It is the intent of the Grand County School District to promote student health and well-being through a comprehensive food and nutrition program using a professional approach by school district staff to address student wellness.
COMPREHENSIVE FOOD AND BEVERAGE STANDARDS
Meals served through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs will:
• be appealing and attractive to children
• be served in clean and pleasant settings
• meet, at a minimum, the nutritional requirements established by local (see below), state and federal regulations
• 50% of fruits and vegetables will be fresh
• offer a regular salad bar in the middle and high schools
• serve no whole milk
• 50% of grains will be whole
The Nutrition & Wellness Committee may engage students and parents, through surveys and taste-tests of new entrees, in selecting foods offered through the school meal programs, in order to identify new, healthful, and appealing food choices. In addition, schools School Food Services shall post and shall share information about the nutritional content of meals. Such information may be made available on menus, a website, on cafeteria menu boards, placards, or other point-of-purchase materials.
Applicable Definitions
• A la Carte – refers to individually priced food items provided by the school food service department. These items may or may not be part of the reimbursable meal.
• Competitive Foods – refers to foods and beverages sold or made available to students that compete with the National School Lunch or Breakfast Program. This definition includes, but is not limited to, foods and beverages provided in vending machines, in school stores, or as part of school fund raisers. School fund raisers include food sold by school administrators or staff, students or student groups, parents or parent groups, or any other person, company, or organization approved by the school’s administration.
• FMNV – refers to Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value that are restricted by the USDA under the Child Nutrition Programs (see below).
• Food Service – refers to the school’s operation of the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, and After School Snack Programs. This includes all food service operations conducted by the school principally for the benefit of school children, and in which all of the revenue is used solely for the operation or improvement of such food services.
• School Day – begins with the start of the first breakfast period and continues until the end of the last class of the day.
• School Meals – refers to those meals provided under the National School Lunch and
• Breakfast Programs, and After School Snack Program, for which schools receive reimbursement in accordance with all applicable federal regulations and guidelines.
• Fried Foods – refers to foods that are cooked by total immersions into hot oil or other fat, commonly referred to as “deep fat frying”. This definition does not include foods that are stir fried or sautéed.
• Fruit or Vegetable Drink – refers to beverages labeled as containing fruit or vegetable juice in amounts less than 100%.
• Fruit or Vegetable Juice – refers to beverages labeled as containing 100% fruit or vegetable juice.
• Trans Fat – refers to the type of fat that is produced by chemical hydrogenation, and which is associated with increased incidence of heart disease. It is frequently found in foods such as margarine, crackers, cookies and other baked goods, snack foods, fried foods, and other processed foods.
CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM
Breakfast
All schools shall offer the opportunity for children to have breakfast at school:
• offering the School Breakfast Program up to ½ hour prior to the start of school;
• notifying parents and students of the availability of the School Breakfast Program
• through newsletters, take-home materials, or other means encourage parents to provide a healthy breakfast for their children.
Free and Reduced Price Meals
Schools will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to, and prevent the overt identification of students who are eligible for free and reduced price school meals.
Summer Food Service Program
At least one school in the district, with more than 50% of its students eligible for free or reduced price school meals, will sponsor the Summer Food Service Program for at least six weeks between the last day of the academic school year and the first day of the following school year, and preferably throughout the entire summer vacation.
QUALIFICATIONS OF SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE STAFF
State qualified nutrition professionals will supervise the administration of the school meal programs. As part of the school district’s responsibility to operate a food service program, the district shall provide continuing professional development for all nutrition professions in schools. Staff development programs should include appropriate certification and/or training programs for child nutrition directors, school nutrition managers, and cafeteria workers, according to their levels of responsibility.
SCHOOL NUTRITION POLICY - ALL GRADES
Nutrition Standards
The following standards pertain to all foods and beverages served or made available to students on all school campuses, including school meals, a la cart, and competitive foods.
1. Fats and Fried Foods – Each week the Food Service Program serves meals that contain an average of 30% or less calories from fat. An emphasis will be given to mono-unsaturated oils (olive oil, canola oil). Saturated fat intake should be minimized to no more than 10% of fat calories per week.
