STUDENT WELLNESS POLICY (BP 5030)

The Board of Trustees recognizes the link between student health and learning and desires to provide a comprehensive program promoting healthy eating and physical activity for district students. The Superintendent or designee shall coordinate and align district efforts to support student wellness through health education, physical education and activity, health services, nutrition services, psychological and counseling services, and a safe and healthy school environment. In addition, the Superintendent or designee shall develop strategies for promoting staff wellness and for involving parents/guardians and the community in reinforcing students' understanding and appreciation of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

(cf. 1020 - Youth Services)

(cf. 3513.3 - Tobacco-Free Schools)

(cf. 3514 - Environmental Safety)

(cf. 5131.6 - Alcohol and Other Drugs)

(cf. 5131.62 - Tobacco)

(cf. 5141 - Health Care and Emergencies)

(cf. 5141.22 - Infectious Diseases)

(cf. 5141.3 - Health Examinations)

(cf. 5141.31 - Immunizations)

(cf. 5141.32 - Health Screening for School Entry)

(cf. 5141.6 - School Health Services)

(cf. 6142.1 - Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention Education)

(cf. 6164.2 - Guidance/Counseling Services)

SCHOOL HEALTH COUNCIL/COMMITTEE

The Superintendent or designee shall encourage parents/guardians, students, food service employees, physical education teachers, school health professionals, Board members, school administrators, and members of the public to participate in the development, implementation, and periodic review and update of the district's student wellness policy. (42 USC 1758b)

To fulfill this requirement, the Superintendent or designee may appoint a school health council or other district committee whose membership shall include representatives of these groups. He/she also may invite participation of other groups or individuals, such as health educators, curriculum directors, counselors, before- and after-school program staff, health practitioners, and/or others interested in school health issues.

(cf. 1220 - Citizen Advisory Committees)

(cf. 9140 - Board Representatives)

The school health council/committee shall advise the district on health-related issues, activities, policies, and programs. At the discretion of the Superintendent or designee, the duties of the council/committee may also include the planning, implementation, and evaluation of activities to promote health within the school or community.

GOALS FOR NUTRITION, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND OTHER WELLNESS ACTIVITIES

The Board shall adopt goals for nutrition promotion and education, physical activity, and other school-based activities that promote student wellness. (42 USC 1758b)

(cf. 0000 - Vision)

(cf. 0200 - Goals for the School District)

The district's nutrition education and physical education programs shall be based on research, shall be consistent with the expectations established in the state's curriculum frameworks and content standards, and shall be designed to build the skills and knowledge that all students need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

(cf. 6011 - Academic Standards)

(cf. 6142.7 - Physical Education and Activity)

(cf. 6142.8 - Comprehensive Health Education)

(cf. 6143 - Courses of Study)

The nutrition education program shall include, but is not limited to, information about the benefits of healthy eating for learning, disease prevention, weight management, and oral health. Nutrition education shall be provided as part of the health education program and, as appropriate, shall be integrated into other academic subjects in the regular educational program, before- and after-school programs.

(cf. 5148.2 - Before/After School Programs)

(cf. 6177 - Summer Learning Programs)

To reinforce the district's nutrition education program, the Board prohibits the marketing and advertising of non-nutritious foods and beverages through signage, vending machine fronts, logos, scoreboards, school supplies, advertisements in school publications, coupon or incentive programs, free give-aways, or other means.

(cf. 1325 - Advertising and Promotion)

All students shall be provided opportunities to be physically active on a regular basis. Opportunities for moderate to vigorous physical activity shall be provided through physical education and recess and may also be provided through school athletic programs, extracurricular programs, before- and after-school programs, programs encouraging students to walk or bicycle to and from school, in-class physical activity breaks, and other structured and unstructured activities.

(cf. 5142.2 - Safe Routes to School Program)

(cf. 6145 - Extracurricular and Curricular Activities)

(cf. 6145.2 - Athletic Competition)

The Board may enter into a joint use agreement or memorandum of understanding to make district facilities or grounds available for recreational or sports activities outside the school day and/or to use community facilities to expand students' access to opportunity for physical activity.

(cf. 1330.1 - Joint Use Agreements)

Professional development shall be regularly offered to health education and physical education teachers, coaches, activity supervisors, food services staff, and other staff as appropriate to enhance their health knowledge and skills.

(cf. 4131 - Staff Development)

(cf. 4231 - Staff Development)

(cf. 4331 - Staff Development)

The Superintendent or designee may disseminate health information and/or the district's student wellness policy to parents/guardians through district or school newsletters, handouts, parent/guardian meetings, district and school web sites, and other communications. Outreach to parents/guardians shall emphasize the relationship between student health and academic performance.

(cf. 1100 - Communication with the Public)

(cf. 1112 - Media Relations)

(cf. 1113 - District and School Web Sites)

(cf. 1114 - District-Sponsored Social Media)

(cf. 6020 - Parent Involvement)

In order to ensure that students have access to comprehensive health services or may provide referrals to community resources.

The Board recognizes that a safe, positive school environment is also conducive to students' physical and mental health and thus prohibits bullying and harassment of all students, including bullying on the basis of weight or health condition.

