WEST WARWICK PUBLIC SCHOOLS
HEALTH & WELLNESS POLICY FOR STUDENT NUTRITION & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Purpose:
The purpose of this policy is to assure a healthy school environment for all K-12 students that enhances student attendance and academic performance. This policy meets the requirements of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 and the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act (see Addendum #6 & #7).
By establishing the West Warwick School District's goals and expectations relative to wellness, including nutrition guidelines and education, physical and health education, and physical activity, the District is providing clear and consistent guidance for all administrators, teachers, school staff, students and parents. This policy promotes and encourages students to adopt lifelong healthy behaviors that can protect students' health and well-being as well as reduce the risk of chronic disease. It adheres to all federal and state mandates relative to the wellness of students and staff.
Policy Intent:
The West Warwick School District recognizes the important relationship that exists between academic performance and achievement and student health and wellness. It is committed to providing a healthy learning environment, one in which good nutrition is available; students engage in regular physical activity; physical and health education are regarded as essential to the core educational program; social and emotional wellness are promoted and actively modeled throughout all schools; and students and staff learn and practice positive lifestyle behaviors necessary for lifelong health and wellness.
Definitions:
Competitive Foods & Beverage - is any food or beverage sold outside of the reimbursable school meals program (School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program). This includes, but is not limited to, food and beverages sold or provided in vending machines, in school stores, or as part of school fundraisers.
Health Education - is the sequential and comprehensive, developmentally appropriate, medically accurate K-12 curriculum, aligned with the Rhode Island Health Framework.
Physical Activity - is any leisure or non-leisure movement of the body that expends energy, such as exercise, sports, dance, mobility training or physical therapy, brisk walking, swimming or other body movements that result in an increased heart rate.
Physical Education - is the sequential, developmentally appropriate K-12 curriculum, in accordance with the Rhode Island Physical Education Framework, enabling students to develop the knowledge, motor skills, self-management skills, attitudes and confidence needed to adopt and maintain physical activity throughout their lives.
School Day - is defined as the period from the midnight before, to one hour after the end of the official school day.
School Campus (Premises) - is defined as all areas of property under the jurisdiction of the school that are accessible to students during the day.
West Warwick Wellness Committee:
The West Warwick d School District will establish and maintain a Wellness Committee as required by RI General Law (16-21-28) (see Addendum #1 & #2). It will be co-chaired by the superintendent (or designee) and a member of the School Committee. Its membership will include, but is not limited to:
school administrator
school nurse teacher
staff member representative from each school in the district
physical education teacher
health education teacher
district food service representative
parent and/or community members
students
The Committee will meet no less than 4 times during the school year. All meetings will be public and will be posted on the district website.
The Committee will establish goals for and oversee wellness programs, including a periodic review and update of the District Wellness Policy. It will also make recommendations to the Superintendent and the School Committee regarding issues related to health curriculum and instruction, physical education curriculum and instruction, and district practices to enhance the health and well-being of students, staff, and families. It will annually prepare all district, state, and federal reports required of the Wellness Committee.
Nutrition Education and Wellness Promotion:
Student Nutrition Education and Wellness Promotion
The West Warwick School District will have a comprehensive, standards based, age appropriate health education program for grades K-12, in accordance with RI General Law (16-22-4), that includes nutrition themes and topics in accordance with the RIDE Health Education Framework (see Addendum #3 & #12).
Nutritional themes will also be integrated across the core curriculum into daily lessons, as appropriate, so that healthy eating behaviors will be adopted and maintained.
Nutrition education and wellness promotion will be linked to the entire school environment through cafeteria programs, health fairs, field trips, after-school programming and assemblies and any other appropriate opportunities.
Parent Nutrition Education and Wellness Promotion
Nutrition education and wellness promotion will be provided to parents of students at all grade levels. Communication to parents and guardians about healthy eating and physical activity include, but is not limited to, district Wellness Newsletter, postings on the district website (www.westwarwickpublicschools.com), articles and information in school newsletters, school presentations and assemblies, and any other appropriate means of reaching parents.
Staff Nutrition Education and Wellness Promotion
Nutrition and physical activity education will be provided to West Warwick school personnel at all levels. Staff will be encouraged to model healthy eating and drinking behaviors and physical activity as a valuable part of daily life, not only for their own personal well-being, but also to create positive examples for their students. Educational opportunities may include, but are not limited to, the distribution of educational and informational materials, the arrangement of presentations and workshops that focus on nutritional values and healthy lifestyles, health assessments, and fitness activities.