Beginning with the 2006-07 school year, Food Service should request information about trans fat content of all purchased products, and should move to eliminate as soon as is feasible, the purchase of any products containing trans fats. (Federal labeling of trans fats on all food products is required by January 1, 2006).
2. Fruits and Vegetables – Fruits and/or vegetables shall be offered daily. Fruits and vegetables shall be fresh whenever possible or frozen.3. Beverages – All beverages provided by the School Food Service shall be low fat or nonfat milk/chocolate milk, unflavored water, and 100% fruit and/or vegetable juices.
Meal Times and Scheduling
All district schools shall:
• not schedule tutoring, club, or organizational meetings or activities during mealtimes, unless students may eat during such activities;
• provide students access to hand washing or hand sanitizing before they eat meals or snacks;
• take reasonable steps to accommodate the dental hygiene needs of students with special oral needs.
Competitive Foods and Snacks
No district schools may serve competitive foods (or provide access to them through direct or indirect sales) to students anywhere on campus during the lunch period. Elementary classrooms may allow one nutritious snack per day under the teacher’s supervision. This snack may be provided by the school food service, the teacher, parents, or other groups approved by school administration, and should be at no cost to students. The snack must comply with the fat and sugar limits of this policy, and may not contain any Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value.
Concession Food and Fundraisers
Foods sold at school-sponsored activities must include healthy choices.
Student Vending Machines
Beginning with the 2006-07 school year, schools will eliminate from student vending machines:
• all beverages with high fructose corn sweetener (this includes sodas and sports drinks) and no-calorie or low calorie sodas (“diet soda”).
• chips, crackers, and baked goods that contain greater than 30% calories from fat, or that contain any trans fats.
• flavored milks with more than 30 grams of sugar per 8 ounce serving.
• any food that falls within the federal definition of Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (FMNV).
Faculty Vending Machines
Faculty vending machines will offer some healthy choices.
Food Allergies
The risk of life threatening accidental exposure to foods can be reduced in the school setting when school staff work with students, parents/guardians, and physicians/school nurse to minimize risks and provide a safe educational environment for food-allergic students. Ensure Food Service employees and all staff who interact with a food-allergic student on a regular basis understands food allergies, can recognize symptoms, knows what to do in an emergency, and works with other school staff to eliminate the use of food allergens in the allergic student’s meals, educational tools, arts and crafts projects, or incentives. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, food-allergic students will not be excluded from school activities solely based on their food allergy.
Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (FMNV)
GCSD prohibits schools from selling or offering FMNV in the schools.
Such restricted foods and beverages are as follows:
• sweetened carbonated beverages – no product will be excluded from this definition because it contains discrete amounts of added nutrients such as vitamins, minerals or protein.
• water ices – any frozen sweetened water such as “sicles” and flavored ice, with the exception of products that contain 100% fruit or juice.
• chewing gum
• candy – any hard candies, jelly beans, licorice, marshmallow candies, fondant, spun candy, chocolate bars, or candy coated popcorn.
Policy Exemptions
• School Nurses – Nurses may use FMNV during the course of providing health care to individual students.
• Students with Special Needs – Students whose Individualized Education Plan indicates the use of FMNV for behavior modification may be given these items.
• School Events – Students may be given FMNV or other restricted foods during the school day for special events such as birthdays or holidays, however nutritional treats should be encouraged at these activities. During these events, restricted foods may not be provided during meal times in areas where school meals are being served, and regular meal service must continue to be available to all students in accordance with federal regulations.
• Assessment Test Days – Schools and parents may provide one additional nutritious snack per day for students taking assessment tests. The snack should comply with the fat and sugar limits of this policy and should not contain any FMNV.
• Use of Food in Classroom – Educators are expected to exercise professional judgement when using food for instructional purposes, classroom incentives, or classroom snacks..
• Field Trips – School-approved field trips are exempt from the nutrition policy.• Athletic, Band, or other Competitions – This nutrition policy does not apply to students who leave campus to travel to school-sponsored competitions.
• Meals from home – Students are not allowed to share lunches brought from home, or commercially prepared lunches purchased outside of the school, with other students.
