Union County Board of Education
Wellness Policies on Physical Activity and Nutrition
Preamble
Whereas, children need access to healthful foods and opportunities to be physically
active in order to grow, learn, and thrive;
Whereas, good health fosters student attendance and education;
Whereas, obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the last
two (2) decades, and physical inactivity and excessive calorie intake are the predominant causes of obesity;
Whereas, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are responsible for two-thirds of
deaths in the United States, and major risk factors for those diseases, including unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity, and obesity, often are established in childhood;
Whereas, 33% of high school students do not participate in sufficient vigorous physical
activity and 72% of high school students do not attend daily physical education classes;
Whereas, only 2% of children (2 to 19 years) eat a healthy diet consistent with the five
main recommendations from the Food Guide Pyramid;
Whereas, nationally, the items most commonly sold from school vending machines,
school stores, and snack bars include low-nutrition foods and beverages, such as soda,
sports drinks, imitation fruit juices, chips, candy, cookies, and snack cakes;
Whereas, school districts around the country are facing significant fiscal and scheduling
constraints; and
Whereas, community participation is essential to the development and implementation of a successful school wellness policy;
Thus, the Union County Board of Education is committed to providing a school environment that promotes and protects children’s health, well-being, and ability to learn, by supporting healthy eating and physical activity.
Therefore, it is the policy of the Union County Board of Education that:
professionals, health professionals, and other interested community members in developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing district-wide nutrition and physical activity policies.
recommendations of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
TO ACHIEVE THESE POLICY GOALS:
I. School Health Councils
The school district and/or individual schools within the district will create, strengthen, or
work within existing school health councils to develop, implement, monitor, review, and,
as necessary, revise school nutrition and physical activity policies (ultimately based on Board approval). The councils also will serve as resources to school sites for implementing those policies. (A school health council consists of a group of individuals representing the school and community, and should include parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, members of the school board, school administrators, teachers, health professionals, and members of the public.)
II. Nutritional Quality of Foods and Beverages Sold and Served
on Campus
School Meals
Meals served through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs will:
v be appealing and attractive to children;
v be served in clean and pleasant settings;
v meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by local, state,
and federal statutes and regulations;
v offer a variety of fruits and vegetables;2
v serve only low-fat (1%) and fat-free milk 3 and nutritionally-equivalent non-dairy
alternatives (to be defined by USDA); and
v ensure that half of the served grains are whole grain.3,4
Ø Schools should engage students and parents, through taste-tests of new entrees
and/or surveys, in selecting foods sold through the school meal programs in order to identify new, healthful, and appealing food choices.
Breakfast. To ensure that all children have breakfast, either at home or at school, in
order to meet their nutritional needs and enhance their ability to learn:
v Schools will operate the School Breakfast Program.
v Schools will arrange bus schedules and utilize methods to serve school breakfasts that encourage participation, including programs like: serving breakfast in the classroom, “grab-and-go” breakfast, or breakfast during morning break or morning recess.
v Schools will notify parents and students of the availability of the School Breakfast Program.
v Schools will encourage parents to provide a healthy breakfast for their children through newsletter articles, take-home materials, or other means.
Free and Reduced-priced Meals. Schools now (and will always) 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 5 . Toward this end, schools will utilize electronic identification and payment systems; provide meals at no charge to all children who qualify; promote the availability of school meals to all students; and/or use nontraditional methods for serving school meals, such as “grab-and-go” or classroom breakfast
2 To the extent possible, schools will offer at least two non-fried vegetable and two fruit options each day and will offer five different fruits and five different vegetables over the course of a week. 3 As recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. 4 A whole grain is one labeled as a “whole” grain product or with a whole grain listed as the primary grain ingredient in the ingredient statement. Examples include “whole” wheat flour, cracked wheat, brown rice, and oatmeal. 5 It is against the law to make others in the cafeteria aware of the eligibility status of children for free, reduced-price, or "paid" meals.
