Wellness Policy

The Michigan State Board of Education recognizes and acknowledges that “schools cannot achieve their primary mission of education if students and staff are not physically, mentally and socially healthy.” ¹ The Board believes schools should provide a campus-wide environment where students are taught healthy eating and physical activity knowledge, skills, and values. In addition, the campus-wide environment should provide ample opportunity to practice these skills daily.

A local school wellness policy is a written document that guides a local educational agency's ²(LEA) efforts to establish a school building environment that promotes students’ health, well-being, and learning ability. The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 established the wellness policy requirement and was further strengthened by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA). It is specific to LEAs (local school districts, public school academies, and intermediate school districts), as opposed to School Food Authorities, ³ that participate in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program. The responsibility for developing, implementing, and evaluating a wellness policy is placed at the local level so the unique needs of each school under the LEA’s jurisdiction can be addressed. ⁴

Wellness Committee and Policy Leadership

Committee Role and Membership

The LEA will convene a representative district wellness committee to establish goals for and oversee school health policies and programs, including development, implementation, and periodic review and update of this district-level wellness policy.

The committee will represent all school building levels and include, to the extent possible, but not limited to, parents and caregivers, representatives of the school nutrition program, physical education teachers, health education teachers, school health professionals, mental health and social services staff, school administrators, and the general public. Committee Members will be appointed by the Superintendent's office when a vacancy calls for an appointment. Committee members may send a representative of similar qualifications to represent them at a meeting when necessary.

Wellness Policy Leadership

The LEA will establish wellness policy leadership of one or more district and/or school building officials (s) (e.g., superintendent, building principal) who have the authority and responsibility to ensure each school building complies with this policy.

The designated official(s) for oversight is:

All Building Principal and Assistant Principals.

Nutrition

Nutrition Education

Every year, all students, Pre-K-12, shall receive nutrition education that is aligned with the Michigan Health Education Grade Level Content Expectations ⁸ and the Michigan Merit Curriculum Guidelines for Health Education. ⁹ Nutrition education that teaches the knowledge, skills, and values needed to adopt healthy eating behaviors shall be integrated into the curriculum. Nutrition education information shall be offered throughout the school campus, including, but not limited to, school dining areas and classrooms. Staff members who provide nutrition education shall have the appropriate training.

Nutrition Education Goal 2023-24: The district will introduce the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program at all elementary schools. Providing healthy fruit and vegetables weekly throughout the school year for students to try in the classroom twice per month.

Nutrition Promotion

Nutrition promotion and education positively influence lifelong eating behaviors by using evidence-based techniques and nutrition messages and by creating food environments that encourage healthy nutrition choices and participation in school meal programs. Students and staff will receive consistent nutrition messages throughout school buildings, classrooms, gymnasiums, and cafeterias. Nutrition promotion also includes marketing and advertising nutritious foods and beverages to students. It is most effective when implemented consistently through a comprehensive and multi-channel approach by school building staff, teachers, parents, students, and the community.

The District will promote healthy food and beverage choices for all students throughout the school campus and encourage participation in school meal programs.¹¹

Nutrition Promotion Goal 2023-24: The school food authority will offer at least two fruits and two vegetables for students to choose from during the lunch service.

Standards and Nutrition Guidelines for all Foods and Beverages

The District shall encourage students to make nutritious food choices and ensure that all foods and beverages sold to students on the school campus ¹² during the school day ¹³ are consistent with federal and state regulations.

Reimbursable school meals must meet the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Nutrition Standards for School Meals requirements. ¹⁴ All foods and beverages sold to students outside the federally regulated child nutrition programs (referred to as “competitive” foods and beverages) must be consistent with USDA’s Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards¹⁵ and Michigan Department of Education Administrative Policy No. 21 regarding Non-Compliant Food Fundraiser Guidance. ¹⁶ These standards apply in all areas where foods and beverages are sold, including, but not limited to, à la carte lines, fundraising events, school stores, snack carts, and vending machines.

The District will establish nutrition standards for all foods and beverages provided, but not sold, to students during the school day (e.g., classroom parties, classroom snacks provided by parents, or other foods used as incentives).¹⁷

Physical Activity and Physical Education

The District shall offer physical education opportunities that include the components of a quality physical education program. Physical education shall equip students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for lifelong physical activity. Physical education instruction shall be aligned with the Michigan Physical Education Grade Level Content Expectations 20 and the Michigan Merit Curriculum Guidelines for Physical Education. 21

Pre-K-12 students shall have the opportunity to participate regularly in supervised physical activities, either organized or unstructured, to maintain physical fitness and to understand the short- and long-term benefits of a physically active and healthy lifestyle.22

Physical Activity Goal 2023-24:

The district has implemented a plan to eliminate Pay to Play for all Elementary Sports during the 2023-24 school year. This will allow all elementary students to participate free of charge, and we hope to increase participation by 20% across all sports.

