Wellness Policy

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School recognizes that child and adolescent obesity has reached epidemic levels in the United States and that poor diet combined with the lack of physical activity negatively impacts on students’ health and their ability and motivation to learn. 
 
Purpose of the Policy:  To promote increased access to healthy foods, physical activity, nutrition education and School-based wellness activities.
 
Supports needed:

1. School Wellness Team
   1. Increased resources
   2. An infrastructure that allows schools to prepare and/or purchase healthy foods.
   3. Engage all students in both physical education program, health classes, physical 
   4. activity opportunities.

Composition of the Wellness Team:    

1. Administrator, Physical Education and Health Teacher
2. Social Worker
3. School Nurse
4. Member of Food Staff
5. Parent/Students
6. Community Member

Responsibilities of the School Wellness Team…

1. Assess the school health environment
2. Identify ways to strengthen these programs and policies to improve the health of students, staff and community members
3. Develop and implement an action plan based on assessment
4. Encourage not only programs and services that focus on student health and safety but also ones that support student learning.
5. Help the entire school and parent community to perceive the connections between health and academic achievement.

Five Policy Components

1. Nutrition:  Mt. Carmel will participate in both breakfast and lunch programs in order to enhance daily nutrient intake leading to sustained good academic achievement and psychosocial functioning.

Nutrition Goal I:  School meals meet established Federal Nutrition Standards and Healthier US School Criteria

1. Plan and prepare menus to comply with Federal Nutrition Standards
2. Provide food service personnel with regular professional development on school meal programs /nutrition/ health education and wellness.
3. Share nutrition information about foods and beverages with school constituencies to the extent possible.

Nutrition Goal 2:  Increase meal participation rates by offering alternative service methods and quality, accessible, appealing meals.

1. Offer alternative service methods 
2. Provide students an opportunity to have input on school menu items.
3. Conduct regular food tasting activities with students to introduce healthy menu items.
4. Feature menus with healthy choices that are flavorful and attractively presented.
5. Promote the school meal program to all constituencies.
6. Provide safety training to all nutrition staff.
7. Help communities establish local farm to school networks, create a school garden and ensure that more local foods are used in the school setting.

Nutrition Goal 3:  A la carte nutrition standards with meet the Smart Snacks regulations set forth by the USDA.

Nutrition Goal 4: Use non-food rewards for school accomplishments.

1. Provide teachers and PTA with alternatives to food rewards.
2. Provide training to teachers on non-food related incentives.

Nutrition Goal 4:  School celebration should maximize the use of healthy food choices.

Nutrition Goal 5:  Students will have adequate space and time to eat in a pleasant environment.

1. Provide facilities that are east to access and adequate to meet demand.
2. Provide meal schedules that support healthy meal patterns.
3. Allow at least 20 minutes to eat lunch and 20 minutes before or after for recess.
4. Upgrade eating and serving areas to improve function and image of cafeteria.

All reimbursable meals shall meet Federal nutrient standards as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Program regulations.  All reimbursable after school snacks will meet the Smart Snack standards set forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The following items may not be served, sold or given out as free promotion anywhere on school property any time before the end of the school day:

• Foods of minimal nutritional value (FMNV) as defined by U.S. Department of Agriculture 
• All foods and beverage items listing sugar, in any form, as the first ingredient; and 
• All forms of candy.
• All foods containing trans fats are not sold.

All snack and beverage items sold or served anywhere on school property during the school day, including items sold in a la carte lines or served in the after school snack program, shall meet the following standards:

Based on manufacturers nutritional data or nutrient facts labels:

• No more than eight grams of total fat per serving, with the exception of nuts or seeds.
• No more than two grams of saturated fat per serving.
• 100% of all beverages offered shall be milk, water or 100% fruit or vegetable juices.
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B) Nutrition Education:  promotes the creation of consistent messages that link the classroom to the cafeteria with meaningful life lessons, specifically in health education, collaboration with community partners to enhance nutrition education efforts and curriculum integration across the subject areas.

