School District Policies

Policy JLCF
Wellness and Nutrition
School Board Approved: May 3, 2021

Preamble
The Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School Board (the “Board”) recognizes the importance of proper nutrition and developmentally appropriate physical activity as ways of promoting healthy lifestyles, minimizing childhood obesity, and preventing other diet-related chronic diseases. The Board also recognizes health and student success are interrelated. It is, therefore, the goal of the Board that the learning environment positively influences a student’s understanding, beliefs, and habits as they relate to good nutrition and physical activity.

The Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District (the “District”) is committed to creating a healthy school environment that enhances the development of lifelong wellness practices.

The Wellness Committee
The Superintendent shall convene a representative Wellness Committee whose functions will include review and recommendations regarding implementation of and updates to this policy, and establishment of specific goals for nutrition promotion, education and physical activity.

The Wellness Committee should represent each school and the diversity of the community and to the extent feasible include the Superintendent or her/his designee, the Food Services Director, a Building Wellness Coordinator for each school, parents, students, physical education teachers, health education teachers, school counselors, school administrators, a school board member, outside health professionals, and members of the public.

Annually, the Wellness Committee will appoint a Committee Chair who will oversee the committee. The food service provider will implement this policy within the fiscal and budget parameters determined by the School Board.

The Wellness Committee will meet a minimum of 4 times per year. The Building Wellness Coordinator will help ensure compliance with this policy at the building level.

Annual Progress Assessment
Annually, the Wellness Committee will review the District’s existing nutritional and physical activity environment to determine whether the environment supports healthy eating and physical activity.

The Committee will complete this assessment using the tool labeled Annual Progress Assessment Tool found in the appendix at the end of this document.

Based on the assessment, the Wellness Committee will provide input to each Building Principal and the Superintendent regarding progress on the current targets, recommend any new targets, and identify strategies in support of the goals stated in the policy.

Annual Notification of Policy
Annually, the Wellness Committee will actively inform families and the public of basic information about the Wellness policy, including its content, any updates to the policy, and implementation status. The District will make this information available via the district website and/or district-wide communications.

Triennial Progress Assessments
Every three years, the Wellness Committee will complete a triennial assessment.

The Committee will complete this assessment using the tool labeled Triennial Assessment Tool found in the appendix at the end of this document.

The assessment will report:

• The extent to which each of the District’s schools are in compliance with the wellness policy.
• The extent to which the District Wellness Policy compares to model wellness policies.
• A description of the progress made in attaining the goals of the District’s Wellness Policy.
  

The Wellness Committee will make recommendations to update the District Wellness Policy based on the results of the annual and triennial assessments and/or as District priorities change; community needs change; wellness goals are met; new health science information, and technology emerges; and new Federal or state guidance or standards are issued. The Board will review and act upon such assessments as required or as the Board deems appropriate.

Recordkeeping
The Wellness Committee will retain records related to this Policy to include at least the following:

• The District Wellness Policy.
• The most recent assessment on the implementation of the local school wellness policy.
• Documentation on how the District Wellness Policy and Policy assessments are/were made available to the public.
• Documentation confirming annual compliance with the requirement that District Wellness Policy, including updates, and the most recent assessment on the implementation of the Policy have been made available to the public.
• Documentation of efforts to review and update the District Wellness Policy; including who is/was involved in each update and methods the District uses to make stakeholders aware of opportunities to participate on the District Wellness Committee.

Community Involvement, Outreach and Communications
The District will communicate ways in which representatives of the Wellness Committee and others can participate in the development, implementation and periodic review and update of the wellness policy through the district website and various school communications.

The District will also inform parents/guardians of the improvements that have been made to school meals and compliance with school meal standards, availability of child nutrition programs and how to apply, and a description of and compliance with Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards.

School Meals
All schools within the District participate in USDA child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the National School Breakfast Program (NSBP). District schools are committed to offering school meals that:

• Are accessible to all students.
• Are appealing and attractive to children.
• Are served in clean and pleasant settings.
• Promote a variety of healthy food and beverage choices.
• Meet or exceed current nutrition requirements established by local, state, and Federal statutes and regulations. The District offers reimbursable school meals that meet USDA nutrition standards. (The USDA Nutrition Standards can be found in the appendix at the end of this document.)

These nutrition guidelines, apply to all foods available to students on school grounds during the school day (the School Day is defined as midnight prior to the start of school and 30 minutes past dismissal time), including but not limited to, the school lunch and breakfast program, foods and beverages sold in vending machines/school stores and as part of classroom lessons/activities, parties, celebrations or fundraising efforts.

The District will meet special dietary needs in accordance with the New Hampshire Department of Education's “Special Meals Prescription Child Nutrition Program.”

Free and Reduced Meals
Free and reduced school meal applications will be distributed to all families at the beginning of each school year and will be posted to the school website year round. Additionally, reminders will be sent quarterly encouraging families to apply.

Eligibility for and distribution of free and reduced priced meals will be provided with confidentially in accordance with state and federal requirements. The privacy of students who qualify for free or reduced priced meals will be protected. Free and reduced status will not be identified in the school cafeterias, or anywhere else, except to the cashier, who will maintain strict confidentiality. Free and reduced application files and other food service documents with sensitive information will be kept secured in a locked cabinet in a locked office.

The district is committed to ensuring all students have access to nutritious breakfasts and lunches. Students with unpaid meal balances will be provided with a standard or alternate meal. Alternate meals will meet all USDA nutritional standards for school breakfasts and lunches.

Meal Times and Scheduling
Whenever possible, students will be allowed at least 10 minutes to eat breakfast and at least 20 minutes to eat lunch, counting from the time they have received their meal and are seated (this meets Healthy Schools Program Gold-level criteria.)

Students will be served at a reasonable and appropriate time of day.

When possible, lunch will follow the recess period to better support learning and healthy eating.

Schools shall not schedule tutoring, club, or organizational meetings/activities during mealtimes, unless students may eat during such activities.

Staff Qualifications and Professional Development
All school nutrition program directors, managers and staff will meet or exceed hiring and annual continuing education/training requirements in the USDA Professional Standards for school nutrition professionals.

The USDA Professional Standards for school nutrition professionals can be found in the appendix at the end of this document.

Water
To promote hydration, free, safe, unflavored drinking water will be available to all students at all schools throughout the school day.

Local Foods
Local and or regional products are incorporated into the school meal program whenever possible.

Competitive Food and Beverages and Marketing of Same in Schools
Competitive foods and beverages (i.e., foods and beverages sold and served or marketed during the school day, but outside of the school meal programs) must meet the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards.

The USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards can be found in the appendix at the end of this document.

Beverages
Beverages sold on school property include: plain bottled water, low fat or skim milk, 100% fruit juices, 100% vegetable juices.

Beverages not to be sold on school property during the school day include: soda, caffeinated drinks (coffee, hot chocolate, ice tea, and sodas), sports drinks, lemonade, and punch.

Foods
Any item sold individually, a la carte shall meet or exceed nutritional guidelines established by the USDA.

Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value as defined by USDA are not allowed.

For healthy snack options and portions sizes, the USDA Smart Snacks Product Calculator can be found in the appendix at the end of this document.

The portion size of a la carte entrees and side dishes, including potatoes, will not be greater than the size of comparable portions offered as part of school meals. Fruits and non-fried vegetables are exempt from portion-size limits.

Advertising
Corporate brand names, logos, and trademarks for companies that market products that comply with the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards will not be prohibited because they offer some non-compliant food or beverage items in their product line. Likewise, the marketing restrictions do not apply to clothing or other examples of expression which include brand information for non-compliant food or beverage items.

Food Sale Fundraising
To support children’s health and school nutrition-education efforts, school sponsored fundraising activities (direct school affiliation) will use only foods that meet USDA Smart Snack standards. Fundraising groups are encouraged to choose non-food fundraisers and to consider healthy fundraising ideas.

Celebrations/Events
Schools will limit celebrations/events that involve food during the school day. Each party should include no more than one food or beverage that does not meet nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold individually (above). The district will disseminate a list of healthy party ideas to parents and teachers.

School staff involved in food related events are encouraged to communicate with the School Food Service Director to assist with cafeteria planning and reducing food waste.

Rewards
Schools will not use foods, including candy or beverages as rewards for academic performance or good behavior, and will not withhold food or beverages (including food served through school meals) as a punishment.

Extracurricular Food
Food served during the school day or in after-school care or enrichment programs will make a positive contribution to children's diets and health, with an emphasis on serving fruits and vegetables as the primary snacks and water as the primary beverage.

School Meal Program Promotion
The District is committed to encouraging students to participate in the school meal program by regularly communicating weekly offerings with families.

Nutrition Promotion
The District will promote healthy food and beverage choices for all students throughout the school campus, as well as encourage participation in school meal programs.
This promotion will include implementation of evidence-based healthy food promotion techniques in the school meal programs using at least some of the following methods:

• Displaying whole fruit options in attractive bowls or baskets (instead of chafing dishes or hotel pans).
• Making sliced or cut fruit available daily.
• Displaying daily fruit options in the line of sight and reach of students.
• Giving creative or descriptive names to all available vegetable options.
• Bundling daily vegetable options into all grab-and-go meals available to students.
• Training all staff members, especially those serving, to politely prompt students to select and consume the daily vegetable options with their meal.
• Placing white milk in front of other beverages in all coolers.
• Highlighting alternative entrée options (e.g., salad bar or yogurt parfaits) on posters or signs within all service and dining areas.
• Allowing students to create reimbursable meals in any service area available to them (e.g., salad bars or grab-and-go lines).
• Conducting student surveys and taste testing opportunities and using them to inform menu development, dining space décor and promotional ideas.
• Using daily announcements to promote and market menu options.
  

This promotion shall ensure that 100% of foods and beverages promoted to students during the school day meet the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards.

Nutrition Education
The District will teach, model, encourage and support healthy eating by all students.

Nutrition education shall be included in the health curriculum so that instruction is sequential and standards-based and provides students with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to lead healthy lives.

Schools should provide additional nutrition education that:

• Is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health.
• To the extent practicable is integrated into other classroom instruction through subjects such as math, science, language arts, social sciences and elective subjects.
• May include enjoyable, developmentally-appropriate, culturally-relevant and participatory activities, such as cooking demonstrations or lessons, promotions, taste-testing, farm visits and school gardens.
• Promotes fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products and healthy food preparation methods.
• Emphasizes caloric balance between food intake and energy expenditure (promotes physical activity/exercise).
• Links with school meal programs, cafeteria nutrition promotion activities, school gardens, Farm to School programs, other school foods and nutrition-related community services.
• Teaches media literacy with an emphasis on food and beverage marketing.
  

Physical Education
The District will provide students with physical education, using age-appropriate, sequential physical education curriculum consistent with national and state standards for physical education. The physical education curriculum will promote the benefits of a physically active lifestyle and will help students develop skills to engage in lifelong healthy habits, as well as incorporate essential health education concepts.

All students will be provided equal opportunity to participate in physical education classes. The District will make appropriate accommodations to allow for equitable participation for all students and will adapt physical education classes and equipment as necessary.

Physical Activity
Physical activity during the school day (including but not limited to recess, classroom physical activity breaks or physical education) will not be withheld as punishment for any reason.

The Board recognizes that developmentally appropriate daily physical activity, exercise and physical education are ways to minimize health risks created by chronic inactivity, childhood obesity, and other related health problems. The Board recommends that students and staff participate in developmentally appropriate physical activity and exercise for at least 30 to 60 minutes each day as a way to minimize these health risks. The Board recommends the following practices:

• Encourage parents/guardians to support their children's participation in enjoyable physical activities, and recognize that parents/guardians act as role models for active lifestyles.
• Support special programs such as student and staff walking programs, family fitness events, and events that emphasize lifelong physical activity.
• Integrate health and physical activity across the school curriculum.
• Encourage student-initiated activities that promote inclusive physical activity on a school-wide basis.
• Commit adequate resources that include program funding, personnel, safe equipment, and facilities.
• Provide professional development opportunities for all school staff that will assist them to effectively promote enjoyable and lifelong physical activity among youth, and that will assist school staff to recognize their influence as role models for active lifestyles.
• Establish relationships with community recreation and youth sports programs and agencies to coordinate and complement physical activity programs.
• Encourage physical activity recess periods.
• Institute a tracking and evaluation method to ensure that all students are engaging in developmentally appropriate daily physical activity.
  

Before and After School Activities
The District, in collaboration with community partners, is committed to providing a wide range of opportunities for students in grades K-12 to participate in physically active clubs and competitive sports.

Appendix:
Annual Progress Assessment Tool
eUSDA Nutrition Standards
USDA Professional Standards for School Nutrition Professionals
USDA Smart Snacks in School Nutrition Standards
USDA Smart Snacks Product Calendar\\

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