Butte School District

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

2510

School Wellness

The Butte School District is committed to providing school environments that promote and protect children’s health, well-being, and ability to learn, by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. Therefore, it is the policy of the Butte School District that:

The development of the school wellness policy, at a minimum, will include:

1.Community Involvement: The Butte School District will engage students, parents, teachers (especially teachers of health enhancement), food service professionals, school health professionals, and other interested community members in developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing District-wide nutrition and physical activity policies and procedures. Training of this team of people on the components of a healthy school nutrition environment is recommended.  The District’s School Wellness Committee will meet every three months (quarterly) to review the school wellness policy, and to assess the district’s progress in meeting the goals outlined below. The progress to achieving the goals and recommendations for new goals will be presented to the school board during their spring meeting. 

2.Goals for nutrition education, nutrition promotion, physical activity, and other school-based activities that are designed to promote student wellness in a Butte School District are explained below.

3.Implementation, Periodic Assessment, and Public Updates: Input from teachers, parents/guardians, students, school food service program, the school board, school administrators, and the public shall be considered before implementing the policy.  Periodic review and updates will occur with updates to the public every three years at a minimum about the content and implementation of the local wellness policy and to measure and make available to the public and assessment of the local wellness policy, including:

• The extent to which schools are in compliance with the local wellness policy.
• The extent to which Butte School District’s policy compares to model local school wellness policies
• The progress made in attaining the goals of the local wellness policy.

This periodic report along with the policy will be published on the school website under School Nutrition Services section.

4.Nutrition Guidelines for all Foods: The District will influence the development of healthful life-long eating behaviors in students by making the healthy choice the easy choice. It will achieve this by ensuring that nutrient-rich foods and beverages consistent with the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans are readily accessible on school campus. Guidelines for reimbursable school meals to ensure that the Butte School District offers school meal programs with menus meeting the meal patterns and nutrition standards established by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Smart Snack guidelines will be followed for all foods and beverages sold during the school day across the school district’s campus.  This includes food and beverages served in cafeterias, sold in a la carte sales, vending machines, student stores, and food and beverages used in fundraising efforts. The District will follow nutrition guidelines for all foods sold on campus during the school day (from midnight until 30 minutes after the school day ends) to promote student health and academic performance, while taking steps to reduce childhood obesity. The district encourages that all foods and beverages which are offered and served (not sold) on the school campus meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in School standards, including those provided at celebrations, will be promoted. The District shall encourage students to make nutritious food choices through accessibility, advertising, and marketing efforts of healthful foods.

5.Nutrition Education and Promotion: In order to meet the over-arching goal for Nutrition Education and Promotion, the District shall influence the development of healthful lifelong eating behaviors in all students K-12 through nutrition education and nutrition promotion. Nutrition education shall be offered as part of a sequential, comprehensive, standards-based program designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to adapt health enhancing behaviors. Nutrition education will be incorporated as much as possible into the school day. Staff who provide nutrition education shall have the appropriate training, such as in health enhancement or family and consumer sciences.

6.Health Enhancement and Physical Activity: The District shall provide opportunities for every student to develop the knowledge and skills for specific physical activities to maintain physical fitness, and to obtain health education that instills an understanding of the short and long-term benefits of a physically active and healthy lifestyle. Activities will be designed to meet the needs, interests, and abilities of all students. The District shall offer health enhancement opportunities that include components of a quality health enhancement program taught by a K-12 certified health enhancement specialist, if permitted by staffing levels. Health enhancement instruction shall be aligned with the Montana Health Enhancement Standards.

7.Other School-Based Activities Designed to Promote Student Wellness: The District may implement other school-based wellness activities or programs that help create a school environment that conveys consistent wellness messages; and is conducive to healthy eating and physical activity, such as staff wellness programs, non-food reward systems, farm to school programming and fundraising efforts.

8.Maintaining School Wellness: A sustained effort is necessary to implement and enforce this policy. The Superintendent shall measure how well this policy is being implemented, managed, and enforced through an annual assessment/evaluation. The Superintendent shall report to the Board, annually, on the District’s programs and efforts to meet the purpose and intent of this policy. A plan for measuring implementation of this policy, including designation of one or more persons within Butte School District or at each school, as appropriate, charged with operational responsibility for ensuring that each school fulfills the District’s policy.

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