  Nutrition Education Goal 1
            Students in grade K-8 will receive a program in health education focused on the skills needed to adopt healthy eating behaviors and lifelong wellness practices.                                                                                                                                                  

1. Nutrition education topics are integrated into the comprehensive health education program taught at each grade level.
2. Nutrition instruction includes emphasis on healthy eating behaviors, physical activity and screen time reduction.
3. Nutrition education is developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant, and includes participatory, enjoyable nutrition promotion activities such as taste-testing and school gardens.

Nutrition Education Goal 2:  Schools will collaborate with community partners to enhance education efforts.

Nutrition Education Goal 3: Nutrition education is integrated into other subject areas besides health.

C)  Physical Education:  quality physical education uses a planned, sequential program of curricula and instruction based on diocesan, state and national PE standards so that all students, including those with disabilities, develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to maintain a physically, active lifestyle.

             Physical Education Goal 1: All students in grades K-8 will participate in a quality physical education.

1. Provide Physical Education teachers with professional development opportunities.
2. Students in physical education will be instructed and assessed in foundational motor
3. Students will be instructed using diverse and developmentally appropriate physical activities to meet their individual needs and interests during PR classes.

D)  Physical Activity:  provide opportunities to increase the amount of physical activity in addition to Physical Education in the areas of recess, afterschool activities and physical activity integrated into the classroom routine.

             Physical Activity Goal:  All students in grades K-8 will have the opportunities outside of PE class to be physically active during the school day.
 

1. Provide at least one 20 minute recess, preferably before lunch, to all students in grades K-8.
2. Provide resources and staff development to school staff to assist them in providing physical activity breaks in the classroom and throughout the school day.

 
OLMC is committed to:
 

• Providing students with healthy and nutritious foods
• Encouraging the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, low fat milk and whole grains
• Supporting healthy eating through nutrition education
• Encouraging students to select and consume all components of the school meal
• Providing students with the opportunity to engage in daily physical activity and school based wellness activities.

 
All reimbursable meals shall meet Federal nutrient standards as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Program regulations.  All items served as part of the After School Snack Program shall meet the standards as outlined within this policy.
 
The following items may not be served, sold or given out as free promotion anywhere on school property at any time before the end of the school day:
 

• Foods of minimal nutritional value (FMNV) as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations
• All food and beverage items listing sugar, in any form, as the first ingredient
• All forms of candy

 
Schools shall reduce the purchase of any products containing trans fats.  (Federal labeling of trans fats on all food products is required by January 1, 2006)
 
All snack and beverage items sold or served anywhere on school property during the school day, including items sold in a la carte lines, vending machines, snack bars, school stores and fundraisers or served in the reimbursable After School Snack Program, shall meet the following standards:
 

1. Based on manufacturers nutritional data or nutrient facts labels:

• No more than eight grams of total fat per serving, with the exception of nuts and seeds
• No more than two grams of saturated fat per serving

 
      2)  All beverages shall not exceed 12 ounces, with the following exceptions:

• Water
• Milk containing two percent or less fat

 
     3)   Whole milk shall not exceed eight ounces
 
In elementary schools:

• 100 percent of all beverages offered shall be milk, water or 100 percent fruit or vegetable juices.

 
In middle and high schools:

• At least 60 percent of all beverages offered, other than mild and water, shall be 100 percent fruit or vegetable juices.
• No more than 40 percent of all ice cream/frozen desserts shall be allowed to exceed the above standards for sugar, fat and saturated fat. 

Food and beverages served during special school celebrations or during curriculum related activities shall be exempt from this policy, with the exception of foods of minimal nutritional value as defined by USDA regulations.  
 
This policy does not apply to: medically authorized special needs diets pursuant to 7 CFR Part 210; school nurses using FMNVs during the course of providing health care to individual students; or special needs students whose Individualized Education Plan (IEP) indicates their use for behavior modification.
 
Adequate time shall be allowed for student meal service and consumption.  Schools shall provide a pleasant dining environment.  OLMC recommends that physical education or recess be scheduled before lunch whenever possible.
 
This school district’s curriculum shall incorporate nutrition education and physical activity consistent with the New Jersey Department of Education Core Curriculum Standards.
 
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School is committed to promoting the Nutrition Policy with all food service personnel, teachers, nurses, coaches and other school administrative staff so they have the skills they need to implement this policy and promote healthy eating practices. OLMC will work toward expanding awareness about this policy among students, parents, teachers and the community at large.