ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE 1
Procedure No. 0116
Date: September 1, 2017
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
I. PURPOSE: Prince George’s County Public Schools is committed to provide a safe and
supportive learning environment for all students and procedures to ensure that students receive
consistent information and education regarding proper nutrition, increased physical activity, and
the benefits of healthy lifestyle choices throughout the school, classroom, and cafeteria.
II. BACKGROUND:
The United States Department of Agriculture requires that each local educational agency
participating in the National School Lunch/Breakfast Program was to have a local wellness policy
in place by 2006. In response, the Board of Education of Prince George's County approved Policy
No. 0116, Wellness, Nutrition, and Physical Activity. The Board of Education directed the CEO
and appointed designees to ensure students receive consistent information and education
regarding proper nutrition, increased physical activity, and the benefits of healthy lifestyle
choices throughout the school, classroom, and cafeteria. The Board of Education will ensure the
Board Policy and Administrative Procedure are widely distributed and that an annual mechanism
for evaluation is in place.
III. POLICY: The Board of Education is committed to healthy schools and lifestyles, providing a
total learning environment that enhances the development of lifelong healthy habits in wellness,
nutrition, and regular physical activity. (Board Policy 0116)
IV. DEFINITIONS:
A. Comprehensive School Health Education (CSHE): A planned, sequential K-12
comprehensive school health education program that addresses the physical, mental,
emotional and social dimensions of health and enables children and youth to become
healthy and productive citizens, capable of establishing and practicing healthenhancing
behaviors over a lifetime. Nutrition Education is a component of a CSHE program.
B. Curriculum: The prescribed programs and courses that state what students should know
and be able to do, how they will meet learning objectives, and how they will be assessed.
C. Health Education: A planned sequential curriculum that provides learning experiences
integrating content and skills, which support and reinforce the health and well-being of
each student, and ultimately builds health literacy.
D. Nutrition Education: A component of the comprehensive school health education
program that teaches knowledge and skills to facilitate the voluntary adoption of eating
and other nutrition-related behaviors conducive to health and well-being.
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HEALTH AND WELLNESS
E. Physical Activity: Any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that result in an
expenditure of energy.
F. Physical Education: A planned sequential curriculum that teaches skills, knowledge, and
attitudes which are needed to establish and lead a physically active life. Physical
Education is most effective when reinforced within a Comprehensive School Physical
Activity Program (CSPAP).
G. Recess: Regularly scheduled periods within the school day for physical activity and play.
H. School Health/Wellness Council: A group of individuals who represent segments of the
community and the eight components of the coordinated school health program. The
local school health council is mandated by Maryland law to provide advice and
recommendations to the School Superintendent and County Health Officer in matters
related to the health, safety, and wellness of students and staff.
I. School Health Services: Supports the academic success of each student, staff, and family
by providing services that promote optimal health and wellness. The professional nurses
provide care that include but is not limited to:
1. providing professional services for students and staff;
2. providing emergency and first aid care to students, staff, and visitors;
3. providing care to acute and chronically ill students;
4. medication administration;
5. evaluation of the school environment for safety and sanitary conditions;
6. communicable disease management and education; and
7. health promotion, illness prevention, and management education to students,
staff, and families.
J. Maryland Nutrition Standards for All Food Sold in Schools (“Smart Snacks”) – Smart
Snacks, previously known as competitive foods, are required by the Healthy, Hunger-
Free Kids Act of 2010, which authorizes funding and sets policy for USDA's core child
nutrition programs: the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program,
the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the
Summer Food Service Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Smart
Snacks applies nutrition standards to snacks and beverages apart from the National
School Lunch and School Breakfast Program, and sold to students at school during the
school day.
K. Wellness - An intentional choice of lifestyle characterized by personal responsibility,
balance, and maximum personal enhancement which leads to the goal of attaining the
state of physical, mental, social, intellectual, and spiritual well-being. It is a process of
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Procedure No. 0116
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HEALTH AND WELLNESS
being aware of and altering unhealthy behaviors to those that will bring about a more
healthful existence. Wellness is not just the absence of disease.
