Educating the Whole Child

Body + Mind + Spirit

Putting the pieces together, one child at a time!

PDF of Wellness Policy.pdf

STEP 1: Extent Local Wellness Policy Complies with USDA Requirements and Compares to a Model Policy Tracking Tool

STEP 2: Progress in Reaching LSWP Goals

STEP 3: Extent of Compliance for All Schools with the LSWP

St. Gerald School 

Wellness Policy on Nutrition

and Physical Activity 

 

 

"You can’t educate a child who isn’t healthy, and you can't keep a child healthy who isn’t educated."

 - Joycelyn Elders-former U.S. Surgeon General

 

St. Gerald School is committed to providing a safe and nurturing learning environment in which our students can receive a quality, faith-filled Catholic education. In partnership with the Christian family community, we aim to develop each  student's full academic potential and strive to teach the Gospel message in order to share it with the world. St. Gerald  School's mission is to provide the best Christ-centered education possible for each child. In order to accomplish this, there must be a concentrated, cooperative effort between the parent(s) and the school. The school's curriculum guides students in their expected knowledge and skill development. This statement is relative to this wellness policy in a number of ways. Providing a safe and nurturing learning environment is key to a child receiving a quality education. It is no secret that a child who receives proper nutrition and who has a feeling of safety is a much better learner. The knowledge we impart to the children and the skills we help them develop are there for a lifetime. Hopefully, proper nutrition and physical exercise will also fit into that lifelong learning category. 

Purpose and Goal: 

In the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, the U.S. Congress established a new requirement that all school districts with a federally funded school meals program develop and implement wellness policies that address nutrition and physical activity. Commonly called Section 204, it requires the development of a local school wellness policy.

Research shows that children and youth who begin each day as healthy individuals are better learners. St. Gerald School promotes healthy schools by supporting a school-wide wellness policy. This policy includes guidelines for good nutrition, physical activities, and health/nutrition education for our students and staff. We believe that all students should possess the knowledge and skills necessary to make healthy lifetime choices. In addition, we encourage our staff to model healthy eating and physical activity as a valuable part of daily life. 

TO ACHIEVE THESE POLICY GOALS: School Wellness Advisory Council 

The St. Gerald School Wellness Advisory Council (WAC) will help ensure that the wellness policy directives are met.  Further, the WAC in conjunction with the Student Nutrition Advisory Council (SNAC) and the St. Gerald School Advisory Board will aid the administration by acting in an advisory capacity and providing technical support in the areas of nutrition and physical activity. 

The WAC will be comprised of representatives from a broad cross-section of the school including such participants as the school nurse, food service personnel, teachers, physical education teacher, and administrators. The SNAC committee will consist of student representatives from 41h through 8th grade. Program planning may include such issues as: o Assessing student health risk behaviors 

•  Identifying resources within the St. Gerald community that would further the nutritional  and physical well-being of St. Gerald students. 
• Helping to develop program goals, objectives, menus, and outcomes for the school. o Linking school activities with community resources. 

THE NUTRITION ENVIRONMENT 

The school environment should encourage students to make healthy choices. Food served in St. Gerald School should make a positive impact on the nutritional well-being of students. This will be accomplished by the following: • Serving lunches that meet, at a minimum, nutritional requirements established by local, state, and  federal statutes and regulations. 

• Engaging students in trying new foods sold through the school meal programs through taste-tests of new entrees and surveys on food preferences. 
• Employing school food service staff that are properly qualified according to current professional standards and providing continuing professional development for all nutrition professionals in schools. Staff  development programs should include appropriate certification and/or training programs for child nutrition directors and cafeteria workers, according to their levels of responsibility.

