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Berlin Area School District Wellness Policy
A fundamental mission of the BerlinAreaSchool District is to encourage healthy behaviors among its students, staff, administration, parents, and board members. This especially includes providing students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become healthy and productive adults. Therefore, the BerlinAreaSchool District promotes a healthy school environment by supporting wellness, good nutrition, and regular physical activity as a part of the total learning experience. Our district will contribute to the basic good health status of our children by facilitating learning through the support and promotion of good nutrition, physical activity, adequate rest, and stress reducing practices. Through these endeavors, we expect to increase the students’ readiness to learn, reduce absenteeism, improve physical fitness, and improve mental health.
Berlin Area School District Wellness Committee
A district-wide wellness committee will monitor the implementation of the district’s policy, evaluate policy progress, serve as a resource to school sites, and revise the policy as necessary. The committee will meet annually with committee membership as follows:
School Board member School Nurse
Administrative Representative Parent representative from each school
District Food Service Coordinator Staff representative from each school
Physical/ health education representative Community wellness professional
Physical Activity
The BerlinSchool District recognizes that physical activity plays a critical role in a child’s overall wellness, alertness, and ability to learn. The district will promote a healthy environment where children participate in regular physical activity as a part of the total learning environment. Efforts to promote and incorporate good physical-activity opportunities into children’s lives are the shared responsibility of all district employees, parents/guardians, and the community.
Implementation
The school district will ensure that every student from kindergarten through twelfth grade receives regular, age-appropriate physical education instruction.
· All physical education classes should be taught by certified physical education teachers.
· The elementary and middle schools should provide daily recess that encourages physical activity. Teachers are encouraged not to withhold recess for academic or classroom disciplinary reasons. If withholding recess is used, it should not be exercised for more than one recess on a given day. Elementary students are expected to go outside (weather permitting) for recess. Administrators have the right to withhold recess for safety reasons if the child is posing a threat to himself or others.
· Schools will provide information to parents that will help them promote proper sleep habits and physical activity into their children’s lives. Information should also be provided on alternatives to excess television and video/computer games.
Curriculum
Physical Education Curriculum
The physical education curriculum teaches children the importance of physical exercise. Classes expose students to a wide range of physical activities providing students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills to be physically active for life. The K-12 curriculum addresses the Wisconsin Academic Standards for Physical Education. Students receive instruction in the five health-related components of fitness: cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition, which will include information about proper diet and healthy eating habits.
Health Curriculum
The Health curriculum encourages students to develop the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behavior for life-long healthy eating habits and physical activity. The K-12 curriculum addresses the following Wisconsin Academic Standards for Health Education:
· Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
· Healthy Behaviors to Promote Health and Reduce Health Risks
· Goal Setting and Decision Making to Enhance Health
· Valid Health Information and Services Knowledge
· Culture and Media Influence on Personal, Family, and Community Health
· Effective Interpersonal Communication Skills to Enhance Health
· Advocacy for Health in the Community
· Sexual behaviors, teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases
Nutrition Education
The BerlinAreaSchool District has a comprehensive curriculum approach to nutrition in kindergarten through eighth grade. All K-12 instructional staff will be encouraged to integrate nutritional themes into daily lessons when appropriate. The health benefits of good nutrition should be emphasized. These nutritional themes include but are not limited to:
Knowledge of food guide pyramid Food labels
Healthy heart choices Sources and variety of foods
Weight problems Major nutrients
Guide to a healthy diet Multicultural influences
Diet and disease Serving sizes/portions
Understanding calories Proper sanitation
Healthy snacks Identify and limit junk food
Food allergies/sensitivities Eating Disorders and Fad dieting
Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Education
The district supports laws that make student use of alcohol, drug and tobacco illegal. The district recognizes the fact that educating children on the negative effects of these substances is our best contribution to their future wellness. Federal and district funding for AODA issues will be used to support curriculum, materials, and activities that promote the abstinence of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. The district has existing school board policies that address these issues.
Safety Education
Safety education is integrated into the K-12 curriculum. The district establishes rules and regulations to minimize accidents in and around school property.
Parent Wellness Education
· Wellness education will be provided to parents beginning at the elementary level. The goal is to continue to educate parents throughout the middle and high school levels.
· Wellness education may be provided in the form of handouts, postings on the district website, wellness fairs, or presentations that focus on nutritional value and healthy lifestyles.
· The district will utilize the resources of other community health organizations to enhance parent education.
Emotional Wellness
The BerlinAreaSchool District will make efforts to educate staff and students on emotional wellness issues. School counselors, a school psychologist, and social workers are employed by the district to assist in this endeavor. Elementary and middle school students will attend regular guidance classroom presentations where mental and emotional wellness issues are discussed.
School counselors will be available to conduct individual or group counseling sessions for those students who are in need of this service.
Student Nutrition
Students are taught about good nutrition and the value of healthy food choices. The School Board, administrators, teachers, parents, and students are encouraged to promote healthy lifestyle principles, replacing unhealthy food offerings with healthy ones.
Hot Lunch Program
The BASD Hot Lunch Program will continue to adhere to the National School Lunch Program and follow the U.S. Government Nutritional Standards. Food Service will limit the use of dyes, sulfites, MSG, and other additives that may affect food allergies in children.