Summer Food Service Program. Schools in which there is a Summer School Instructional Program being held, the Summer Food Service Program will be provided for at least four weeks between the last day of the academic school year and the first day of the following school year, and, when applicable, throughout the entire summer vacation, as long as the Summer School Instructional program is being conducted.
Meal Times and Scheduling.
Schools:
v will provide students with at least 10 minutes to eat after sitting down for breakfast and 20 minutes after sitting down for lunch;
v should schedule meal periods at appropriate times, e.g., lunch should be
scheduled between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; when possible.
v will not schedule tutoring, club, or organizational meetings or activities during mealtimes, unless students are given adequate time to eat during such activities;
v will, to every extent possible, schedule lunch periods to follow recess periods (in elementary schools);
v will provide students access to hand washing or hand sanitizing before they eat meals or snacks; and
v will take reasonable steps to accommodate the tooth-brushing regimens of students with special oral health needs (e.g., orthodontia or high tooth decay risk).
Qualifications of School Food Service Staff. Qualified professionals will administer the school meal programs. As part of the school district’s responsibility to operate a food service program, we will provide continuing professional development for all nutrition professionals in schools and at the district level. Staff development programs should include appropriate certification and/or training programs for the child nutrition director, school cafeteria managers, and cafeteria workers, according to their levels of responsibility.6 The nutrition director will attend all State mandated training sessions and meetings (and to the extent possible) will attend annual national level training, as well as, monthly regional meetings.
Sharing of Foods and Beverages. Schools should discourage students from sharing
their foods or beverages with one another during meal or snack times (given concerns
about allergies and other restrictions on some children’s diets) as well as, inform students of potential hygienic and cross-contamination issues resulting from food and beverage sharing.
6 School nutrition staff development programs are available through the USDA, School Nutrition Association, and National Food Service Management Institute.
Foods and Beverages Sold Individually (i.e., foods sold outside of
reimbursable school meals, such as through vending machines, cafeteria a la carte [snack] lines, fundraisers, school stores, etc.)
Elementary Schools. The school food service program will approve and provide all
food and beverages sold before and during serving periods to students in elementary schools. Given young children’s limited nutrition skills, food in elementary schools should be sold as balanced meals. To every extent possible, foods and beverages sold individually should be limited to low-fat and non-fat milk, fruits, and non-fried vegetables.
Middle and High Schools. To insure that the district remains in compliance with all Federal, State, and local policies/regulations on Competitive Foods, all food and beverages (including, but not limited to, those sold through vending machines, student stores, and fundraising activities) may not be sold before or during serving periods.
Elementary, Middle and High Schools. All foods and beverages sold outside the reimbursable school meal programs (including, but not limited to, those sold in vending machine, school stores, and fund raising activities) will meet the following nutrition and portion size standards:
Ø NOTE: The following requirements and standards are effective immediately in all elementary schools. The 2006/2007 school year will be a transitional year for all middle schools, who will be (at least) 50 percent compliant in 2006/2007 and in full compliance beginning with the 2007/2008 school year. All high schools will use the 2006/2007, as well as, the first semester of the 2007/2008 school years as a transitional period and will be (at least) 50 percent compliant with these standards during the above mentioned time period. All high schools will be in full compliance with the following standards by January 01, 2008.
Beverages
v Allowed: water without added caloric sweeteners; fruit and vegetable juices and fruit-based drinks that contain 100% fruit juice and that do not contain additional caloric sweeteners; unflavored or flavored low-fat or fat-free fluid milk and nutritionally-equivalent nondairy beverages (to be defined by USDA);
v Not allowed: soft drinks containing caloric sweeteners; sports drinks; iced teas; fruit-based drinks that contain less than 100% real fruit juice or that contain additional caloric sweeteners; beverages containing caffeine, excluding low-fat or fat-free chocolate milk (which contain trivial amounts of caffeine), and all carbonated beverages of any kind (including, but not limited to, all sodas and seltzer waters).
