat breakfast learn better and score higher on standardized tests. If a full breakfast program is not feasible, schools will have healthy breakfast items available that students can purchase on campus in school stores or vending machines.
2. It is a goal that bus schedules and morning breaks should be coordinated to allow students ample time before class to participate in the breakfast program.
3. Lunch periods will be scheduled as near the middle of the school day as possible.
4. It is a goal to provide students sufficient time to eat during meal periods with at least 10 minutes for breakfast and 20 minutes for lunch from the time the student is seated.
5. It is a goal to provide dining areas that are attractive and include enough seating areas to accommodate all students who would like to sit and eat lunch, as well as enough serving areas so that students do not have to spend too much time waiting in line.
6. Hand-washing facilities will be available for students and they will be reminded to wash their hands before meals (to prevent the spread of germs and reduce the risk of illness).
7. Drinking water will be available for students throughout the building, and in the cafeteria upon request.

B. Food Service Operations

1. Anoka-Hennepin School District will develop a coordinated and comprehensive outreach, promotion and pricing plan to ensure maximum participation in its school meal programs. Anoka-Hennepin School District will make available free and reduced price meals to all children that qualify.
2. Schools will ensure that students eligible to receive free or reduced price meals and milk are not treated differently from other students nor are they easily identified by their peers.
3. Anoka-Hennepin School District will employ a food service director who is properly qualified, certified and/or credentialed according to professional standards to administer the school food service program and satisfy reporting requirements.
4. All child nutrition personnel will have adequate pre-service training, participate in Ongoing professional development and strive to hold a state issued or equivalent training certificate.
5. The Child Nutrition Program will adopt methods of cooking that maintain the quality of our food as well as meet the nutritional requirements of the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs. 
6. Anoka-Hennepin School District will plan menus that will meet the nutrition standards set forth under U.S.D.A. 7 CFR Part 210 and Part 220.

C. Food and Beverages Sold and/or Served

1. Food and beverages offered will be nutrient^[2] dense including whole grain products, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables.
2. Food and beverages offered will include a variety of healthy choices that are of excellent quality, appealing to students and are served at the proper temperature.
3. Food and beverages offered will follow the nutritional guidelines set forth by the National School Lunch Act and School Breakfast Program.
4. Portion sizes will be age-appropriate for elementary, middle, and high school students as defined by the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program guidelines.
5. Other foods sold during the school day, also known as a la carte, sold from the cafeteria, snack bars, vending machines and school stores will follow the nutritional guidelines set forth by the USDA in the Smart Snack guidelines. The Smart Snack guidelines define the “school day” as the midnight before to 30 minutes after the end of the school day.
6. Nutrition information for products offered in snack bars, a la carte, vending and school stores should be available upon request.
7. All beverages sold to students on school premises during the school day must meet the nutrition guidelines set forth by the National School Lunch Act Smart Snack Regulation. Beverages traditionally referred to as “Soft Drinks,” “Soda,” or “Pop” will not be made available to students during the school day. Foods or beverages with high concentrations of caffeine such as, “energy drinks,” “energy shots,” or “caffeinated gums or candies,” will not be made available to students during the school day.
8. If food is provided for classroom celebration, it must be commercially prepared and have an ingredient statement available.
9. Classroom snacks and celebrations should reinforce the importance of healthy choices. Families will receive information at least annually from the school on foods that are appropriate for such celebrations.
10. Schools may identify up to four special celebration days when food is given away where exceptions are made to the food requirements under this policy.
11. All food sold during the school day, including fundraisers and concessions, must meet the same state and federal regulations as the Child Nutrition Program for nutrient content.

IV. Community Collaboration

1. Communications with Parents

1.  Anoka-Hennepin School District will support parents’ efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children. Anoka-Hennepin School District will share information about healthy food options available in school and suggestions for home.

2.Anoka-Hennepin School District will provide information about physical education and other school based physical activity opportunities before, during and after the school day and will support parents’ efforts to provide their children with opportunities to be physically active outside of school.

2. Product Marketing in Schools

1.School based marketing will be consistent with nutrition education and health promotion. The promotion of healthy foods including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products is encouraged.

2. Schools are encouraged to consider nutritious products, competitive pricing, and product placement and promotion strategies for the consumption of healthy foods.

3. Opportunities Before and After School

1.Anoka-Hennepin School District encourages the participation of all students in activities such as co-curricular activities, extra-curricular activities, Community Education programs, and community and family activities that promote physical activity.

2.Anoka-Hennepin School District and individual schools will offer a range of activities that meet the needs, interests and abilities of all students including students with disabilities and special health needs.

3. Anoka-Hennepin School District encourages community use of its facilities for physical activity outside of the normal school day consistent with the district’s facility use policy. 

4. All schools will offer physical activity programs such as co-curricular, extra-curricular, intramural or Community Ed programs.

5.After school childcare and enrichment programs will provide and encourage – verbally and through the provision of space, equipment and activities – daily periods of moderate to vigorous physical activity for all participants.

