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Wellness Program

Wellness Program

The primary goals of the Kirbyville School District’s wellness program are to promote student health, reduce student overweight/obesity, facilitate student learning of lifelong healthy habits and increase student achievement. The following procedures will guide the implementation of the district wellness program.

Introduction

The Kirbyville School District has adopted a wellness policy designed to assess and improve the school environment in terms of student health.

In the classroom students are taught to eat healthfully and to be active, but they also need the opportunity to practice those behaviors.
Wellness policies combine education with practice to create healthful school environments and encourage healthy behavior.

This Wellness Page is devoted to the family education component of wellness. Hopefully, as families read and learn from the tips compiled from reliable sources and published about all areas of student health and safety, the “knowing” can turn to “doing” with families choosing the opportunity to practice healthy habits.

Details

  • In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

     

    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

    Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

     

    To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: this link and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992.

     

    Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

    1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture

    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW

    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

    1. fax: (202) 690-7442; or
    2. email: program.intake@usda.gov.

    This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

  • The district designated the following nutrition guidelines, based on the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, for foods and beverages served in schools during the school day:

     

    School Meals – All school meals will comply with USDA regulations and state policies and strive to meet the advanced, more healthful regulations of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act.

     

    A La Carte Food Items - A la carte items comply with USDA regulations prohibiting the sale of “foods of minimal nutritional value” where school meals are served or eaten during the meal period.

     

    Drinks Sold in Vending Machines – The only vending machine available to children is at KMS. This machine, with bottled water, juice, and sports drinks - this machine will not be accessible to the students from 12:00am and half an hour after the school day ends. These times are in compliance with USDA regulations prohibiting the sale of “foods of minimal nutritional value” where school meals are served or eaten during the meal period.

     

    Snack Programs, Rewards, Celebrations and Parties – All foods and beverages are offered in compliance with USDA regulations prohibiting the sale of “foods of minimal nutritional value” where school meals are served or eaten during the meal period. Excessive use of sugary and non-nutritional foods will not be permitted.

     

    Fundraisers – All foods and beverages are offered in compliance with USDA regulations prohibiting the sale of “foods of minimal nutritional value” where school meals are served or eaten during the meal period. Encourage staff and students to consider all fundraising to be supportive of physical activity and healthy eating.

  • The district’s nutrition education goal is to integrate sequential nutrition education with the comprehensive health education program and, to the extent possible, the core curriculum taught at every grade level in order to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to make healthy nutrition decisions. In order to achieve the nutrition education goal, the district will:

     

    1. Provide students at all grade levels with adequate nutritional knowledge including, but not limited to:

    • The benefits of healthy eating.
    • Essential nutrients.
    • Nutritional deficiencies.
    • Principles of healthy weight management.
    • The use and misuse of dietary supplements in grades 6-8 only.
    1. Provide students with nutrition-related skills that minimally include the ability to:
      • Understand and use food labels
      • Apply the principles of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid.gov.

     

    1. Integrate the Team Nutrition curriculum into the school’s nutrition education in appropriate grades.

     

    1. Ensure that school counselors and school health services staff consistently promote healthy eating to students and other staff and that these professionals are

    prepared to recognize conditions such as unhealthy weight, eating disorders and other nutrition-related health problems among students and staff as well as assure access to healthcare.

     

    1. Coordinate the food service program with nutrition instruction. Food Service director should also work closely with those responsible for other components of the school health program to achieve common goals.

  • The district’s physical activity goal is to assist students in learning to value and enjoy physical activity as an ongoing part of a healthy lifestyle by ensuring that every student has the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to perform a variety of physical activities, maintain physical fitness and regularly participate in physical activity. In order to achieve the physical activity goal, the district will:

     

    1. Develop a sequential program of appropriate physical education for every student. The program will:
      • Provide for at least 50 minutes of physical education for students in the elementary grades (grades K-5) during the school week; at least 50 minutes during each school week for students in middle school

    (grades 6-8).

    • Emphasize knowledge and skills for a lifetime of regular physical activity.
    • Devote at least 50 percent of physical education class time to actual physical activity in each week, with as much time as possible spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity.
    • Meet the needs of all students, especially those who are not athletically gifted or who have special needs.
    • Provide a variety of activity choices, feature cooperative as well as competitive activities, and account for gender and cultural differences in students’ interests.

    • Prohibit exemptions from physical education courses based on participation in an athletic team, community recreation program, or other school or community activity.
    • Be closely coordinated with the other components of the overall school health program.

     

    1. Provide time both schools for supervised recess.
      • All elementary students will have at least 20 minutes per day of supervised recess. Recess will be scheduled before lunch and held outdoors when possible.
      • All Middle School students will have at least 10 minutes per day of supervised recess. Recess will be scheduled after lunch and held outdoors when possible.
    2. Discourage periods of inactivity that exceed two or more hours.
      • When activities such as mandatory school wide testing make it necessary for students to remain indoors for long periods of time, staff should give students periodic breaks during which they are encouraged to stand and be moderately active.
    3. Provide opportunities and encouragement for staff to be physically active by:

     

    • Planning, establishing and implementing activities to promote physical activity among staff and providing opportunities for staff to conveniently engage in regular physical activity.
    • Working with recreation agencies and other community organizations to coordinate and enhance opportunities available to staff for physical activity during their out-of-school time.

