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District Wellness Plan

WELLNESS POLICY

The Pella CSD Board of Education is committed to the optimal development of every student. The board believes for students to have the opportunity to achieve personal, academic, developmental, and social success, there needs to be a positive, safe, and health-promoting learning environment at every level, in every setting.

The school district provides 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 district goals to positively influence a student’s understanding, beliefs and habits as they relate to good nutrition and regular physical activity. In accordance with law and this belief, the board commits to the following:

The school district will identify at least one goal in each of the following areas:

  • Nutrition Education and Promotion:  Schools will provide nutrition education  (Link to K-6 curriculum maps), (Link to 7-12 curriculum maps) and engage in nutrition promotion that helps students develop lifelong healthy eating behaviors.
  • Physical Activity: Schools will provide students with age and grade appropriate opportunities to engage in physical activity that meets the Iowa Healthy Kids Act.
  • Other School Based Activities that Promote Wellness: As appropriate, schools will support students, staff, and parents’ efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The following nutritional guidelines for food available on school campuses will be adhered to:

  • Meals served through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program will be appealing and meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by state and federal law;
  • Schools providing access to healthy foods outside the reimbursable meal programs before school, during school and thirty minutes after school shall meet the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) Smart Snacks in Schools nutrition standards, at a minimum.  This includes such items as those sold through a la carte lines, vending machines, student run stores, and fundraising activities;
  • Snacks and drinks provided to students during the school day without charge (e.g., class parties, classroom rewards, birthday treats) will meet standards set by the district in accordance with the law. The district will provide parents and teachers a list of foods and beverages that meet nutrition standards for classroom snacks and celebrations; and
  • Schools will only allow marketing and advertising of foods and beverages that meet the Smart Snacks in school nutrition standards on campus during the school day.

The superintendent or superintendent’s designee shall implement and ensure compliance with the policy by:

  • Reviewing the policy at least every three years and recommending updates as appropriate for board approval;
  • Implementing a process for permitting parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, teachers of physical education, school health professionals, the school board, administrators and the public to participate in the development, implementation, and periodic review and update of the policy; 
  • Making the policy and updated assessment of the implementation available to the public (e.g., posting on the website, newsletters, etc). This information shall include the extent to which
  • the schools are in compliance with policy and a description of the progress being made in attaining the goals of the policy; and
  • Developing administrative regulations, which shall include specific wellness goals and indicators for measurement of progress consistent with law and district policy.

Legal Reference:
42 U.S.C. §§ 1751 et seq.
42 U.S.C. §§ 1771 et seq.
Iowa Code §§ 256.7(29); 256.11(6).
281 I.A.C. 12.5; 58.11.

Cross Reference:
504.5 Student Fund Raising
504.6 Student Activity Program
710 School Food Services

Pella CSD District Wellness Plan Goals and Implementation Metrics

Goal 1 – Nutrition Education and Promotion:  The Pella schools will provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion that help students develop lifelong healthy eating behaviors. The goals for addressing nutrition education and nutrition promotion include the following:

  • Promote fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, and healthy foods;
  • Implement evidence-based healthy food promotion techniques through the school meal programs using Smarter Lunchroom techniques
    1. Metric – Portfolio of evidence showing the implementation of Smarter Lunchroom techniques

Goal 2 – Physical Activity: The Pella schools will provide students and staff with age and grade appropriate opportunities to engage in physical activity that meet federal and state guidelines, including the Iowa Healthy Kids Act. The goal for addressing physical activity includes the following:

  • Promote the benefits of a physically active lifestyle and help students develop skills to engage in lifelong healthy habits
    1. Metric – Documentation of lifelong healthy activities integrated into the physical education and health curricula

Goal 3 – Other School-Based Activities that Promote Student Wellness: Schools will support student, staff, and parents’ efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle, as appropriate. The goal for addressing other school-based activities that promote student wellness includes the following:

  • Provide parents a list of foods and beverages that meet nutrition standards for classroom snacks and celebrations and assure that it is followed at the building level.
    1. Metric – Documentation of the approved list and records of the alternative rewards and celebrations.

Communication and Community Involvement

Policy Review – This policy will be reviewed and revisions will be approved by the Pella school board every three years. (See review document at this link)

Community Participation – A review committee will be established and meet every three years, at a minimum, to review the progress on attaining the policy goals and recommend policy changes. This committee shall include representatives of the following groups:

  • Parents
  • Students
  • Representative of the school food service
  • Teachers of physical education
  • School nurse
  • School board representative
  • School administration representatives
  • Other members of the public who have an interest

Making the plan available to the public – The policy and rules surrounding its implementation will be posted on the school website and included, as appropriate, in the building handbooks.

Making the assessment results available to the public – Assessment results will be posted annually to the Pella Community School District website.

District Statement on Birthday Celebrations and Classroom Rewards

Birthday Celebrations:
The Pella Community Schools will provide a monthly birthday treat day to collectively celebrate all the birthdays of each month in our K-6 buildings. The school will provide this special treat at lunchtime to all students. This group celebration will be in addition to any non-food recognition of a student’s special day teachers choose to do in their classrooms.

It is not necessary for parents to go beyond this celebration. If a parent does choose to provide classroom birthday items, we ask that they strongly consider choosing from our non-food celebration list or our recommended list of snacks.