The Hot Lunch Program will also strive to:
- Provide a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables
· Provide whole grain products
· Keep sugar concentrated desserts at a minimum
Cold Lunch
Children bringing cold lunch to school are encouraged to have one that consists of healthy and nutritious choices. Water, juice, and milk beverages are preferable. Milk is available at all schools for purchase with cold lunch.
Lunchroom Climate
Students will be provided with a relaxed and enjoyable climate for lunch. The lunchroom environment for students will have:
- Adequate space to eat and pleasant surroundings
- Adequate time for meals (20 minutes is minimum recommendation by American Food Service Association from time the child is seated)
- Convenient access to hand washing facilities before meals
Parents are always invited to join their child for hot or cold lunch. Parents who bring cold lunch/take out food to share are encouraged to follow the District Nutrition Guidelines and Healthy Choices List.
Snacks
Snacks brought by the students or served during the school day are encouraged to be healthy, nutritious food choices. This includes snacks provided during the after school-tutoring program.
Classroom Parties/Celebrations
The classroom party is a great learning environment to promote healthy food and beverage choices.
- Food and drinks provided by staff for classroom parties must meet the District Nutrition Guidelines and Healthy Choices List.
- Students and parents are encouraged to provide food and beverages for classroom parties that meet the District Nutrition Guidelines and Healthy Choices List.
Classroom Rewards/Incentives
· Consideration should be given to non-food items for rewards/incentives. Should teachers feelcompelled to utilize food items as an incentive, they are encouraged to adhere to the District Nutrition Guidelines and Healthy Choices List.
· When curricular-based food experiences are planned, staff and students are encouraged to utilize items from District Nutrition Guidelines and Healthy Choices List.
Water Consumption
Staff members should encourage the consumption of water throughout the day, particularly during periods of hot weather. The use of water bottles in the classroom is recommended, but each teacher/grade level can establish their own policy. Water bottles should be taken home to be washed and/or sanitized regularly.
District Nutrition Guidelines
The BerlinAreaSchool District strongly encourages the sale and distribution of nutrient dense foods for all school functions and activities. Nutrient dense foods are those foods that provide students with calories that are rich in nutrient content needed to be healthy. In an effort to support the consumption of nutrient dense foods in the school setting, the BASD has adopted the following Nutrition Guidelines governing the sale of food, beverage, and candy on school grounds.
Food:
· The consumption of nutrient dense foods such as whole grains, lean meats, seeds/nuts cheeses, fruits, and vegetables is encouraged (see Healthy Choices List).
· It is recognized that there may be rare special occasions when the principal may allow a school group to deviate from these guidelines.
Beverages and Candy:
- Vending and school store sales of soda and candy are not permitted to students between
7:00 am and 4:00 pm. Sales of beverages during the school day will include milk,
100% juice, and water/water products.
- Staff members are prohibited from providing soda and caffeinated beverages to students on school grounds.
- Coffee makers may be located in designated faculty areas, but staff members are prohibited from having coffee makers in student classrooms.
- It is highly encouraged that staff members use discretion when consuming soda and caffeine products such as coffee, espresso, latte, etc. in the presence of students.
Concessions
Evening and weekend concessions for extracurricular activities may include candy and soda sales. However, healthy food and beverage options should also be available.
(See District Nutrition Guidelines and Healthy Choices List).
Fundraising
It is important to promote fundraising activities that reinforce good food choices and lifestyle behaviors. New fundraising strategies which include the sale of healthy foods and non-food items, is a public demonstration of the school’s commitment to promoting healthy behaviors among students, families, and the communities at large, while helping schools meet their financial needs.
· All fund raising projects must be approved by school administration as stated in BASD policy.
· Schools should encourage fundraising activities that support physical activity.
· The school district will make available a list of ideas for acceptable fundraising activities.
· All fundraising projects are encouraged to meet the District Nutrition Guidelines.
· After school concessions for extra-curricular activities and outside groups may include soda and candy sales. Healthy food and beverage options should also be available.
· Items being sold must not interfere or compete with the School Lunch Program.
· Outside groups are not allowed to sell products on school grounds that do not meet school administration approval and do not meet District Nutrition Guidelines.
Healthy Choices List
(List is not all inclusive)
Proper portion size is important to healthy eating.
· Raw vegetable sticks/slices with low fat dressing or yogurt dip
· Fresh fruit and 100% fruit juices
· Frozen fruit juice pops
· Dried fruits (raisins, banana chips, etc.)
· Trail mix/Party mix (dried fruit, nuts, cereal, pretzels, etc.)
· Soy nuts, dry roasted peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans, and other tree nuts
(avoid coconut or palm nuts)
· Low-fat meats and cheese sandwiches
· Baked crackers (e.g. Goldfish crackers)
· Baked corn chips and fat-free potato chips with salsa and low-fat dips
· Low-fat muffins, low-fat cookies, and granola bars
· Angel food and sponge cakes
· Flavored yogurt and fruit parfaits
· Low-fat pudding cups
· Low-fat ice creams, frozen yogurt, sherbets
· Low-fat and skim milk products
· Unbuttered popcorn
· String cheese
· Single serve fruit cups in natural or light syrup
· Graham and flavored crackers
· Whole grain cereals and bagels
· Water and water products
· Sugar free gelatin
APPROVED: May 17, 2006
REVISED: April 15, 2009
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