Jerome Joint School District No. 261

NONINSTRUCTIONAL OPERATIONS 8200

WELLNESS POLICY - PURPOSE AND GOAL

The Jerome School District shall prepare, adopt, and implement a comprehensive wellness policy

to encourage healthy eating, physical activity and well-being. This plan shall make effective use

of school and community resources and equitably serve the needs and interests of all students

and staff, taking into consideration differences in cultural norms.

RATIONALE

The District believes that a healthy school environment in which children can thrive is one of the

most significant ways that a school can invest in each child’s future and provide all students with

the high quality education they deserve.

• Engage students, parents, teachers, food service professionals, health professionals, and other

interested community members in developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing district-

wide nutrition and physical activity policies;

• Model and actively practice, through policies and procedures, the promotion of health, physical

activity, good nutrition, and sound environmental practices;

• Establish links between nutrition education, the food served in schools, physical education,

physical activity, and environmental education – all of which affect wellness;

• Provide students with access to a variety of affordable, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet

the Current Dietary Guidelines for Americans;

• Promote the lifelong value of physical education;

• Coordinate with local medical facilities to provide simplified materials regarding wellness in order

to promote health literacy;

• Ensure that all school-based activities are consistent with the goals of this wellness policy; and,

• Serve as a positive model of wellness practices to our community.

PROCEDURE:

Nutrition Education

The School District will ensure that:

• A consistent message that nutrition is an important part of overall health is promoted;

• Nutrition education should be enjoyable, developmentally-appropriate, culturally-relevant, and

include participatory, service-learning activities, such as contests, promotions, taste testing, and

farm visits;

• Nutrition education will emphasize a range of topics including healthy food preparation, balance

between food intake and energy expenditure, links with school meals, and healthy literacy; and,

• All students will complete a health class and the “Skills for Life” class before graduation from high

school.

Physical Activity

The School District will ensure that:

• Each student at the elementary level (1-6) will receive at least 90 minutes of physical activity per

week (two 30 minute structured P.E. classes plus at least 10 minutes before school, at noon, and

at recess). Each student at the middle school level (6,7, and 8) will take one class per semester in

which they alternate days of health and wellness classes with physical education classes. High

school level (9-12) will take 2 P.E. classes before graduation;

• Students will be encouraged to participate in 60 minutes of physical activity per day, inside or

outside of school;

• Opportunities for physical activity will be provided to all students;

• A list of intramural activities offered at each school will be available to students;

• Sports programs will be continued with open tryouts for the students at their respective schools;

• Appropriate physical activity alternatives will be provided to students with disabilities, special

health –care needs, and alternative education settings;

• Recess before lunch will be strongly recommended as an option for schools; and,

• Teachers may not use Physical Education as a punishment or reward.

Other School-Based Activities

The School District will ensure that:

• The individual schools within the district will create a School Wellness Committee to develop,

implement, monitor, review, and revise school nutrition and physical activity policies. Any

revisions will strengthen, rather than detract, from the District’s policy;

• School fundraising activities will use foods meeting the current Dietary Guidelines for

Americans. Schools will encourage fundraising activities that promote physical activity

• As permitted by schools, celebrations and class parties that involve food during the school day

will encourage to provide food that meet the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans;

• Schools will not use food or beverages, especially those not meeting the current Dietary

Guidelines for Americans, as rewards for academic performance, incentive for good behavior, or

punishment;

• Jerome School District will continue to promote staff wellness, including nutrition education and

physical activity programs designed for staff.

School Meals

The School District will ensure that:

• The guidelines for school meals set by the USDA will be followed. These guidelines emphasize

use of foods low in fat, cholesterol, added sugars, starches, and sodium, avoiding foods low in

nutritional value, and ensuring that at least half of the served grains are whole grain;

• Nutrition information for school meals shall be readily available;

• To the extent possible, arrange bus schedules and utilize non-traditional methods for serving

school meals that encourage participation;

• The District will sponsor the Summer Food Service Program in areas which qualify;

Plan for Measuring the Impact and Implementation of the Local Wellness Policy

The drafting of this wellness policy influences a diverse and inclusive group of stakeholders, who are

representative of the Jerome School District’s community:

All of these stakeholders—school administrators, educators, school food service staff, parents,

students and community members—are concerned with student health and academic performance

and want to help schools make a positive impact in this area.

Cross Reference: 4175 Required Annual Notices

Policy History:

Adopted on: 12/19/2006

Revised on: 02/28/2017

Revised on: 01/26/2021