Preferred – Non-food classroom recognition by teachers and a monthly lunchtime celebration provided by the school district

Acceptable – Non-food recognition provided by parents (see suggested list) in addition to  a lunchtime celebration provided by the school district

Allowed – Food recognition provided by parents from the district recommended list (see below) in addition to a lunchtime celebration provided by the school district

Not-preferred – Food recognition provided by parents outside of the district recommended list in addition to a lunchtime celebration provided by the school district

Classroom Rewards:

Classroom rewards are occasionally used by teachers as a means of motivating individual students. When rewards are used, the district recommends that non-food items are considered first. If food items are used as a reward, those items shall be from the approved district list or contain less than two grams of sugar per individual student.

Classrooms with Students Who Suffer from Food Allergies

Guidelines – The district is aware that some students suffer from serious allergies that cause discomfort and can even be life threatening. When a student suffers from these conditions, the parents of that student will make it known to the school nurse and classroom teacher.  The specifics of steps that need to be taken for their child will be determined and additional steps beyond the rules for other classrooms will be taken in these specific situations. All parents who have students in these classrooms will be required to follow the specific procedures that help to keep these students safe. Parents will receive these instructions from the school nurse and/or the classroom teacher.

Approved Birthday, Reward and Classroom Celebration Lists

Elementary K-3

K-3 Rewards:

  • Extra recess
  • Play favorite non-electronic game
  • Make deliveries to the office
  • Sit by friends
  • Help teach class
  • Eat lunch with the teacher
  • School supplies
  • Show and tell
  • Paperback book
  • Free choice time at end of the day
  • Listen to classroom music while working
  • Teacher reads a book to the class
  • Read or have class outdoors
  • “No homework” pass
  • Listen to an audio book/watch a video
  • Have a teacher perform (sing or play an instrument)
  • Choose one student from each class to walk with the principal or teacher at lunch
  • Brain teasers or puzzles

K-3 Celebrations/Snacks: 

  • Fruit (bananas, apples, clementines, grapes)
  • Applesauce pouches
  • Vegetables, such as carrots, with hummus or ranch
  • Fruit leather or dehydrated fruit
  • Drinkable yogurt
  • String cheese or Babybel cheese
  • Air popped popcorn (Skinny Pop)
  • Mini bagels with cream cheese
  • Granola bars and snack bars with no peanuts or tree nuts (like Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars)
  • Whole wheat/whole grain crackers (Triscuits, Wheat Thins, Cheese crackers)
  • Pretzels
  • Veggie Straws

Intermediate: 4-6

4-6 Rewards:

  • Extra recess
  • Play favorite non-electronic game
  • Make deliveries to the office
  • Sit by friends
  • Help teach class
  • Eat lunch with the teacher
  • School supplies
  • Show and tell
  • Paperback book
  • Free choice time at end of the day
  • Listen to classroom music while working
  • Teacher reads a book to the class
  • Read or have class outdoors
  • “No homework” pass
  • Listen to an audio book/watch a video
  • Have a teacher perform (sing or play an instrument)
  • Choose one student from each class to walk with the principal or teacher at lunch
  • Brain teasers or puzzles

4-6 Celebrations/Snacks:

  • Graham crackers
  • Goldfish
  • Pretzels
  • Popcorn
  • Chex Mix
  • Dried Fruit
  • Bananas
  • Mandarin Oranges
  • Juice Boxes (Examples:  Juicy Juice, Capri Sun naturals, etc.)
  • Vegetables, such as carrots, with hummus or ranch

Middle School:  7-8

7-8 Rewards:

  • Sit by friend
  • Physically active game
  • Puzzles/brain teasers
  • Movie
  • Listen to classroom music while working
  • “No homework” pass
  • Eat lunch outside or have class outside
  • Chat break
  • Field trips
  • Assemblies
  • Extra reading time
  • Free time at end of class
  • Walk with teacher or principal at lunch
  • Relaxation techniques

7-8 Celebrations/Snacks:

  • Fruit (bananas, apples, clementines, grapes)
  • Dried fruit (raisins, dried apples, dried apricots, dried cranberries)
  • Tortilla chips with salsa
  • Vegetables, such as carrots, with hummus or ranch
  • Fruit leather or dehydrated fruit
  • Dry cereal/cereal mix
  • String cheese or Babybel cheese
  • Air popped popcorn (Skinny Pop)
  • Mini bagels with cream cheese or nut/seed butter
  • Granola bars and snack bars (Larabars, Kind bars, granola bars made with rolled oats, Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars)
  • Whole wheat/whole grain crackers (Triscuits, Wheat Thins, Cheese crackers)
  • Yogurt with granola
  • Pretzels
  • Veggie Straws

High School:  9-12

9 – 12 Rewards:

  • Gym Time
  • Free Reading
  • Study Hall
  • Karaoke
  • Class outside
  • Relaxation Technique
  • Early out
  • Late start
  • Movie
  • Board Games
  • Phone Time

9 – 12 Celebrations/Snacks:

  •  Turkey and 1% cheese sticks
  •  Hard boiled eggs
  •  Carrots and ranch dip (made with 1%cottage cheese)
  •  Whole pieces of fruit
  •  No bake protein balls
  •  Skinny popcorn
  •  Chips and salsa
  •  Vegetables, such as carrots, with hummus or ranch
  •  Peanut butter and apples/bananas
  • Trail mix with nuts