PROCEDURES:
V. Health Education and Nutrition Education
A. School Curriculum
1) School administration will ensure that a comprehensive, sequential health education
program, with its mandatory nutrition education component, will be taught at each
grade level and as part of the Health Education requirement for graduation. The time
allotted for health education shall be consistent with current research, and national
and state standards. School administration will ensure that nutrition education is
integrated across curricula and throughout the school day.
2) It is recommended that students in elementary grades receive a minimum of 60
minutes per week of comprehensive health education, with nutrition education being
a component of the broader curriculum; and that students in grades 6, 7, and 8 receive
a minimum of one full semester of instruction in health education per academic year.
At the high school level, students must complete the half credit graduation required
Health Issues course and have the opportunity to participate in Health Education
elective courses (e.g., Family Living or Sports Medicine).
3) School-based staff responsible for nutrition education shall be certified and highly
qualified in health education.
4) In Health Education courses, Nutrition Education:
a. Will be taught every year K-12, using a research-based or based in best practice
nutrition education curriculum that leads to behavioral outcomes.
b. Should provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to adopt and
maintain a healthy lifestyle. Nutrition Education will be aligned to the National
Health Education Standards and includes skill development (accessing
information, analyzing influences, interpersonal communication, goal-setting,
decision making, advocacy and self-management).
B. To ensure the effective delivery of an accurate nutrition education program, the Department
of Human Resources will ensure that the school-based staff responsible for nutrition
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HEALTH AND WELLNESS
education are highly qualified and certified, and given the opportunity to participate regularly
in professional development activities.
C. The Department of Human Resources will ensure that teachers of health education receive
training and professional development on updated content, data analysis, and strategies to
improve instruction in health education. This training will include nutrition education
training.
D. The Director of Food and Nutrition Services shall provide guidelines to ensure that the school
cafeteria serves as an opportunity for nutrition education. Research based nutrition education
resources that encourage healthy lifestyles. Will be made available to families and the
community
VI. Physical Education
A. School administration will ensure that a comprehensive, sequential physical education
program will be taught at each school, and that the time allotted for physical education is
consistent with current research, and national and state standards. A sequential physical
education program will be taught at each grade level K-8 and a graduation requirement of .5
credits offered in High School.
SHAPE America recommends that schools provide 150 minutes of instructional physical
education for elementary school children, and 225 minutes for middle and high school
students per week for the entire school year.
B. School administration shall ensure physical education classes are taught in a separate space,
preferably a gymnasium with adequate equipment and facilities.
C. Instruction should provide meaningful content, which includes:
1) Instruction in a variety of motor skills that are designed to enhance the physical, mental
and social/emotional development of every child.
2) Fitness education and assessment to help children understand, improve and/or maintain
their physical wellbeing.
3) Development of cognitive concepts about motor skills and fitness.
4) Opportunities to improve their emerging social and cooperative skills and gain a multicultural
perspective.
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HEALTH AND WELLNESS
5) Promotion of regular amounts of appropriate physical activity now and throughout
life.
D. Withholding of physical education as a punishment is prohibited.
E. The Department of Human Resources, in conjunction with the Instructional Supervisor for
Physical Education and Instructional Specialist for Adapted Physical Education, will ensure
that physical education and adapted physical education teachers are certified and highly
qualified. PGCPS will provide 24 hours annually in professional learning communities to
address issues related to instructional practices, data analysis and improve instruction for
physical education teachers.
VII. Physical Activity
A. School administration shall ensure physical activity is integrated across curricula and
throughout the school day, and that teachers are trained to accomplish this goal.
