BOARD POLICY - 5030

The Board of Education recognizes the link between student health and learning and desires to provide a comprehensive program promoting healthy choices and practices related to nutrition, physical fitness and lifelong wellness. The Superintendent or designee shall coordinate and align district efforts to support student wellness through health education, physical education and activity, health services, nutrition services, psychological and counseling services, and a safe and healthy school environment. In addition, the Superintendent or designee shall develop strategies for promoting staff wellness and for involving parents/guardians and the community in reinforcing students' understanding and appreciation of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

The Superintendent or designee shall encourage parents/guardians, students, food service employees, physical education teachers, school health professionals, Board Members, school administrators, and members of the public to participate in the development, implementation, and periodic review and update of the district's student wellness policy. (42 USC 1758b; 7 CFR 210.30)

Goals for Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Other Wellness Activities

The Board shall adopt specific goals for nutrition promotion and education, physical activity, and other school-based activities that promote student wellness. (42 USC 1758b; 7 CFR 210.30)

The district's nutrition education and physical education programs shall be based on research, shall be consistent with the expectations established in the state's curriculum frameworks and content standards, and shall be designed to build the skills and knowledge that all students need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The nutrition education program shall include, but is not limited to, information about the benefits of healthy eating for learning, disease prevention, weight management, and oral health. Nutrition education shall be provided as part of the health education program and, as appropriate, shall be integrated into other academic subjects in the regular educational program, before- and after-school programs, summer learning programs, and school garden programs.

All students shall be provided opportunities to be physically active on a regular basis. Opportunities for moderate to vigorous physical activity shall be provided through physical education and recess and may also be provided through school athletic programs, extracurricular programs, before- and after-school programs, summer learning programs, programs encouraging students to walk or bicycle to and from school, in-class physical activity breaks, and other structured and unstructured activities.

The Board may enter into a joint use agreement or memorandum of understanding to make district facilities or grounds available for recreational or sports activities outside the school day and/or to use community facilities to expand students' access to opportunities for physical activity.

Professional development may be regularly offered to the nutrition program director, managers, and staff, as well as health education teachers, physical education teachers, coaches, and other staff as appropriate to enhance their knowledge and skills related to student health and wellness.

In order to ensure that students have access to comprehensive health services, the district may provide access to health services at or near district schools and/or may provide referrals to community resources.

The Board recognizes that a safe, positive school environment is also conducive to students' physical and mental health and thus prohibits bullying and harassment of all students, including bullying on the basis of weight or health condition.

The Superintendent or designee shall encourage staff to serve as positive role models for healthy eating and physical fitness. The District has a program to promote work-site wellness programs and may provide opportunities for regular physical activity among employees.

Nutrition Guidelines for all Foods Available at School

For all foods and beverages available on each campus during the school day, the district shall adopt nutrition guidelines which are consistent with 42 USC 1758, 1766, 1773, and 1779 and federal regulations and which support the objectives of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity. (42 USC 1758b)

In order to maximize the district's ability to provide nutritious meals and snacks, all district schools shall participate in available federal school nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs and other programs, to the extent possible.

The Superintendent or designee shall provide access to free, potable water in the food service area during meal times in accordance with Education Code 38086 and 42 USC 1758, and shall encourage students' consumption of water by educating them about the health benefits of water and by serving water in an appealing manner.

The Board believes that all foods and beverages sold to students at district schools, including those available outside the district's reimbursable food services program, should support the health curriculum and promote optimal health. Nutrition standards adopted by the district for foods and beverages provided through student stores, vending machines, or other venues shall meet or exceed state and federal nutrition standards.

The Superintendent or designee shall encourage school organizations to use healthy food items or non-food items for fundraising purposes. He/she also shall encourage school staff to avoid the use of non-nutritious foods as a reward for students' academic performance, accomplishments, or classroom behavior.

School staff shall encourage parents/guardians or other volunteers to support the district's nutrition education program by considering nutritional quality when selecting any snacks which they may donate for occasional class parties. Class parties or celebrations shall be held after the lunch period when possible.

To reinforce the district's nutrition education program, the Board prohibits the marketing and advertising of foods and beverages that do not meet nutrition standards for the sale of foods and beverages on campus during the school day. (7 CFR 210.30)

Program Implementation and Evaluation

The Superintendent shall designate the individual below as the individual responsible to ensure that each school site complies with the district's wellness policy and assess the implementation and effectiveness of this policy at least once every three years. (42 USC 1758b; 7 CFR 210.30)

Director, Nutrition Services

5050 Barranca Parkway

Irvine, CA 92606

949-936-6520

The Board of Education and the Superintendent or designee shall establish indicators that will be used to measure the implementation and effectiveness of the district activities related to student wellness. Such indicators may include, but are not limited to:

1. Descriptions of the district's health education curricula and the extent to which they align with state academic content standards and legal requirements.

2. An analysis of the nutritional content of school meals and snacks served in all district programs, based on a sample of menus and production records. Student participation rates in all school meal programs, including the number of students enrolled in the free and reduced-price meals program compared to the number of students eligible for that program.

3. Results of the state's physical fitness test at applicable grade levels.

4. A description of other districtwide or school-based social-emotional wellness activities offered, including the number of sites and/or students participating, as appropriate.

In addition, the Superintendent or designee shall prepare and maintain the proper documentation and records needed for the administrative review of the district's wellness policy conducted by the California Department of Education (CDE) every three years.

Policy Adopted: June 6, 2006
Policy Revised: June 27, 2017

STUDENT AND STAFF WELLNESS

BOARD POLICY - 5030

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