Foods
v All food items sold individually outside of the Meal Program:
o will have no more than 35% of its calories from fat (excluding nuts, seeds, peanut butter, and other nut butters) and 10% of its calories from saturated and trans fat combined;
o will have no more than 35% of its weight from added sugars;8
o will contain no more than 230 mg of sodium per serving for chips, cereals, crackers, french fries, baked goods, and other snack items; will contain no more than 480 mg of sodium per serving for pastas, meats, and soups; and will contain no more than 600 mg of sodium for pizza, sandwiches, and main dishes.
Ø 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 foods are sold. Such items could include, but are not limited to, fresh fruits and vegetables; 100% fruit or vegetable juice; cooked, dried, or canned fruits (canned in fruit juice or light syrup); and cooked, dried, or canned vegetables (that meet the above fat and sodium guidelines).9
Portion Sizes:
v Limit all portion sizes of foods and beverages sold individually to those listed below:
o One and one-quarter ounces for chips, crackers, popcorn, cereal,
trail mix, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or jerky;
o One ounce for cookies;
o Two ounces for cereal bars, granola bars, pastries, muffins, doughnuts, bagels, and other bakery items;
o Three fluid ounces for frozen desserts, including, but not limited to,
low-fat or fat-free ice cream;
o Eight ounces for non-frozen yogurt;
o Eight fluid ounces for approved beverages, excluding water; and
o 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 the reimbursable school meals program. Fruits and non-fried vegetables are exempt from portion-size limits.
8 If a food manufacturer fails to provide the added sugars content of a food item, use the percentage of weight from total sugars (in place of the percentage of weight from added sugars), and exempt fruits, vegetables, and dairy foods from this total sugars limit. 9 Schools that have vending machines are encouraged to include refrigerated snack vending machines, which can accommodate fruits, vegetables, yogurts, and other perishable items.
Fundraising Activities. To support children’s health and school nutrition-education
efforts, schools will set a goal and strive toward offering fundraising activities will not involve food or will use only foods that meet the above nutrition and portion size standards for foods and beverages sold individually. Schools will encourage fundraising activities that promote physical activity. The school district will make available a list of ideas for acceptable fundraising activities.
Snacks. Snacks served during the school day or in after-school care or enrichment
programs will make a positive contribution to children’s diets and health, with an
emphasis on serving fruits and vegetables as the primary snacks and water as the
primary beverage. Schools will assess if and when to offer snacks based on timing of
school meals (must be after all serving periods are completed), children’s nutritional needs, children’s ages, and other considerations. The district will disseminate a list of healthful snack items to teachers, after-school program personnel, and parents.
Ø If eligible, schools that provide snacks through after-school programs will pursue
receiving reimbursements through the National School Lunch Program.
Rewards and Punishments. Schools will not use foods or beverages, especially those that do not meet the nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold individually (above), as rewards for academic performance or good behavior,10 and will not withhold food or beverages (including food served through school meals) as a punishment. Research proves that young children and adolescents who are rewarded and/or punished using food, show a substantially higher rate of developing adult food disorders.
Celebrations. Schools should set a goal to limit celebrations that involve food during the school day to no more than one party per class per month. Each party should include no more than one food or beverage that does not meet nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold individually (above). The district will disseminate a list of healthy party ideas to parents and teachers.
School-sponsored Events (such as, but not limited to, athletic events, dances, or
performances). All schools should set a goal to promote healthier eating habits by offering foods and beverages sold at school-sponsored events outside the school day that meet the nutrition standards for meals or for foods and beverages sold individually (above).
10 Unless this practice is allowed by a student’s individual education plan (IEP).
III. Nutrition and Physical Activity Promotion and Food
Marketing
Nutrition Education and Promotion. The Union County Board of Education aims to
teach, encourage, and support healthy eating by students. Schools should provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion that:
v is offered at each grade level as part of a sequential, comprehensive, standards-based program designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health;
v is part of not only health education classes, but also classroom instruction in subjects such as math, science, language arts, social sciences, and elective subjects;
v includes enjoyable, developmentally-appropriate, culturally-relevant, participatory activities, such as contests, promotions, taste testing, farm visits, and school gardens;
v promotes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, healthy food preparation methods, and health-enhancing nutrition practices;
v emphasizes caloric balance between food intake and energy expenditure (physical activity/exercise);
v links with school meal programs, other school foods, and nutrition-related
community services;
v teaches media literacy with an emphasis on food marketing; and
v includes training for teachers and other staff.