Meal Program:
All foods served as part of the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program will meet or exceed both the USDA Nutrition Standards for School Meals as well as the RI Nutritional Requirements (see Addendum #8 & #9).
Marketing or promotion of foods and beverages that do not meet federal USDA and RI nutrition standards is prohibited as per RIGL 16-21-7.1 (see Addendum #4). School-based marketing will be consistent with the District's nutrition education curriculum and the promotion of good health. As such, schools will limit marketing to the promotion of foods and beverages that meet or exceed nutrition standards for reimbursable meals and competitive foods and beverages. The promotion of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and water is strongly encouraged. Visual aids in cafeterias will reinforce lessons learned in Health classes to educate students about good nutrition. The advertising of any food or beverage that may not be sold in schools during the school day is prohibited on any school property.
All meals will promote fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat and low-sodium unprocessed items, in accordance with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans (see Addendum #13). Locally sourced RI products will be used as much as possible.
Qualified nutrition professionals will administer the meal program, and professional training and development will be offered for all food service staff working in the schools in accordance with continuing education/training requirements of the USDA Professional Standards for Child Nutrition
Professionals. Training sessions will be offered for staff working directly under the food service provider and educational materials will be provided to staff assigned to meal supervision duty in order to best promote the importance of food safety, healthy eating, and positive lifestyle choices.
The West Warwick School District is committed to meeting the nutritional needs of all students. To that end, the district food service providers, in accordance with USDA requirements, will solicit student and parent feedback that aims to improve the quality of and student satisfaction with school meals in order to increase overall participation.
Schools will utilize an electronic identification/payment system for all students to support participation in the school meal programs in order to prevent any social stigma. The District will ensure that all children eligible for free/reduced meals will have the opportunity to participate by means of frequent outreach to families and coordination with appropriate state agencies.
Information on the nutritional content and ingredients of meals will be available to students and parents, as requested.
Free, safe and unflavored drinking water will be available to all students and staff throughout the day and throughout the school building, including during mealtimes, through access to water fountains.
Parents/guardians who elect to provide their child with meals outside of the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program are encouraged to send healthy foods in age- appropriate portions for their child and refrain from providing foods or snacks with minimal nutritional value.
School Breakfast Program
All schools will operate the School Breakfast Program to ensure that all children have a breakfast that meets their nutritional needs and optimizes their ability to learn. Schools will use methods to serve breakfasts that encourage participation such as breakfast before school, grab-n-go style breakfast, etc. All schools will notify students, parents, and guardians of the availability of the School Breakfast Program.
Eating Environment
All schools will provide adequate time to eat meals: ideally, minimums of 20 minutes for lunch and 10 minutes for breakfast. Meals will be served in a clean pleasant setting and under appropriate supervision. Students will have access to hand washing or hand sanitizing before eating meals or snacks.
Peanut and Tree Nut Allergy Policy:
Depending on the nature and extent of a student’s allergy, the measures listed in the
Individual Health Care Plan (IHCP) may include, but are not limited to:
Posting signs in classroom entries
Prohibiting certain foods in the classroom
Prohibiting the sales of particular foods
Designating a special peanut and tree nut table or peanut and tree nut free table in the cafeteria
Educating faculty, staff and families about allergies
Storing student lunch boxes in a separate location from the belongings of the student
with the allergy
Implementing particular protocols around cleaning surfaces touched by food products,
washing of hands after eating, etc.
Develop IHCP that will be consistent with applicable provisions contained herein,
including, but not limited to, training, communication, plan review, Good Samaritan
Protections, follow-up and documentation
All school personnel who may be involved in the care of a student who has been
diagnosed with a peanut/tree nut allergy shall be informed of the IHCP as appropriate
The School Improvement Team at each school shall develop a policy designed to provide a safe environment for students with peanut/tree nut allergies.
References:
RIGL 16‐21‐31 & 16‐21‐32
Competitive Food and Beverages:
All foods and beverages sold outside of the reimbursable school meal program on school premises, before, during, and up to one hour after school, must comply with the USDA Smart Snacks in Schools regulations (see
Addendum #10) and RI General Law (16.21.7) (see Addendum #4) for the sale of only healthier snacks and beverages. Foods and beverages offered or sold at school-sponsored events outside the school day are encouraged to meet the nutrition standards for meals or for foods and beverages sold individually or, at a minimum, offer an equal number of healthy options. In addition, all foods and beverages provided by the school or any outside provider during before/after school daycare should meet the guidelines of USDA Smart Snacks in Schools and RIGL (16.21.7).
