Wellness Policy

KIPP New Orleans Schools Wellness Policy

2018-2019 School Year

1. Purpose

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Child Nutrition and Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires that each local educational agency (LEA) participating in the National School Lunch Program establish a local school Wellness Policy by July 1, 2006.

This Wellness Policy establishes a formal system of building a world-class school environment that is safe and healthy, thereby enhancing the potential for academic achievement among students. A healthy child in a nurturing and safe environment has a better attendance record and performs better in school than a child who is not. Whereas hunger in America still exists, obesity among children and adolescents has risen over the past 20 years and continues to be a concern. Few children eat a healthy diet consistent with recommendations established by health professionals. Students consume extra calories from foods and beverages that are high in sugar and fat and low in nutrients. Physical inactivity and excessive caloric intake are the main causes of obesity. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are responsible for a majority of deaths in the United States, and major risk factors for those diseases, including unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity, often are established in childhood. Students need access to healthful foods and opportunities to be physically active in order to grow and learn.

Although school districts around the country are facing significant fiscal and scheduling constraints, schools and the community must collaborate to develop and implement successful school wellness policies that are dynamic and meet the needs of the students in the district. In addition to health and physical education, the school environment should provide a model of life skills related to healthful eating and physically active habits.

Thus, the KIPP New Orleans Schools District is committed to providing school environments that promote and protect children's health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity habits.
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The KIPP New Orleans Schools District has appointed Katharine Schweighardt

to serve as the coordinator of the Wellness Policy. The Wellness Policy Committee will be a standing subcommittee of the School Health Advisory Council. The subcommittee will include members that represent students, parents, teachers, food service professionals, health professionals, and other interested community members in developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing district-wide nutrition and physical activity policies. Each school in the local educational agency shall have a contact who will participate on the Wellness Policy Subcommittee.

The areas to address in the Wellness Policy include:

1. Nutrition services guidance
2. Nutrition education
3. Physical activity and physical education
4. Communication and promotion of the Wellness Policy
5. Monitoring adherence and evaluation

Schools will provide nutrition and physical education to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity and will coordinate Wellness Policy issues with classroom education, foods served on campus throughout the day, and with related community services.

4. Policy

4.A. Nutrition Services

Foods and beverages sold or served at school will meet the nutrition requirements as outlined in Bulletin 1196, Louisiana Food and Nutrition Programs, Policies of Operations. Qualified Child Nutrition Program professionals will provide students with access to a variety of affordable, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students; will accommodate the religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the student body in meal planning; and will provide clean, safe, and pleasant settings and adequate time for students to eat.

4.A.1. Policy: School Meals

The KIPP New Orleans school district will:

1. Offer a school lunch program with menus that meet the meal patterns and nutrition standards established by the USDA Child Nutrition Program and the Louisiana Department of Education, Office of School and Community Support.

2. Provide school breakfast and snack programs (where approved and applicable) with menus that meet the meal patterns and nutrition standards established by USDA and the Louisiana Department of Education, Office of School and Community Support.
3. Encourage students, school staff, and families to participate in school meal programs.
4. Operate all Child Nutrition Programs with school foodservice staff who are qualified according to current professional standards.
5. Provide professional development opportunities for food service staff.
6. Ensure that food safety and sanitation are followed throughout the school, including providing facilities to wash hands before preparing and eating food.
7. Ensure that the food service permit is current for the Food Service school site.
8. Offer whole and enriched grain products that are high in fiber, low in added fats and sugars, and served in appropriate portion sizes that are consistent with the current USDA standards.
9. Offer fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruits and vegetables using healthy food preparation techniques and 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice.
10. Offer nonfat, reduced-fat, low-fat, plain and/or flavored dairy products.
11. Offer whole-grain breads and cereals.
12. Use healthy food preparation techniques for lean meat, poultry, and fish, such as baking.
13. Ensure that all foods brought into the cafeteria meet the USDA Child Nutrition Guidelines.
14. Ensure that school meals are accessible to all students with a variety of delivery strategies, such as breakfast in the classroom, grab-and-go meals, or alternate eating sites.
15. Ensure that students receive adequate time to eat breakfast and the recommended 30 minutes for lunch.
16. Provide a cafeteria environment that is conducive to a positive dining experience, with socializing among students and between students and adults; with supervision of eating areas by adults who model proper conduct and voice level; and with adults who model healthy habits by eating with the students.

