1.0    General Policy Statement

The correlation between nutrition, physical fitness and learning is well documented. Healthy lifestyle patterns are essential for students to achieve their full academic potential, full physical and mental growth, and lifelong health and well being. Healthy diet and physical activity are demonstrably linked to reduced risk for mortality and development of many chronic diseases as adults. Schools have the responsibility to help students and staff establish and maintain lifelong, healthy lifestyle patterns. The intent of this policy is to outline the district’s on-going commitment in support of wellness in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, and other school-based activities that promote health and wellness. Using Section 204 of Public Law 108-265 – June 30, 2004: Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, and recommendations by the Massachusetts Department of Education and Public Health, the following beliefs guide our efforts:

1.            All students will have the opportunity to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to make nutritious and enjoyable food choices for a lifetime. Staff is encouraged to model healthy eating and physical activity as a valuable part of daily life. This plan shall make effective use of school and community resources and equitably serve the needs and interests of all students and staff, taking into consideration differences in cultural norm and physical limitations.

2.            Consistent with current federal and state nutrition regulations, the Southwick Tolland Regional School District (STRSD) will continue to increase the availability and sale of nutritious selections and discourage the sale and consumption of beverages and foods of low nutritional value during regular school hours.

3.            To accomplish the development of a community wellness policy, communication with parents/guardians is essential. We will seek opportunities to educate the school community on trends and information related to health and wellness. We encourage community partnerships that assist the district in this effort.

4.            Opportunities for physical fitness, both structured (K-12 physical education curriculum) and activity (recess, movement, extracurricular activities, and sports team/clubs) will be supported and strongly encouraged. The STRSD encourages community partnerships to assist the district to support an active, healthy community of learners.

The following Wellness Policy is presented with the intent it will be approved and implemented by the STRSD School Committee.

2.0 A Commitment to Nutrition and Physical Activity

The STRSD is committed to implementing a wellness plan to make schools healthier places to learn. To accomplish this goal it is the policy of the STRSD that:

1.            The Food Service Director will work with suppliers to ensure healthy snacks are offered in vending machines and a la carte.

2.            The STRSD administration will work with staff to ensure that pupils receive meaningful, effective nutrition education.

3.            Food service will promote and serve more whole grains and fruit and vegetables.

4.            Nutrition education in our schools will be strengthened by sending consistent messages outside the classroom.

5.            The district will avoid entering into any exclusive contracts, as for soft drinks, that encourage the promotion or greater availability of low-nutrition beverages. Keep brand-name fast foods contracts out of school cafeterias.

6.            Staff, parents and students will be encouraged to pack healthy lunches, when they are brought to school.

7.            The nutritional policy will be reinforced by offering healthy foods and beverages at school functions, school parties, and staff events.

8.            Maintain a system to ensure that no pupil is hungry and that a healthy and nutritious breakfast and lunch are available to every pupil at every school so that pupils are prepared to learn to their full potential.

9.            There will be an increase in the availability of fruits and vegetables and other foods high in micro-nutrients and fiber, and low in sodium, added sugars, cholesterol, and saturated and trans fat in all school-related food sites.

10.        Ensure to the maximum extent possible that food is served fresh.

11.        Encourage eligible pupils to participate in the school lunch program by removing any barriers to participation. Schools will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to, and prevent the overt identification of students who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals.

12.        Nutrition and physical activity will be integrated into the overall school curriculum.

13.        All students in grades Pre-K-12 will have opportunities, support, and encouragement to be physically active on a regular basis.

14.        The STRSD administration will work with staff to ensure that pupils engage in healthful levels of vigorous physical activity and enforce existing physical education requirements.

3.0 School Meals/Nutrition

A. Food Service:

Foods and beverages sold or served at school will meet the nutritional recommendations of the USDA Dietary of Guidelines for Americans.  

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

1.      Be appealing and attractive to children

2.      Be served in clean and pleasant surroundings

3.      Meet, at minimum, requirements established by local, state, and federal statues and regulations

4.      Offer a variety of fruits and vegetables

5.      Ensure that half of the served grains are whole grain.

6.      Scheduled so that students do not eat unusually early or late, and preferably eat after periods of exercise.

7.      Be served in eating areas that contain free, safe drinking water sources and close by hand washing facilities.

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 new, healthful and appealing food choices. In addition, schools should share information about the nutritional content of meals with parents and students. Such information could be made available on menus, the STRSD web site, and cafeteria menu boards.