Site 

• Students and staff shall have adequate space to eat meals in pleasant surroundings and shall have  adequate time to eat, relax, and socialize. 
• Cafeteria supervisory staff (teachers, aides, custodial staff, etc.) shall receive appropriate training in how to  maintain safe, orderly, and pleasant eating environments. 
• Cafeteria facilities will provide physical and aesthetic surroundings that constitute a healthy, safe, and caring culture that maximizes the health of students and staff. 
• School personnel 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.
• For the safety and security of the food and facility, access to the food service operations is limited to food  service staff and authorized personnel. 
• Careful consideration should be given when scheduling tutoring, assemblies, organization meetings,  classroom instruction, and other activities during mealtimes. 

Nutrition Quality Meals 

• The school food service program will approve and provide all food and beverages sold to all students in the  lunch line. In St. Gerald School, the lunch will be sold as a balanced meal. 
• School lunches will be appealing and attractive to children. 
• Lunches served at St. Gerald School will meet USDA guidelines which currently require no more than 30  percent of the total meal calories come from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. The meal will also meet 1/3 of the daily requirement for protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium and calories. 
• According to the Federal Lunch Program, foods of minimal nutritional value are prohibited from being served or sold in elementary schools. Foods of minimal nutritional value as defined by USDA include carbonated  beverages, water ices, chewing gum, hard candies, jellies and gums, marshmallow candies, taffy, licorice,  spun candy, and candy-coated popcorn. 
• Whether or not to allow food and beverages to be consumed in the classroom during the school day will be an administrative decision. If allowed, the Wellness Policy guidelines should be followed. 
• Drinking fountains will be available for students to get water at meals and throughout the day. • To meet their nutritional needs and enhance their ability to learn, students will be encouraged to start each day with a healthy breakfast through newsletter articles, take-home materials, or other means. 

Mealtimes/Scheduling 

• School administrators will make every attempt to provide at least 20 minutes for lunch from the time the  student is seated, as outlined by the National Association of State Boards of Education. 
• Class schedules should accommodate meal periods at appropriate times, e.g., ideally lunch should be  scheduled between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. 
• Careful consideration of the school lunch environment should be taken into account when scheduling recess.Research has shown that plate waste is substantially decreased when recess precedes lunch. It is strongly  encouraged that schools provide recess before lunch whenever possible. 
• Students and staff will be encouraged to wash or sanitize their hands before and after eating. 

Classroom Rewards 

Foods commonly used as rewards (such as candy, cookies, donuts, etc.) can contribute to health problems for children, e.g. obesity and cavities. Food rewards provide unneeded calories and displace healthier food choices. Rewarding with food can interfere with children learning to eat in response to hunger and satiety cues. This teaches children to eat when they are not  hungry as a reward to themselves and may contribute to the development of disordered eating. Strong consideration should be given to using non-food rewards. 

Classroom Celebrations 

St. Gerald School can help promote a positive learning environment by providing healthy celebrations that shift the focus from  the food to the child. Every attempt should be made to serve healthy foods and beverages in age-appropriate portions during classroom celebrations.

School Fundraising 

Raising money presents a constant challenge for all schools. St. Gerald School fundraisers help to pay for computers, field trips, athletics, media center and other programs that educate and enrich young lives - important programs that are not always covered by the school budget. Fundraisers should make every effort to include healthy alternatives. Education needs to play an active role in this planning. To educate the individuals that are responsible for the planning and selection of items to be sold through these fundraisers, the Wellness Advisory Council will be available to assist these groups as to possible healthy  alternatives. Every effort should be made to explore and incorporate healthy foods into the fundraising process as well as to  explore non-food alternatives. 

CURRICULUM 

Health/Nutrition Education 

Health/Nutrition Education shall be offered at each grade level as part of a sequential, comprehensive, hands- o n learning based program designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health and provide life-long habits of good health. Health/Nutrition Education should be encouraged to be a part of not only health  education classes, but also classroom instruction in subjects such as math, science, language arts, social sciences, and  elective subjects. 

Curriculum: 

• Includes enjoyable, developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant, participatory activities such as contests,  promotions, taste testing, and farm visits. 
• Promotes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, healthy food preparation  methods, and health-enhancing nutrition practices. 
• Emphasizes caloric balance between food intake and energy expenditure (physical activity/exercise). Links with school meal programs, other school foods, and nutrition-related community services o Teaches media literacy with an emphasis on food marketing. 

