The Sandor Wiener School of Opportunity

School Documents

School Wellness Policy-North Campus

To help combat childhood obesity, Congress passed a law requiring each local educational agency participating in USDA’s school meals programs to establish a local wellness policy by the beginning of School Year 2006- 2007. The law places the responsibility of developing a wellness policy at the local level so the individual needs of each school can be addressed. The needs of the students attending Sandor Wiener School of Opportunity-North are particularly unique, as the population consists solely of students with moderate to severe disabilities.

(1)Committee Members

The following committee members are involved in the development of this Policy and its implementation throughout the school year.

*Parent: Janine Townsley

*Student: Breneike Gordon

*School food service: Hildegard Sanchez-Rodriguez

*School administrator: Liz McGettigan

*Certified Nurse’s Assistant: Irene Fernandez

*Physical Education: Clifford DuBois

*Governing Board Member/Local Health Professional: Dr. William Kirsh

(2)Nutrition Education

The main goal of nutrition education is to influence students' eating behaviors to promote lifelong healthy eaters.

Administrators, staff, and extracurricular groups shall ensure that all school activities, including classroom practices and incentives, are consistent with the sound nutrition practices taught in the classroom and implemented in the school meal program.

The curriculum will include general health activities, with emphasis on the importance of proper nutrition and exercise. For our student population, this is typically achieved through thematic nutrition units, complete with hands-on activities designed to support students in making healthy food choices.

The School shall offer opportunities for the students to taste different fruits and vegetables as part of nutrition education.

Professional development will be offered annually to select staff (no less than 1/3 of full-time staff) on basic nutrition, serving, handling, marketing and promotion of nutritious foods.

The school will support parents’ effort to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children. The school will send home nutrition information via student communication folders and post nutrition tips at the Parent Resource Center. Specific dietary concerns and considerations for students with disabilities will also be highlighted in these communications (e.g. gluten-free diets for students with Autism).

(3)Physical Activity

The primary goal for the School's physical activity component is to provide students with opportunities to participate in physical activities appropriate for their cognitive and physical abilities.

The School will encourage physical activity across the curriculum that involves physical exertion of at least a moderate intensity level and for a duration sufficient to provide significant health benefits to students, as appropriate. Adapted Physical Education activities are scheduled for all students for thirty minutes daily. These activities include gross motor activities designed specifically for students with disabilities.

The School will give students periodic breaks during which they will be encouraged to stand and be moderately active.

Structured activity during recess contributes to physical activity as part of the physical education component.

Employees will not use physical activity (e.g., running laps, pushups) or withhold opportunities for physical activity (e.g., recess, adapted physical education) as punishment.

The Children’s Trust After Care program will provide and encourage daily periods of moderate to vigorous physical activity and programs for all participants. A minimum of thirty minutes of indoor physical activity (typically yoga or aerobics) and thirty minutes of outdoor physical activity are planned daily.

(4)Guidelines for All Foods and Beverages on School Campus

To form healthy eating habits in students, the School will implement standards to address the types of foods and beverages available to them. These standards are outlined below.

SWSO-North will only serve food that is;

· High in fiber

· Free of added trans fats

· Low in added fats, sugar, and sodium

· Respectful of cultural diversity

· Served in appropriate portion sizes consistent with USDA standards

· Offered with adequate time allotted for meal consumption

The School will also ensure that reimbursable school meals meet the NSLP requirements and nutrition standards.

The School does not offer the sale of foods and beverages competing with the

NSLP approved food service program, including foods of minimal nutritional value (FMNV).

Meals served through the National School Lunch Program will:

• be appealing and attractive to children;

• be served in clean and pleasant settings;

• meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by local, state and federal law;

• offer a variety of fruits and vegetables;

• serve only low-fat (1%) and fat-free milk; and,

• ensure that half of the served grains are whole grain.

No foods or beverages will be sold individually outside the reimbursable meal programs. No vending machine or pupil store is available to students. Food and beverages sold or served on school grounds or at school-sponsored events during the normal school day shall meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The School encourages fundraisers that promote good health habits and discourages fundraisers that promote unhealthy foods.

