Wellness Policy

The School believes that healthy students are more likely to successfully complete their formal education.  The School recognizes that it plays an important role in the development of students’ health and nutrition habits by providing nutritious meals and snacks, supporting the development of good eating habits, and promoting increased physical activity. 

The Board sets forth the following goals in an effort to enable students to establish good health and nutrition habits: 

Nutrition Promotion and Education Goals

·      The School shall provide for interdisciplinary, sequential skill-based health education that that supports hands-on classroom activities that promote health and reduce obesity.

·      Nutrition and healthy living skills shall be integrated into classroom curriculum when appropriate.   

·      Students in grades pre-K – 12 shall receive nutrition education that is interactive and teaches the skills they need to adopt healthy eating behaviors.

·      Nutrition education shall be offered and promoted in the School cafeteria as well as in the classroom with coordination between the foodservice staff and teachers. 

·      Nutrition education and promotion information will be shared with parents and the community. 

Physical Education and Activity Goals

·      Students shall be provided opportunities for physical activity during the School day through physical education classes, daily recess periods for elementary students, and the integration of physical activity in the classroom. 

·      Physical education classes shall stress physical fitness, encourage healthy, active lifestyles and consist of physical activities as part of the curriculum. 

·      Physical activity will not be used as a form of discipline or punishment.

·      Physical activity and promotion information will be shared with parents and the community.

·      The School shall encourage parents and the community to support physical activity, to be physically active role models, and to include physical activity at events. 

Other School Based Activities

·      School based activities shall promote student wellness and, if appropriate, shall encourage nutrition and physical education. 

·      Nutrition shall be considered when planning school-based activities such as classroom snacks, fundraisers, etc. 

·      The School will provide students with a clean and safe environment and adequate time for eating meals. 

Nutrition Guidelines

·      In accordance with the School’s Food Sale Standards Policy, the food service program shall comply with Federal and State regulations pertaining to the selection, preparation, consumption, and disposal of food and beverages.

·      The food service program will provide all students affordable access to a variety of nutritious foods. 

Implementation and Evaluation

·      The School Principal shall ensure that the School implements, complies with, and annually evaluates this Policy. 

·      The School will consult with administrators, board members, teachers, parents, school health professionals, or community members.  The committee will participate in the annual review of the Policy and will make recommendations of changes.

·      The School will periodically measure the implementation of this Policy, focusing specifically on the extent to which the School has complied with the Policy, the extent to which the Policy compares to model local wellness policies, and the extent to which the School has progressed toward achieving its stated goals in the Policy.  The School will create a written assessment for each periodic measurement that it will disseminate to students, their families, and other members of the community or post on its website.

·      At the start of each school year, the School will disseminate this Policy to families of school children and other members of the community or post it on its website and will notify such individuals of changes to the Policy in the same manner.

It is expected that the Food and Nutrition Service will publish its proposed rule on local wellness policies in early 2014.  An appendix for procedure will be added at that time, which will become Appendix 453-A.

42 U.S.C. 1758b; 42 U.S.C. 1771.

See also: Policy No. 445; Appendix 455-A, Nutritional Standards for Beverages; R.C. 3313.814; R.C. 3313.816; R.C. 3313.817.\

The schools wellness policy will next be updated next in 2027. If you are interested in participating in the schools Wellness Policy process, please email Faith DeCesare at fdecesare@edge4kids.org.