Physical Activity/Physical Education 

Physical education and physical activity must work together to help a child maintain a healthy lifestyle. Physical activity is the time on task within rigorous activity and Physical Education teaches students the skills, exposes students to new things, and  provides students with knowledge about their bodies.  

Curriculum: 

• A planned, sequential, K-8 curriculum that provides learning experiences, such as basic movement skills, physical fitness, rhythms and dance, games, teamwork, and dual and individual sports, which will develop lifelong habits and  love of being moderately to vigorously active shall be offered to our students. 
• Students will spend at least 50% of physical education class time participating in moderate to vigorous physical  activity. 
• All students in grades K-8, including students with disabilities and special healthcare needs will be taught by a  certified physical education teacher. 
• St. Gerald School will provide students with an environment that is safe and free from obstacles while  participating in physical activities. 
• Student involvement in other activities involving physical activity (e.g. interscholastic or intramural sports) will be  encouraged. 

Health Services 

Health services will be provided for all students in a school setting to assess, protect, and promote health; to provide services  in harmony with community, parents, and other constituencies and to ensure all students have access to services. St. Gerald  School has an array of comprehensive health and wellness services that are provided by the school nurse, school staff,  community partners, and the Student Assistance Team that focuses on prevention and early intervention. Parents will be educated and informed of the availability and variety of health services for their children. 

Physical Activity and Punishment 

Teachers and other school and community personnel will not use physical activity (e.g. running laps, pushups) or withhold  opportunities for physical activity (e.g. recess, physical education) as punishment. 

Daily Recess 

All St. Gerald School students, K-8 will have at least 15 minutes a day of supervised but unstructured recess, preferably outdoors, during which supervising staff should encourage moderate to vigorous physical activity verbally and through the provision of  space and equipment. School staff 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, staff should give students periodic breaks during which they are encouraged to stand and be moderately  active.

Staff as Role Models 

School staff should model healthy eating behaviors and engage in physical activity on a consistent basis. 

Communication with Parents 

• St. Gerald School will support parents’ efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children.o St. Gerald School will encourage parents to pack healthy lunches and snacks. 
• St. Gerald School teachers are encouraged to 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 could include sharing  information about physical activity and physical education through a website, newsletter, or other take-home  materials, special events, or physical education homework. 

Free and Reduced-priced Meals 

St. Gerald School will make every effort to prevent the overt identification of students eligible for free and reduced-priced school meals and eliminate any social stigma attached to such eligibility. 

Marketing Products on Campus 

Long-term wellness requires significant public-private participation and should be encouraged. Therefore, partnerships  between St. Gerald School and businesses are encouraged and appropriate business sponsorship of educational  activities that promote educational well-being of students is encouraged. However, such partnerships should not be  designed to threaten the health, wellness, and physical well-being of the child. 

If for medical reasons a student cannot adhere to the guidelines in the St. Gerald School Wellness Policy, a written  request for exemption should be submitted to the school nurse. A care plan will be developed to meet that student's  individual needs and appropriate staff will be informed of the necessary accommodations. 

Monitoring and Policy Review 

Monitoring: The school administration, faculty, and the Wellness Committee will ensure compliance with nutrition and physical activity wellness policies. 

School food service staff will ensure compliance with nutrition policies within school food service areas and will report on this matter to the committee upon review. 

The wellness policy committee will develop a summary report every three years on the compliance with the established nutrition and physical activity wellness policies, based on input from faculty staff and students. That report will be posted on the school website. 

Policy Review: To help with the initial development of the St. Gerald School wellness policy, the wellness committee will conduct a baseline assessment of the school's existing nutrition and physical activity environments and policies. The results of those assessments will be compiled 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 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 wellness committee will, as necessary, revise the wellness policies and develop work plans to facilitate their implementation.

