**ADF-R - WELLNESS PROTOCOL** **Last Updated Date:** 03/07/2017 1. Health and Wellness Advisory Committee (HWAC). The South Hadley Public School District will continue to maintain a Health and Wellness Advisory Committee, which meets at least twice annually.  The Nurse Leader will chair Committee meetings.  The Committee is district-wide and representative of the four schools.  The membership of the Committee is composed of staff, students, parents, administrators, food service director, athletic/health/physical education department head, the school physician, school nurses and members of the community.  The main purpose of the HWAC is to develop, implement, monitor, review, and, as necessary, make recommendations on revisions to the Wellness Policy. 2. Nutritional Guidelines and Standards for School Meals – The Food Service Program will continue to follow the USDA requirements for the federal School Meals Program and the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children.  The nutritional requirements for school lunches: - Must provide 1/3 the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for: 1. Calories 2. Protein 3. Vitamin A 4. Vitamin C 5. Calcium 6. Iron  No more than 30% of an individual’s calories will come from fats and less than 10% of the calories will come from saturated fats. - Meals will be appealing and attractive to students. - Meals will be served in a clean and pleasant setting. - Meals will meet nutritional requirements established by local, state and federal regulations. ([fns.usda.gov/end/goverance/legislation/implementation_timeline.pdf](http://www.fns.usda.gov/end/goverance/legislation/implementation_timeline.pdf)) Implementation of most meal requirements in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) began in the 2012-2013 school year. - Menu planning will be completed offering the minimum component quantities. - Fiber rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains will be offered (see timeline link for grains component). The district currently participates in the Massachusetts Farm-to-School Program and purchases fresh produce directly from a Massachusetts farmer. - Milk served will contain 1% or less of fat. (see timeline link for new milk guidelines) This nutritional information will be available from the district’s Director of Food Services.  1. Meal times and scheduling - Twenty minutes per day will be provided to students for lunch time. - Lunch periods are scheduled mid-day. - Tutoring, club or organizational meetings or activities will not be scheduled during meal times, unless the student is able to eat during the activity. - Students will have access to hand washing before they eat meals or snacks. - Students with oral health needs, if appropriate, will have access to care. - The cafeteria should provide students with adequate space to eat that is clean and has pleasant surroundings. 2. Requirements of Food Service Staff: Qualified nutritional staff will serve the school meals.  Each head cook will be Serv-Safe certified.  Food Service staff who serve the school meals will have access to continued professional development opportunities.  Annual training will include life-threatening allergy awareness, choking and medical emergency protocol training. 3. Sharing of Foods and Beverages: Schools will follow the district-wide practice of “no sharing” of any foods or beverages, given concerns about allergies and some diet restrictions. 3. Compliance with Nutritional Education for staff, students, parents/guardians and the community All students in Grades K-12 should receive nutrition education.  The district aims to teach, encourage and support healthy food choices by students.  Schools should provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion that:  - is offered at each grade level as part of a comprehensive, standards-based program taught by a certified health teacher or classroom teacher designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health; - is part of not only health education classes, but also classroom instruction in other subjects like math, science, language arts, social studies and electives; - includes enjoyable, developmentally appropriate, culturally-relevant, participatory activities such as contests, taste testing, farm visits and school gardens; - promotes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat and fat free dairy products, healthy food preparation methods and health enhancing nutritional practices; - emphasizes caloric balance between food intake and physical activity; - links for school meal programs, other school foods and nutrition-related community services; - teaches media literacy with an emphasis on food marketing; - includes training for teachers and other staff; - when appropriate, and if available, fosters appreciation for good nutritional foods through the family consumer science and culinary arts curriculum. 1. Communication with parents/guardians: The district will support parent/guardian’s efforts to provide healthy meal choices and daily physical activity for their children.  School staff will encourage parents to pack healthy lunches and snacks and to refrain from sending foods and beverages that do not meet the nutritional standards.  Parents/guardians will be provided with a list of foods that meet the lunch and snack requirements and ideas for healthy celebrations, rewards and fundraising activities. - The district will provide information about physical education and other school-based physical activity opportunities before, during and after the school day; and support parent/guardian’s efforts to provide their children with opportunities to be physically active outside of school.  Such supports will include sharing information about physical activity, healthy food choices and physical education through a website, newsletter or other take-home materials, special events or physical education homework. 2. Food Marketing in Schools: School-based food marketing will be consistent with nutrition education and health promotion.  Schools will promote food and beverage marketing that meet the nutrition standards for meals or for foods and beverages sold individually.  Schools will not promote low nutrition foods and beverages.  Healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products will be encouraged. Marketing techniques that are unacceptable include:  logos and brand names on/in vending machines, books, textbook covers, school supplies, scoreboards, and sports equipment; educational incentive programs that provide food as a reward; programs that provide schools with supplies when families buy low nutrition food products. 4. Physical Activity Opportunities and Physical Education 1. Physical Education (PE) K-12: All students in grades K-12 will be offered physical education and will be taught by certified physical education teachers. 2. Integrating Physical Activity into the Classroom Setting: Students need opportunities for physical activity beyond physical education class.  The nationally recommended amount of daily physical activity is at least 60 minutes per day.  Therefore: - classroom education should complement physical education by reinforcing the knowledge and self-management skills needed to maintain a physically active lifestyle and to decrease screen time and sedentary activities; - opportunities for physical activity should be incorporated into other subject lessons; - classroom teachers are encouraged to provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes, as appropriate. 3. Daily Recess: All elementary students will have at least 10 minutes a day of supervised recess, preferably outdoors, weather permitting, during which moderate to vigorous physical activity is encouraged. 4. Physical Activity Opportunities before and after School: The middle and high school will offer extracurricular activity programs, such as physical activity clubs or intramural programs.  The Town of South Hadley, through the recreation department and the school staff will offer a range of activities that meets the needs, interests and abilities for all students including students with disabilities and students with special healthcare needs.  5. Promote a Healthy Lifestyle for Staff: The district highly values the health and well-being of every staff member and will plan to implement activities that support personal efforts by staff to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Healthy students and healthy staff promote a healthy school climate.  - Encourage all school staff to improve their own personal health and wellness - Improve staff morale - Create a positive role model for the students - Encourage the commitment from staff to promote the health of students - Encourage the commitment from staff to help improve school nutrition and a physical activity environment Nutrition and physical activity education opportunities and resources will be available to all staff.  This may include the distribution of educational materials and access to presentations and workshops that focus on nutrition and healthy lifestyles, fitness activities and other appropriate nutrition and physical activity related topics.  Staff will have access to the wellness rooms at the high school and middle school.  Each fitness room is equipped with exercise equipment that can be used prior to the start of the school day, after the school day ends and during school vacation/summer recess, providing that a custodian is on the premises.  6. Compliance with Policy Review and Monitoring: 1. Monitoring: The superintendent or designee will ensure compliance with current district-wide nutrition and physical activity wellness policy and protocol.  In each school building, the principal or designee will ensure compliance with this policy and will report any concerns to the superintendent. - School food service staff, at the individual schools and district level, will ensure compliance with the wellness policy and protocol within food service areas and report any concerns to the Food Service Director. - The superintendent or designee will develop a summary report every three years regarding district-wide compliance with the current wellness policy, based on input from schools within the district. 2. Policy Review: The Health and Wellness Advisory Committee will assess and review the wellness policy and protocol and determine compliance and any areas that may need improvement or revisions.  The HWAC will ensure that each individual school promotes an environment that supports healthy food choices and physical activity. 7. Compliance with Guidelines for Reimbursable School Meals 1. Free and Reduced Meals: Schools will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to students that are eligible for free/reduced school meals.  Electronic identification and a payment system promote the availability of school meals to all students.  Applications for free/reduced lunch are available at each school.  Local school food authorities set their own prices for full-priced meals. - [www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/legislation/Pricing-Equity-Feds.pdf](http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/legislation/Pricing-Equity-Feds.pdf) - In addition to cash reimbursements, schools are entitled, by law, to receive commodity foods.  Under the School Meals Initiative, USDA also provides schools with technical training and assistance, to help school food service staff prepare healthy meals, and nutrition education to help children understand then link between diet and health. - [www.doe.mass.edu/cap/nprograms/nslp.html](http://www.doe.mass.edu/cap/nprograms/nslp.html)     8. Compliance with Standards for Competitive Foods and Beverages sold or provided during the school day: All foods and beverages sold individually (foods or beverages sold outside of reimbursable school meal program:  a la carte, vending machines accessible to students, fundraising activities, snacks, rewards and celebrations).  The regulations apply to competitive foods and beverages sold or provided to students 30 minutes before the beginning of the school day until 30 minutes after the school day ends.  However, foods and beverages sold in vending machines, accessible to students, must comply with the standards at all times.  School districts are encouraged to go beyond the minimum standards to establish local protocols that apply the food and beverage standards at all times to promote a healthy school environment throughout the entire day.  