Other School-based Activities that Promote Student Wellness

The District will implement other evidence-based programs across the school setting to create environments conducive to healthy eating and physical activity and convey consistent health messages.

Promoting Nutrition Goal:

The district food service team will purchase and implement 3 sharing/no-waste buckets for every secondary school. This will help encourage students to waste less food and share pre-packaged, nonperishable items with other students at lunch.

Implementation, Assessment, Documentation, and Updates

Implementation

The District will develop and maintain a plan to manage and coordinate the implementation of this wellness policy. The plan will delineate each school building's roles, responsibilities, actions, and timelines. ²³ It is recommended that school buildings use the Healthy School Action Tool (HSAT)²⁴ to complete a school-level assessment and create an evidence-based action plan that fosters implementation.

Triennial Assessment

The LEA will conduct an assessment of the wellness policy every three years, at a minimum. The assessment will determine building-level compliance with the wellness policy, how the wellness policy compares to model wellness policies, and progress made in attaining the wellness policy goals .²⁵

The person responsible for the Triennial Assessment is

Brian Vella, Food Service Director 734-419-2118
Assistant Food Service Director 734-419-2118

Documentation

The LEA will retain records to document compliance with the wellness policy requirements. Documentation maintained will include a copy or web address of the current wellness policy, documentation on how the policy and assessments are made available to the public, the most recent assessment of the implementation of the policy, and documentation of efforts to review and update the policy, including who was involved in the process, their relationship to the LEA, and how stakeholders were made aware of their ability to participate. ²⁶

This wellness policy can be found at : www.wwscd.net/wellness

Required documentation will be maintained on the Districts Website.

Updates to the Policy

The LEA will update or modify the wellness policy as appropriate based on the results of theHSAT and Triennial Assessments as District priorities change, community needs change, wellness goals are met, new health science, information, and technology emerges, and new federal or state guidance or standards are issued. The wellness policy will be updated at least every three years following the Triennial Assessment. ²⁷

Public Updates

The LEA will inform the public annually about the local wellness policy, including its content and any updates to and about the policy. The Triennial Assessment will also be available to the public, including progress toward meeting the policy goals. The district will provide information on how the public can participate in the wellness committee and assist with the development, implementation, and periodic review and update of the wellness policy. All communication will be culturally and linguistically appropriate and will be available via the district website and/or districtwide communications (email, newsletters, mailings). ²⁸

Citations

1 Michigan State Board of Education Policy on Coordinated School Health Programs to Support Academic Achievement and Healthy Schools

2 A commonly used synonym for a school district, an entity that operates local public primary and secondary schools in the United States.

3 The governing body responsible for the administration of one or more schools and has the legal authority to operate a nonprofit school food service program therein or otherwise approved by the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture to operate the National School Lunch Program.

4 Local School Wellness Policy Implementation Under the HHFKA: Summary of Final Rule

5 Any concept or strategy derived from or informed by objective evidence.

6 Alliance for a Healthier Generation Model Local Wellness Policy 2016

7 Local School Wellness Policy Implementation Under the HHFKA: Summary of Final Rule

8 Michigan Department of Education, Michigan Health Education Grade Level Content Expectations

9 Michigan Department of Education, Michigan Merit Curriculum Guidelines for Health Education, V.1.07

10 Michigan State Board of Education Model Local Wellness Policy 200511 Alliance for a Healthier Generation Model Local Wellness Policy 2016

12 All areas of the property under the school's jurisdiction are accessible to students during the school day.

13 The period from midnight before to 30 minutes after the end of the official school day.

14 USDA Nutrition Standards for School Meals

15 USDA Smart Snacks in School Nutrition Standards

16 Administrative Policy No. 21 clarifies that up to two exempt fundraisers per week that do not meet the Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards are allowed per school building.

17 Local School Wellness Policy Implementation Under the HHFKA: Summary of Final Rule

18 Change Lab Solutions. (2014). District Policy Restricting the Advertising of Food and Beverages Not Permitted to be Sold onSchool Grounds

19 Alliance for a Healthier Generation Model Local Wellness Policy 2016

20 Michigan Department of Education, Michigan Physical Education Grade Level Content Expectations

21 Michigan Department of Education, Michigan Merit Curriculum Guidelines for Physical Education

22 Michigan State Board of Education Model Local Wellness Policy 2005

23 Alliance for a Healthier Generation Model Local Wellness Policy 2016

24 Healthy School Action Tool

25 Local School Wellness Policy Implementation Under the HHFKA: Summary of Final Rule

26 Local School Wellness Policy Implementation Under the HHFKA: Summary of Final Rule

27 Alliance for a Healthier Generation Model Local Wellness Policy 2016