BELLINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT 501

3440P

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE

NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL FITNESS

The Board of Directors has recognized the importance of mental and physical health in support of student learning. School staff are directed to implement these procedures and those in the curriculum and instructional programs in support of student health and fitness.

The District will annually collect information from staff, parents, and students about nutrition and fitness issues. This information will be collected to evaluate the impact of the educational components and to modify programs, as needed. A report will be provided to the Board.

A.  Foods Available Beyond the Meal Program

The principal is directed to provide all staff and any parent groups with annual training about this policy and procedure, including information about the nutrition standards and food access regulations described below. Concerns from staff or parents should be brought to the attention of the principal for resolution at the school.

1. District staff, PTA or PTSA, or other school groups are encouraged to avoid the use of food items for incentives, rewards, punishments, prizes, or “manipulatives.” Schools are encouraged to identify ways that the school and parents may celebrate special days or events without food or food distribution.
2. Parents and staff members who wish to distribute food to students are encouraged to purchase packaged food that meets the nutrition standards. Opening and distributing food at the time of consumption is encouraged in order to maintain food safety. The Food Services Department will provide and annually update a list of suggested items. (See list on district website: www.bham.wednet.edu) Foods prepared at home may be served at events held outside the school day or using school facilities, as described in Policy 4331/4331P.
3. Food items prepared and served during any class, including Family and Consumer Science classes, shall be prepared following the Whatcom County Health Department guidelines for safe food handling. See http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/health/index.jsp . A Food Handlers Permit, provided by Whatcom County, is required for staff members who prepare food in class. The food(s) prepared in class must have a clear curricular connection.
4. Food items sold as a fund raising activity, including student store activities:
   • Shall not be available at a time that competes with district food service meal times,
   • Shall meet the nutrition and size standards defined in Part C if they are to be sold during the school day or the thirty (30) minutes before or after school.
   • May differ from the standards if they are intended to be consumed outside the school day, are sold outside the school day, or are sold away from the school grounds.

B.  Vending Machines

Students and staff may have access to food and beverages from vending machines as identified below. All contracts for vending shall be managed through the Business Office and follow procedures for such contracts as defined in Policy 7321/7321P.

1. Vending machines may be placed in the following locations:
   • Elementary level—food and beverages in staff rooms only.
   • Middle level—beverages only in commons or cafeteria and food or beverages in staff room.
   • High school level—food and beverages in commons or cafeteria, gymnasium or other sports areas and staff room.
   • Other district facilities—food and beverages in any location.
2. Vending machines shall be stocked only with high quality products that meet the unit size and nutrition standards identified in Section C. below. No soda, candy, or foods identified as foods of minimal nutritional value [1] (FMNV) will be available from the vending machines. The bid documents will contain the adopted nutrition and size standards and require the successful bidder to ensure that all items provided in any vending machine meet the standards.
3. Vending food and beverage options for staff at all grade levels shall meet the same nutritional standards as those offered to students.
4. A commission may be charged on foods and beverages at the middle and high schools. The commission shall be paid to the Associated Student Body (ASB) fund at each school for review and decision-making through the ASB procedures.

C.   Nutrition/Size Standards

All foods available in schools through vending or fund-raising and foods served as a la carte in competition with food service must meet the adopted nutrition and size standards. Foods provided for school day celebrations are recommended to meet these same standards. The standards are based on the current recommendations of the U. S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture.

Nutrition Standards

• Total fat—Content must be less than or equal to 30% of total calories per serving. These limits do not include real cheese, seeds, nuts, and nut butters [2] .
• Saturated fat—Content must be less than or equal to 10% of total calories per serving [3] .
• Trans fats—should be kept as low as possible.
• Sugar content—not more than 35% of total weight from sugar. These limits do not apply to fresh, dried or frozen fruits and vegetables, dairy foods, and juice.
• In addition to the above standards, purchase decisions should include an analysis of the cost/benefit and feasibility of including foods that are fresh, locally grown or produced, certified organic, unprocessed, non-Genetically Modified Organism (GMO), non-irradiated, and those that do not contain additives or preservatives.