All vending machines, accessible to students, should offer water, 100% fruit juice or vegetable juice and milk or milk substitutes. 1. Foods and Beverages: Water must be made available to all students during the day without charge.  Fresh fruits and non-fried vegetables will be for sale where food is sold.  The use of a fry-o-lator is prohibited.  As of August 1, 2013, nutrition information was made available for non-prepackaged competitive foods and beverages served in the cafeteria. - 100% fruit and vegetable juice, with no added sugar and 4 oz. serving or less for elementary students and 8 oz. or less for high school students - Low-fat and fat-free milk; 8 oz. serving or less - Flavored milk with no more than 22 grams of sugar per 8 oz. - Water may contain natural flavorings and/or carbonation, but should not contain added sugars, sweeteners or artificial sweeteners. - Any beverages with added sugar or sweeteners already addressed were phased out by August 1, 2013. Flavored milk or milk substitutes that have the same amount or less sugar than plain, fat-free or low-fat milk are allowed. - Other beverages like soda, sports drinks, teas, etc. are not allowed. - Only 100% fruit/vegetable juice, milk, milk substitutes and water may be sold or provided. - Foods should be 200 calories or less per item. - A la carte entrées should not exceed the calorie count of entrée items of the equivalent portion size offered as part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). - Foods should have less than 30% of their total calories from fat. - Foods should have less than 10% of their total calories from saturated fat. - All foods should be trans fat-free. - 1 oz. serving of seeds and reduced-fat cheese are exempt from the fat standards. - Foods should have less than 200 mg of sodium per item. - A la carte entrees should have a maximum of 480 mg of sodium per item. - All breads of grain-based products should be whole grain (whole grain should be listed as the first ingredient). This includes crackers, granola bars, chips, bakery items, pasta, rice, etc. - Trace amounts of naturally occurring caffeine (such as that found in chocolate) are allowed as long as the item complies with the rest of the nutrition standards. - Artificial sweeteners in foods are also not permitted. - Ice cream and yogurt products will meet new competitive guidelines. - A packaged item may contain no more than one serving per package. - All foods and beverages sold or provided to students will meet all applicable state and federal food safety requirements (State “A” List). 2. Fundraising Activities: Schools will encourage fundraising activities that promote physical activity.  The following healthy fundraising alternatives to selling food items are highly recommended. - Walk-a-thons, jump-rope-a-thons and fun runs - Talent shows - Raffles for spa treatments or sporting events, concerts, or movie tickets donated by local businesses - Items with school logos - Car washes - Read-a-thons - Auctions or garage sales - Book fairs - Bowling or skate nights - Holiday cards, plants/flowers and gift wrap, candles, etc. - Community service projects - Fresh fruit sales - [www.cspinet.org/schoolfundraising.pdf](http://www.cspinet.org/schoolfundraising.pdf) - [www.fundraisingfruit.com](http://www.fundraisingfruit.com/) - [www.citrusfruit.com](http://www.citrusfruit.com/) - [www.better-fundraising-ideas.com](http://www.better-fundraising-ideas.com/) - [www.fundraising-ideas.org/listings/fruitveggies.html](http://www.fundraising-ideas.org/listings/fruitveggies.html) 3. Snacks: Snacks served by the school 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.  Schools will assess if and when to offer snacks based on timing of school meals, children’s nutritional needs, children’s ages and other considerations. 1. Parents, children and staff will be encouraged to send in healthy snacks and suggestions for healthy snacks will be promoted through education, websites, etc.  For example, this information can be communicated at parent-teacher nights, PTO meetings and/or through written communication on the school website, parent newsletters, etc. 2. [www.mass.gov/massinmotion](http://www.mass.gov/massinmotion) 3. [www.choosemyplate.gov](http://www.choosemyplate.gov/) 4. Rewards: Schools should limit the use of food or beverages as direct rewards for academic performance or good behavior and will not hold food or beverages as a punishment. 5. When applicable, family consumer science/culinary programs will be encouraged to make/sell healthier alternatives to recipes in their classrooms. 1. Examples for alternatives to using food as a reward: - Paperback book - “Free choice time” at the end of class - Stickers, pencils, or bookmarks - Be a helper in class - Play a favorite game - “No Homework Pass” - Donated coupons to music stores, book stores or movies - [http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/constructive_classroom_rewards.pdf](http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/constructive_classroom_rewards.pdf) 2. Celebrations:  Schools should limit celebrations that involve food.  Any food item used in the classroom/school celebrations should conform to the district nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold individually. Examples of foods that can be provided by parents for classroom celebrations are listed in the link below under “Healthy Classroom Party Snacks.” Foods must also be safe for students with life-threatening allergies. -  [http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/healthy_school_celebrations.pdf](http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/healthy_school_celebrations.pdf) 6. Examples of Healthy Celebrations: - Arts and crafts projects - Allowing the student to be the teacher’s assistant for the day - Decorate the classroom - Make something to bring home to the family - Place the child’s name and picture in the front of a book donated by the birthday child - Announce the child’s name over the intercom and sing “Happy Birthday” - Decorate a birthday crown - [www.healthiergeneration.org/schools.aspx?id=3296](http://www.healthiergeneration.org/schools.aspx?id=3296) The South Hadley Public Schools has an educational culinary program that follows industry standards/guidelines and is, therefore, exempt from the wellness policy and protocols.