The Yelm Community Schools Board of Directors recognizes that childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in Washington and throughout the country. Overweight children are at greater risk for developing severe long-term health problems and overweight children are affected by discrimination, psychological stress and low self-esteem. However, research indicates that obesity and subsequent diseases are largely preventable through diet and regular physical activity. Research also indicates that becoming physically active and maintaining a regular physical activity program significantly reduces the risk of some obesity and some cancers, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Children who eat well-balanced meals and are healthy are more likely to learn in the classroom. The board supports increased emphasis on nutrition as well as physical activity at all grade levels to enhance the well-being of our district’s youth. Therefore, it is the policy of the board to provide students: 

• Access to nutritious food.
  
  
• Opportunities for physical activity and developmentally appropriate exercise.
  
  
• Accurate information related to these topics. 

The superintendent will develop and implement a comprehensive district-wide program consistent with state and federal requirements for districts sponsoring the National School Lunch and National School Breakfast Programs. To implement the program, the superintendent will adopt and implement a comprehensive curriculum on health, physical education,  and nutrition consistent with the Washington State Learning Standards. The curriculum will provide opportunities for developmentally appropriate instruction for grades K-12. The input of staff, students, parents, and public health professionals in the development of the curriculum is encouraged.

Nutrition, health, and physical education topics will be integrated within the sequential comprehensive health and physical education curriculum taught at every grade level, kindergarten through grade 12 and coordinated with the district’s nutrition and food services operation.

Nutrition Standards

The district will provide meals for students that meet the meal pattern requirements for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

All foods and beverages sold to students on campus during the school day (e.g., vending machines, DECA school stores, bake sales, and other school fundraisers) must meet USDA Smart Snacks in Schools standards.  No food or drink items will be sold unless they have been approved by the principal or school official responsible for oversight as designated in the LSWP.

Food Services Program

The district supports the philosophy of the National School Lunch and National School Breakfast Program and will provide wholesome and nutritious meals for children in the district’s schools. The board authorizes the superintendent to administer the food services program, provided that any decision to enter into a contract with a private food service management company  will require the approval of the board. Expenditures for food supplies will not exceed the estimated revenues.

Because of potential liability of the district, the food services program will not accept donations of food other than as provided in this policy without the expressed approval of the board. Should the board approve a food donation, the superintendent will establish inspection and handling procedures for the food and determine that the provisions of all state and local laws have been met before selling the food as part of the school breakfast or lunch menu.

As a sponsor of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, the district will provide free and reduced-price breakfasts and lunches to students who qualify in accordance with the terms of the programs. The district will distribute the Letter to Households and free and reduced price meal applications to all households at the beginning of each school year.  

The district will protect the identity of students eligible for free and reduced-priced meals in accordance with USDA guidelines for confidentiality and disclosure of student eligibility for such meals.

On test days, the district may provide free, nutritious meals to all students, including students who do not qualify for free or reduced priced federal school meal benefits. However, the district must use non-federal funds to cover the cost of providing such meals.

The board may set an adult meal price to allow teachers, administrators, and parents to demonstrate their support for school meal program by occasionally eating with students.  The price must be the price charged to students paying the full meal price plus the value of federal reimbursement for paid meals and the USDA Food Value.

The district will use USDA Foods made available under the Federal Food Distribution Program for school meal programs.

Food Services Procurement

Open bid process

In all applicable cases, food, food products, supplies, and equipment purchased with school food service funds will be procured in accordance with the process and procedures established in Policy 6220 in a manner that provides full and open competition consistent with the standards in applicable federal regulations.

Conflict of Interest

The following conduct will be expected of all persons who are engaged in the award and administration of contracts supported by School Food Services Program Funds: 

1. No employee, officer, or agent of the district shall participate in selection or in the award or administration of a contract supported by Program funds if a conflict of interest, real or apparent, would be involved. Conflicts of interest arise when one of the following has a financial or other interest in the firm selected for the award:
   
   a.  District employee, officer, or agent;
   
   b.  Any member of their immediate family;
   
   c.  Their partner;
   
   d.  An organization that employs or is about to employ one of the above.
   
   
2. District employees, officers, or agents shall neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from contractors, potential contractors, or parties to sub-agreements.
   
