Local Wellness Guidelines
Background
The Centers for Disease Control reports student academic achievement is associated with good health and regular physical activity. Schools play a significant role in providing a positive environment to support lifelong physical activity and healthy dietary behaviors. Congress recognized that the creation of a healthy school environment can provide support in the prevention of childhood obesity and reduce the likelihood of developing diseases and/or improper growth and development associated with improper nutrition.
In 2004, Congress passed the Child Nutrition and Women Infants and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act (Sec. 204 of P.L. 108-205). This act required schools participating in the National School Lunch Program or other child nutrition programs craft a local wellness policy to address school performance promotion, implementation, and measurement of student wellness in the areas of nutrition education, nutrition guidelines, physical activity, and other school-based activities.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (Sec. 204 of P.L. 111-296) of 2010 provides additional provisions for local wellness policies related to implementation, evaluation, and publicly reporting on progress of local wellness policies.
Purpose
The mission of the Paradise Valley Unified School District is to cultivate, lead, and inspire world-class, innovative thinkers and expert communicators through a focus on the relationship between educator and student built around challenging, meaningful, and engaging curriculum. The goal of the educational program is to help all students develop to their fullest potential academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.
Paradise Valley Unified School District recognizes students with good emotional, social, and physical health in a safe environment have the opportunity to maximize their learning potential. The purpose of this guideline is to provide school health and physical activity guidelines. These guidelines will support the development of a healthy and safe school environment, conducive to a positive learning experience.
Wellness Goals
Continued reinforcement of health and nutrition education, physical activity, and wellness will provide the basic foundation for students to acquire the critical skills needed to adopt, practice, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The primary goal is to provide a positive, safe, and healthy environment that encourages a physically active and healthy lifestyle for students, staff members, parents, and communities associated with Paradise Valley Unified School District.
Guideline Goals
The guidelines in this policy will serve as the foundation for each school in the Paradise Unified School District to develop, implement, and evaluate health and physical activity policies and practices. Each of the eleven guidelines is accompanied by standard common practice(s). The goal is to confirm each school administrator or appointed designee(s) monitors and assesses each school appropriate guideline to ensure compliance on an annual basis. If non-compliant, each school administrator or appointed designee(s) will submit an improvement plan report to a designated district wellness committee member.
The eleven guidelines include:
- School Health Council
- Nutrition and Wellness Department
- Nutrition Guidelines for all Foods on School Campus
- Health and Nutrition Education
- Activities to Promote Student Wellness
- Physical Activity
- School Environment
- School Employee Wellness
- Professional Development and Training
- Implementation and Monitoring
- Evaluation and Assessments
Accountability
The superintendent or designee of Paradise Valley Unified School District shall appoint a district wellness team council/committee to assess, plan, implement, and improve the nutrition and physical activity environment. Each member of Paradise Unified School District Wellness Committee will read, review, and revise relevant sections of the initial district level Wellness Policy and Guidelines.
The School Health Index (SHI) will serve as guidance by providing a self assessment evaluation of the Local Wellness Policy Draft. Paradise Unified School District Wellness Committee Members shall review recommendations and submit the revised Local Wellness Policy and Guidelines to the Governing Board for approval.
The superintendent shall execute a communications plan to ensure comprehension, implementation, and compliance with Paradise Valley Unified School District-Wide Wellness Policy and Guidelines. Each school administrator shall be responsible for implementation of the Paradise Valley Unified School District Wellness Policy and Guidelines.
Wellness Guidelines Implementation
- I. School Health Councils
- II. Nutrition and Wellness Department
- III. Nutrition Guidelines for all Foods on School Campus
- IV. Health and Nutrition Education
- V. Activities to Promote Student Wellness
- VI. Physical Activity
- VII. School Environment
- VIII. School Employee Wellness
- IX. Professional Development and Training
- X. Implementation and Monitoring
- XI. Evaluation and Assessments