Pittsford Area Schools
9304 Hamilton Street Pittsford, Michigan
49271
517-523-3481
Emphasizing Education For Over 150 Years
Wellness Policy
STUDENT NUTRITION
The Pittsford Area School
District promotes healthy schools by supporting wellness, good nutrition, and
regular physical activity as a part of the total learning environment. The District supports a healthy environment
where children learn and participate in positive dietary and lifestyle
practices. By facilitating learning
through the support and promotion of good nutrition and physical activity,
schools contribute to the basic health status of children. Improved health optimizes student
performance potential and ensures that no child is left behind.
A. Provide a comprehensive learning environment for
developing and practicing lifelong wellness behaviors
The entire school
environment, not just the classroom, shall be aligned with healthy school goals
to positively influence a student’s understanding, beliefs, and habits as they
relate to good nutrition and regular physical activity.
All foods available
on school grounds and at school-sponsored activities during the instructional
day should meet or exceed the District Nutrition Standards. Emphasis should be placed on foods that are
nutrient dense per calorie. Foods
should be served with consideration toward variety, appeal, taste, safety, and
packaging to ensure high quality meals.
C. Increase the amount of time students are engaged in
physical activity.
A quality physical
education program is an essential component for all students to learn about and
participate in physical activity.
Physical activity should be included in a school’s daily education
program from grades K through 12.
Physical activity should include regular instructional physical
education, co-curricular activities, and recess.
D. The Pittsford Area School District is committed to
improving academic performance in high-risk groups so that no child is left
behind.
Educators,
administrators, parents, health practitioners, and communities must all
acknowledge the critical role student health plays in academic stamina and
performance and adapt the school environment to ensure students’ basic
nourishment and activity needs are met.
Research highlighting the positive relationship between good nutrition,
physical activity, and the capacity of students to develop and learn should be
highlighted to ensure widespread understanding of the benefits to healthy
school environments. The diversity of
the student population (e.g., economic, religious, minority, cultural, and medical)
should be considered at all times to ensure that all student needs are being
met so that no child is left behind.
The Pittsford Area School
District promotes healthy schools by supporting wellness, good nutrition, and
regular physical activity as a part of the total learning environment. The District supports a healthy environment
where children learn and participate in positive dietary and lifestyle
practices. By facilitating learning
through the support and promotion of good nutrition and physical activity,
schools contribute to the basic health status of children. Improved health optimizes student
performance potential and ensures that no child is left behind.
Hot Lunch/Breakfast
Program:
¨
The full meal program will
continue to follow the U.S. Government’s Nutrition Standards.
¨
The Hot Lunch/Breakfast
provider will be expected to make every effort to follow the District’s
Nutrition Standards when determining the items in a la carte sales.
§
A la Carte items that
do not meet the District Nutrition Standards may be acceptable for student
consumption within moderation (i.e. limit quantity sold to an individual
student).
§
A la Carte items that
do not meet the District Nutrition Standards may be acceptable when offered on
an intermittent basis.
Lunchroom Climate:
¨
A lunchroom environment
that provides students with a relaxed, enjoyable climate should be developed.
¨
It is encouraged that
the lunchroom environment be a place where students have:
§
adequate space to eat
and pleasant surroundings;
§
adequate time for
meals; and
§
convenient access to
hand-washing facilities before meals.
Fundraising:
¨
All fundraising
projects are encouraged to follow the District Nutrition Standards.
¨
All fundraising
projects for sale and consumption within and prior to the instructional day
will be expected to make every effort to follow the District’s Nutrition
Standards when determining the items being sold.
§
Items being sold that
do not meet the District Nutrition Standards may be acceptable for student
consumption within moderations (i.e. limit quantity sold to an individual
student).
§
Items being sold that
do not meet the District Nutrition Standards may be acceptable when offered on
an intermittent basis.
Teacher-to-Student
Incentive:
Strong consideration should
be given to nonfood items as part of any teacher-to-student incentive
programs. Should teachers feel
compelled to utilize food items as an incentive, they are encouraged to adhere
to the District Nutritional Standards.
Student Nutrition Education:
The Pittsford Area School
District has a comprehensive curriculum approach to nutrition in kindergarten
through ninth grade. Beginning with the
2006-2007 school year, all instructional staff will be encouraged to integrate
nutritional themes into daily lessons when appropriate. The health benefits of good nutrition should
be emphasized. These nutritional themes
include but are not limited to:
*Knowledge
of food guide pyramid *Healthy
diet
*Healthy
heart choices *Food
labels
*Sources
and variety of foods *Major
nutrients
*Guide
to a healthy diet *Serving
sizes
*Diet
and disease *Proper
Sanitation
*Understanding
calories *Identify
and limit junk food
*Healthy
snacks *Healthy
breakfast
The
District Nutrition Policy reinforces nutrition education to help students
practice these themes in a supportive school environment.
Parent
Nutrition Education:
Nutrition
education will be provided to parents beginning at the elementary level. The goal will be to continue to educate
parents throughout the middle and high school levels.
PAS
Nutrition Committee:
With
the purposes of monitoring the implementation of this policy, evaluating policy
progress, serving as a resource to school sites, and revising the policy as
necessary it is recommended that a District-wide nutrition committee be
established. The committee would meet a
minimum of two times annually with committee membership as follows:
¨
District Food Service
Coordinator (Vonda Minor)
¨
Administrative
Representative, Co-Chair
¨
Physical Education or
Health Program Leader, Co-Chair
The
Pittsford Area School District strongly encourages the sale or distribution of
nutrient dense foods for all school functions and activities. Nutrient dense foods are those foods that
provide students with calories rich in the nutrient content needed to be
healthy. In an effort to support the
consumption of nutrient dense foods in the school setting the District has
adopted the following Nutrition Standards governing the sale of food, beverage,
and candy on school grounds.
Administrators and faculty are encouraged to study these Standards and
develop building policy using the following District Nutrition Standards as
minimal guidelines.
Food:
¨
Any given food item for
sale prior to the start of the school day and throughout the instructional day
will have no more than 35% of its total calories derived from fat.
¨
Any given food item for
sale prior to the start of the school day and throughout the instructional day
will have no more than 20% of its total calories derived from saturated fat.
¨
Nuts and seeds are
exempt from these standards because they are nutrient dense and contain high
levels of monounsaturated fat. Foods
high in monounsaturated fat help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and maintain
“good” HDL cholesterol.
¨
It is recognized that
there may be rare special occasions when the school principal may allow a
school group to deviate from these guidelines.
¨
Encourage the
consumption of nutrient dense foods, i.e. whole grains, fresh fruits, and
vegetables.
Beverages:
¨
The nonvending sale of
pop or artificially sweetened drinks will not be permitted on school grounds
throughout the student lunch period..
¨
The vending sale of
beverages, with less than 10% fruit juice may not take place during the student
lunch period.
¨
Milk, water, and 100%
fruit juices may be sold on school grounds both prior to and throughout the
instructional day.