Integrating Physical Activity into the Classroom Setting. For students to receive the nationally-recommended amount of daily physical activity (i.e., at least 30-60 minutes per day) and for students to fully embrace regular physical activity as a personal behavior, students need opportunities for physical activity beyond physical education class. Toward that end:
v 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;
v opportunities for physical activity will be incorporated into other subject lessons; and
v when possible, classroom teachers will provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes, as appropriate.
Communications with Parents. The district/school will support parents’ efforts to
provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children. The district/school will (when available) offer healthy eating seminars for parents, send home nutrition information, post nutrition tips on school websites, and allow parents to share their own healthy nutrition ideas/choices. Schools should encourage parents to pack healthy lunches and snacks and to refrain from including beverages and foods that do not meet the above nutrition standards for individual foods and beverages. The district/school will provide parents a list of foods that meet the district’s snack standards and ideas for healthy celebrations/parties, rewards, and fundraising activities. The district/school will provide information about physical education and other school-based physical activity opportunities before, during, and after the school day; and support parents’ efforts to provide their children with opportunities to be physically active outside of school. Such supports will include sharing information about physical activity and physical education through a website, newsletter, or other take-home materials, special events, or physical education homework, when available.
Food Marketing in Schools. School-based marketing will be consistent with nutrition
education and health promotion. As such, schools will limit food and beverage marketing to the promotion of foods and beverages that meet the nutrition standards for meals or for foods and beverages sold individually (above).11 School-based marketing of brands promoting predominantly low-nutrition foods and beverages 12 is prohibited. The promotion of healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products is encouraged.
Ø Examples of marketing techniques include the following: logos and brand names on/in vending machines, books or curricula, textbook covers, school supplies, scoreboards, school structures, and sports equipment; educational incentive programs that provide food as a reward; programs that provide schools with supplies when families buy low-nutrition food products; in-school television, such as Channel One; free samples or coupons; and food sales through fundraising activities. Marketing activities that promote healthful behaviors (and are therefore allowable) include: vending machine covers promoting water; pricing structures that promote healthy options in a la carte lines or vending machines; sales of fruit for fundraisers; and coupons for discount gym memberships.
Staff Wellness. The Union County Board of Education highly values the health and well-being of every staff member and will plan and implement activities and policies that
support personal efforts by staff to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Each district/school will establish and maintain a staff wellness committee composed of at least one staff member, school health council member, local medical representative, local nutrition director, and other health professional, recreation program representative, union representative, and employee benefits specialist. (The staff wellness committee could be a subcommittee of the school health council.) The committee will develop, promote, and oversee a multifaceted plan to promote staff health and wellness. The plan will be based on input solicited from school staff and will outline ways to encourage healthy eating, physical activity, and other elements of a healthy lifestyle among school staff. The staff wellness committee will distribute its plan to the school health council annually.
11 Advertising of low-nutrition foods and beverages is permitted in supplementary classroom and library materials, such as newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and similar media, when such materials are used in a class lesson or activity, or as a research tool. 12 Schools will not permit general brand marketing for food brands under which more than half of the foods or beverages do not meet the nutrition standards for foods sold individually or the meals are not consistent with school meal nutrition standards.
IV. Physical Activity Opportunities and Physical Education
Daily Physical Education (P.E.) K-12. All students in grades K-12, including students
with disabilities, special health-care needs, and in alternative educational settings, will
set a goal to see that all children receive daily physical education (or its equivalent of 150 minutes per week for elementary, middle and high school students) for the entire school year. All physical education will be taught by a certified physical education teacher and/or supervised by a certified teacher. Student involvement in other activities involving physical activity (e.g., interscholastic or intramural sports) may 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.