Nutrition Education
As part of the state core the Grand County School District will teach, encourage, and support healthy eating by students as part of health education classes and other classes where appropriate.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY POLICY
The School District recognizes the value and merits of state requirements for physical education and activity, therefore:
• Classroom health education will complement physical education by reinforcing the knowledge and self-management skills needed to maintain a physically-active lifestyle and to reduce time spent on sedentary activities.
• Opportunities for physical activity will be incorporated into other subject lessons;
• Classroom teachers will provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes as appropriate.
• All students are encouraged to participate in daily physical activity. All physical education classes must be taught by district approved employee.
• Elementary schools will schedule at least 20 minutes per day of supervised recess, preferably outdoors, during which schools should encourage moderate to vigorous physical activity verbally and through the provision of space and equipment.
• Schools should discourage extended periods (i.e., periods of two or more hours) of inactivity.
• When activities, such as mandatory school-wide testing make it necessary for students to remain indoors for long periods of time, schools should give students periodic breaks during which students are encouraged to stand and be moderately active.
• Elementary, middle, and high schools may offer extracurricular physical activity programs, such as physical activity clubs or intramural programs. High schools and middle schools, as appropriate, may offer interscholastic sports programs. Schools may offer a range of activities that meet the needs, interests, and abilities of all students, including boys, girls, students with disabilities, and students with special health-care needs.
STUDENT WELL BEING
Mental Health and Prevention Needs Assessment
The Board of Education and Grand County School District uses a tool to assess the social forces in the community that put students at greater risk of engaging in unhealthy behaviors and those that shield youth from negative influences.
The district will collaborate with community health and education partnerships which benefit students’ long term physical and emotional health.
Curriculum
The Board of Education and Grand County School District will adopt the Utah State Office of Education Prevention Dimensions to be the overall guiding evidence based best practices prevention curriculum for K-12, and all teachers will be trained in Prevention Dimensions curriculum.
Student Involvement
The district seeks to increase protective factors by offering opportunities and rewards for positive involvement in the school community by actively seeking student input and collaboration on decisions and policies.
Student collaboration may include representatives, evaluations, surveys and a demonstrated effort to incorporate student input into final decisions.
POLICY MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE
Monitoring and Compliance
The Superintendent or his/her designee will ensure compliance with established district-wide nutrition and physical activity wellness policies. Each principal or principal’s designee will ensure compliance with those policies in his/her school and will report on the school’s compliance to the School District Superintendent.
School food service staff, at the school or district level, will ensure compliance with nutrition policies within school food service areas and will report on this matter to the Superintendent. In addition, the school district will report on the most recent USDA School Meals Initiative (SMI) review findings and any resulting changes. If the District has not received a SMI review from the state agency within the past five years, the District will request from the state agency that a SMI review be scheduled as soon as possible.
The Superintendent or his/her designee will develop a summary report every year on district-wide compliance with the District’s established nutrition and physical activity / wellness policies, based on input from schools within the district. That report will be provided to the Board of Education and also distributed to all School Health Councils, parent/teacher organizations, school principals, and school health services personnel in the district.
The District will conduct a compliance assessment at the inception of the policy at each school to provide baseline information on each school’s current nutritional status. The information from these assessments will be used to prioritize needs and the means to meet those needs for both the district and schools.
Assessments will be repeated every three years to help review policy compliance, assess progress, and determine areas in need of improvement. As part of that review, the School District will review its nutrition and physical activity policies and their levels of implementation vis a via program elements. The District, and individual schools within the district, will, as necessary, revise the wellness policies and develop working plans to facilitate their implementation.
Wellness Council
The Grand County School Board will create a district-wide School Wellness Council to develop, implement, monitor, review, and as necessary, revise school nutrition and physical activity policies.
The Wellness Council also will serve as a resource to individual schools for implementing those policies.
The Wellness Council will consist of a group of individuals representing the various schools and the community at large, and will include parents, students, representative of the school food authority, members of the school board, school administrators, teachers, health professionals, and members of the public. Each school shall have at least one representative on the council.
The Wellness Council shall meet, at a minimum, once a year and shall report directly to the Grand County School Board.
Adopted: 07-19-06; Revised 10-18-06; Revised 01-17-07; GRAND COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT; MOAB UTAH