5110 Health and Wellness
Middletown
Policy
Policies
Middletown Public Schools No. 5110
Health and Wellness
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Purpose
The Middletown School Committee and the School Community are dedicated to ensuring that all district schools follow the Federal and R.I. Health Laws. The purpose of this policy is to assure a healthy school environment for all PK-12 students that enhances student attendance and academic performance. This policy meets the requirements of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 and the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) ( see Addendum #1 & #2).
By establishing herein the Middletown School District’s goals and expectations relative to wellness, including nutrition guidelines and education, physical and health education, and physical activity, the District is providing clear and consistent direction for all administrators, principals, teachers and other school staff, as well as students and parents, in every Middletown public school. This policy promotes and encourages students to adopt lifelong healthy behaviors that can protect students’ health and well-being as well as reduce the risk of chronic disease, and adheres to all federal and state mandates relative to the wellness of students and staff.
Policy Intent
The Middletown School District recognizes the important relationship that exists between academic performance and student health, and that meeting the basic developmental needs of students – helping to ensure that they are safe, drug-free, and healthy– is vital to improving academic performance. Research studies have consistently concluded that student health status and achievement are directly connected, and in fact, that the health and well-being of students is one of the most significant influences on learning and academic achievement ( see Addendum – Additional Resources #1). While the primary responsibility of schools is academic preparation, the District recognizes that schools also share in the responsibility to prepare students for life, which includes teaching and modeling the skills and behaviors necessary for lifelong health.
Table of Contents
DEFINITIONS .............................................................................................................................. 3
POLICY COMPONENTS
I. Middletown Wellness Committee ........................................................................................ 4
II. Student and Family Nutrition Education and Wellness Promotion ............................... 5
III. Nutrition Guidelines for All School Foods and Beverages ….......................................... 6
A. Food Safety and Security ……………………………………………...……………………. 6
B. Food Marketing in Schools …………..……………………………………………………… 6
C. Reimbursable Meal Program …………..…………………………………………………… 6
D. Competitive Food and Beverage Sales/Other Foods and Beverages Served………… 8
IV. Physical Education and Physical Activity ......................................................................... 11
V. Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting ................................................. 13
VI. Areas of Importance Outside of Nutrition and Physical Education/Activit….……….14
ADDENDUM .................................................................................................................................14
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES……………………………………………………………………14
RECOMMENDATIONS…………………………………………………………………….……15
DEFINITIONS
A la carte – is any food or beverage sold outside of the reimbursable school meals program (School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program) by the School Food Service Provider.
Competitive Foods & Beverages – is any food or beverage sold outside of the reimbursable school meals program (School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program).
Physical Activity (PA) – is any leisure or non-leisure movement of the body that expends energy, such as exercise, sports, dance, mobility training or physical therapy, brisk walking, swimming or other body movements that result in an increased heart rate.
Physical Education (PE) – a sequential, developmentally appropriate K-12 curriculum, in accordance with the Rhode Island Physical Education Framework, enabling students to develop the knowledge, motor skills, self-management skills, attitudes and confidence needed to adopt and maintain physical activity throughout their lives.
School Day – is defined as the period from midnight before to one hour after the end of the official school day.
School Campus (Premises) – is defined as all areas of property under the jurisdiction of the school that are accessible to students during the day.
POLICY COMPONENTS
I. MIDDLETOWN WELLNESS COMMITTEE
R.I. General Law (16-21-28) requires the establishment of a district-wide coordinated school health and wellness subcommittee chaired by a member of the full school committee. ( See Addendum #3).
A. The Middletown School Committee will establish and maintain a Wellness Committee, whose membership will include, but is not limited to:
1. School Administrator Co-Chair
2. School personnel, including but not limited to:
• School Nurse Teachers
• Physical Education/Health teachers
3. Parents and students from each school
4. State and Community health representatives
5. District Food Service Providers, chefs and Nutrition specialists
6. The Wellness Committee will make recommendations to the Superintendent and the School Committee regarding this Health and Wellness policy.
School staff, students, parents, and members of the community will be invited to participate in the committee by regular public notice and district communications.
The members of the Wellness Committee will collaborate and coordinate resources to promote school health objectives and annually review and suggest updates to the Health and Wellness Policy.
This committee shall meet no less than four times during the school year. All meetings will be public and meeting dates and minutes will be posted on the district website.