CIVIL RIGHTS 

1. School Food Authorities (SFAs) participating in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast  Program, After School Snack Program or Special Milk Program must include the non discrimination statement in their student handbook in the section that addresses access to or information about the school meals  program. It must also be included on the school's web site if school meal information is available. 

Nondiscrimination Statement 

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights  regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or  administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex,  disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or  funded by USDA. 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. 

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To  request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA  by: 

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400  

Independence Avenue, SW 

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 

(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or 

(3) Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. 

If the material is too small to permit the full statement to be included, the material will at a minimum include this statement, in print no smaller than the text: "This institution is an equal opportunity provider." 

2. The USDA "And Justice for All" poster must be displayed at each feeding site in a location that is  visible to students during meal service. 
3. Provide appropriate translations of materials concerning the availability and nutritional benefits of the school meals program, as needed. This requirement can be met through the use of bilingual staff members, volunteers and/or informational materials in appropriate languages. 
4. Follow this procedure for Accepting and Filing Complaints of Discrimination in the School Meals Program

• RIGHT TO FILE A COMPLAINT: Any person alleging discrimination based on race, color, national  origin, sex, age or disability has a right to file a complaint within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory  action. 
• ACCEPTANCE: All complaints, written or verbal,shall be accepted by the School Food Authority

(SFA) and forwarded to the Administrator of the Nebraska Department of Education - Nutrition Services within five days. It is necessary that the information be sufficient to determine the identity of the agency or individual toward which the complaint is directed, and to indicate the possibility of a violation. Anonymous complaints shall be handled as any other complaint. 

• VERBAL COMPLAINTS: In the event that a complainant makes the allegation verbally or through a  telephone conversation and refuses or is not inclined to place such allegations in writing, the person to  whom the allegations are made shall write up the elements of the complaint for the complainant. Every effort should be made to have the complainant provide the following information: 

1) Name, address and telephone number or other means of contacting the complainant.

2) The specific location and name of the entity delivering the program service or benefit.

3) The nature of the incident(s) or action(s) that led the complainant to feel discrimination was  a factor. 

4) The basis on which the complainant feels discrimination exists(race, color, national  origin, sex, age, or disability). 

5) The names, titles and addresses of persons who may have knowledge of the discriminatory  action(s). 

6) The date(s) during which the alleged discriminatory action occurred, or if continuing, the  duration of such actions. 

5. Train staff on civil rights annually. Specific subject areas to include: 

• COLLECTING AND USING DATA: Data is collected on ethnicity and race. Parent self-declares. If they do not report, SFA staff will code based on perception. All program materials must be stored in an area of  restricted access and retained for three years. 
• EFFECTIVE PUBLIC NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS: Display the "And Justice for All" poster, include the nondiscrimination statement on program materials, provide information in other languages and alternative formats as needed and convey equal opportunity in all photos and other graphics on websites, publications, etc. 
• COMPLAINT PROCEDURES: Procedures must be established to accept complaints or grievances based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Participants must be advised of their right to file a  complaint, how to file a complaint, and the complaint procedures. If there is a complaint, the SFA must  contact the Nebraska Department of Education - Nutrition Services. 
• COMPLIANCE REVIEW TECHNIQUES: Ensure civil rights requirements are being followed during  review process. 
• RESOLUTION OF NON-COMPLIANCE: Inappropriate actions must cease. A corrective action plan is  required, and appropriate procedures must be implemented. 
• REQUIREMENTS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: Entrances and exits must exist to accommodate the disabled. Braille signage and alternative arrangements for service must be available, when needed. 
• REQUIREMENTS FOR LANGUAGE ASSISTANT: Bilingual personnel and materials must be  provided depending on need, resources available and cost. 
• CONFLICT RESOLUTION: Use alternative dispute resolution techniques when necessary. Treat others with respect. 
• CUSTOMER SERVICE: "Treat others the way they want to be treated (or at least be aware of what that is)."6. Attach documentation of annual training, including date and attendance roster.