B. School administration will ensure that all elementary children will receive at least 30 minutes
of daily physical activity outside of physical education class, which should include a
minimum of 20 minutes of recess. This can occur in several ways:
1) Lesson plans include planned student movement and are integrated into academic
lessons.
a. Teachers shall make all reasonable efforts to avoid periods of more than 40 minutes
when students are physically inactive. When possible, physical activity should be
integrated into learning activities. When that is not possible, students should be given
periodic breaks during which they are encouraged to stand and be moderately active.
b. Schools will have a designee to coordinate and provide professional development for
staff members to integrate physical activity into the classroom setting.
2) Recess
a. It is recommended that elementary schools set aside 30 minutes each day for recess.
At a minimum, 20 minutes must be allocated.
b. It is recommended that daily recess period to occur prior to lunch.
c. Withholding of recess as a punishment is prohibited.
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HEALTH AND WELLNESS
C. Physical activity may not be used as punishment.
D. Principals shall ensure that physical activity facilities on school grounds are safe and that the
school provides a physical and social environment that encourages enjoyable activity for all
students, including opportunities for non-competitive physical activity.
E. The Supervisors for Health Education and Physical Education will provide a bank of physical
activity resources for sharing information with families and the community to positively
impact health.
F. Physical Activity Before and After School Goals:
1) Students will be provided opportunities to participate in physical activity clubs with
access to adequate facilities, equipment and supervision.
2) Schools shall partner with local officials to provide opportunities for safe alternative
modes of transportation (i.e. walking and biking) to and from school.
3) Students will have opportunities to participate in interscholastic sports programs after
school.
G. Encourage and offer opportunities with community partners on shared use agreements for
facility use before and after school.
VIII. Nutrition Standards
A. Principals will ensure the eating environment will be pleasant and conducive to appropriate
food consumption and socialization.
B. Principals will ensure that students have a minimum of 30 minutes for lunch with at least 20
minutes to consume meals.
1) To ensure all students have the opportunity to start each day with a healthy meal,
principals will allocate a minimum of 10 minutes for students to participate in the school
breakfast program. Breakfast programs such as Grab and Go, Breakfast in the Classroom
or other alternative breakfast options will be explored.
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Procedure No. 0116
Date: September 1, 2017
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
2) Students will have access to a variety of USDA approved appealing, quality, nutritious
meals that promote growth, development and prevent school-day hunger, which
negatively impacts student attention to learning.
C. Use of food as a reward or as a punishment is prohibited.
D. The Director of Nutrition Services will ensure that:
1) All meals meet or exceed current USDA School Nutrition Standards. Standards and
resources can be found at:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp/national-school-lunch-program-nslp
2) Meals are planned in accordance with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, utilizing
healthy recipes, menus, culinary techniques, and other tools and strategies to improve
school nutrition.
3) Healthy food and beverage choices are promoted using Smarter Lunchroom techniques,
which are designed to assist school lunchrooms with evidence-based tools to promote
healthy eating in children.
4) Participation of all nutrition staff in annual training is complete and documented.
Continuing education/training in nutrition should meet or exceed the annual hours
required by the USDA Professional Standards. Topics may include but are not limited to:
food safety, HACCP, nutrition standards updates, food sensitivities and allergies,
customer service and food production techniques.
E. The Director of Food and Nutrition Services is responsible for marketing the school meals
and encouraging participation in school meal programs.
F. All students and staff will have access to free and safe drinking water.
G. Students will be given the opportunity for input in school meals and menu items by
participating in activities such as taste testing, focus groups, and surveys.
H. Nutrition information for school meals (e.g., calories, saturated fat, sugar) will be available
online for students, staff and parents.
I. Nutrition standards will be met for specific age/grade groupings when averaged over a school
week. A school week is defined as a minimum of three consecutive days and a maximum of
seven consecutive days.
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Procedure No. 0116
Date: September 1, 2017
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
J. Any foods and beverages marketed or promoted to students on the school campus during the
school day must meet or exceed the Maryland Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in
Schools (see Attachment 1). Food advertising and marketing is definedi as an oral, written,
or graphic statements made for the purpose of promoting the sale of a food or beverage
product made by the producer, manufacturer, seller, or any other entity with a commercial
interest in the product.
