Welcome to Wellness: Putting School Nutrition Legislation into Practice

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Welcome to Wellness Putting School Nutrition
Legislation into Practice

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School Wellness Policy Why?

• Reaches beyond USDA-funded meal programs to
  influence childhood health
• Puts responsibility at the local level
• Recognizes the critical role of schools in
  curbing the epidemic of childhood overweight
• Provides an opportunity for school districts to
  create an environment conducive to healthy
  lifestyle choices

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School Wellness Policy Provisions

• Must contain the following components
• Appropriate goals for nutrition education,
  physical activity and other school based
  activities designed to promote student wellness
• Nutrition guidelines for all foods available
  during the school day, with the objectives of
  promoting student health and reducing childhood
  overweight

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School Wellness Policy Provisions, Contd.

• Assurance that guidelines for reimbursable school
  meals shall not be less restrictive than
  regulations and guidance issued by the Secretary
  of Agriculture
• A plan for measuring implementation of the school
  wellness policy, including designation of at
  least one person to maintain responsibility for
  program operation

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School Wellness Policy Provisions

• Required involvement
• Parents
• Students
• Representatives of the SFA
• Representatives of the School board
• School administrators
• Members of the public

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Policy Requirements

• Statutory Requirement of a Local Wellness Policy
• Components - goals for nutrition education and
  physical activity, guidelines for all foods
  served on campuses, other school-based activities
• Involvement - parents, students, school food
  authority, school board, school administrators
  and the public
• Measurement and evaluation

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Components of a Local Wellness Policy

• Nutrition Education (sample policy language)
• Students in grades pre-K-12 receive nutrition
  education that is interactive and teaches the
  skills they need to adopt healthy eating
  behaviors.
• Nutrition education is offered in the school
  dining room as well as in the classroom, with
  coordination between the foodservice staff and
  teachers.
• Students receive consistent nutrition messages
  throughout schools, classrooms, cafeterias,
  homes, community and media.
• District health education curriculum standards
  and guidelines include both nutrition and
  physical education.
• Nutrition is integrated into the health education
  curricula or core curriculum (e.g., math,
  science, language arts).
• Schools link nutrition education activities with
  the coordinated school health program.
• Staff who provide nutrition education have
  appropriate training.
• Schools are enrolled as Team Nutrition Schools,
  and they conduct nutrition education activities
  and promotions that involve parents, students,
  and the community.

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Components of a Local Wellness Policy

• Physical Activity (sample policy language)
• Students are given opportunities for physical
  activity during the school day through daily
  recess periods, physical education (PE) classes,
  walking programs, and the integration of physical
  activity into the academic curriculum.
• Students are given opportunities for physical
  activity through a range of after-school programs
  including, but not limited to, intramurals,
  interscholastic athletics, and physical activity
  clubs.
• Schools work with the community to create ways
  for students to walk, bike, rollerblade or
  skateboard safely to and from school.
• Schools encourage parents and guardians to
  support their childrens participation in
  physical activity, to be physically active role
  models, and to include physical activity in
  family events.
• Schools provide training to enable teachers, and
  other school and community staff to promote
  enjoyable, lifelong physical activity among
  students.

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Components of a Local Wellness Policy

• Nutrition Standards for All Foods Available on
  School Campus During the School Day (sample
  policy language)
• The school district sets guidelines for foods and
  beverages in a la carte sales in the food service
  program on school campuses.
• The school district sets guidelines for foods and
  beverages sold in vending machines, snack bars,
  school stores, and concession stands on school
  campuses.
• The school district sets guidelines for foods and
  beverages sold as part of school-sponsored
  fundraising activities.
• The school district sets guidelines for
  refreshments served at parties, celebrations, and
  meetings during the school day.
• The school district makes decisions on these
  guidelines based on nutrition goals, not on
  profit making.

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Components of a Local Wellness Policy

• Other School-Based Activities (sample policy
  language)
• School district will provide a clean, safe,
  enjoyable meal environment for students.
• School district will schedule lunch time as near
  the middle of the school day as possible.
• School district will prohibit the use of food as
  a reward or punishment in schools Food or
  physical activity is not used as a reward or
  punishment.
• School district will make efforts to keep school
  or district-owned physical activity facilities
  open for use by students outside school hours.
• Etc.

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Local Process

• Initial homework
• Identify a policy development team
• Assess the districts needs
• Draft a policy
• Build awareness and support
• Adopt the policy
• Implement the policy
• Maintain, measure and evaluate the effort.

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Web-Based Technical Assistance

• www.fns.usda.gov/tn

Click on Local Wellness Policy
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Local Wellness Web PagesKey Links

• Policy requirements
• Local process (create, implement, evaluate
  policies)
• Examples local wellness policies
• Implementation tools and resources
• Grants and funding opportunities
• Frequently asked questions

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Sample State Agency Nutrition and Physical
Activity Policies

• Arkansass Child Health Advisory Committee
  Recommendations
• Arizonas Action for Healthy Kids State Team
  School Nutrition-Healthy Environment Model Policy
• Colorados School Site Resource Kit
  Implementation Guide for the Colorado Physical
  Activity and Nutrition State Plan 2010
• North Carolinas Eat Smart Recommended Standards
  for All Foods Available in School
• Rhode Island Healthy Schools Coalitions Model
  Policy Language for School District Nutrition
  Physical Activity
• South Carolina DOEs Recommendations for
  Improving Student Nutrition and Physical
  Activity, 2004
• Texas Dept. of Agricultures Public School
  Nutrition Policy
• Others

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Sample National PublicationsFederal and
Non-Governmental Agencies

• Team Nutritions Changing the Scene Improving
  the School Nutrition EnvironmentA Guide for
  Local Action
• CDCs Guidelines for School Health Programs to
  Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating and Guidelines
  for School and Community Programs to Promote
  Lifelong Physical Activity Among Young People
• CDCs School Health Index A Self-Assessment and
  Planning Guide
• USDAs HealthierUS School Challenge
• NASBEs Fit, Healthy, and Ready to Learn
• Others