Qualified nutrition professionals will administer the school meal programs. As part of the school district’s responsibility to operate a food service program, STRSD will provide continuing professional development for all nutrition professionals in schools. Staff development programs include appropriate certification and/or training programs for child nutrition directors, school nutrition managers and cafeteria workers, according to their levels of responsibility.

The District Food Service Director will be certain all food service staff are trained in all aspects and procedures of food preparation regarding students with food allergies.  This will include menus, recipes, food products and ingredients, food handling procedures and cleaning and sanitation practices.

School food service nutrition staff shall review all food vending contracts prior to the approval of the contracts to ensure that every contract complies with set forth school food policies.

B. Vending Machines/ Ala Carte foods:

Timing devices are in place on vending machines which are accessible to students limiting snacks to certain hours after lunch. A choice of at least two fruits and/or non-fried vegetables will be offered for sale at any location on the school site where food is sold. Such items will include fresh fruits and vegetables: 100% fruit or vegetable juice: fruit based juices that are at least 50% fruit juice and do no contain additional caloric sweeteners: cooked, dried, or canned fruits (canned in fruit juice or light syrup): and cooked, dried, or canned vegetables.

The portion sizes of foods and beverages sold individually will be:

·        One and ¼ ozs for chips, crackers, popcorn, cereal, trail mix, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or jerky

·        2 oz for cereal bars, granola bars, pastries, muffins, doughnuts, bagels, cookies and other bakery goods

·        4 oz for frozen desserts, including, but not limited to, low-fat or fat-free ice cream

·        8 oz for non-frozen yogurt

·        12 oz for beverages, excluding water

·        The portion size of a la carte entrees and side dishes, including potatoes, will not be greater than the size of comparable portions offered as part of a school meal. Fruit and non-fried vegetables are exempt from portion-size limits.

The STRSD will be certain that individually sold snacks will include such items as fruit and vegetables.  The sale of soda and junk food will be prohibited. These items will be replaced with healthier items and unsweetened drinks. Food items sold will have no more than 35% of its calories from fat (excluding nuts, peanut butter, and other nut butters) and 10% of its calories from saturated and trans fat combined. No school will sell any food or drink that list sugar as its primary ingredient. Food items will have no more than 35% of its weight from added sugars.

Available food item will contain no more than 230mg Na per serving for chips, cereals, crackers or crackers. French fries, baked goods, and other snacks items will contain no more than 480mg Na per serving. Pizza, sandwiches and main dishes will be limited to 600mg of Na/serving.

Non-approved beverages or foods may be sold for fund raising activities or school events occurring at least one half hour after the school day providing school cafeterias, school vending machines and student stores shall not be used as point of sales.

4.0 Health Education

The STRSD aims to teach, encourage, and support healthy eating and physical fitness of all students. The school district will provide nutrition and life long fitness education in the classroom and through the use of the district web site. The goal will be to promote life long fitness to students and community.

The STRSD shall integrate food and nutrition issues and activities into the academic curriculum K-12. The district will develop policies to link nutrition, health education, and physical education efforts. Educators shall encourage elementary, middle and upper level programs to provide students with culturally appropriate and standard based nutritional education and when ever possible, integrate that material into the existing curriculum. 

Each grade level will include a sequential, comprehensive, standards-based program designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health.

STRSD families will be made aware of available social programs such as WIC and Federal Food Stamp to assist in providing nutrition to eligible families. Literature informing families of said programs will be available through newsletters, take-home material and web postings.

5.0 Physical Activity Opportunity and Physical Education

Any dietitian will tell you that you need to burn calories as well as watch them. It is not enough for kids to eat better: they still need to burn that fuel. “The biggest change in kids’ lifestyles over the past 25 years is the increase in screen time,” says Dr. David Walsh, a psychologist and president of the National Institute on Media and the Family, “We have got to pry kids away from video games, television, and computers and get them more active.” With this in mind all students will have daily access to age-appropriate physical activity and Southwick families will be made aware of available affordable physical activities not only in the schools but also in their community.