The School discourages students from sharing their foods or beverages with one another during meal or snack times, given concerns about allergies and other restrictions on some children’s diets.

School staff will use food as a reward for student accomplishment sparingly. The withholding of food as punishment for students is strictly prohibited.

(5)Other School Based Activities Designed to Promote Student Wellness

The primary goal of this component is to create a school environment that provides consistent wellness messages and is conducive to healthy eating and being physically active.

The School promotes increased participation in school based nutrition programs by making the participation and the return of the application a high priority. The School will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to, and prevent the overt identification of, students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals.

School meals will be offered in an environment that encourages student interaction and socializing. Toward this end, the school will:

(a) Promote the availability of meals to all students;

(b) Provide a clean dining environment for students;

(d) Prohibit the withholding of food as punishment;

(e) Be in compliance with drug, alcohol and tobacco free policies;

(f) Provide an accessible and productive work environment free from physical dangers or emotional threat that is as safe as possible and consistent with applicable occupation and health laws, policies and rules; and

(g) Provide opportunities for EESAC to participate in wellness planning processes.

Teachers will not use identifiable brand names in their instruction unless they are

found to be necessary to the lesson being taught and any commercial advertising on the school campus will comply with the developed Nutrition Standards. School personnel will serve as nutrition educators and role models for healthy lifestyles. School staff is encouraged to model healthy eating by offering healthier choices at school meetings and events.

School staff will:

(a) Refrain from using candy and snacks of minimal nutritional value as rewards to students;

(b) Encourage students to interact with family members on assignments & projects;

are accepted, respected and valued for their personal integrity.

Whenever practical, the School’s caterer shall obtain fresh produce from local sources. Meals may be served in plates and/or bowls rather than in five compartment trays.(6) Guidelines for reimbursable school meals shall not be less restrictive than regulations and guidance issued by the USDA.

Staff will ensure that students who are unable to self-feed receive the appropriate serving size of meals from home, school based meals, pureed meals, etc. Students with specific health concerns (e.g. aspiration) will have all liquids thickened with the recommended amount of thickening agent.

The School will provide parents a list of foods that meet the School’s snack standards and ideas for healthy celebrations/parties, rewards and fundraising activities. School personnel will collaborate with parents to support these guidelines and the promotion of lifelong healthy nutrition habits.

The School prohibits the sale or service of FMNV on school grounds or at

school sponsored events during the school day.

For students to receive the nationally recommended amount of daily physical activity and for students to fully embrace regular physical activity as a personal behavior, students will be provided with different opportunities for physical activity. Toward this end, the School will:

-discourage sedentary activities, such as watching television; playing computer games (unless educationally relevant), etc;

-provide opportunities for physical activity to be incorporated into other subject

lessons;

-encourage classroom teachers to provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes, as appropriate.

Sandor Wiener School of Opportunity-South Campus

To help combat childhood obesity, Congress passed a law requiring each local educational agency participating in USDA’s school meals programs to establish a local wellness policy by the beginning of School Year 2006- 2007. The law places the responsibility of developing a wellness policy at the local level so the individual needs of each school can be addressed. The needs of the students attending Sandor Wiener School of Opportunity-South are particularly unique, as the population consists solely of students with moderate to severe intellectual and physical disabilities. The Sandor Wiener School of Opportunity Wellness Policy can be found at www.sandorwienerschool.org.

(1)Committee Members

The following committee members are involved in the development of this Policy and its implementation throughout the school year.

*Parent: Jessica Ramirez

*School food service: Ana Tigerino

*School administrator: Vanessa Hughes

*Certified Nurse’s Assistant: Xiomara Arya

*Physical Education: Andres Aguero

*Governing Board Member/Local Health Professional: Dr. William Kirsh

Due to the intellectual and physical disabilities of our student population, it is not suitable to have a student participate in this committee.

(2)Nutrition Education

The main goal of nutrition education is to influence students' eating behaviors to promote lifelong healthy eaters.

The School shall offer opportunities for the students to taste different fruits and vegetables as part of nutrition education.