   
3. The purchase during the school day of any food or service from a contractor for individual use is prohibited.
   
   
4. The removal of any food, supplies, equipment, or school property such as records, recipe books, and the like is prohibited.
   
   
5. The outside sale of such items as used oil, empty cans, and the like will be sold by contract between the district and the outside agency. Individual sales by any school person to an outside agency or other school person is prohibited.

Failure of any employee to abide by the above-stated code may result in disciplinary action, including but not limited to, a fine, suspension, or dismissal.

Physical Education and Physical Activity

Health and Physical Education Curriculum

The superintendent will adopt and implement a comprehensive health and physical education curriculum consistent with the Washington State K-12 Health and Fitness Learning Standards. The health and physical education curriculum will promote the benefits of a physically active lifestyle and help students develop skills to engage in lifelong healthy habits. The curriculum will provide opportunities for developmentally appropriate instruction for grades K - 12.

All students in grades one through eight will be required to receive an average of one hundred instructional minutes per week of physical education per year. All high school students are required to complete a minimum of .5 credits of health and 1.5 credits of physical education. The district will offer a one credit course or its equivalent in physical education for each grade in the high school program (grades 9-12).

A physical education curriculum includes instruction and practice in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns; knowledge of concepts related to movement and performance; knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness; responsible personal and social behavior; and values physical activity for health and enjoyment. 

All students will be provided equal opportunity to participate in physical education classes. The district will make appropriate accommodations to allow opportunity for equitable participation by all students and will reasonably adapt physical education classes and equipment as necessary. The district will ensure that any student eligible for special education will be provided appropriate physical education services.

Recess

In addition to required physical education, the district will attempt to provide students with physically active daily recess opportunities. Recess will complement, not substitute, for physical education class.

Physical Activity

The district will attempt to provide physical activity before, during, and after school. This includes a variety of school-based physical activities to enable all students to participate in 60 minutes of physical activity each day. These physical activity breaks will complement, not substitute, for physical education class, recess, and class transition periods.

Active transport will be encouraged in schools to promote alternative transport methods for children, such as pedestrian and bicycle safety programs (See Policy 6605, Student Safety Walking, Biking and Riding Buses).

The district is encouraged to promote the use of school facilities for physical activity programs offered by the school and/or community-based organizations outside of school hours.

Cross References: 
Board Policy 2020         Curriculum Development and Adoption of Instructional Materials
Board Policy 2410         High School Graduation Requirements  
Board Policy 4260         Use of School Facilities

Legal References:      
RCW 28A.210.365         Food choice, physical activity, childhood fitness – minimum standards – district waiver or exemption policy  
RCW 28A.230.040         Physical education – Grades 1-8
RCW 28A.230.050         Physical education in High Schools
RCW 28A.235                  Food Services
RCW 28A.235.120         Meal Programs – Establishment and Operation – Personnel – Agreements
RCW 28A.235.130         Milk for children at school expense
RCW 28A.623.020          Nonprofit program for elderly—Authorized— Restrictions
RCW 69.04                        Intrastate Commerce in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics
RCW 69.06.010                Food and beverage service worker’s permit – Filing, duration – Minimum training requirements
RCW 69.06.020                Permit exclusive and valid throughout state – Fee
RCW 69.06.030                Diseased persons – May not work – Employer may not hire
RCW 69.06.050                Permit to be secured within fourteen days from time of employment
RCW 69.06.070                Limited duty permit
WAC 180-51-068             State subject and credit requirements for high school graduation—Students entering the ninth grade on or after July 1, 2015
WAC 392-172A-02030    Physical education (special education services)
WAC 392-410-135            Physical Education – Grade school and high school requirement
WAC 392-410-136            Physical Education Requirement – Excuse
7 CFR, Parts 210 and 220
7 CFR, Part 245.5
7 CFR 3016.36                   Procurement
Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010

Management Resources:
Policy News, Dec. 2004         Nutrition and Physical Fitness Update
Policy News, Feb. 2005         Nutrition and Physical Fitness Policy
Policy and Legal News          Feb. 2014; June 2015      

ADOPTED:  03/24/1993
REVISED:  4/23/98; 6/21/05; 1/12/06; 3/23/2006; 12/20/07; 5/27/10; 6/24/14; 9/24/15

Procedure No. 6700P Nutrition and Physical Fitness

Local School Wellness Policy (LSWP)

The district will convene an advisory committee to assist in development of the district- wide LSWP. The committee will include parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, the school board and school administrators, teachers of physical education, school health professionals and the public in developing, implementing, periodically reviewing and updating the LSWP.

