VII-30: Child Nutrition Wellness Policy

North Sanpete School District
Statement of…………………….

Board Policy With Guidelines

Policy Number: VII-30
Effective Date: 05/16/2006
Revised Date: 07/18/2023

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Subject: Child Nutrition Wellness Policy

BOARD POLICY

North Sanpete School District recognizes the need to promote healthy schools by supporting wellness, good nutrition, and regular physical activity as a part of

a total learning environment. This policy outlines the Districts approach to ensuring environments and opportunities for all students to practice healthy eating and physical activity behaviors throughout the school day.

GOALS AND PROCEDURES

This policy establishes goals and procedures to ensure that:

1. All students in the district have access to healthy foods throughout the school day through school meals and other foods available on the school campus that are in accordance with Current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This guidance can be found at https://www.myplate.gov/.
2. Students receive quality nutrition education that helps develop lifelong healthy eating behaviors.
3. Schools provide opportunities to be physically active before, during, and after school.
4. Schools engage in nutrition and physical activity promotion and other activities that promote student wellness.
5. School staff are encouraged and supported to practice healthy nutrition and physical activity behaviors in and out of school.
6. The community is engaged in supporting the work of the District in creating continuity between school and other settings for students and staff to practice lifelong healthy habits.

Wellness Committee

The district will convene a district wellness committee that will include but is not limited to, school lunch staff, school principals, physical education teachers,

parents of students, and community members. The committee will meet annually to establish goals and to oversee the implementation of the district

wellness policy. They will periodically review and update the policy as needed.

Record Keeping

The District will retain records to document compliance with the requirements of the wellness policy at North Sanpete School District Office in the Child

Nutrition Director’s office. Documentation maintained in this location will include:

• The written policy.
• Documentation of annual policy progress reports for each school.
• Documentation of the triennial assessment of the policy.
• Documentation demonstrating compliance with public notification requirements, including methods by which the wellness policy, annual progress reports, and triennial assessments are made available to the public, and efforts to notify families about the availability of the wellness policy.

Annual Progress Report

The District will compile and publish an annual report to share basic information about the wellness policy and report on the progress of the schools within the

district in meeting wellness goals. The annual report will be published on the District website.

Triennial Progress Assessment

Every three years, the District Wellness Committee will meet to evaluate compliance with the wellness policy to assess the implementation of the policy

and include:

• The extent to which schools under the jurisdiction of the District are in compliance with the wellness policy
• A description of the progress made in attaining the goals of the District’s wellness policy
• The District will actively notify household/families of the availability of the triennial progress report.

Revisions and updating the policy

The District Wellness Committee will update or modify the wellness policy based on the results of the annual progress reports and triennial assessments. The

wellness policy will be assessed and updated as indicated at least every three years.

Nutrition

North Sanpete School District is committed to serving healthy meals to our students, with plenty of fruits and vegetables (fresh, canned and frozen), whole

grains, fat free and low-fat milk, moderate sodium content, low saturated fat, and zero grams of trans-fat per serving to meet the nutrition needs of our

students within their calorie requirements. The Child Nutrition Programs goal is to improve the diet and health of all of our students, and to model healthy

eating to support the development of lifelong healthy eating patterns, and support healthy food choices.

Nutrition Education Goals

The students of North Sanpete School District will receive instructions with regard to the science of nutrition as outlined in the Utah State Core Curriculum.

Additional educational opportunities will be provided when possible. These educational opportunities may include, but are not limited to, the distribution of

educational and informational materials and the arrangement of presentations and workshops that focus on nutritional value and healthy lifestyles, health

assessments, fitness activities, and other appropriate nutrition and physical activity related topics. The expectations of this policy includes:

• Students in grades pre-K-12 will receive nutrition education that is interactive and teaches the skills they need to adopt healthy eating behaviors.
• Nutrition education shall be offered in the school cafeterias as well as in the classroom, with coordination between the Child Nutrition Staff and the teachers.
• Students will receive consistent nutrition messages throughout the school. These messages shall be posted in the classrooms, cafeteria, hallways, and on school and district websites.
• Staff members who provide nutrition education will have appropriate training.
• Students will be encouraged to start each day with a healthy breakfast.
• The District shall provide information to families that encourage them to teach their children about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity.
• Schools are encouraged to share nutrition and physical education activities and promotions that involve parents, students, and the community.
• Teachers are encouraged to offer non-food rewards and incentives to students. Schools will be encouraged to set limits for celebrations that involve food during the school day. Such celebrations should take place after lunch whenever possible.
• Elementary schools will try to schedule recess before lunch so students are ready to sit down and enjoy a healthy lunch with plenty of time to consume it.

Nutrition Guidelines

• Lunches sold to students will be in compliance with the current USDA dietary guidance established for the National School Lunch Program.
• Snacks sold to students throughout the school day will comply with USDA Smart Snack requirements. Sites selling snacks must only offer healthy offerings that comply with Smart Snack Regulations.
• A variety of fresh fruits and vegetables will be offered daily with school meals.
• To ensure that all students have the opportunity to consume a healthy breakfast, schools will (to the extent possible) operate the School Breakfast Program and comply with the USDA standards for breakfast.
• The transportation department will (to the extent possible) arrange bus schedules to allow and encourage students to participate in the School Breakfast Program.
• Vending machines will NOT be on during meal service and will only offer Smart Snack compliant snacks during the school day.
• Beverages available for sale to students during the school day will include, water, 1% or Fat Free milk (flavored or unflavored), and 100% juice in sizes compliant with Smart Snack regulations.
• School meals will be appealing and attractive to students, and be served in a sanitary and pleasant setting.
• Child Nutrition Staff will make nutritional content of meals available to parents upon request.
• Special Diet meals will be accommodated if the required documentation is on file at the student’s school and at the district office. Parents may request the forms at the Child Nutrition Supervisors office at the district office. This form must be signed by a medical professional.
• Schools will plan their schedules to allow students enough time to consume their meals.
• Elementary schools are encouraged to plan recess before lunch to allow students time to relax and consume a healthy meal.

Fundraisers During the School Day

North Sanpete Child Nutrition Services will comply with the following guidance received from the Utah State Board of Education.

“The Utah State Board of Education addressed competitive foods and services in schools by enacting that local education agencies may hold specifically exempted fundraisers no more than three times per year per site, with each fundraiser lasting no longer than five consecutive school days. This direction aligns with the Healthy Hunger - Free Kids Act of 2010, which directed the USDA to establish nutrition standards for all foods and beverages sold to students in school during the school day, including foods sold through school fundraisers. The standards provide support to encourage healthy option in school while providing a special exemption for infrequent fundraisers that do not meet the nutrition standards.

POLICIES - CONTENTS

i. Forward

I. Statement of Philosophy

II. Board of Education

III. Administration

IV. Personnel

V. Students

VI. Instruction

VII. School/Community Relations

VIII. Finance

IX. Physical Facilities

X. Transportation

XI. Auxiliary Services & Programs