Yoakum Independent School District
Wellness Policies on Physical Activity and Nutrition

Meals served through the Yoakum Independent School District will:

• be appealing and attractive to children;
• be served in clean and pleasant settings;
• meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by local, state, and federal statutes and regulations;
• offer a variety of fruits and vegetables;
• serve only low-fat (1%) and fat-free milk and nutritionally-equivalent non-dairy alternatives (to be defined by USDA);
• ensure that half of the served grains are whole grain, and
• ensure that foods are not deep-fried.

Schools should engage students and parents, through taste-tests of new entrees and surveys, in selecting foods sold through the school meal programs in order to identify new, healthful, and appealing food choices. In addition, schools should share information about the nutritional content of meals with parents and students. Such information could be made available on menus, a website, on cafeteria menu boards, placards, or other point-of-purchase materials.

To ensure that all children have breakfast, either at home or at school, in order to meet their nutritional needs and enhance their ability to learn:

• Schools will, to the extent possible, operate the School Breakfast Program.
• Schools will, to the extent possible, arrange bus schedules and utilize methods to serve school breakfasts that encourage participation.
• Schools that serve breakfast to students will notify parents and students of the availability of the School Breakfast Program.
• Schools will encourage parents to provide a healthy breakfast for their children through newsletter articles, take-home materials, or other means.

Schools will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to, and prevent the overt identification of, students who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals. Yoakum ISD will utilize electronic identification and payment systems; and Yoakum ISD will set charging policy for meals.

Schools:

• will provide students with at least 10 minutes to eat after sitting down for breakfast and 20 minutes after sitting down for lunch;
• should schedule meal periods at appropriate times.
• should not schedule tutoring, club, or organizational meetings or activities during mealtimes, unless students may eat during such activities;
• will provide students access to hand washing or hand sanitizing before they eat meals or snacks; and
• should take reasonable steps to accommodate the tooth-brushing regimens of students with special oral health needs (e.g., orthodontia or high tooth decay risk).

Qualified nutrition professionals will administer the school meal programs. As part of the school district's responsibility to operate a food service program, we will provide continuing professional development for all nutrition professionals in schools. Staff development programs should include appropriate certification and/or training programs for child nutrition directors, school nutrition managers, and cafeteria workers, according to their levels of responsibility.

Given concerns about allergies and other restrictions on some children's diets, students will be prohibited from sharing their food or beverages with one another during meal or snack times. A parent/guardian or grandparent may bring outside food for their child only.

The following guidelines apply to food and beverages sold outside of reimbursable school meals, such as through vending machines, cafeteria al a carte (snack lines), fundraisers, school stores, etc., on school grounds. (See Fundraising Activities)

All foods sold in schools must comply with the USDA “Smart Snacks in Schools.” The following guidelines apply:

Beverages

Allowed: plain water; unflavored low-fat milk; unflavored milk alternatives permitted by the NSLP-SBP; 100% fruit or vegetable juice; and 100% fruit or vegetable juice diluted with water and no added sweeteners.

Portion Sizes

Elementary campuses may sell up to 8-oz. portions while middle schools and high schools may sell up to 12-oz. portions of milk and 100% juice. There is no portion size limit for plain water.

Caffeinated beverages and sports drinks are only allowed at the High School.

Foods

Any food sold in school must:

• Be a “whole grain-rich” grain product; or
• Have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, or a protein food; or
• Be a combination food that contains at least ¼ cup of fruit and/or vegetable; or
• Contain 10% of the daily value (DV) of one of the nutrients of public health concern in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (calcium, potassium, vitamin D, or dietary fiber). As of July 1, 2016, foods may not qualify using the 10% DV.
• Foods must also meet the following nutrient guidelines:

No food items can be sold during meal service. Any food item sold after meal service must meet the “Smart Snacks in Schools” guidelines. The standards do not apply outside the school day, on weekends, and at off-campus fundraising events. For the purpose of this policy, the school day is defined as midnight until thirty minutes after the last bell. (See Exemptions)

• The classroom teachers may or may not permit students to have a snack time during the school day. If the students bring a snack from home, the snack must be a healthy snack. The only beverage that students may drink in class is water.
• The district will provide a list of healthy snack items to teachers and parents. The list will be posted on the district website.
• If eligible, schools that provide snacks through after-school programs will pursue receiving reimbursements through the National School Lunch Program.

Schools may use foods or beverages that meet the nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold individually, (Smart Snack Rule) as rewards for academic performance or good behavior, and will not withhold food or beverages (including food served through school meals) as a punishment.

The parent or grandparent may provide food that has been approved by their child’s teacher to celebrate the birthday. All classroom parties will be planned after lunch.

With the approval of the campus administrator, teachers may provide food to students in the classroom for instructional purposes. After receiving administrator approval, the teacher should consult the campus nurse to ensure any students health restrictions or food allergies are considered.

Foods and beverages offered or sold at school-sponsored events outside the school day (such as dances, athletic events, concession stands) are allowed.

Yoakum Independent School District aims to teach, encourage, and support healthy eating by students. Schools should provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion that:

• is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health;
• is part of not only health education classes, but also classroom instruction in subjects such as math, science, language arts, social sciences, and elective subjects;
• includes enjoyable, developmentally-appropriate, culturally-relevant, participatory activities, such as contests, promotions, taste testing, farm visits, and school gardens;
• promotes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, healthy food preparation methods, and health-enhancing nutrition practices;
• emphasizes caloric balance between food intake and energy expenditure (physical activity/exercise);
• links with school meal programs, other school foods, and nutrition-related community services;
• teaches media literacy with an emphasis on food marketing; and
• includes training for teachers and other staff.

For students to receive the nationally-recommended amount of daily physical activity (i.e., at least 60 minutes per day) and for students to fully embrace regular physical activity as a personal behavior, students need opportunities for physical activity beyond physical education class. Toward that end:

• classroom health education will complement physical education by reinforcing the knowledge and self-management skills needed to maintain a physically-active lifestyle and to reduce time spent on sedentary activities, such as watching television;
• opportunities for physical activity will be incorporated into other subject lessons; and
• classroom teachers will provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes, as appropriate.

The district/school will support parents' efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children. The district/school will offer healthy eating seminars for parents, send home nutrition information, post nutrition tips on school websites, and provide nutrient analyses of school menus. Schools should encourage parents to pack healthy lunches and snacks and to refrain from including beverages and foods that do not meet the above nutrition standards for individual foods and beverages. The district/school will provide parents a list of foods that meet the district's snack standards and ideas for healthy celebrations/parties, rewards, and fundraising activities. In addition, the district/school will provide opportunities for parents to share their healthy food practices with others in the school community.

The district/school will provide information about physical education and other school-based physical activity opportunities before, during, and after the school day; and support parents' efforts to provide their children with opportunities to be physically active outside of school. Such supports will include sharing information about physical activity and physical education through a website, newsletter, or other take-home materials, or special events.