School Meal Programs and Competitive Foods

The district will follow the USDA’s meal patterns for the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Smart Snacks in School standards for all food and beverages sold to students on school campus during the school day. These are available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/all-foods-sold-schools. While students/parents/guardians are permitted to bring commercial foods to school that do not meet the Smart Snacks standards on occasions such as birthdays and holiday celebrations, the district will encourage healthy food choices in all school operations. 

• Celebrations and Rewards
  
  All foods offered on the school campus are encouraged to meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards, including through:
  
  

• Celebrations and parties. The district will provide a list of healthy party ideas to parents and teachers, including non-food celebration ideas.
  
  
• Classroom snacks brought by parents. The district will provide to parents a list of foods and beverages that meet Smart Snack nutrition standards; and
  
  
• Rewards and incentives. The district will provide teachers and other relevant school staff a list of alternative ways to reward children. Foods and beverages will not be used as a reward, or withheld as punishment for any reason, such as for performance or behavior.
  
  
• Fundraising
  
  Foods and beverages that meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards may be sold through fundraisers on the school campus during the school day. The district will make available to parents and teachers a list of healthy fundraising ideas.
  
  

• Water
  
  To promote hydration, free, safe, and unflavored drinking water will be available to all students throughout the school day and throughout every school campus. The district will make drinking water available where school meals are served during mealtimes. In addition, students will be allowed to bring and carry (approved) water bottles filled with only water with them throughout the day.

School Cafeterias 

• Any student may eat in the school cafeteria or other designated place.
  
  
• Meal prices will be established by the superintendent and food service director with the approval of the board at the beginning of each year.
  
  
• Healthy foods should be competitively priced.
  
  
• Meal prices will be conspicuously posted in each cafeteria or designated meal area.

Nutrition and Food Services Operation

In order to support the school’s nutrition and food services operation as an essential partner in the educational mission of the district and its role in the district’s comprehensive nutrition program, the superintendent is responsible for:

• Encouraging students to participate in the school meal programs.;
  
  
• Providing varied and nutritious food choices consistent with the applicable school meal program guidelines; and
  
  
• Providing that:
  
  
• Students have adequate time to eat their entire meal;
  
  
• Seating for meals is uncrowded and occurs in a safe environment;
  
  
• Rules for mealtime behavior are consistently enforced;
  
  
• Mealtime supervision is appropriate; and
  
  
• Buses arrive in time for students to participate in the School Breakfast Program. 

Staff Development

Ongoing in-service and professional development training opportunities for staff in the area of food nutrition will be encouraged.

Family and Community Involvement

In order to promote family and community involvement in supporting and reinforcing nutrition education in schools, the school principal is responsible for ensuring:

• Nutrition education materials and breakfast and lunch menus are made available to parents;
  
  
• Parents are encouraged to promote their child’s participation in the school meals program. If their children do not participate in the school meals program, parents should provide their children with healthy snacks/meals;
  
  
• Families are invited to attend exhibitions of student nutrition projects or health fairs;
  
  
• Nutrition education curriculum includes homework that students can do with their families (e.g., reading and interpreting food labels, reading nutrition-related newsletters, preparing healthy recipes, etc.);
  
  
• School staff are encouraged to cooperate with other agencies and community groups to provide opportunities for student projects related to nutrition, as appropriate; and
  
  
• School staff consider the various cultural preferences in development of nutrition education programs and food options.

• A district’s K-12 nutrition education curriculum shall be in alignment with the Washington State K-12 Learning Standards.
  
  
• A district’s nutrition education K-12 curriculum may include, but not be limited to, the following:
  
  
• Age-appropriate nutritional knowledge, including:
  
  
• Understand the relationship of nutrition and food nutrients to physical performance and body composition;
  
  
• Learn the benefits of healthy eating;
  
  
• Understand essential nutrients;
  
  
• Learn about nutritional deficiencies;
  
  
• Understand the principles of healthy weight management;
  
  
• Understand the use and misuse of dietary supplements;
  
  

• Learn safe food preparation, handling, and storage; and
  
  
• Appreciate cultural diversity related to food and eating.
  
