Section 204 of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 added Section 9A to the Richard B. Russell national School Lunch Act (42 USC 1758b), Local School Wellness Policy Implementation. The provision set forth in Section 204 expand upon the previous local wellness policy requirement from the Child Nutrition and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-265). The Act requires each local educational agency participating in the National School Lunch Program or other federal Child Nutrition programs to establish a local school wellness policy for all schools under its jurisdiction.

 

Research shows that two components, good nutrition and physical activity before, during and after the school day, are strongly correlated with positive student outcomes. For example, student participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) School Breakfast Program is associated with higher grades and standardized test scores, lower absenteeism and better performance on cognitive tasks.1,2,3,4,5,6,7 Conversely, less-than-adequate consumption of specific foods including fruits, vegetables and dairy products, is associated with lower grades among students.8,9,10 In addition, students who are physically active through active transport to and from school, recess, physical activity breaks, high-quality physical education and extracurricular activities – do better academically.11,12,13,14 Finally, there is evidence that adequate hydration is associated with better cognitive performance.15

 

The Board of Education recognizes the link between student health and learning and thus strives to promote healthy eating and physical activity for all students.

 

Sly Park Environmental Education Center (Sly Park) is the outdoor science and environmental education program operated by the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE). Sly Park is committed to providing students with a successful, week-long outdoor education experience, which includes a positive, safe, learning environment in a unique in a camp-like setting.

 

 

1. Nutrition and physical activity to promote student wellness.

2. Nutrition guidelines to promote student health and reduce childhood obesity for all foods available at Sly Park, via the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and ChooseMyPlate.gov.

 

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3. Create a school wellness committee that includes stakeholders such as teachers, nutrition staff, parents, students, school food authorities, school administrators, and members of the general public.

4. The wellness committee will contribute to the development, implementation, and review of the Sly Park wellness plan and reinforce students’ understanding and appreciation of the importance of a healthy lifestyle; advise on health-related issues, activities, policies and programs such as disease prevention, weight management and oral health.

5. Keep accessible the Sly Park Wellness Plan for the general public.

6. Periodic assessment of extent to which Sly Park is in compliance with the wellness policy. This will include inviting feedback from stakeholder groups every three years.

7. Appoint a wellness committee coordinator who is responsible for ensuring that Sly Park complies with the wellness plan:

Director, Sly Park; 916-228-2482

 

To promote student health and wellbeing, Sly Park has adopted nutritional guidelines consistent with the National School Lunch and National School Breakfast programs, and provides appropriate nutrition, education, and physical activity for its students. Therefore, it is the policy of Sly Park to meet the following school wellness plan goals:

• Sly Park will engage food service staff, the director, and Sly Park teachers, as well as participating students, parents, and classroom teachers (through evaluation feedback tools), in developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing nutrition and physical activity policies.

• All students attending Sly Park (grades 5-6) will have opportunities, support, and encouragement to be physically active on a daily basis, including hiking and recess opportunities.

• Foods and beverages served at Sly Park will meet the nutrition recommendations of the USDA Nutrition Standards for School Meals.

• Sly Park food service staff will o Provide students with access to a variety of nutritious and appealing foods that meet their health and nutrition needs.

o Accommodate the religious, ethnic, health, and cultural diversity of the student body in meal planning.

o Provide clean, safe, and pleasant settings and adequate time for students to eat.

• Sly Park will participate in available federal school meal programs, including the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program.

• Sly Park will support nutrition and physical education to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity.

 

The Sly Park Wellness Committee (SPWC), as provided in Federal Legislation, will assist in developing, implementing, reviewing, and, as necessary, revising school nutrition and physical activity policies. The SPWC will serve as the resource for implementing those policies. The SPWC will consist of a group of individuals representing Sly Park (administrator, teacher/s, head cook, and secretary/outdoor education support specialist) and local parent/s. Sly Park will invite feedback and input from participating 5th and 6th grade students, parents, and teachers through weekly teacher surveys, student/parent surveys, and other feedback tools.

 

Meals served through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs will:

• Be appealing and attractive to children;

• Be served in a clean and pleasant setting;

• Meet or exceed current nutrition requirements established by local, state, and federal statutes and regulations, including fruits and vegetables, low-sodium, and whole grain- rich foods.

 

Menus will be posted in the Sly Park dining hall. Sly Park will share information about the nutritional content of meals with those interested.

 

Sly Park will prevent the overt identification of students who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals.