Professional development will be offered annually to select staff (no less than 1/3 of full-time staff) on basic nutrition, serving, handling, marketing and promotion of nutritious foods.

(3)Physical Activity

The primary goal for the School's physical activity component is to provide students with opportunities to participate in physical activities appropriate for their cognitive and physical abilities.

The School will give students periodic breaks during which they will be encouraged to stand and be moderately active.

Structured activity during recess contributes to physical activity as part of the physical education component.

Employees will not use physical activity (e.g., running laps, pushups) or withhold opportunities for physical activity (e.g., recess, adapted physical education) as punishment.

(4)Guidelines for All Foods and Beverages on School Campus

To form healthy eating habits in students, the School will implement standards to address the types of foods and beverages available to them. These standards are outlined below.

SWSO-South will only serve food that is;

· High in fiber

· Free of added trans fats

· Low in added fats, sugar, and sodium

· Respectful of cultural diversity

· Served in appropriate portion sizes consistent with USDA standards

· Offered with adequate time allotted for meal consumption

The School will also ensure that reimbursable school meals meet the NSLP requirements and nutrition standards.

The School does not offer the sale of foods and beverages competing with the

NSLP approved food service program, including foods of minimal nutritional value (FMNV).

Meals served through the National School Lunch Program will:

• be appealing and attractive to children;

• be served in clean and pleasant settings;

• meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by local, state and federal law;

• offer a variety of fruits and vegetables;

• serve only low-fat (1%) and fat-free milk; and,

• ensure that half of the served grains are whole grain.

The School encourages fundraisers that promote good health habits and discourages fundraisers that promote unhealthy foods.

The School discourages students from sharing their foods or beverages with one another during meal or snack times, given concerns about allergies and other restrictions on some children’s diets.

School staff will use food as a reward for student accomplishment sparingly. The withholding of food as punishment for students is strictly prohibited.

(5)Other School Based Activities Designed to Promote Student Wellness

The primary goal of this component is to create a school environment that provides consistent wellness messages and is conducive to healthy eating and being physically active.

School meals will be offered in an environment that encourages student interaction and socializing. Toward this end, the school will:

(a) Promote the availability of meals to all students;

(b) Provide a clean dining environment for students;

(d) Prohibit the withholding of food as punishment;

(e) Be in compliance with drug, alcohol and tobacco free policies;

(g) Provide opportunities for EESAC to participate in wellness planning processes.

Teachers will not use identifiable brand names in their instruction unless they are

School staff will:

(a) Refrain from using candy and snacks of minimal nutritional value as rewards to students;

(b) Encourage students to interact with family members on assignments & projects;

(c) Create an environment where students, parents/guardian and staff members are accepted, respected and valued for their personal integrity.

The School prohibits the sale or service of FMNV on school grounds or at school sponsored events during the school day.

-discourage sedentary activities, such as watching television; playing computer games (unless educationally relevant), etc;

-provide opportunities for physical activity to be incorporated into other subject

lessons;

-encourage classroom teachers to provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes, as appropriate.

(6)Measurement and Evaluation

(8)The Principal, Vanessa Hughes, or a designee will ensure compliance with the established wellness policy. (9)The principal or designee will ensure compliance with the policy and will report on the school's compliance and recommend revisions if necessary, to the School’s Governing Board on an annual basis at the scheduled governing board meeting. (10)The governing board meeting is a public meeting as required by ch. 119 of the Florida Statutes, relating to public records. Notice is provided to the public prior to the meeting, giving the public an opportunity to offer input. The School’s EESAC committee will also be updated annually on the School’s progress and compliance with the plan.

How well the policy is being managed and enforced will be assessed on an annual basis. The evaluation process will address the changes to nutrition education, physical activity, and the changes to the nutritional quality of foods available to students, that have occurred as a result of the wellness policy.

The results of the annual school climate survey will be used as an indicator of student, parent, teacher, and administration satisfaction with the new policy. The school climate survey provides feedback from food service personnel, school administrators, parents/guardians and other appropriate persons.

Assessments will be repeated annually to help review policy compliance, assess

progress, and determine areas in need of improvement.

School Document Attachments

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