Verona Area School District 458
STUDENT NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (Wellness)
The Verona Area School District promotes healthy schools by supporting wellness, good nutrition, and regular physical activity as a part of the total learning environment. The District supports a healthy environment where children learn and participate in positive 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 for all students.
Specifically, the District shall:
1. 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 they relate to good nutrition and regular physical activity. A healthy school environment is not dependent on revenue from high-fat low nutrient foods to support school programs.
2. Support and promote proper dietary habits contributing to students’ health status and academic performance. All foods available on school grounds and at school-sponsored activities during the instructional day, including reimbursable school meals, should meet applicable legal requirements and meet or exceed the District Nutrition Standards. Emphasis should be placed on foods that are nutrient dense per calorie. Foods should be served with consideration toward variety,appeal, taste, safety, and packaging to ensure high quality meals.
3. Encourage students to be engaged in physical activity. A quality physical education program is an essential component for all students to learn about and participate in physical activity. Physical activity should be included in a school’s education program from grades pre-K through 12. Physical activity should include instructional physical education, co-curricular activities, and recess.
4. Strive to improve the academic performance of all children. Educators, administrators, parents, health practitioners, and communities must all acknowledge the critical role student health plays in academic stamina and performance and adapt the school environment to ensure students’ basic nourishment and activity needs are met. Research highlighting the positive relationship between good nutrition, physical activity, and the capacity of students to develop and learn should be highlighted 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) should be considered at all times to ensure that all student needs are being met.
A District-Wide Nutrition Committee shall be established for the purposes of monitoring implementation of this policy, evaluating policy progress, serving as a resource to school sites, and revising the policy as necessary.
LEGAL REF.: Sections 118.01 Wisconsin Statutes
118.12
118.33(1)
120.13
121.02(1)
Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004
CROSS REF.: 458-Rule(1), General Procedures for Implementing Student Nutrition and Physical Activity Policy
458-Rule(2), District Nutrition Standards
110, District Mission and Beliefs
310, District Educational Goals
330, Curriculum Development and Improvement
345.2, Graduation Requirements
370, Co-Curricular Activities and Programs
760, Food Services Management
850, Sales and Solicitations in the Schools
APPROVED: April 17, 2006