Link to the Board Policy 2510: School Wellness from which the below is sourced.
School Wellness
Ekalaka Public Schools 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. Therefore, it is the policy of the Ekalaka Public School District that:
The development of the school wellness policy, at a minimum, will include:
1.Community involvement, including input from teachers of physical education and school health professionals, parents, students, school food service, the school Board, school administrators, educators, and the public. Training of this team of people on the components of a healthy school nutrition environment is recommended.
2.Goals for nutrition education, nutrition promotion, physical activity, and other school-based activities that are designed to promote student wellness in a manner that the local education agency determines appropriate.
3.Implementation, Periodic Assessment, and Public Updates, including expanding the purpose of the team of collaborators beyond the development of a local wellness policy to also include the implementation of the local wellness policy with periodic review and updates, inform and update the public every three years, at a minimum, (including parents, students, and others in the community) about the content and implementation of the local wellness policies, and to measure periodically and make available to the public an assessment of the local wellness policy, including:
a.The extent to which schools are in compliance with the local wellness policy;
b.The extent to which the LEA’s local wellness policy compares to model local school
c.wellness policies; and
4.The progress made in attaining the goals of the local wellness policy.
5.Nutrition guidelines for all foods available on each school campus under the local education agency during the school day, with the objectives of promoting student health and nutrient-rich meals and snacks. This includes food and beverages sold in a la carte sales, vending machines, and student stores; and food and beverages used for classroom rewards and fundraising efforts.
6.Guidelines for reimbursable school meals to ensure that the District offers school meal programs with menus meeting the meal patterns and nutrition standards established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
7.A plan for measuring implementation of the local wellness policy, including designation of one or more persons within the local education agency or at each school, as appropriate, charged with operational responsibility for ensuring that each school fulfills the District’s local wellness policy.
The suggested guidelines for developing the wellness policy include:
Nutrition Education and Nutrition Promotion
All students K-12 shall receive nutrition education that teaches the knowledge and skills needed to adopt healthy eating behaviors and is aligned with the Montana’s Health Enhancement and National Association of Sport and Physical Activity/American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Physical Education Content Standards and Benchmarks. Nutrition education shall be integrated into the curriculum. Nutrition information and education shall be offered and promoted throughout the school campus and based on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Staff who provide nutrition education shall have the appropriate training, such as in health enhancement or family and consumer sciences.
Health Enhancement and Physical Activity Opportunities
The District shall offer health enhancement opportunities that include the components of a quality health enhancement program taught by a K-12 certified health enhancement specialist.
Health enhancement shall equip students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for lifelong physical activity. Health enhancement instruction shall be aligned with the Montana’s Health Enhancement/Physical Education Content Standards and Benchmarks.
All K-12 students of the District shall have the opportunity to participate regularly in supervised, organized or unstructured, physical activities, to maintain physical fitness, and to understand the short- and long-term benefits of a physically active and healthy lifestyle.
Nutrition Standards
The District shall ensure that reimbursable school meals and snacks meet the program requirements and nutrition standards found in federal regulations. The District shall encourage students to make nutritious food choices through accessibility, advertising and marketing efforts of healthful foods.
The District shall monitor all food and beverages sold or served to students during the normal school day, including those available outside the federally regulated child nutrition programs (i.e., a la carte, vending, student stores, classroom rewards, fundraising efforts). The District shall consider nutrient density and portion size before permitting food and beverages to be sold or served to students. The Superintendent shall continually evaluate vending policies and contracts. Vending contracts that do not meet the intent and purpose of this policy shall be modified accordingly or not renewed.
Other School-Based Activities Designed to Promote Student Wellness
The District may implement other appropriate programs that help create a school environment that conveys consistent wellness messages and is conducive to healthy eating and physical activity, such as staff wellness programs, non-food reward system and fundraising efforts.
Maintaining Student Wellness
The Superintendent shall develop and implement administrative rules consistent with this policy. Input from teachers, parents/guardians, students, school food service program, the school Board, school administrators, and the public shall be considered before implementing such rules. A sustained effort is necessary to implement and enforce this policy. The Superintendent shall measure how well this policy is being implemented, managed, and enforced. The Superintendent shall report to the Board, as requested, on the District’s programs and efforts to meet the purpose and intent of this policy.
