School Wellness Policy A Team Approach

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School Wellness PolicyA Team Approach

• February 2006

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The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act
of 2004
Public Law 108-265, Section 204 Local Wellness
Policies Not later than the first day of the
school year beginning after June 30, 2006, each
local educational agency shall establish a
local school wellness policy
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Join Georgia AFHK!
http//www.actionforhealthykids.org/
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• Objectives
• To review minimum requirements for a local
  wellness policy effective 7-1-06
• To provide an overview of a three step process
  for development of local wellness policy
• To hear and learn from success stories in Georgia

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Developing EFFECTIVE School Wellness Policies
How?
Why?
What?
Who?
When?
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WHY?
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The prevalence of obesity among US children
aged 611 has more than doubled in the past 20
years

• Obesity in Georgia
• 24 (1 in 4) of 3rd graders
• 14 of middle school students
• 11 of high school students

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• Overweight children and adolescents are more
  likely to remain overweight or become obese
  adults and develop chronic disease

• Overweight children
• are less likely to achieve
• academic success

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A Wellness Policy has far reaching Benefits

• Academic
• Improved attendance, classroom behavior,
  cognitive
• development, test scores, and academic
  performance
• Health
• A decrease in risk factors for cardiovascular
  disease,
• hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, blood
  cholesterol,
• respiratory ailments, orthopedic and dental
  problems
• Psychological consequences
• Improved Self-esteem, body image and less anxiety

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WHAT?
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• Georgia Action for Healthy Kids
• Local Wellness Policy
• Guide for Development

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• Minimum Requirements of Policy
• Effective 7-1-06
• Goals for nutrition education
• Goals for physical activity
• Goals for other school-based activities that are
  designed to promote student wellness

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• Minimum Requirements of Policy
• Assurance that meals comply with federal
  regulations and guidance
• Nutrition guidelines for all foods available on
  each school campus under the LEA during the
  school day
• Implementation plan
• Involvement of specific audiences in development

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HOW?
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Steps 1-2-3

• 1. Gather input and assess current situation
• Develop and approve a
• school wellness policy
• Implement an EFFECTIVE
• school wellness policy

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Step 1 Gather Input and Assess Current Situation

• 1a) Assemble Your Team
• The Team Approach

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Important! The Team

• Must include
• Parents
• Students
• School food authority representative
• School board representative
• School administrators
• Public

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Other potential team members

• Teachers
• Coaches
• School Nurses
• Counselor
• Principal
• After-school staff
• College/University

• Doctor
• Dietitian
• Dentist
• Public Health
• YWCA/YMCA
• Boys/Girls Club
• Extension
• Local hospitals

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Step 1 Gather Input and Assess Current Situation

• 1b) Assess School District and Community Needs
• Resources
• CDCs School Health Index
• http//apps.nccd.cdc.gov/shi/
• - AFHK Wellness Policy Tool http//www.actionforh
  ealthykids.org/resources_wp.php?pagegoals

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Step 2 Develop and Approve Local School
Wellness Policy

• 2a) Develop School Local Wellness Policy
• Use Template in Appendix B
• Determine goals for each component of the local
  wellness policy requirement. Make them
  measurable!
• Measurable Goal Students will be provided
• 30 minutes to be physically active everyday.
• Non-Measurable Goal Students will be
• encouraged to be physically active.

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Step 2 Develop and Approve Local School
Wellness Policy

• 2a) Develop School Local Wellness Policy
• Draft policy
• Garner Support
• Sample Policy Resources
• - Georgia School Boards Association Newsletter
  (Attachment)
• - AFHK Wellness Policy Tool http//www.actionforh
  ealthykids.org/resources_wp.php?pagegoals
• USDA, Team Nutrition
• www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/wellnesspolicy.html

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Step 2 Develop and Approve Local School Wellness
Policy

• 2b) Seek Approval and Adoption of Policy
• School board approval must be obtained
  using all appropriate and legal timelines and
  procedures

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Step 3 Implement and Evaluate Local School
Wellness Policy

• Develop a plan to implement and evaluate local
  wellness policy
• Remember to include
• Activities
• Person(s) Responsible
• Due Dates
• Designate 1 or more persons within the local
  educational agency or at each school, as
  appropriate, charged with operational
  responsibility for ensuring that the school meets
  the local wellness policy

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WHEN?
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• By School year 2006-07
• Goals for nutrition education, physical
  education, other school-activities
• Implementation Plan
• Nutrition Guidelines
• Community Involvement (your team)

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Key Resources

• USDA Team Nutrition
• http//www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/wellnesspolicy.
  html
• Action for Healthy Kids
• http//www.actionforhealthykids.org/resources_wp.
  php

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A Georgia Success Story
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Wellness Policy Initiatives DeKalb County
Schools
www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/instruction/foodservices/
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DeKalb Wellness Policy

• Dual Approach
• Physical Education
• Nutrition

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Physical Education

• To combat the current obesity epidemic by
  creating an environment that promotes physical
  activity and establishes a healthy foundation
  that allows students to reach their full academic
  potential.
• Daily Physical Education - Recommendation
• FITNESSGRAM - Mandate
• School Health Index for Nutrition, Physical
  Activity and Tobacco use Prevention - Mandate

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• Nutrition Policy
• To combat the current obesity epidemic, the
  Board of Education believes that it is critical
  to ensure the creation and implementation of a
  coordinated learning environment that promotes
  healthy eating patterns and physical activity,
  thus allowing students to reach their full
  academic potential. Therefore, the
  Superintendent will ensure the development and
  implementation of regulations or procedures in
  support of this policy.

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Procedure 1

• The classroom, school dining room, and school
  activities provide clear and consistent messages
  that explain and reinforce healthy eating habits
  to the students, staff, and families.

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Procedure 2

• Institute an interactive intervention program
  which provides nutrition education and nutrition
  awareness programs that teach students, staff and
  families the skills to adopt healthy eating
  behaviors.

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Procedure 3

• School cafeterias will continue to follow the
  mandated USDA School Meal Initiatives and will
  provide nutrition analysis of menus.

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• www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/instruction/foodservices/

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Procedure 4

• Initiate dialogue with vendors, ensuing in a
  partnership that improves vending machine
  choices, enhances business relationships, and
  nurtures a healthy school environment.

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Healthy Children Ready to Learn

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Future Technical Assistance

• Please email any of the following
• Robin Tanner, Georgia Action for Healthy Kids,
  Chair retanner_at_gdph.state.ga.us
• Sandra Leonard, DHR School Health Coordinator
  shleonard_at_dhr.state.ga.us
• Paulette Williams, Department of Education,
  School
• and Community Nutrition
• pawillia_at_doe.k12.ga.us

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Persistence Pays

• Respect the hierarchy
• Stay focused on the
• ultimate goal
• Dont expect quick or easy success
• Sustain the effort
• Be willing to compromise
• but know your bottom line
• Dont burn your bridges

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Acknowledgements Georgia Department of
Education, School Nutrition Program Georgia
Department of Human Resources, Division of
Public Health Policy Leadership for Active
Youth Georgia Association for Health, Physical
Education and Dance Childrens Healthcare of
Atlanta i4 Learning Kids Health
Inc. Northwest Georgia Healthcare Partnership