Beverage Standards

• Beverages . Except for milk and water, beverage sales are limited to those containing no caffeine and that are either unsweetened (i.e., no corn syrup, honey, sucrose, etc. in ingredient list), or sweetened with only 100% fruit juice. Beverages must also meet the nutrition standards for fat and saturated fat. 100% fruit juice or beverages sweetened with 100% fruit juice are allowed as long as the size does not exceed 12 oz.
• Milk . Only fat-free or low fat milk (1%) with a maximum size of 16 oz is allowed. Fat free milk in an 8 oz container is preferred, when available. Flavored milk may have no more than 27 grams of total sugar per 8 oz., and is exempt from the caffeine restriction if it is a naturally occurring ingredient.
• Water . There is no serving size limit on bottled water.
• Sports drinks . 20 oz. or less and only available outside the school day.

Food Size Standards

• All foods must be single serving only, with 250 or fewer calories, except for combination foods that include nuts and dried fruits where up to 300 calories per package would be acceptable.
• Fresh fruit or vegetables—no size restrictions.

D.   Fitness Standards

Students need to learn how to gain and maintain their physical health by being provided instruction in both health and fitness. The principal shall ensure that all students have access to the health and fitness curriculum adopted by the Board of Directors. In addition, the principal is directed to review the needs for professional development and provide support within available resources.

1. All schools and teachers shall implement the District's adopted Health and Fitness Curriculum and ensure that all students in grades 1–8 have one hundred (100) minutes of physical education each week. Students in kindergarten should have 30–50 minutes of physical education each week. The curriculum includes both health information and physical activity opportunities. The goals are to provide information about what it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle and identify opportunities to maintain personal fitness.
2. All schools shall teach health and nutrition.
   • Elementary Level—Teachers will use the nutrition units from The Great Body Shop , adopted for use in grades 1 through 6. These units should be taught by the classroom teacher with support from the physical education teacher regarding specific assignments or activities, e.g., calories gained versus calories burned.
   • Middle Level—Teachers will incorporate health into weekly PE activities using Healthy Teens, adopted for use in grades 7 and 8.
   • High School Level—Teachers will implement the graduation requirements defined in Policy 2410/2410P, including the provision that students can demonstrate their competency in both physical education and health through alternative experiences.
   • The Director of Curriculum will maintain a Fitness Program Guide to support teachers in grades K–2.
3. District Physical Education teachers will regularly monitor and document student fitness levels in grades 3–8 using a nationally-recognized tool, the FitnessGram, at least three times per year at the end of the trimester. Beginning at grade 7, students should develop the skills to monitor their own fitness level. The families of students whose fitness level is below standards will be provided with information and suggestions for how to monitor or adjust and improve the overall fitness level. Staff will create information and have it translated into the major languages in the district for distribution to families as needed.

Approved:

Dale E. Kinsley                                                                September 1, 2005

Superintendent of Schools

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[1] Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (FMNV) are not allowed to compete with the Food Service program. These foods include soda water, water ices, chewing gum, certain candies, including hard candy, jellies and gums, marshmallow candies, fondant, licorice, spun candies, and candy-coated popcorn. More information is available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/menu/fmnv.htm

[2] The % calories from fat can be determined using either of the following formulae: ((grams total fat * 9 cal/gm) / total calories in food )*100% (The result must be £ 30% for the food to be acceptable) or total calories in food / grams total fat (The result must be > 30 for the food to be acceptable).

[3] The % calories from saturated fat can be determined using either of the following formulae: ((grams saturated fat * 9 cal/gm) / total calories in food )*100% (The result must be £ 10% for the food to be acceptable) total calories in food / grams saturated fat (The result must be > 90 for the food to be acceptable).