Vending Machines
All food and beverages sold in vending machines anywhere on school premises before, during, and up to one hour after school must comply with USDA Smart Snacks in Schools regulations and RI General Law (16.21.7) for the sale of only healthier snacks and beverages. The desired intent is to limit the amount of sugar, fat, sodium, and caloric content in foods and beverages and to increase access to foods such as whole grains, unprocessed foods, or fresh produce.
School Stores
Same as Vending Machines above.
Fundraising
Non-food and fundraisers that promote physical activity are strongly encouraged. Any food fundraisers sold for consumption before, during and up to one hour after school must comply with USDA Smart Snacks in Schools regulations and RI General Law (16.21.7) for the sale of only healthier snacks and beverages. Any food fundraising done outside of the school day (family events, sports concessions, and as part of school- wide fundraising efforts) should recognize the District's commitment to send strong, positive messages about how student, staff and family health is valued. Candy may never be sold for fundraising. The goal of the law and policy speaks to healthier choices.
Classroom and School Celebrations
The use of food or candy as a reward, incentive, or punishment in the classroom or school environment is prohibited. Offering physical activity as a reward is strongly recommended, and school staff is encouraged to use other non-food alternatives as rewards.
The distribution of candy by students in the classroom and on school grounds is strongly discouraged. Staff are prohibited from distributing candy for any reason.
Parents/guardians must be given advance notice of any classroom or school activity where food will be served. Due to food safety and allergy issues, ingredient lists for all food/beverages will be available upon request.
The food service company will provide a healthy alternative for parents and teachers to purchase at their own expense, which can be used in the classroom and for school celebrations. A notice will be sent to parents, at least annually, that this option is available.
Physical Education and Physical Activity:
Physical activity is critical to a child's healthy weight and lifestyle as well as to his/her ability to focus in the classroom. To ensure that all students are adequately active during the day, physical activity needs to be incorporated into the daily schedule of the school. While Physical Education classes provide a specific environment in which students learn, practice, and are assessed on developmentally appropriate motor skills, social skills, and knowledge of personal fitness goals and practices, the West Warwick School District recognizes the importance of offering students’ additional physical activity opportunities before, during, and after school.
Health and Physical Education (PE)
Every West Warwick school will adhere to RI state requirements for physical education. According to RI General Law (16-22-4), Instruction in Health and Physical Education (see Addendum #3), physical education is required for all students in grades K-12, with curriculum aligned with the RI Physical Education Framework (see Addendum #12).
The District will strive to provide students with an average of 100 minutes per week of Health/Physical Education. Students will be moderately to vigorously active for at least 50 percent of PE time. Recess, free play, and after- school activities are not counted as Physical Education.
All Physical Education classes will be taught by a certified, highly qualified Physical Education teacher. PE teachers are encouraged to seek yearly professional development in PE and physical activity to stay current and enthusiastic about the curriculum goals and maintain their role as a physical activity professional in the school building.
The district will provide adequate, safe, and appropriate facilities for PE instruction at each school.
Physical Education teachers will utilize developmentally appropriate health-related fitness assessments. Students will learn, practice, and be assessed on developmentally appropriate motor skills and knowledge of personal fitness goals and practices in order to lead a physically active lifestyle.
Waivers for PE are prohibited, unless provided by a qualified physician or medical provider. Student involvement in other physical activity (interscholastic or intramural sports) will not be substituted for PE.
Physical Education classes will have the same student/teacher ratios used in other classes.
Physical Activity
All schools should encourage an environment that supports physical activity beyond the Physical Education program, for students, staff and community, before, during and after the school day.
Recess:
All elementary schools will allot a minimum of 20 consecutive minutes of playtime per day for recess, preferably outdoors in accordance with RIGL 16-22-4.2 (see Addendum #11). Building administrators will have the discretion to exceed the minimum allotted time for recess as they deem appropriate, including but not limited to awarding additional recess time to reward good behavior and student performance.
Building administrators will have the discretion to hold indoor recess due to inclement weather or other concerns related to student safety during recess. During such times, alternative activities will be provided that promote free play and students' social and emotional wellness.
Recess should not be withheld or used as punishment, and teachers and other school and community personnel will not use physical activities as punishment.
