6142.101(a)
Instruction
Student
Nutrition/Wellness
The East Haddam Public
Schools strives to contribute to the general well being, mental and physical
capacity and learning ability of each student and afford them the opportunity
to fully participate in the educational process. The Board of Education promotes healthy
schools by supporting wellness, good nutrition and regular physical activity as
a part of the total learning environment.
The District supports a healthy environment where children learn and
participate in positive dietary and lifestyle practices. By facilitating learning through the support
and promotion of good nutrition and physical activity, schools contribute to
the basic health status of children.
Improved health optimizes student performance potential.
To ensure the health and
well being of all students, it is the policy of the Board of Education to:
1. Ensure
that all children have access to adequate and healthy food choices on scheduled
school days at reasonable prices.
2. Encourage
and promote a healthy lifestyle for students by supporting the implementation
of nutritionally adequate, educationally sound and financially accountable
school food and nutrition programs.
3. Ensure
the integrity of the school meals program by prohibiting food sales for
students, held during school hours, which are in direct conflict with the lunch
and breakfast programs. The District
operates under the National School Lunch program regulations.
4. Encourage
the practice of good nutrition by discouraging the sale and/or free
distribution of foods of minimal nutritional value including classroom parties
and celebrations, as defined in the federal regulations, during the school
day. Encourage all staff to focus on the
dietary guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid.
5. Educate
all students to possess the knowledge and skills necessary to make nutritious
and enjoyable food choices for a lifetime.
In addition, staff is encouraged to model healthy habits as a valuable
part of student education.
6. Coordinate
school food service with this policy to reinforce messages about healthy eating
and to insure that foods offered promote good nutrition and contribute to the
development of lifelong, healthy eating habits.
7. Provide
school staff involved in nutrition education and in supporting a healthy school
environment, with adequate pre-service and ongoing in-service training that
focuses on strategies for behavioral change.
8. Involve
family members and the community in supporting and reinforcing nutrition,
physical activity, education and the promotion of healthy eating and
lifestyles.
6142.101(b)
Instruction
Student
Nutrition/Wellness (continued)
9. Encourage
and promote regular weekly physical activity for all students.
10. Regularly
evaluate the effectiveness of this policy in promoting healthy lifestyle and
change the program as appropriate to increase its effectiveness.
Wellness Advisory Committee
The
Board shall establish a Wellness Advisory Committee to develop school district
policies on nutrition and physical activity for recommendation to and approval
by the Board.
The
members of the Committee shall include, but need not be limited to, Board
members, school administrators, food service director, food service staff,
other staff, parents/guardians, students, physical and health education
teachers, dieticians, health care professionals and interested community
members.
In
developing such policies on nutrition and physical activity, the committee
shall invite all interested citizens to attend meetings and shall ensure that
the policies address the issues contained in applicable state and federal
statutes.
At
the District level, the Board designates the Superintendent with the
operational responsibility for ensuring that each school meets the requirements
of the district wellness policy.
In
addition, the Principal of each school, or his/her designee, shall be
responsible for the implementation and evaluation of the effectiveness of this
wellness policy.
At
the District level, the following procedures shall be used to evaluate the
effectiveness of the wellness policy:
·
The
Wellness Advisory Committee shall monitor the implementation of the District’s
wellness policy and its nutrition and physical activity components; evaluating
policy progress, serving as a resource to school sites and for recommending
revisions of the policy, through the Superintendent or his/her designee, as
determined necessary.
·
The
policy shall be continually reviewed, at least annually, to determine if it is
meeting current needs and is workable in promoting healthy eating and physical
activity.
At
the school level, the implementation of the wellness policy will be evaluated
as described below.
6142.101(c)
Instruction
Student
Nutrition/Wellness (continued)
In
order to evaluate the effectiveness of the school wellness program in promoting
healthy eating and physical activity and implement program changes as necessary
to increase the program’s effectiveness, the building Principal or his/her
designee is responsible for ensuring:
1. Board
policy and this administrative regulation are implemented as written;
2. All
building, grade-level nutrition education curricula and materials are assessed
for accuracy, completeness, balance and consistency with state and local
district educational goals and standards;
3. Nutrition
education is provided throughout the student’s school years as part of the
District’s age-appropriate, comprehensive health education program;
4. Teachers
deliver nutrition education through age-appropriate, culturally relevant,
participatory activities that include social learning strategies and
activities;
5. Teachers
and school nutrition and food services personnel have undertaken joint project
planning and action;
6. Teachers
have received appropriate training; and
7. Families
and community organizations are involved, to the extent practicable, in
nutrition education.
(cf.
3542 – Food Service)
(cf.
3542.33 – Food Sales Other Than
(cf.
3542.34 – Nutrition Program)
(cf.
3452.45 – Vending Machines)
(cf.
6142.6 – Physical Education)
(cf.
6142.61 – Physical Activity)
(cf.
6142.62 – Recess/Unstructured Time)
(cf.
6142.10 – Health Education)
(
6142.101(d)
Instruction
Student
Nutrition/Wellness (continued)
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
10-16b Prescribed courses of
study.
10-215 Lunches, breakfasts and the feeding programs for public school children and employees.
10-221 Boards of education to
prescribe rules, policies and procedures.
10-215a
Non-public school participation in feeding program.
10-215b Duties of state board of
education re: feeding programs.
10-216 Payment
of expenses.
10-215b-1 State board of education regulation. Competitive foods
PA 04-224 An Act Concerning Childhood Nutrition in Schools, Recess, and Lunch Breaks
The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, Public Law 108-265
Policy adopted: June 13, 2006 EAST HADDAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS