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KEARNY BOARD OF EDUCATION File Code: 3542.1 Kearny, New Jersey POLICY |
LOCAL WELLNESS/NUTRITION
The Kearny Board of Education believes that children need access to healthful foods and opportunities to be physically active in order to grow, learn, and thrive, and that good health fosters student attendance and education.
Obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the last two decades, and physical inactivity and excessive calorie intake are the predominant causes of obesity. Heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are responsible for two-thirds of deaths in the United States, and major risk factors for those diseases, including unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity, and obesity, often are established in childhood. Further, the items most commonly sold from school vending machines, school stores, and snack bars include low-nutrition foods and beverages, such as soda, sports drinks, imitation fruit juices, chips, candy, cookies, and snack cakes.
To promote healthful behavior in the school, the Kearny Board of Education is committed to encouraging its students to consume fresh fruits, vegetables, low fat milk and whole grains. The Kearny Board of Education is also committed to encouraging students to select and consume all components of the school meal.
In order to promote and protect children’s health, well-being, and ability to learn, the Kearny Board of Education is committed to providing school environments that support healthy eating and physical activity and will ensure that:
A. All students will have opportunities, support, and encouragement to be physically active on a regular basis.
B. Foods and beverages sold or served at school will meet the nutrition recommendations of the U. S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and the USDA nutrition standards for National School Lunch, School Breakfast and/or After School Snack Programs. The district will regulate the types of food and beverage items offered outside the federal meal requirements, such as a la carte sales, vending machines, school stores, and fund raisers.
C. All students will be provided with adequate time for student meal service and consumption in a clean, safe, and pleasant dining environment. Lunch and recess or physical education schedules will be coordinated with the meal service.
D. To the maximum extent practicable, all schools in our district will participate in available federal school meal programs (including the School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program and After School Snack Programs).
E. Schools will provide nutrition education and physical education to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity, and will establish linkages between health education and school meal programs, and with related community services.
F. The Kearny Board of Education will 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.
The following items shall NOT BE SERVED, SOLD OR GIVEN OUT as free promotion anywhere on school property at anytime before the end of the school day:
A. Foods of minimal nutritional value as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture;
B. All food and beverage items listing sugar, in any form as the first ingredient;
C. All forms of candy.
All snack and beverage items sold or served anywhere on school property during the school day, including items sold in a la carte lines, vending machines, snack bars, school stores and fund raisers or served in the reimbursable After School Snack Program, shall meet the following standards:
A. Based on manufacturers nutritional data or nutrient facts labels:
1. No more than eight grams of total fat per serving, with the exception of nuts and seeds.
2. No more than two grams of saturated fat per serving.
B. All beverages shall not exceed 12 ounces, with the following exceptions:
1. Water.
2. Milk containing two percent or less fat.
C. Whole milk shall not exceed eight ounces.
In elementary schools, 100% of all beverages offered shall be milk, water or 100% fruit or vegetable juices.
In middle and high schools:
A. At least 60% of all beverages offered, other than milk and water, shall be 100% fruit or vegetable juices.
B. No more than 40% of all ice cream/frozen desserts shall be allowed to exceed the above standards for sugar, fat, and saturated fat.
Food and beverages served during special school celebrations or during curriculum related activities shall be exempt from this Policy, with the exception of foods of minimal nutritional value as defined by USDA regulations.
Schools shall reduce the purchase of any products containing trans fats.
This Policy does not apply to: medically authorized special needs diets pursuant to federal regulations; school nurses using FMNVs during the course of providing health care to individual students; or special needs students who’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) indicates their use for behavior modification.
Adequate time shall be allowed for student meal service and consumption. Schools shall provide a pleasant dining environment. The Kearny Board of Education recommends that physical education or recess be scheduled before lunch whenever possible.
The district’s curriculum shall incorporate nutrition education and physical activity consistent with the New Jersey Department of Education Core Curriculum Content Standards.
The chief school administrator will specifically address the issue of bio-security for the school food service. Bio-security may be part of the plans, procedures and mechanism for school safety.
The Kearny Board of Education is committed to promoting the Nutrition Policy with all food service personnel, teachers, nurses, coaches and other school administrative staff so they have the skills they need to implement this Policy and promote healthy eating practices. The Kearny Board of Education will work toward expanding awareness about this Policy among students, parents, teachers and the community at large.
The chief school administrator shall develop regulations consistent with this Policy, including a process for measuring the effectiveness of its implementation, and designating personnel within each school with operational responsibility for ensuring the school is complying with this Policy.
Adopted: October 16, 2006