Physical Activity Breaks:
Schools will discourage extended periods (longer than 2 hours) of student inactivity. Opportunities for physical activity will be incorporated into other subject areas whenever possible and appropriate.
Classroom teachers will provide short physical activity breaks between lessons whenever possible and appropriate.
Before/After School Activities:
All elementary, middle, and high schools are encouraged to offer before/after school activities and extracurricular programs that promote and provide opportunities for physical activity.
Schools should make an effort to offer a range of physical activities, such as clubs, classes, intramural and interscholastic activities, etc., that meet the needs, interests and abilities of all students.
School spaces and facilities should be available to students, staff, and community members outside of the school day and should be available to community agencies and organizations offering physical activity programs with the proper approval of school officials. School policies concerning safety will apply at all times.
Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting:
This policy, along with updates and progress reports, will be posted and accessible on the school district website (www.westwarwickpublicschools.com) to inform the school community and the public about the content and implementation of the District Wellness Policy. Annual school communications will notify members of the school community about the availability of the current Wellness Policy. At least one printed copy will be available in every school building.
The Superintendent (or his/her designee) will be responsible for leading the district's implementation plan. Building principals will work with the district Wellness Committee to document compliance with all provisions of the policy in order to assess progress and determine areas in need of improvement.
The West Warwick Wellness Committee will conduct a review of this policy on a yearly basis and forward any recommended revisions and updates due to new federal and/or state laws and/or regulations to the Superintendent and School Committee. Communications should encourage members of the school community and public to engage with the Health and Wellness Committee about the revision process and/or the implementation and monitoring of the Wellness Policy.
Outreach could include, but is not limited to, website, e-mail, parent meetings, or events.
The principal of each school will be responsible for providing the leadership necessary to be in compliance with the Wellness Policy. Review of the Wellness Policy should be included in administrative and staff orientations at the beginning of the school year. The School Food Service Provider will be responsible for meeting the nutritional regulations set forth in this policy.
The Wellness Committee will report to the Superintendent and School Committee on Wellness Policy implementation and evaluation on an annual basis. The report will be made available to the school community and the public and will include detailed assessments of the following:
The extent to which schools are in compliance with the Wellness Policy
Obstacles to meeting compliance of elements of the Wellness Policy
A description of the progress made in attaining the goals of the policy
An implementation plan with objectives for attaining each goal
Areas of Importance Outside of Nutrition and Physical Education/Activity:
The Wellness Committee recognizes that additional topics pertaining to health and wellness, including but not limited to personal health, mental and emotional health, injury prevention, nutrition, sexuality and family life, disease control and prevention, and substance abuse and abuse prevention, may be reviewed by the committee and recommendations will be forwarded to the School Committee for policy review.
ADDENDUM
1. USDA Local School Wellness Policy Regulation: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/local-school-wellness-policy
2. RI General Law (16-21-28), Health and Wellness Subcommittee: http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/TITLE16/16-21/16-21-28.HTM
3. RI General Law (16-22-4), Instruction in Health and Physical Education: http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/TITLE16/16-22/16-22-4.HTM
4. RI General Law (16-21-7.1), Unhealthy Food/Beverage Advertising:
http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/TITLE16/16-21/16-21-7.1.HTM
5. RI General Law (16-21-7), Healthier Snacks and Beverages: http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/TITLE16/16-21/16-21-7.HTM
6. Public Law (111-296, Section 204), Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010: http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/healthy-hunger-free-kids-act
7. Public Law (108265, Section 204), Child Nutrition WIC Reauthorization Act: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/healthy/108-265.pdf
8. Rhode Island Nutrition Requirements (RINR): http://thriveri.org/documents/RINR2009_%20BOR_%20Mandated%2011%205%2009.Pdf
9. USDA Nutrition Standards for School Meals: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/legislation/nutritionstandards.htm
10. USDA Competitive Foods/Beverage Nutrition Standards ("Smart Snacks"): http://fns.usda.gov/healthierschoolday/tools-schools-focusing-smart-snacks
11. RI General Law (16-22-4.2), Free Play Recess: http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/PublicLaws/law16/law16157.htm
12. RI Physical Education and Health Education Framework:
http://www.ride.ri.gov/instructionassessment/othersubjects.aspx
13. USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/
Source: West Warwick School Committee
First Reading:
November 13, 2018
Second Reading:
January 9, 2019
Reviewed/Adopted:
January 9, 2019
Revision Date:
2/08/2023