(cf. 5131.2 - Bullying)

(cf. 5145.3 - Nondiscrimination/Harassment)

The Superintendent or designee shall encourage staff to serve as positive role models for healthy eating and physical fitness. He/she shall promote work-site wellness programs and may provide opportunities for regular physical activity among employees.

NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR FOODS AVAILABLE AT SCHOOL

For all foods available on each campus during the school day, the district shall adopt nutritional guidelines which are consistent with 42 USC 1773 and 1779 and federal regulations and which support the objectives of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity. (42 USC 1758b)

In order to maximize the district's ability to provide nutritious meals and snacks, all district schools shall participate in available federal school nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs and after-school snack programs, to the extent possible. When approved by the California Department of Education, the district may sponsor a summer meal program.

(cf. 3550 - Food Service/Child Nutrition Program)

(cf. 3553 - Free and Reduced Price Meals)

(cf. 5141.27 - Food Allergies/Special Dietary Needs)

(cf. 5148 - Child Care and Development)

(cf. 5148.3 - Preschool/Early Childhood Education)

The Superintendent or designee shall provide access to free, potable water during meal times in the food service area in accordance with Education Code 38086 and 42 USC 1758, and shall encourage students' consumption of water by educating them about the health benefits of water and serving water in an appealing manner.

The Board believes that all foods and beverages sold to students at district schools, including those available outside the district's food services program, should support the health curriculum and promote optimal health. Nutritional standards adopted by the district for foods and beverages provided through student stores, vending machines, or other venues shall meet or exceed state and federal nutritional standards.

(cf. 3312 - Contracts)

(cf. 3554 - Other Food Sales)

The Superintendent or designee shall encourage school organizations to use healthy food items or non-food items for fundraising purposes. He/she also shall encourage school staff to avoid the use of non-nutritious foods as a reward for students' academic performance, accomplishments, or classroom behavior.

(cf. 1230 - School-Connected Organizations)

School staff shall encourage parents/guardians or other volunteers to support the district's nutrition education program by considering nutritional quality when selecting any snacks which they may donate for occasional class parties. Class parties or celebrations shall be held after the lunch period when possible.

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION

The Superintendent shall designate one or more district or school employees, as appropriate, to ensure that each school site complies with this policy. (42 USC 1758b)

(cf. 0500 - Accountability)

(cf. 3555 - Nutrition Program Compliance)

The Superintendent or designee shall periodically assess the implementation and effectiveness this policy.

The assessment shall include the extent to which district schools are in compliance with this policy, the extent to which this policy compares to model wellness policies available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and a description of the progress made in attaining the goals of the wellness policy. (42 USC 1758b)

The Board and the Superintendent or designee shall establish indicators that will be used to measure the implementation and effectiveness of the district activities related to student wellness. Such indicators may include, but are not limited to:

1. Descriptions of the district's nutrition education, physical education, and health education curricula and the extent to which they align with state academic content standards and legal requirements

2. An analysis of the nutritional content of school meals and snacks served in all district programs, based on a sample of menus and production records

3. Student participation rates in all school meal and/or snack programs, including the number of students enrolled in the free and reduced-price meals program compared to the number of students eligible for that program

4. Extent to which foods sold on campus outside the food services program, such as through vending machines, student stores, or fundrasiers, comply with nutritional standards

5. Results of the state's physical fitness test at applicable grade levels

6. Number of minutes of physical education offered at each grade span, and the estimated percentage of class time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity

7. A description of district efforts to provide additional opportunities for physical activity outside of the physical education program

8. A description of other districtwide or school-based wellness activities offered, including the number of sites and/or students participating, as appropriate

The Superintendent or designee shall invite feedback on district and school wellness activities from food service personnel, school administrators, the school health council, parents/guardians, students, teachers, before- and after-school program staff, and/or other appropriate persons.

As feasible, the assessment report may include a comparison of results across multiple years, a comparison of district data with county, statewide, or national data, and/or a comparison of wellness data with other student outcomes such as academic indicators or student discipline rates.

The Superintendent or designee shall inform and update the public, including parents/guardians, students, and others in the community, about the content and implementation of this policy and assessment results. (42 USC 1758b)

In addition, the assessment results shall be submitted to the Board for the purposes of evaluating policy and practice, recognizing accomplishments, and making policy adjustments as needed to focus district resources and efforts on actions that are most likely to make a positive impact on student health and achievement.

POSTING REQUIREMENTS

Each school shall post the district's policies and regulations on nutrition and physical activity in public view within all school cafeterias or in other central eating areas. (Education Code 49432)

WEB SITES

CSBA: http://www.csba.org

Action for Healthy Kids: http://www.actionforhealthykids.org

California Department of Education, Nutrition Services Division: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu

California Department of Public Health: http://www.cdph.ca.gov

California Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition): http://www.californiaprojectlean.org

California School Nutrition Association: http://www.calsna.org

Center for Collaborative Solutions: http://www.ccscenter.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov

Dairy Council of California: http://www.dairycouncilofca.org

National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity: http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/nana.html

National Association of State Boards of Education: http://www.nasbe.org