  
• Age-appropriate nutrition-related skills, including:
  
  
• Gather and analyze health information;
  
  
• Analyze nutrition information to plan and prepare a healthy meal;
  
  
• Understand and use food labels,
  
  
• Evaluate nutrition information, misinformation, and commercial food and advertising; and
  
  
• Assess one’s personal eating habits, set goals for improvement, and achieve those goals.

Physical Education and Physical Activity

Health and Physical Education Curriculum

It is the district’s position that all students have equal and equitable opportunities for health and physical education in our schools. The District’s K-12 curriculum shall be in alignment with the Washington State K-12 Learning Standards. The goals of the district are:

• All children, from kindergarten through grade 12, will participate in a quality, standards-based health and physical education program;
  
  
• OSPI-developed assessments or other strategies will be used in Health and Fitness/Physical Education, formerly known as classroom-based assessments (CBAs).
  
  
• The district will make appropriate accommodations to allow for equitable participation for all student and will adapt physical education classes and equipment necessary. The district  will  ensure that any student eligible for special education will be provided appropriate physical education services.
  
  
• All schools will have certificated physical education teachers providing instruction; and
  
  
• All schools will have appropriate class sizes, facilities, equipment, and supplies needed to deliver quality physical education consistent with state and national standards. 

A physical education curriculum includes instruction and practice in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns; knowledge of concepts related to movement and performance; knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness; responsible personal and social behavior; and values physical activity for health and enjoyment.

Physical Activity

All students (K-12) will participate in a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program. A Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) is a multi-component approach by which school districts and schools use all opportunities for students to be physically active and develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be physically active for a lifetime. A CSPAP reflects strong coordination and synergy across all of the components: quality physical education as the foundation, physical activity before, during, and after school, staff involvement, and family and community engagement.

Recess

Each school will offer physically active daily recess opportunities that align with state and national recess recommendations and maintain safe and age-appropriate equipment to use during recess. Recess monitors or teachers will encourage students to be active. Recess will complement, not substitute for, physical education class.

Family and Community Involvement

In order to promote family and community involvement in supporting and reinforcing physical education in the schools, the school principal is responsible for ensuring:

• Physical education activity ideas are sent home with students;
  
  
• Parents are encouraged to promote their child’s participation in the school’s physical education programs and after school activities;
  
  
• Families are invited to attend and participate in physical education activity programs and health fairs;
  
  
• Physical education curriculum includes homework that students can do with their families;
  
  
• School staff consider the various cultural preferences in development of physical education programs; and
  
  
• School staff are encouraged to cooperate with other agencies and community groups to provide opportunities for students to participate in physical activity programs. 

School District Facilities

Access to school sites will be provided through permitting use of facilities to community youth sports groups consistent with the district’s facilities use policy, community college, and municipal joint use agreements and partnerships with youth organizations so additional opportunities are available for all youth in the  community to participate in quality physical activity, fitness, sports, and recreation programs.

Active Transport

The district will identify safe and active routes to and from school to promote alternative transport methods for children, such as walking and bicycle programs. The district will encourage this behavior by engaging and promoting activities such as:

• Designation of safe or preferred routes to school;
  
  
• Promotional activities such as participation in International Walk to School Week, National Walk and Bike to School Week;
  
  
• Secure storage facilities for bicycles and helmets (e.g., shed, cage, fenced area);
  
  
• Instruction on walking/bicycling safety provided to students;
  
  
• Promotion of safe routes program to students, staff, and parents via newsletters, websites, local newspaper; and
  
  
• Creation and distribution of maps of the school environment (e.g., sidewalks, crosswalks, roads, pathways, bike racks, etc.).

Program Evaluation and Assessment

A plan for periodically measuring and making available to the public, including students, parents and the community (e.g., as part of the district’s Annual Report) an assessment on the implementation of the LSWP including:

• The extent to which schools under the jurisdiction of the District are in compliance with the wellness policy;
  
  
• The extent to which the District’s wellness policy compares to the model Wellness School Assessment Tool; and
  
  
• A description of the progress made in attaining the goals of the District’s wellness policy.

ADOPTED:  03/24/1993
REVISED:  4/23/98; 6/21/05; 1/12/06; 8/28/08; 6/24/14; 9/24/15