Meal Times and Scheduling

Sly Park will:

• Provide students with a least 10 minutes to eat after sitting down for breakfast and at least 20 minutes to eat after sitting down for lunch;

• Schedule meal periods at appropriate times, e.g., lunch should be scheduled between 10 am and 2 pm. Sly Park will serve breakfast at 7:30am, lunch at 12:15pm, and dinner at 5:00pm;

• Schedule lunch to follow “Recreation Time” (recess) to better support learning and healthy eating;

• Provide students access to hand washing or sanitizing before they eat meals or snacks; and

• Take reasonable steps to accommodate the tooth-brushing regimens of students with special oral health needs (e.g., orthodontia or high tooth decay risks).

 

Sly Park is committed to ensuring that all children have access to healthy meals that meet their dietary needs and will accommodate students with medical and other special dietary needs through meal substitutions.

 

School food authorities (SFA's), organizations, and institutions impacted by this guidance are those participating in any of the following Child Nutrition Programs: NSP, SBP, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, SMP, CACFP and SFSP. These include any schools, child or adult care institutions and facilities, camps (including residential facilities, and other sites, as defined in 7 CFR §§ 210.2, 215.2, 225.2, and 226.2, that are providing meal service as a Program activity). In general, SFA's, institutions, and organizations participating in the Child Nutrition Programs are not permitted to separate children on any protected basis during meal or snack service, in keeping with Federal non-discrimination laws and policies outlined for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs in 7 CFR Parts 15, 15a, and 15b. Federal law prohibits discrimination based on gender at any education institution Federal assistance.

 

• Students and school staff members will have access to free, safe, fresh (potable) drinking water at all times throughout the campus and throughout the school day. Water is available at all meal times.

• Sly Park staff will encourage and model drinking water consumption. Students will be encouraged to carry water bottles filled only with water with them throughout the day.

• Maintenance will be performed on all water fountains regularly to ensure the hygiene standards for drinking fountains, and other methods for delivering drinking water maintained.

 

Sly Park’s Head Cook will administer the school meal programs. As part of Sly Park’s responsibility to operate a food service program, Sly Park will provide the avenues for continuing professional development for all food service personnel.* Sly Park recognizes the cultural diversity within the student population and will include professional development to reflect the diversity of healthy food traditions in the student population. Professional development programs will include appropriate certification and/or training programs for cafeteria workers according to their levels of responsibility.

 

 

Sly Park does not allow students to bring food/snacks from home, with the exception of nut-free foods required for medical dietary needs that cannot be accommodated by the Sly Park kitchen. Students with special medical needs (i.e., diabetes) will be allowed to carry approved snacks.

 

Sly Park encourages and supports healthy eating and will provide nutrition information through posters, signage and by meals served. Science lessons throughout the week will incorporate discussions about the importance of healthy food choices, drinking water, and physical activity.

 

No food or beverages are marketed or available for purchase on the Sly Park campus.

 

Sly Park encourages communication with parents who are concerned with the dietary needs of their child while the child attends the Sly Park program. Sly Park also provides a “Student/Parent Evaluation” form for each student and parent to discuss and evaluate the student’s week at Sly Park. The Sly Park website provides several parent resources†.

 

 

Students attend Sly Park during their 5th or 6th grade year of school. Sly Park will offer a range of activities that meet the needs, interests, and abilities of all students including boys, girls, gender-neutral, students with disabilities, and students with special medical needs.

 

All students will receive daily instructional trails (walking/hiking) as well as the participation in evening activities (night hikes, team building games, and gym games) towards their physical exercise requirement of 150 minutes per week for elementary school students and 225 minutes per week for middle school students. Sly Park will provide adequate space/equipment and conform to all safety standards.

 

Students at Sly Park will receive a daily minimum of 20-25 minutes of supervised “Recreation Time” (recess), preferably outdoors, for each full day they are at Sly Park. Students will be encouraged to participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity verbally and through the provision of space and equipment. (NOTE: This period cannot count as physical education).

 

Sly Park teachers and staff will not use physical activity or withhold opportunities for physical activity as a punishment.

 

Transportation to and from Sly Park is provided by the students’ schools. Once the students arrive at Sly Park, there is no further need for transportation until the students depart Sly Park.

 

Because the Sly Park program is a week-long, residential program, this section is not applicable.