All students in grades K-11, including students with disabilities, special health-care needs, and in alternative educational settings will receive physical education. A certified physical education teacher will teach all physical education. Student involvement in other activities involving physical activity (e.g., interscholastic or intramural sports) will not be substituted for meeting the physical education requirement. Students will spend at least 50 percent of physical education class time participating in moderate to vigorous physical activity. 

All elementary school students will have at least 15 minutes a day of supervised recess, preferably outdoors weather permitting, during which schools should encourage moderate to vigorous physical activity verbally and through the provision of space and equipment.

All 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, school should give students periodic breaks during which they are encouraged to stand and be moderately active.

Physical Activity Opportunities Before and After School:

The school district will offer extracurricular physical activity programs, such as physical clubs or intramural programs. The school district will offer interscholastic sports programs at the appropriate age. Schools will offer a range of activities that meet the needs, interests, and abilities of all students, including boys, girls, students with disabilities, and students with special health-care needs. Students and parents will be informed of the opportunities of physical activity offered through community based recreation associations such as the Southwick Recreation Center and Westfield YMCA.

Use of School Facilities Outside of School Hours:

School spaces and facilities should be available to students, staff, and community members before, during and after the school day. These spaces and facilities also should be available to community agencies and organizations offering physical activity and nutrition program. School district policies concerning safety will apply at all times.

6.0     Health/Guidance Services:

The STRSD provide programs that support physical, social and emotional health and well being of students and staff to build a healthy school environment by:

1.      Providing a supportive environment that includes a multidisciplinary approach including nursing, guidance and/or counseling services that encourages students, families and staff to seek assistance as needed for linkage to school or community.

2.      Providing students with the skills via a variety of educational and extracurricular opportunities to express thoughts and feelings in a responsible manner and to give and receive support from others.

3.      Instructing students to understand and respect the differences in others, and how to build positive interpersonal relations. Curriculums such as Strong Teens, Steps to Respect and Second Step are programs embraced by the district to develop positive life-long social skills.

4.      Encouraging students and staff to balance work and recreation, and help them be aware of stressors which may interfere with healthy development. Resources will be available in the health and guidance offices and through those programs such as the Employee Assistance Program.

5.      Collaborating with the state, community and other health resources such as Baystate Health System, Noble Hospital, area health providers, Southwick Board of Health, and MA Department of Public Health to promote health and wellness for students, families, staff and the school community.

6.      Identifying opportunities to improve the health and wellness of students, staff and families utilizing computerized health office data frequency and type of encounters, results of mandated screenings (vision, hearing, postural, height and weight measurement/Body Mass Index) surveys, and other community health information.

7.      Providing a multidiscipline approach to create an environment where students, parents/guardians and staff are respected, valued and accepted with high expectations for personal behavior and accomplishments.

8.      Providing staff training in appropriate safety procedures (e.g. Emergency Response/Flip Chart, Life Threatening Allergies, Blood Borne Pathogens, CPR and AED).

9.      Working with staff, students and the Southwick Tolland community in conjunction with local law enforcement to maintain a school environment that is free of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

Administrative Rules Regarding STRSD Local Wellness Policy:

In order to enact and enforce the Local Wellness Policy, the School Committee, Superintendent and administrative team, with input from teachers, including specialists in health and physical education, parents/guardians, students, representatives of school food service program, and the public will have input into the development of the Wellness Policy.

To assist in the creation of a healthy school environment, the District shall establish a Coordinated School Health Team that will provide an ongoing review and evaluation of the STRSD Wellness Policy.

Implementation of the Wellness Policy will commence upon the approval of the Wellness Policy by the Southwick Tolland Regional School Committee.

The school food service director will ensure compliance with the nutrition policies within school food service areas, and will report on this matter to the superintendent.

Review and revision of this policy shall occur by the Coordinated School Health Team and the Superintendent of Schools or designee, as needed, but no less than every two years.

Compliance will be monitored beginning September 2006 at the building level by the Principal and at the district level by the School Nurse Leader, Superintendent of Schools and the Coordinated School Health Team.