458 - School Wellness Policy
458
SCHOOL WELLNESS POLICY
The Appleton Area School District promotes a whole child approach, which ensures that each student is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged as part of the total learning environment. The District supports a healthy environment where children learn and participate in positive emotional, dietary, and lifestyle practices. By facilitating learning through the support and promotion of good nutrition and physical activity, schools contribute to the basic health status of children. Improved health optimizes student performance potential.
- Provide a comprehensive learning environment for developing and practicing lifelong wellness behaviors
The entire school environment, not just the classroom, shall be aligned with healthy school goals to positively influence a student’s understanding, beliefs, and habits as related to good nutrition and regular physical activity. The District supports a comprehensive, standardsbased curriculum approach to nutrition in Early Childhood through 12th grade. A culture of nutrition education will include enjoyable, developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant participatory activities within the AASD, such as taste testing, at least twice per year. Nutrition education will include age appropriate specific, behavior-focused skills, including but not limited to, planning a healthy meal, understanding and using food labels, and critically evaluating nutrition information and commercial food advertising.
The AASD physical education program is aligned with the five national standards, which are an essential component for all students to learn about and participate in an active and healthy lifestyle. Physical activity is included within a school’s daily education program from grades Early Childhood through 12th grade. Physical activity includes regular instructional physical education, co-curricular activities, brain breaks, movement breaks, and elementary recess. Substituting any one of these components for the others is not appropriate. Schools are also encouraged to provide students with additional opportunities to be active in and out of the classroom.
- Support and promote proper dietary habits contributing to students’ health status and academic performance
All foods and beverages served by the District and at school-sponsored activities during the instructional day will meet or exceed the AASD Student Nutrition Standards. A healthy school environment should not be dependent on revenue from high-fat, high-sugar, low nutrient foods to support school programs. Emphasis will be placed on foods that are nutrient dense per calorie. Foods will be served with consideration toward variety, appeal, taste, safety, and packaging to ensure high quality meals. Access to plain, drinkable water throughout the school day will be available at no cost to students.
- Provide nutritionally appropriate school meals
The full meal school breakfast and lunch programs will continue to follow the USDA requirements for federal school meals programs. In addition, the guidelines for reimbursable school meals are not less restrictive than the guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Salt will never be added and salt shakers will not be put out for students. Schools in our system utilize electronic identification and payment systems; therefore, eliminating any stigma or identification of students eligible to receive free and/or reduced meals.
- Recognition for special occasion without treats
Recognitions for special occasions (birthdays, holidays, etc.) during the school day (starting at midnight the day before through a half hour after students are dismissed for the day) will not include students bringing in snacks/treats from outside of the District for other students and will instead take place through non-food practices.
- Support student academic performance
Educators, administrators, parents, healthcare providers, and community partners acknowledge the critical role student mental and physical health play in academic stamina and performance. The school environment is adapted to ensure students’ basic nourishment and activity needs are met.
- Research supports the positive relationship between good nutrition, physical activity, and the capacity of students to develop and learn
This research is emphasized to ensure widespread understanding of the benefits to healthy school environments. The diversity of the student population (e.g., economic, religious, minority, cultural, and medical) is considered at all times to ensure that all student needs are being met.
Adoption Date: June 9, 2003
Amended Date: October 7, 2013, May 21, 2018, and June 11, 2018
458-Rule
SCHOOL WELLNESS
Procedures
The Appleton Area School District promotes healthy schools by supporting wellness, good nutrition, and regular physical activity as part of the total learning environment. The District supports a healthy environment where children learn and participate in positive dietary and lifestyle practices. The Superintendent or designee will ensure compliance with established Districtwide 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 Superintendent or designee. Multiple measures will be used (school newsletter, school website, etc.) to inform families and the public each year of basic information about this policy, including its content, any updates to the policy, and implementation status. Prior to the start of the upcoming school year, the Director of Health & Human Performance shall submit to the Superintendent and Board his/her report in which he/she describes the environment and the implementation of the wellness policy in each school. An annual school wellness report will be provided to update the School Board, school personnel, parents, students, and community members. By facilitating learning through the support and promotion of good nutrition and physical activity, schools contribute to the basic health status of children. Improved health optimizes student performance potential.