4.A.2. Foods and Beverages Offered Outside of the Child Nutrition Programs

An effective Wellness Program addresses foods and beverages sold and served on campus outside of the USDA Child Nutrition Programs. Nutrition education is more effective if the foods and beverages sold and offered are healthful and consistent with what is taught in the classroom. Foods and beverages sold outside the USDA Child Nutrition Programs includes vending machines, concession stores, school parties, fundraising events, and rewarding/bribing students with food.

Vending Machine and Concession Store Laws

Foods and beverages must meet specific nutritional criteria if on the grounds at any time during a period beginning one-half hour before the start of the school day and ending one-half hour after the end of the school day. Except for items sold as part of the school food program, the food and beverages must meet the following criteria per serving:
a. ≤ 150 calories
b. ≤ 35% of total calories from fat
c. ≤ 10% to total calories from saturated fat
d. ≤ 30 grams of sugar
e. ≤ 360 milligrams of sodium

In high schools, beverages shall include:

a. Bottled water

b. No-calorie or low-calorie beverages that contain up to 10 calories per eight ounces

c. Up to 12 ounce servings of beverages that contain 100 percent fruit juice with no added sweeteners and up to 120 calories per eight ounces.

d. Up to 12 ounce servings of any other beverages that contains no more than 66 calories per eight ounces,

e. At least 50% of non-milk beverages shall be water and no-calorie or low-calorie options that contain up to 10 calories per eight ounces

f. Low-fat milk, skim milk, and non-dairy milk.

Policy: Foods and Beverages Sold Outside of the School Cafeteria

The KIPP New Orleans school district will:

1. Follow the nutrition guidelines set by state law for vending machines and concession stands and stores.

2. Provide nutritious and appealing food and beverage options (such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, reduced-fat milk, reduced fat-yogurt, reduced-fat cheese, 100% juice and water) whenever foods/beverages are sold or otherwise offered after school at sporting and academic events, celebrations, social events, after school care, and other school functions.

4.B. Nutrition Education

School-based nutrition education includes traditional classroom lessons and behavioral change programs based on social learning theory and marketing. Using all venues is recommended for optimal impact.

Nutrition is not a stand-alone course. It is taught in health education and science classes and can be integrated into core content area of instruction across the curriculum. A planned, sequential curriculum where the lessons are aligned with standards, benchmarks, and grade-level expectations is essential to impact knowledge, attitude, and behavior.

Behavior change can be enhanced through social learning theory and marketing, as well. Social learning theory may include a parent component for younger students and peer involvement for older students. School activities such as Family Nutrition Night can promote the social learning theory. Additionally, the cafeteria can be used as part of the total educational system for modeling behavior.

The district and its schools will market and promote only foods and beverages that meet the nutrition standards for meals and/or for foods and beverages sold individually.

Policy: Nutrition Education

The KIPP New Orleans school district will:

1. Implement nutrition education programs that promote lifelong healthful eating practices that are research-based.

2. Use lessons that are age-appropriate, behaviorally focused content that is developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant.

3. Use curriculum and lessons that are sequential and are correlated with standards, benchmarks, and grade level expectations.

4. Provide hands-on activities that are fun and engaging.

5. Provide repeated opportunities for students to taste foods that are low in fat, sodium and added sugars and high in vitamins, minerals and fiber.

6. Promote positive aspects of healthful eating behaviors.

7. Promote social learning techniques such as role modeling, providing incentives, developing social resistance skills, overcoming barriers to behavioral changes and goal-setting, social resistance skills, overcoming barriers to behavioral changes and goal setting.

8. Strive toward hiring qualified, certified health education teachers.

9. Provide nutrition education related staff development opportunities for teachers on an annual basis.

10. Encourage parent involvement in lessons taught and school activities.

11. Coordinate marketing activities with nutrition education classroom activities.

4.C. Physical Education and Activity

Daily physical activity is essential to student welfare and academic performance. Federal Guidelines recommend that children and teenagers be physically active for an accumulation of at least 60 minutes daily. Since children spend the majority of their time at school during weekdays, it is imperative that schools provide students with the means to participate in physical activity. Districts and schools, including parents and communities, must offer additional opportunities and resources for physical activity outside physical education classes.