IX. Guidelines for Food and Beverages Sold in Vending Machines, Snack Bars, School Stores,
and Concession Stands on PGCPS property
A. Food sales by school-related groups and the use of vending machines must comply with state
and federal law (see Attachment 1 and not interfere with student participation in the county's
food and nutrition services program.
B. School owned vending machines accessible to students are encouraged to meet Smart Snacks
standards and they must be turned off from 12:01 a.m. through 30 minutes after the formal
school day, to be monitored by school administration. This does not include vending owned
(or operated) by Food and Nutrition Services.
C. Snack bars, student stores, and concession stands selling foods and beverages are encouraged
to meet Smart Snack standards and/or School Meal standards but can only be accessible 30
minutes after the formal school day. (see Attachment 1). Principals and their site-based
School Wellness Action Teams will be responsible to monitor, control and educate school
groups on the merits of offering food and beverages that are predominately sound nutrition
choices.
D. Schools will ensure a Certified Food Handler is in attendance at all functions where
potentially hazardous foods (e.g. hot foods such a beef patties, chicken, etc.) are sold.
X. Guidelines for Food and Beverages Sold as Part of School-Sponsored Fundraising Activities
on PGCPS Property
A. PGCPS promotes and provides resources of non-food based fundraisers. Emphasis and
promotion of fundraisers that have a physical activity component is strongly encouraged.
B. Fundraisers selling foods and beverages to students during the school day must meet Smart
Snack standards (see Attachment 1) and not interfere with a student's participation in the
school meals program.
C. All foods served in schools by entities other than Food and Nutrition Services must also be
high quality and meet all applicable safety, sanitation, and health laws and regulations.
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D. Food from only licensed commercial vendors and sources promoting and selling healthful,
nutrient-rich food may be sold as long as items meets Smart Snacks standards and does not
interfere with a student's participation in the school meals program.
E. Principals and their site-based School Wellness Action Teams will monitor fundraisers to
ensure compliance with the Health and Wellness procedure.
XI. Guidelines for Food and Beverages Served at Parties, Celebrations, and Meetings
A. PGPCPS strongly encourages celebration and rewards that are physical activity over foodrelated
celebrations or rewards.
B. All foods offered on the school campus must meet or exceed the Smart Snacks standards (See
Attachment 1).
1) PGCPS will provide a list upon request of healthy party ideas to parents and teachers
2) A list of alternate ways to reward children
3) A list of foods and beverages that meet Smart Snack standards
C. In order to protect the health of all students and avoid the risk of food borne illness, allergic
reaction or food intolerance, only foods that are pre-packaged with a label; from a licensed
commercial vendor and sources; whole fresh fruits and vegetables; or prepared by Nutrition
Services will be allowed to be served to students.
XII. Other School-Based Activities and Training for Staff
A. The Benefits Services Office will support the health of staff by providing information and
opportunities for staff to engage in physical fitness and a variety of wellness initiatives.
B. The Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction will ensure comprehensive annual
training of principals in all curricular areas addressed by this administrative procedure,
preferably during the annual summer retreat.
XIII. Oversight and Monitoring
A. School Principals
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1) Principals will ensure that school-based activities are consistent with Prince George's
County Health and Wellness Policy and Administrative Procedure including school
events, field trips, dances, and assemblies.
2) Principals will ensure opportunities for parents, teachers, administrators, students, and
community partners to plan, implement, and improve health education, physical activity,
and wellness in their schools by supporting systemic wellness initiatives.