II. STUDENT AND FAMILY NUTRITION EDUCATION AND WELLNESS PROMOTION
The Middletown School District shall have a comprehensive, standards based, age appropriate health education program for grades K-12, in accordance with RI General Law (16-22-4), that includes nutrition themes and topics in accordance with the Rhode Island Department of Education Health Education Framework and the Middletown Public Schools Health Education Curriculum **( See Addendum #4 & #5). **
Nutrition education and wellness promotion will be provided to students and their families beginning at the elementary level. The goal is to continue to educate our students throughout the K-12 continuum.
Nutrition education and wellness promotion will be linked with the entire school food environment with nutrition messages throughout cafeteria programs, and other appropriate means of reaching students and their families.
Staff Nutrition Education and Wellness Promotion
The Wellness Committee and the District will develop a plan to encourage, promote, and support school and administrative staff health and wellness. The purpose of staff wellness education and promotion will be to:
• Encourage all staff to improve their own personal health and wellness.
• Build commitment of staff to improve the school health and wellness, nutrition and physical activity environment.
• Provide health resource information to promote healthy lifestyles.
III. NUTRITION GUIDELINES FOR ALL SCHOOL FOODS AND BEVERAGES
A. Food Safety and Security
1. All foods made available to students will comply with state and local food safety and sanitation regulations.
2. Food sharing between students is discouraged.
3. The School Food Service Provider will implement and maintain guidelines in order to prevent food-borne illness in schools **( See Addendum #6 and #7). **
4. Access to food service operations is limited to food service staff and school personnel authorized by the Superintendent or a designee
B. Food Marketing in Schools
1. Marketing or promotion of foods and beverages that do not meet federal USDA and RI nutrition standards is prohibited as per RIGL 16-21-7.1 (see Addendum). School-based marketing shall be consistent with the District’s nutrition education curriculum and the promotion of good health. As such, schools will limit marketing to the promotion of foods and beverages that meet or exceed nutrition standards for reimbursable meals and competitive foods and beverages.
2. The promotion of healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and water is strongly encouraged. Taste tests and visual aids in the cafeterias will reinforce lessons learned in Health classes to educate students about good nutrition.
3. The District will work to foster an environment that promotes healthy behaviors and activity.
C. Reimbursable Meal Program /School Food Service Provider Operations
1. All foods served as part of the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), including its after-school snack component, will meet both the USDA Nutrition Standards, meal patterns, and calorie requirements for ages/grades served for school meals as well as the Rhode Island Nutritional Requirements (RINR) **( See Addendum #6 & #7). **
2. All meals will promote fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat and low sodium unprocessed items, in accordance with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans **( See Addendum #8). **
3. As part of the District’s responsibility to operate a high-quality food service program, qualified nutrition professionals will administer the meal program and professional training and development, in accordance with USDA Professional Standards, will be offered for all food service staff working in the schools, as appropriate for their levels of responsibility. Training sessions will be offered for staff working directly under the food service provider and educational materials will be provided to district/school staff assigned to meal supervision duty in order to best promote the importance of healthy eating, food safety and positive healthy lifestyle role modeling, in a clear and consistent way among all school personnel.
• Schools will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to students who are eligible for free/reduced price school meals and will prevent the overt identification of students who are eligible for free/reduced meals by using an electronic identification/payment system.
• The District will ensure that all children eligible for free/reduced meals will have the opportunity to participate in the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program by engaging in annual outreach to families and sending home meal benefit applications at the beginning of the school year. The application will also be available on the district website.
• Information on the nutritional content and ingredients of meals will be available to students and parents, from the food service provider.
• Food service will procure, serve and promote locally sourced RI products as much as possible. To ensure that all children have a breakfast that meets their nutritional needs and optimizes their ability to learn.
● Free and safe drinking water will be available to all students and staff throughout the day through access to drinking fountains.
All schools will operate the USDA School Breakfast Program:
● Schools will use methods to serve breakfasts that encourage participation, including but not limited to breakfast before school, grab-n-go style breakfast, etc.
● All schools will notify students, parents and guardians of the availability of the School Breakfast Program.
Eating Environment
● The Middletown School District will provide a clean and pleasant eating environment. Schools and School Food Service Providers should engage students and parents through various means to assist in identifying new, healthy and appealing food choices within the program to promote healthier eating habits.
