Sample Language for Wellness Policies

Summer 2006

Curriculum and Media

• Students in grades pre-K-12 receive nutrition education that is interactive and teaches the skills they need to adopt healthy eating behaviors.
• Marketing of low nutrition foods and sodas on books and curricula, textbook covers and schools supplies, scoreboards and sports equipment is not acceptable.

Nutrition

• Education will be provided to parents and include: handouts such as lists of healthy snacks, transportation service information to increase access to healthy groceries and farmers markets, website postings, articles in school and district newsletters, presentations offered in conjunction with community organizations.
• Experiences with gardens, food preparation, and nutrition education will be encouraged as part of the academic curriculum.

Nutrition Guidelines

• The district shall promote farm-to-school connections and buy locally grown fruits and vegetables whenever possible.
• The school district sets guidelines for foods and beverages sold in vending machines, a la carte menus, snack bars, school stores, and concession stands on school campuses.
• The school district sets guidelines for foods and beverages sold as part of school-sponsored fundraising activities, parties, celebrations, and meetings during the school day.
• Neither schools nor the district shall sign exclusive contracts with soft drink, fast food, or snack food companies.
• The district shall promote participation in school nutrition programs so no child goes hungry, and will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma associated with free and reduced-price meals and to prevent the overt identification of students who are eligible for them.
• Nutrition and farm-to-school efforts promoted by the food service director shall be supported by the districtwide commitment to such efforts and reflected in the budget to the greatest extent possible.

Physical Fitness

• The district will encourage fundraising activities that promote physical activity and make available to parent-teacher organizations, teachers, and community organizations a list of fundraising activities that promote wellness.
• Physical fitness efforts promoted by the school health coordinator and nursing staff shall be supported by the districtwide commitment to such efforts and reflected in the budget to the greatest extent possible.

—Leah Penniman

Adapted from Seeds of Solidarity (www.seedsofsolidarity.org), Action for Healthy Kids (www.actionforhealthykids.org), The Food Research and Action Center (www.frac.org), Center for Food and Justice (http://departments.oxy.edu/uepi/cfj/policy.htm), and the Center for Ecoliteracy (www.ecoliteracy.org).

Summer 2006