  • The district’s goal for other school-based activities is to ensure an integrated whole-school

    approach to the district’s wellness program. The district will achieve this goal by addressing the areas itemized below.

     

    Community Involvement

     

    School instructional staff will collaborate with agencies and groups conducting nutrition education in the community to send consistent messages to students and their families. Guest speakers invited to address students will receive appropriate orientation to the relevant policies of the district.

    The wellness program shall make effective use of district and community resources and equitably serve the needs and interests of all students and staff, taking into consideration differences of gender, cultural norms, physical and cognitive abilities and fitness level.

    Family Involvement

     

    The district will strive to engage families as partners in their children’s education by supporting parental efforts to motivate and help their children’s education with maintaining and improving their health, preventing disease and avoiding health-related risk behaviors. Strategies the district may implement to achieve family involvement may include, but are not limited to:

    1. Providing nutrition information to parents/guardians in the forms of newsletters, handouts, presentations or other appropriate means.
    2. Posting nutrition tips on district websites.
    3. Providing nutrient analyses of district menus, upon request.
    4. Providing parents/guardians a list of appropriate foods that meet the district’s nutrition standards for snacks.
    5. Providing parents/guardians with ideas for healthy celebrations, parties, rewards, and fundraising activities.
    6. Encouraging parents/guardians to pack healthy lunches and snacks and to refrain

    from including beverages and foods that do not meet the district’s nutrition standards for individual foods and beverages.

    1. Providing information about physical education and other school-based physical activity opportunities available to students before, during and after the school day.
    2. Sharing information about physical activity and physical education via the district’s website, newsletter, other take-home materials, special events or physical education homework.
    3. Encouraging parents/guardians to volunteer time in the classroom, cafeteria or at special events that promote student health.

     

    Marketing and Advertising

    Marketing in district facilities will be consistent with the goals of the district’s wellness program and comply with Board policy. The district will strive to promote the wellness program and educate parents regarding the quality of district foods.

    Tobacco advertising is not permitted on district property, at district-sponsored events or in district-sponsored publications

     

    Meal Times

     

    Students are not permitted to leave school campus during the school day to purchase food or beverages.

     

    Meal times will comply with the following guidelines:

    1. Meal times will provide students with at least 10 minutes to eat after sitting down for breakfast, and 20 minutes for elementary and 15 minutes for middle school after sitting down for lunch.
    2. Activities such as tutoring or meetings will not be held during mealtimes unless students may eat during such activities.

    1. If possible, lunch periods will follow recess periods at the elementary level.

     

    1. Drinking water will be available to students during meals.

     

    1. Students will have access to hand-washing facilities before they eat meals or snacks.

     

    1. Students will be allowed to converse during meals.

     

    1. The cafeteria will be clean, orderly and inviting.

     

    1. Adequate seating and supervision will be provided during meal times.

     

    Staff Development and Training

     

    All staff will be provided with ongoing training and professional development related to all areas of student wellness. The pre-service and ongoing in-service training will include teaching strategies for behavior change and will focus on giving teachers the skills they need to use non- lecture, active learning methods. Staff responsible for nutrition education will be adequately prepared and regularly participate in professional development activities to effectively deliver the nutrition education program as planned. Staff responsible for implementing the physical education program will be properly certified and regularly participate in area-specific professional development activities.

     

    Qualified nutrition professionals will administer the district meal programs and will receive ongoing, are-specific professional development.

     

     

    Staff Wellness

     

    The Kirbyville School District highly values the health and well-being of every staff member and will plan and implement activities and policies that support personal efforts by staff to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

     

    The school district’s nurse Kathryn Gubin, RN, will coordinate, promote, and assess the staffs’ “wellness league”. The league will consist of members of both the districts faculty and staff.

     

    Monthly challenges to promote a healthy lifestyle, and monthly challenges (with a prize awarded each month) are both areas of the Wellness League have been implemented and are being positively received by all participants.

     

    Sun Safety

     

    “Sun safety” describes a range of behaviors that include wearing appropriate clothing, applying sunscreen and limiting sun exposure. The sun safety program will focus on outdoor behavior and will be developmentally appropriate, active, engaging and taught in lessons that emphasize the positive benefits of sun safety. Sun safety education will be designed to assist students with:

     

    1. Knowledge about the harmful effects of the sun and ways to protect skin.
    2. Sun-safe skills, including the correct use of protective clothing, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen and lip balm as well as seeking shade and limiting sun exposure when possible and practical during the hours of peak sun intensity.

     

    Tobacco

     

    Tobacco use prevention education will focus on all grades with particular emphasis on middle school and reinforcement in all later grades. Instructional activities will be participatory and developmentally appropriate. Tobacco use prevention education programs will be implemented in accordance with Board policy, relevant administrative procedures and law.