Policy: Physical Education and Activity

The KIPP New Orleans school district will:
1. Implement quality physical education programs that emphasize and promote participation in lifelong physical activities and reaching a health enhancing level of physical fitness among all students.
2. The physical education lessons should be aligned with standards, benchmarks, and grade-level expectations.
3. Provide students in grades K-8 with a minimum of 150 minutes per week of physical education.
4. Ensure that students in grades K-8 participate in planned, organized, moderate to vigorous physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes each school day.
5. Ensure that enough age-appropriate and safe equipment is in place to guarantee that all students are able to be active for physical education and physical activity.
6. Ensure that qualified, certified physical education teachers guide physical activity instruction in all elementary grades as well as in middle and high school physical education classes.
7. Provide staff development on standards implementation for physical education instructors.
8. Provide a variety of fitness training, motor skills, and team work modules in physical education required at the high school level for graduation.
9. Ensure that all high school students take one and a half units of physical education.
10. Provide daily recess for all children in K-8th grade.
11. Encourage physical activity during recess for elementary students, intramurals programs, and clubs, as well as in physical education programs.
12. Integrate physical activity in the academic curriculum,
13. Work with the community to create opportunities for students to walk, bike, skateboard, roller-skate, play basketball, play softball, play baseball, or participate in other physical activities in a safe location at times other than the school day.
14. Provide opportunities for parents and guardians to support students’ participation in physical activities, such as a Safe Routes to School Program, to be physically active role-models, and to include physical activities in family plans.
15. Encourage school staff to participate in physical activities to serve as role models.
16. Keeps students active for at least half of the class time.
17. Develops students’ self-confidence and eliminates practices that humiliate students.

5. Communication

At the beginning of each school year, no later than one month after the first day of class, the Wellness Committee will share a summary of the Wellness Policy with school staff and faculty, students, and parents. Updates to the Policy may be highlighted and discussed. Any special events that the Wellness Policy Committee plans to achieve should be shared with everyone affected and the School Health Advisory Council.

6. Monitoring and Evaluation

The Wellness Policy Committee will develop a plan of action for implementation. The Wellness Policy Committee shall use the Louisiana Department of Education’s Wellness Policy Evaluation tool annually and be prepared to report results to the district/school Health Advisory Council and the Department of Education by October 31. To accurately report the status of the Wellness Policy in the district, the Wellness Committee shall develop a plan for monitoring adherence to the Wellness Policy Guidelines, monitor, and establish a means for corrective action. The Wellness Policy Committee shall evaluate the effectiveness of the Policy and amend it based on the results of the evaluation and the needs of the community.

WELLNESS POLICY ACTION PLAN

See the Louisiana School Wellness Policy Action Plan Guide for implementation of the Wellness Policy.

District KIPP New Orleans Schools

School Year 2018-2019

School Contact: Katharine Schweighardt Managing Dir. of School Operations [email protected] 504-317-0739

GOAL: Develop and implement the SFA’s wellness policy

OBJECTIVE	ACTION	PERSON RESPONSIBLE
Parents, students, teachers, and the Community will develop, implement, monitor, and review the Wellness Policy.	Parents, Students, teachers, and the Community will develop, implement, monitor, and review the Wellness Policy.	Katharine Schweighardt
Parents, students, and teachers will monitor and review monthly menus.	Schools will sent home monthly menus by the 25^th of each month.	School Operations Leaders at each campus
The SFA will follow all meal regulations as required by the NSLP program.	All menus will be evaluated using the appropriate tools provided by USDA to determine if the menus meet the meal pattern requirements for each program.	Kyle Phillips (Director, Chartwells)
Provide healthy and safe meals to students.	Employees preparing food for students will be in- serviced and tested every 4 months on HACCP principles.	Kyle Phillips
Encourage students, school staff, and families to participate in school meal programs.	Schools will provide at least one themed lunch meal each month.	Kyle Phillips
To provide students with daily exercise that promotes a healthy lifestyle.	Structured physical education classes will be provided for all K-8 students at least once per week for a minimum of 30 minutes.	TBD