3) Coordinated School Health Strategy
a. Principals will ensure that each school has an active School Wellness Action
Team (SWAT) every school year starting in September of each school year.
b. The School Wellness Action Team will be modeled to reflect the eight
components of coordinated school health.
c. The principal will collaborate with the departments represented in the school to
ensure that a staff member from the following components of school health is
represented on the School Wellness Action Team. At minimum, the SWAT
should consist of the following staff members:
i. Health Education teacher
ii. Physical Education teacher
iii. Health Services/School nurse
iv. Nutrition Services, i.e. Cafeteria staff person
v. PTO/PTA representative, or Parent Liaison
Other SWAT members may include:
vi. Counseling/Psychological/Social work/Behavioral Health Service
vii. Building Engineer
d. Principals will ensure that all schools will complete the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention's (CDC) School Health Index every two years.
B. The School Health/Wellness Council
1) The School Health/Wellness Council will work with the Office of Communications to
promote the Health and Wellness policy and procedure PGCPS staff, students, parents,
and the public.
2) The CEO or designee(s) will convene the School Wellness Council and facilitate
development of and updates to the wellness policy. The School Wellness Council will
review and provide updates, progress and feedback to the district annually through an
annual wellness report. The Council will further review the health and wellness policy
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and procedures every three years and recommend updates accordingly.
3) School Wellness Council reviews the District Wellness Policy every three years.
Members of the School Health/Wellness Council will represent all school levels
(elementary and secondary schools) and include (to the extent possible), but not be
limited to:
parents and caregivers; students; representatives of the school nutrition program
(ex., school nutrition director); physical education teachers; health education
teachers; school health professionals (ex., health education teachers, school
health services staff [i.e., nurses, physicians, dentists, health educators, and
other allied health personnel who provide school health services], and mental
health and social services staff [i.e., school counselors, psychologists, social
workers, or psychiatrists]; school administrators (ex., superintendent, principal,
vice principal), school board members; health professionals (ex., dietitians,
doctors, nurses, dentists); and the general public.
4) The CEO or Deputy Superintendent will provide management and oversight of the
implementation of the Wellness Policy with support from the Prince George's County
School Wellness Council. The Office of Research and Evaluation, in conjunction will
design an evaluation model to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the Board
Policy and Administrative Procedure.
5) The CEO or Deputy Superintendent in conjunction with the School Health/Wellness
Council will implement the evaluation model and review annually.
6) The CEO or Deputy Superintendent will provide an annual report on the progress of the
implementation of this policy and procedure to be presented to the Board on an annual
basis.
7) The school system will partner with community organizations and governmental agencies
serving children to support programming that enhances student and family wellness.
8) The school system will implement a communication plan for staff and parents around
updates, changes and progress on the current wellness policy, in particular food/beverage
related policies and offerings.
9) Each school will gather and report school-level data on the Health and Wellness policy
implementation. This can be accomplished through annual updates to the CDC's School
Health Index assessment tool and action planning tool. A member of the school-based
wellness council will gather the data.
10) The Council shall provide school-level guidance and technical assistance on the
evaluation and reporting of the Health and Wellness policy implementation. Assessment,
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action planning and evaluation should reflect both district and building level
implementation and progress.
XIV. LEGAL AUTHORITY: USDA regulations, 7 C.F.R. 210.31 et seq. – Local School Wellness
Policy.
XV. RELATED PROCEDURES:
Administrative Procedure 3542.44, The Access and Sale of Competitive Foods and Foods of
Minimal Nutritional Value in Schools and Outside of the Department of Food and Nutrition
Services Program;
Administrative Procedure 6130, Guidelines for Elementary Playground and Indoor Recess
Supervision Grades Pre-K- 5;
Bulletin B-13-01, Disciplinary Action and Food Rewards at Meal Times
XVI. MAINTENANCE AND UPDATE OF THESE PROCEDURES: These procedures originate
with the Office of the Superintendent, and will be reviewed annually and updated as needed.
XVII. CANCELLATIONS AND SUPERSEDURES: This Administrative Procedure cancels and
supersedes Administrative Procedure 0116, dated August 21, 2006.
XVIII. EFFECTIVE DATE: September 1, 2017.
Distribution: Lists 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, and 11
Attachment: Maryland Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools