Annual Wellness Policy Review 2016-17

Wellness Committee Members

  • Brock Brewster, Superintendent

  • Carrie Gast, High School Principal

  • Heather Thompson, Primary Principal

  • Bethany Whitt, Elementary Principal

  • Holly Tackett, School Nurse

  • Pete Dunn, Federal Programs 

  • Beth Alexander, Special Education Supervisor

  • Christie Mullins, Schwendemann Agency

  • Darren Schwartz, MD

If any community member would like to participate in the district wellness policy plan or implementation please contact Western Local Superintendent Brock Brewster at (740) 493-3113 or brock.brewster@westernlocalschools.com.  

8510 - WELLNESS

As required by law, the Board of Education establishes the following wellness policy for the Western Local School District as a part of a comprehensive wellness initiative.

The Board recognizes that good nutrition and regular physical activity affect the health and well-being of the District's students. Furthermore, research suggests that there is a positive correlation between a student's health and well-being and his/her ability to learn. Moreover, schools can play an important role in the developmental process by which students establish their health and nutrition habits by providing nutritious meals and snacks through the schools' meal programs, by supporting the development of good eating habits, and by promoting increased physical activity both in and out of school.

Schools alone, however, cannot develop in students healthy behaviors and habits with regard to eating and exercise. It will be necessary for not only the staff, but also parents and the public at large to be involved in a community-wide effort to promote, support, and model such healthy behaviors and habits.

The Board sets the following goals in an effort to enable students to establish good health and nutrition habits:
1. With regard to nutrition education, the District shall:

  1. 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.

  2. Nutrition education standards and benchmarks shall be age-appropriate and culturally relevant.

  3. Nutrition education shall include enjoyable, developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant participatory activities, such as contests, promotions, taste testing, and others.

  4. Nutrition education posters, such as the Food Pyramid Guide, will be displayed in the cafeteria.

2. With regard to physical activity, the District shall:
1.Physical Education

  1. A sequential, comprehensive physical education program shall be provided for students in K-12 in accordance with the physical education academic content standards and benchmarks adopted by the State.

  2. Planned instruction in physical education shall be sufficient for students to achieve a proficient level with regard to the standards and benchmarks adopted by the State.

  3. Planned instruction in physical education shall promote participation in physical activity outside the regular school day.

  4. All physical education classes shall have a student/teacher ratio comparable to the student/teacher ratio in other curricular areas.

  5. Planned instruction in physical education shall meet the needs of all students, including those who are not athletically gifted.

  6. Planned instruction in physical education shall include cooperative as well as competitive games.

  7. Planned instruction in physical education shall take into account gender and cultural differences.

  8. On an annual basis, physical education teachers shall review and affirm receipt of the Ohio Department of Health's concussion information sheet.

  9. Physical Education teachers shall remove from class participation any student who exhibits signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with having sustained a concussion or head injury. The Principal and/or teacher shall notify parents or guardians about the possible concussion or head injury.

  10. Any student who has been removed from physical education class participation because s/he has exhibited signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with having sustained a concussion or head injury shall not be permitted to return to physical education class until the student's condition is assessed by a physician, and the physician gives the student written clearance that it is safe to return to class.

2.Physical Activity
Physical activity should not be employed as a form of discipline or punishment.

3. With regard to other school-based activities the District shall

  1. The schools shall provide at least twenty (20) minutes daily for students to eat.

  2. The school shall provide attractive, clean environments in which the students eat.

  3. Students are permitted to have bottled water only in the classroom.

4. With regard to nutrition promotion, any foods and beverages marketed or promoted to students on the school campus, during the school day, will meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards.

Additionally, the District shall:

  1. encourage students to increase their consumption of healthful foods during the school day;

  2. create an environment that reinforces the development of healthy eating habits, including offering the following healthy foods that comply with the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards:

1.hole grain products - half of all grains need to be whole grain-rich upon initial implementation and all grains must be whole grain-rich within two (2) years of
implementation;
2.meals designed to meet specific calorie ranges for age/grade groups;

Furthermore, with the objectives of enhancing student health and well being, and reducing childhood obesity, the following guidelines are established:

  1. In accordance with Policy 8500, entitled Food Service, the food service program shall comply with Federal and State regulations pertaining to the selection, preparation, consumption, and disposal of food and beverages, including but not limited to the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards, as well as to the fiscal management of the program.

  2. As set forth in Policy 8531, entitled Free and Reduced Price Meals, the guidelines for reimbursable school meals are not less restrictive than the guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The sale of foods of minimal nutritional value in the food service area during the lunch period is prohibited.

  3. The sale of foods and beverages to students that do not meet the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards to be consumed on the school campus during the school day is prohibited.

  4. All food items and beverages available for sale to students for consumption on the school campus (any area of property under the jurisdiction of the school that is accessible to students during the school day) between midnight and thirty (30) minutes after the close of the regular school day shall comply with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards, including, but not limited to, competitive foods that are available to students a la carte or as entrees in the dining area (except entree items that were offered on the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP) menu on the day of and the day after they are offered on the NSLP or SBP menu), as well as food items and beverages from vending machines, from school stores, or as fund-raisers, including those operated by student clubs and organizations, parent groups, or boosters clubs.

  5. All foods offered on the school campus during the school day shall comply with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including competitive foods that are available to students a la carte in the dining area, as classroom snacks, from vending machines.

  6. The food service program will strive to be financially self-supporting; however, if it is necessary to subsidize the operation, it will not be through the sale of foods with minimal nutritious value.

The Board designates the Superintendent as the individual charged with operational responsibility for measuring and evaluating the District's implementation and progress under this policy. The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines necessary to implement this policy.

The Superintendent shall appoint a District-wide Wellness Committee that includes parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, educational staff (including health and physical education teachers), mental health and social services staff, school health professionals, members of the public, and school administrators to oversee development, implementation, evaluation and periodic update of this policy. The Wellness Committee shall be an ad hoc committee with members recruited and appointed annually.

The Wellness Committee shall be responsible for:

  1. assessment of the current school environment;

  2. review of the District's Wellness policy;

  3. presentation of the Wellness policy to the Board for approval;

  4. measurement of the implementation of the policy; and

  5. recommendation for the revision of the policy, is necessary.

Before the end of each school year, the Wellness Committee shall recommend to the Superintendent any revisions to the policy it deems necessary and/or appropriate. In its review, the Wellness Committee shall consider evidence-based strategies in determining its recommendations.

The Superintendent shall report annually to the Board on the Wellness Committee's progress and on its evaluation of the policy's implementation and areas for improvement, including status of compliance by individual schools and progress made in attaining the policy's goals.

The Superintendent is also responsible for informing the public, including parents, students and community members, on the content and implementation of this policy. In order to inform the public, the Superintendent shall post the policy on the District's website, including the Wellness Committee's assessment of the policy's implementation.

The District shall assess the Wellness Policy at least once every three (3) years on the extent to which schools in the District are in compliance with the District policy, the extent to which the District policy compares to model wellness policies, and the progress made in attaining the goals of the District Wellness Policy. The assessment shall be made available to the public in the parent and staff handbooks, in the school District Annual Report to the public, and/or on the School District's web site.

Revised 11/4/13

Revised 10/20/14

© NEOLA 2017

Legal

42 U.S.C. 1751, Sec. 204

42 U.S.C. 1771

7 C.F.R. Parts 210 and 220

May 3rd Wellness Meeting Notes

Updates

Wellness Newsletter

  • Include monthly challenges, themes, surveys, etc.

  • Mr. Hamilton (History Teacher) - Brock will check to see if Mr. Hamilton’s class is cleaning up the trail on a Saturday in May.

  • Community Service for graduation

Teachers will need to help students achieve community service hours (vote pending/needs finalized), once everything is finalized Darren will work on combining
wellness with community service.
Challenges
 May -

  • Survey: Are you interested in volunteering to promote wellness, and what grade band are you in at the school?)-

  • Challenge/Theme: Balance

  • Prize (online cook book)

June-

  • Survey: How do you track your calories? Do you have a garden?

  • Challenge/Theme: Gardening/Sun Screen and count your calories for 1 typical day

  • Prize: TBD in August

July-

  • Survey: How do you track your steps and what activities do you enjoy?

  • Challenge/Theme: Track Steps

  • Prize: TBD in Aug.

August 21st is the 1st day of school -

  • Survey: Ask for challenge ideas - What type of incentive would motivate staff? - How will you stay healthy this school year?

  • Challenge/Theme - Stress Relief / Healthy meals for the week ahead.

September-

  • Survey - Do you drink bottled or tap water?

  • Challenge/Theme: Drink Water

Upcoming Events

  • Last of school May 30th, May 13th Prom, Grad. 26th 7:30 PM (high school)

Summer Planning

  • Monthly newsletters

2017-2018 School Year Planning

  • Challenges/Competitions customized by school or grade band (Start September)

  • Health Fair/Biometric Event

    Feb. 16th (Waiver/PD)- best date, Nov. 13 (Waiver/PD)

  • Goals, etc.