Evaluation of School Wellness Policy
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation Evaluation Tool will be used annually by each school site (Early Childhood-high school) within the District as a means for evaluating the overall effectiveness of the AASD School Wellness Policy. Each school site will have a School Wellness Committee that will ensure the evaluation is completed and the results are reviewed annually. The annual school wellness report will include the Alliance for a Healthier Generation Evaluation results which will be provided to update the school board, school personnel, parents, students and community members. In each school site, the principal or designee will ensure completion and review of the evaluation and will report on the site’s compliance to the school District Superintendent or designee.
Hot Lunch/Breakfast Program
The full meal program will continue to follow the USDA Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools and the AASD Student Nutrition Standards. The Hot Lunch/Breakfast provider will be expected to follow the AASD Student Nutrition Standards when determining the items in á la carte sales. Access to plain, drinkable water throughout the school day will be available at no cost to students.
Lunchroom Climate
A lunchroom environment that provides students with a relaxed, enjoyable climate is encouraged to have:
- adequate space to eat with clean and pleasant surroundings;
- adequate time for students to eat. At least 10 minutes will be provided for breakfast and 20 minutes for lunch. Students will be provided additional time when needed for completing breakfast and/or lunch; and
- convenient access to handwashing facilities before meals.
Fundraising
All AASD and non-AASD fundraising projects are expected to follow the AASD Student Nutrition Standards, which include items being sold and consumed within and prior to the instructional day. The AASD Student Nutrition Standards will be attached to all fundraising project requests when submitted to principals. AASD parent organizations are encouraged to align fundraising projects to the AASD Student Nutrition Standards.
Concessions
All AASD concessions for sale at school activities during school and non-school hours are expected to provide a minimum of one healthy option that follows the AASD Student Nutrition Standards in each of four categories: entrée, beverage, snack, and candy. Healthier alternatives/versions of all concessions options are also encouraged.
Teacher-to-Student Incentive
Should teachers feel compelled to utilize food items as student incentives, adherence to the AASD Student Nutrition Standards is required.
Student Nutrition Education
The Appleton Area School District has a comprehensive curriculum approach to nutrition in Early Childhood through 9th grade. Schools are encouraged to integrate nutritional themes into daily lessons and schoolwide activities to emphasize health benefits of good nutrition, and to provide a healthy supportive school culture.
Parent Education
Wellness education will be provided to parents at all educational levels. Examples may include handouts, AASD District website postings, and presentations that focus on nutritional value and healthy lifestyles. Public members seeking additional information and/or wishing to provide feedback/input relating to the District School Wellness Policy and/or Committee related to the policy may obtain this information through the District website or by contacting either the Director of Health & Human Performance or the Health & Human Performance Program Leader.
AASD School Wellness Committee
AASD School Wellness Committee will meet at a minimum on an annual basis with the purposes of monitoring the implementation of this policy, evaluating policy progress, serving as a resource to school sites, and revising the policy as necessary. Committee membership is as follows:
- District Food Service Coordinator or designee
- Food Service Director or designee
- Dietitian
- AASD Health Services representative
- Parent representative from each school level
- Student representative from each District middle school and high school (with representation from each cluster if possible)
- Educator representative from each school level
- Administrative Representative, Co-Chair
- Health and Human Performance Program Leader, Co-Chair
Adoption Date: June 9, 2003
Amended Date: October 7, 2013, May 21, 2018, and June 11, 2018
AASD STUDENT NUTRITION STANDARDS
The Appleton Area School District requires foods for all school functions and activities (sale or distribution during the school day - starting at midnight the day before through a half hour after students are dismissed for the day) be nutrient dense and approved by the Smart Snack Calculator https://foodplanner.healthiergeneration.org/calculator/(exceptions listed below). Nutrient dense foods are those foods that provide students with calories rich in the nutrient content needed to be healthy. In an effort to support the consumption of nutrient dense foods in the school setting, the District has adopted the following AASD Student Nutrition Standards governing the sale and distribution of food and beverages on school grounds. Sites are expected to study the AASD Student Nutrition Standards and develop building policy using the following AASD Student Nutrition Standards as minimal guidelines.
| For All Students at All Times of the Day | Examples |
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Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, combination products, fat-free and low-fat milk products, lactose-free and soy beverages, per portion as packaged:
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| Examples of Items that DO NOT Meet the Recommended Standards | |
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- Series 400: Students