 

Sly Park will integrate wellness activities across the entire school setting, not just in the dining hall and physical activity facilities. To increase students’ self-esteem, to promote social responsibility and stewardship, and to prevent bullying, Sly Park will utilize its student-developed character education program to encourage students to be trustworthy, respectful, empathetic, enthusiastic, and safe (“T.R.E.E.S.”) during all aspects of the Sly Park program.

 

The Sly Park administrator will ensure compliance with the physical activity and educational components of the wellness plan.

 

Food service staff, under the direction of the Sly Park administrator and Head Cook, will ensure compliance with nutrition policies within school food service areas.

 

Sly Park will perform annual reviews to ensure plan compliance, assess progress, and determine areas in need of improvement. As part of the annual review, Sly Park will review meals and nutrition standards, physical activities, and education and other program elements. Sly Park will, as necessary, revise the wellness policies to facilitate their implementation.

 

To ensure the ongoing development and implementation of Sly Park’s wellness plan, every three years the SPWC will evaluate compliance with the wellness plan. As part of this assessment, Sly Park will invite feedback from stakeholders in order to identify and prioritize needs and to ensure that policies and procedures meet those needs. The SPWC will use indicators, as established by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program Framework of Best Practices‡, to measure the implementation and effectiveness of Sly Park activities related to student wellness. The following information will be included in the triennial assessment:

 

• Extent to which Sly Park is in compliance with the wellness plan

• Comparison of the Sly Park wellness plan to CDE school wellness models and/or other school wellness policies

• Progress made in attaining the goals of the plan

• Recommendations to change the plan, if any

• Additional information required by the USDA

 

This triennial assessment and the Sly Park Wellness Plan shall be posted on our website. (7CFR 21030).

 

 

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

 

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

 

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

 

 

Endnotes:

1 Bradley, B, Green, AC. Do Health and Education Agencies in the United States Share Responsibility for Academic Achievement and Health? A Review of 25 years of Evidence About the Relationship of Adolescents’ Academic Achievement and Health Behaviors, Journal of Adolescent Health. 2013; 52(5):523–532.

2 Meyers AF, Sampson AE, Weitzman M, Rogers BL, Kayne H. School breakfast program and school performance. American Journal of Diseases of Children. 1989;143(10):1234–1239.

3 Murphy JM. Breakfast and learning: an updated review. Current Nutrition & Food Science. 2007; 3:3–36.

4 Murphy JM, Pagano ME, Nachmani J, Sperling P, Kane S, Kleinman RE. The relationship of school breakfast to psychosocial and academic functioning: Cross-sectional and longitudinal observations in an inner-city school sample. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 1998;152(9):899–907.

5 Pollitt E, Mathews R. Breakfast and cognition: an integrative summary. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1998; 67(4), 804S–813S.

6 Rampersaud GC, Pereira MA, Girard BL, Adams J, Metzl JD. Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2005;105(5):743–760, quiz 761–762.

7 Taras, H. Nutrition and student performance at school. Journal of School Health. 2005;75(6):199–213.

8 MacLellan D, Taylor J, Wood K. Food intake and academic performance among adolescents. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research. 2008;69(3):141–144.

9 Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, Dixon LB, Resnick MD, Blum RW. Correlates of inadequate consumption of dairy products among adolescents. Journal of Nutrition Education. 1997;29(1):12–20.

10 Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, Resnick MD, Blum RW. Correlates of inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption among adolescents. Preventive Medicine. 1996;25(5):497–505.

11 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The association between school-based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, 2010.

12 Singh A, Uijtdewilligne L, Twisk J, van Mechelen W, Chinapaw M. Physical activity and performance at school: A systematic review of the literature including a methodological quality assessment. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 2012; 166(1):49-55.

13 Haapala E, Poikkeus A-M, Kukkonen-Harjula K, Tompuri T, Lintu N, Väisto J, Leppänen P, Laaksonen D, Lindi V, Lakka T. Association of physical activity and sedentary behavior with academic skills – A follow-up study among primary school children. PLoS ONE, 2014; 9(9): e107031.

14 Hillman C, Pontifex M, Castelli D, Khan N, Raine L, Scudder M, Drollette E, Moore R, Wu C-T, Kamijo K. Effects of the FITKids randomized control trial on executive control and brain function. Pediatrics 2014; 134(4): e1063-1071.

15 Change Lab Solutions. (2014). District Policy Restricting the Advertising of Food and Beverages Not Permitted to be Sold on School Grounds. Retrieved from http://changelabsolutions.org/publications/district-policy-school-food-ads.