● Schools will address time allotted for meals, traffic flows and cafeteria layout to ensure students are actively encouraged to eat.
● Adequate time in order to eat meals: ideally, minimums of 20 minutes for lunch and 10 minutes for breakfast.
● Access to convenient hand washing and/or hand sanitizing facilities before and after meals will be available.
● Additionally, schools will adhere to the following rules:
● There should be no scheduled activities such as mentoring or club or organizational meetings during school meal times unless students are allowed to eat while such activities take place.
● The District will work with School Food Service Providers to explore, identify and implement ways to reduce time students spend in line.
**D. Competitive Food and Beverage Sales/Other Foods and Beverages Served **
The Middletown School District believes in maintaining a high quality school wellness culture which relies on the good nutritional quality of all foods and beverages available and sold to all students and staff. Communicating the message of healthy eating and adherence to the Middletown Wellness Policy in all food-related events within the school community will include, but is not limited to, a la carte offerings, vending machines, school stores, fundraisers, rewards, classroom and school celebrations, and health fairs and other school events. The opportunity to model and promote healthy eating and healthy behaviors lies within every school event, initiative and message outside of the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, and each of these shall be treated as such.
All foods and beverages, sold outside of the reimbursable school meal program (competitive foods and beverages) on school premises from midnight before, during, and up to one hour after school, must comply with the USDA Smart Snacks in Schools regulations and RI General Law (16.21.7) for the sale of only healthier snacks and beverages. General guidelines include: (See Addendum #9 & #10 for additional details and exemptions.)
Foods/Snacks
Only fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains, non-fat or low-fat dairy and combination products may be sold, following the standards below:
a. Packaged items shall not exceed one serving per package/200 calories. b. Items shall contain no more than 30% of total calories from fat, less than c. 10% of total calories from saturated fats and zero trans fats.
d. Items shall contain no more than 35% of calories from total sugars.
● Items shall contain less than or equal to 230mg of sodium per packaged portion (less than or equal to 200mg as of July 1, 2016).
● Have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, or a protein food or be a grain product that contains at least 50% whole grain.
● Combination items must contain at least ¼ cup of fruit and/or vegetable **Beverages **
a. The only beverages allowed to be sold outside of school meals include:
b. Low-fat (1%) plain, non-fat flavored or plain milk in 8 oz. portions for elementary school and 12 oz. portions for middle and high school, including nutritionally equivalent milk alternatives as permitted
c. 100% fruit/vegetable juice up to 12 oz. portions for middle and high school
d. Plain or carbonated water of any size (up to 12 oz. portions of water flavored with 100% fruit juice for middle and high schools only)
e. Should contain no artificial sweeteners or caffeine.
Cafeteria A La Carte Food
a. A la carte items in the cafeteria must be USDA school meal components (with a maximum of 350 calories) AND meet the above fat and sugar limits per serving. A la carte items cannot exceed 480mg of sodium per serving.
b. At the elementary level, Food Service Providers are ONLY allowed to sell whole or cut fresh fruit and/or vegetables and kitchen prepared (unprocessed) fruit and/or vegetable side dishes.
Vending Machines
a. All foods and beverages sold in vending machines anywhere on school premises from midnight before, during and up to one hour before and after school must comply with USDA Smart Snacks in Schools regulations and R.I. General Law 16.21.7. **( see Addendum #9 & #10). **
School Stores
a. All foods and beverages sold in school stores and vending machines from midnight before, during and up to one hour before and after school must comply with USDA Smart Snacks in Schools regulations and RI General Law (16.21.7) for the sale of only healthier snacks and beverages (see Addendum #9 & #10).
b. School stores cannot sell any foods/snacks/beverages during the meal service, in accordance with the District’s School Food Service Provider contract.
Fundraising
a. Non-food based fundraisers are strongly encouraged.
b. Fundraisers that promote physical activity are strongly encouraged.
c. Any foods and beverages sold on school premises before, during and up to one hour before and after school must comply with USDA Smart Snacks in School regulations and RI General Law (16-21-7) for the sale of only healthier snacks and beverages **( see Addendum #9 & #10). **
d. The sale of candy is prohibited on school premises before, during, and up to one hour after the school day by R.I. State Law and USDA regulations. The sale of candy at school events after hours is discouraged.
e. Compliant foods/snacks and beverages to be used for school fundraising may be purchased through the District’s food service provider.