4. Food and Beverages Served and/or Sold Outside of the School Day

1. Anoka-Hennepin School District encourages non-food fundraisers when possible. Fundraisers involving the sale of food, outside of the normal school day, are encouraged to promote positive health habits. Information will be provided on fundraising opportunities that promote health and wellness. Fundraisers that involve the sale of food, held by any student group or organization during the school day, must meet the National School Lunch Act regulations.

2. Anoka-Hennepin School district encourages concession stands to promote and provide nutrient rich food and beverage choices.

 

V. CURRICULUM

1. Schools will provide education to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity. Schools will establish linkages between health education, physical education, school meal programs and related community services.
2. Integrating Nutrition Education into the Classroom Setting

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

2. 1. 1.  is offered as part of a comprehensive, standards-based program designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health;
      2. is part of not only health education and Family and Consumer Science classes but could also be referenced in other subjects as appropriate; 
      3. promotes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, lean meats, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, healthy food preparation methods and health enhancing nutrition practices;
      4. emphasizes caloric balance between food intake and energy expenditure (physical activity/exercise);
      5. links with school meal programs, other school food and nutrition related community services;
      6. teaches media literacy with an emphasis on food marketing; and
      7. includes training for teachers and other staff
      8. may include school gardens as a proper study for students in experiential learning to understanding the science of growth of plants for food and the place of plant matter in the ecological system.

2. Staff is encouraged to model good nutrition.

3. Physical Education

1. All students will be provided opportunities for physical education as defined by Anoka-Hennepin School District curriculum guidelines.

2. Students will spend at least 50 percent of physical education class time participating in moderate to vigorous physical activity.

3. If a student’s conduct during physical education class endangers the health or safety of the student or others, a teacher may remove the student from class.

4.  Integrating Physical Activity into the Classroom Setting

1.Classroom teachers are encouraged to develop opportunities for physical activity that can be incorporated into subject lessons and are encouraged to provide short physical activity breaks during class.

2.Staff is encouraged to model physical activity.

3. Staff is encouraged to find creative ways to promote physical activity before, during and after the school day.

5. Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle

1.Classroom health education will complement physical education by reinforcing the knowledge and self-management skills needed to maintain a physically active lifestyle and to reduce time spent on sedentary activities such as watching television.

2. The district’s Transportation Department, with the help of Safe Routes to School, will work with the schools to promote safe, active trips on foot and bicycle for children not eligible for bus transportation. 

6. Rewards and Consequences

1.  Food: Food will not be used as a reward or punishment. Teachers are encouraged to offer non-food items as classroom rewards. Staff will not be reimbursed for purchased food rewards. Site administrators may allow purchases of foods or snacks for testing days based on research and recommended best practices. For learners with disabilities, the use of food as an incentive or accommodation may be included in the IEP or Section 504 Plan if appropriate as determined by the IEP or 504 team. Recess Detention: “Recess detention" means excluding or excessively delaying a student from participating in a scheduled recess period as a consequence for student behavior. Recess detention does not include, among other things, providing alternative recess at the student's choice.

School administrator must not use recess detention unless:

6. 1. 1. student causes or is likely to cause serious physical harm to other students or staff;
      2. the student's parent or guardian specifically consents to the use of recess detention; or
      3. for students receiving special education services, the student's individualized education program team has determined that withholding recess is appropriate based on the individualized needs of the student. Additionally, recess must not be withheld from a student based on incomplete schoolwork.

In the event that recess detention is permissibly used, school staff must make a reasonable attempt to notify a parent or guardian within 24 hours of using recess detention.

VI. MONITORING AND POLICY REVIEW

1. The superintendent or designee will ensure compliance with this Wellness Policy through the Health, Wellness and Safety Committee. At the school level, the principal or designee will ensure compliance with the Wellness Policy and report on the school’s compliance to the Health, Wellness and Safety Committee. It is the responsibility of each school’s Health, Wellness and Safety Committee to assist in the implementation of the reporting and monitoring requirements of this policy.
2. The Health, Wellness and Safety Committee will be responsible for coordinating information from schools and departments, compiling data and reporting to the superintendent regarding compliance of this policy. The Health, Wellness and Safety Committee will establish methods to monitor results of the policy and measure compliance throughout the district. The Health, Wellness and Safety Committee will review the plan and make recommendations to the superintendent as necessary.
3. Policy review and assessment of items monitored shall be repeated every three years to help maintain compliance, assess progress and determine areas in need of improvement. The Health, Wellness and Safety Committee will recommend revisions for the Wellness Policy to the school board and will develop work plans to facilitate their implementation as necessary.
4. The superintendent or designee will develop a summary report every three years on district-wide compliance with the district’s established Wellness Policy based on input from the Health, Wellness and Safety Committee. The report will assess the implementation of the policy, including the extent to which schools are in compliance, and will describe the progress made in attaining the goals of the policy. The report will be provided to the School Board and distributed to groups as directed by the School Board.  The report will be made available to the public once approved by the board.