Ø State of Tennessee defines; Moderate physical activity: activities that are equivalent to brisk walking, and; Vigorous physical activity: exertion that makes a person perspire and breath hard, such as basketball, soccer, running, swimming, bicycling, dancing, and similar aerobic activities. 13
Daily Recess. All elementary schools will set a goal to see that all students will have (at least) 30 minutes per day of supervised recess, preferably outdoors, during which schools should encourage moderate to vigorous physical activity verbally and/or through the provision of space and equipment. 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, schools should give students periodic breaks during which they are encouraged to stand and be moderately active.
Physical Activity Opportunities Before and After School. All elementary, middle,
and high schools will set a goal to offer extracurricular physical activity programs, such as physical activity clubs or intramural programs. All high schools and middle schools, as
appropriate, will set a goal to offer interscholastic sports programs available to all children. 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. After-school child care 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.
Physical Activity and Punishment. Teachers and other school and community
personnel or volunteers will not use physical activity (e.g., running laps, pushups) or withhold opportunities for physical activity (e.g., sitting out time from recess or physical education) as a form of punishment.
Safe Routes to School. The school district will assess and, if necessary and to the
extent possible, make needed improvements to make it safer and easier for students to
walk and/or bike to school. When appropriate, the district will work together with local
public works, public safety, and/or police departments in those efforts. The school
district will explore the availability of federal “safe routes to school” funds, administered
by the State Department of Transportation, to finance such improvements. The school
district will encourage students to use public transportation when available and
appropriate for travel to school.
13 Definitions can be found in the Tennessee State Board of Education’s Physical Activity Policy passed on August 18, 2005.
Use of School Facilities Outside of School Hours. School spaces and facilities
should be available (upon completion of all local mandated forms and payment of any fees) to students, staff, and community members before, during, and after the school day, on weekends, and during school vacations. These spaces and facilities also should be available to community agencies and organizations offering physical activity and nutrition programs. School policies concerning safety will apply at all times.
V. Monitoring and Policy Review
Monitoring. The director of schools (or designee) will ensure compliance with established district-wide nutrition and physical activity wellness policies. In each school, the principal (or designee) will ensure compliance with those policies in his/her school and will report on the school’s compliance to the school district director of schools (or designee).
School food service staff, at the school or district level, will ensure compliance with
nutrition policies within school food service areas and will report on this matter to the
nutrition director. In addition, the school district will report on the most recent USDA and the Tennessee State Dept. of Education’s Coordinated Review Effort (CRE) findings and any resulting changes. If the district has not received a CRE review from the state agency within the past five years, the district will request from the state agency that a CRE review be scheduled as soon as possible.
The director of schools (or designee) will develop a summary report every three years on district-wide compliance with the district’s established nutrition and physical activity
wellness policies, based on input from schools within the district. That report will be
provided to the school board and also distributed to all school health councils, parent/teacher organizations, school principals, and school health services personnel in
the district.
Policy Review. To help with the initial development of the district’s wellness policies,
each school in the district will conduct a baseline assessment of the school’s existing
nutrition and physical activity environments and policies.14 The results of those school-by-school assessments will be compiled at the district level to identify and prioritize
needs.
Assessments will be repeated every three years to help review policy compliance,
assess progress, and determine areas in need of improvement. As part of that review,
the school district will review the nutrition and physical activity policies; provision of an
environment that supports healthy eating and physical activity; and nutrition and physical
education policies and program elements. The district, and individual schools within the
district, will, as necessary, revise the wellness policies (based on Board approval) and develop work plans to facilitate their implementation.
14 Useful self-assessment and planning tools include the School Health Index (now mandatory) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Changing the Scene from the Team Nutrition Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Opportunity to Learn Standards for Elementary, Middle, and High School Physical Education from the National Association for Sport and Physical Educatio