Other Foods and Beverages SERVED
• No foods or beverages (even those that are compliant) sold as part of school fundraising can be sold during school meal service, in accordance with the District’s School Food Service Provider contract.
• Schools may permit the sale of foods and beverages that do not comply with USDA Smart Snacks in Schools regulations and R.I. General Law 16.21.7 for the sale of only healthier snacks and beverages as part of school fundraising in the following circumstance; The items are sold by pupils of the school and the sale of those items takes place off and away from the premises of the school.
• School-based rewards must support the efforts of Middletown’s nutrition policies. The use of food or candy as a reward, incentive or punishment in the classroom or school environment during the school day is prohibited except as part of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
Classroom and School Celebrations
It is the intent of the school department that acknowledgements and incentives do not undermine efforts put forth in this policy. Therefore, the use of food as a reward, acknowledgement, or incentive in the classroom or in the school environment is discouraged.
• Principals may grant 2-3 __annual __exceptions for a school-wide celebration. The Principal must document the activities and submit a report to the Superintendent. Parents/guardians must be given advance notice of any classroom or school celebration where food will be served. Due to food safety and allergy issues, ingredient lists for all food/beverages must be available upon request. Parents shall have the right to refuse their child’s participation in consuming food brought to school from homes other than their own or from sources other than the District’s Food Service Provider.
• Non-food celebrations will be promoted and a list of ideas will be available to parents and teachers.
IV. PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Physical activity is critical to a child’s healthy weight and lifestyle as well as to his/her ability to fitness goals and practices, the Middletown School District recognizes the importance of offering students additional physical activity opportunities before, during and after school.
Every Middletown school will adhere to RI state requirements for physical education. Physical Education is required for all students in grades K-12 according to RI General Law (16-22-4) Instruction in Health and Physical Education, with curriculum aligned with the R.I. Physical Education Framework and Middletown Health and Physical Education Curriculum **(s ee Addendum #4 & #11). **
a. Students should receive an average of 100 minutes per week of Health/Physical Education.
b. Recess, free play and after-school activities are not counted as Physical Education.
c. All Physical Education classes will be taught by a certified, highly qualified Physical Education teacher.
d. The district will provide adequate, safe and appropriate facilities for Physical Education instruction at each school.
e. Physical Education classes provide an environment in which students learn, practice and are assessed on developmentally appropriate motor skills, social skills, and knowledge of personal health.
A. PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
a. Physical Education teachers will utilize developmentally appropriate health-related fitness assessments.
b. Waivers for Physical Education are prohibited, unless provided by a qualified physician or medical provider.
c. Student involvement in other physical activity (interscholastic or intramural sports) will not be substituted for Physical Education.
B. Physical Activity
All schools should encourage an environment that supports physical activity beyond the Physical Education program, for students, staff and community before, during and after the school day.
Recess
All elementary schools shall allow a minimum of 20 minutes per day for recess, preferably outdoors in accordance with RIGL 16-22-4.2.
Building administrators shall have the discretion to exceed the minimum allotted time for recess as they deem appropriate, including but not limited to awarding additional recess time to reward good behavior and student performance. Building administrators shall have the discretion to hold indoor recess due to inclement weather or other concerns related to student safety during recess. During times of inclement weather, alternative activities will be provided that promote free play and students’ social and emotional wellness.
Withholding recess as a disciplinary strategy may be used only as a last resort, and teachers and other school and community personnel will not use physical activities as punishment.
School spaces and facilities should be available to students, staff and community members outside of the school day and should be available to community agencies and organizations offering physical activity programs with the proper approval of school officials. School policies concerning safety will apply at all times.
Physical Activity Breaks
Schools will discourage extended periods (longer than 2 hours) of student inactivity. Opportunities for physical activity will be incorporated into other subject areas whenever possible and appropriate.
Classroom teachers will be encouraged to provide short physical activity breaks between lessons whenever possible and appropriate.
Before/After School Activities
All elementary, middle, and high schools are encouraged to offer before/after school activities and extracurricular programs that promote staying physically active and provide opportunities for periods of moderate to vigorous physical activity for all participants.
Schools should make an effort to offer a range of physical activities that meet the needs, interests and abilities of all students, including those students with disabilities, and students with special health-care needs, including but not limited to clubs, classes, and intramural or interscholastic activities.
V. IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING
The Superintendent shall develop regulations/procedures for the implementation of this policy.
Wellness Policy Communication
This policy, along with any proposed updates, will be posted and accessible on the school district website to inform and update the public (including parents, students and others in the community) about the content and implementation of the District Wellness Policy. Review of the Wellness Policy will be included in principal and staff orientations at the beginning of the school year, and the Wellness Committee will support these orientations if requested.
Wellness Policy Implementation and Monitoring
The Superintendent (or designee) shall be responsible for leading the district’s implementation of this policy and providing resources necessary for the achievement of the Wellness Policy goals.
Wellness Policy Compliance
Building principals will provide the leadership necessary for schools to implement the policy. The School Food Service Provider shall be responsible for meeting the nutrition regulations set forth in this policy.
Wellness Policy Assessment & Reporting
The Wellness Committee, working with the School Food Service Provider staff and school personnel will assess implementation of the policy at all schools at least once every three years. Building principals will work with the district wellness committee and utilize an Assessment Tool to document compliance with all provisions of the policy in order to assess progress and determine areas in need of improvement.
A report will be made available to the public (shared at a school committee meeting and/or posted on the district website) based on the data (including the submission of any forms or reports required by the Superintendent or designee) and will include detailed assessments of the following elements:
• The extent to which schools are in compliance with the wellness policy and any obstacles. The extent to which the wellness policy compares to model school wellness polices,
• A description of the progress made in attaining the goals of the Wellness Policy.
The Wellness Committee will review the results of the triennial assessment, new state and/or federal regulations, and any new national recommendations and evidence-based practices to update the wellness policy accordingly and forward recommended revisions to the Superintendent and School Committee.
**VI. AREAS OF IMPORTANCE OUTSIDE OF NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION/ACTIVITY **
The Wellness Committee recognizes that additional topics pertaining to health and wellness, including but not limited to personal health, mental and emotional health, injury prevention, nutrition, sexuality and family life, disease control and prevention, and substance abuse and abuse prevention may be reviewed by the committee and recommendations will be forwarded to the Superintendent.
ADDENDUM
1. Public Law (108-265, Section 204) Child Nutrition WIC Reauthorization Act:
2. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10266
3. Public Law (111-296, Section 204) Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/3307
4. RI General Law (16-21-28), Health and Wellness Subcommittee:
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE16/16-21/16-21-28.HTM
5. RI General Law (16-22-4), Instruction in Health and Physical Education:
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE16/16-22/16-22-4.htm
__https://law.justia.com/codes/rhode-island/title-16/chapter-16-22/section-16-22-4/ __
6. RI Health Education Framework:
https://ride.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur806/files/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/Instructio and-Assessment-World-Class-Standards/Other-Subjects/RIDE_Health_Ed_Framework_2022.pdf?ver=2022-06-10-155908-047
7. USDA Nutrition Standards for School Meals:
https://www.fns.usda.gov/schoolmeals/nutrition-standards
8. Rhode Island Nutrition Requirements (RINR):
9. USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans:
https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnpp/dietary-guidelines-americans
10. USDA Smart Snacks in Schools:
https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/smartsnacks
11. RI General Law (16-21-7), Healthier Snacks and Beverages:
https://www.rihsc.org/laws-regs/
12. RI Physical Education Framework:
https://ride.ri.gov/instruction-assessment/other-subjects
RI Recess Law 16-22-4.2
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE16/16-22/16-22-4.2.HTM
RI Healthy School Foods/Beverage Marketing Law 16-21-7.1
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE16/16-21/16-21-7.1.HTM
Additional Resources
1. CDC publication: Health and Academic Achievement
https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-schools/health-academics/index.html
2. RI General Law (16-21-SCHO), Rules and Regulations for School Health Programs: __https://rules.sos.ri.gov/Regulations/part/216-20-10-4?reg_id=7679 __
Healthy Food Celebration and Ideas for Parents -
https://foodandhealth.com/usda-school-snack-guide/ __http://www.thriveri.org/components/family_community_engagement.html __
(Policy adopted from several Rhode Island school districts)
1st Reading – May 21, 2015
2nd Reading and Approval – June 22, 2015
Review and Revision - February 26, 2026
3 Year Review Due - February 2029