School Wellness

As established in the School Wellness Policy, the School Wellness Advisory Council will review Corporation practices and annually make recommendations to enhance student health/wellness procedures. The Superintendent adopts the following guidelines to assure that the Corporation meets this goal.

Overall Procedures

1. The Superintendent will appoint the School Wellness Advisory Council annually on or before September 1st.
2. The Superintendent will appoint the School Wellness Advisory Council Chair annually on or before September 1st. The Chair will be responsible for implementation of these guidelines and contact information for the Chair will be included in annual notifications on the wellness policy and procedures.
3. The Council will include members working in Child nutrition and Curriculum Development. Staff members working in extra-curricular activities will be consulted on Council matters as needed/appropriate, but at least on an annual basis. 
4. The Chair will establish a calendar of meetings that includes at least one public meeting annually.
5. The Chair will present a comprehensive set of recommendations to the Superintendent no later than May 1st.
6. The Superintendent will communicate as needed/appropriate, but at least on an annual basis following the annual Council meeting, to the School Board regarding Student Wellness.
7. The Corporation will promote student wellness by strongly pursuing resources available for this purpose, by communicating supportive messages throughout the Corporation community, and by encouraging students to participate in curricular programming and extra-curricular activities focused on wellness. 

Nutrition Education

1. Nutrition education will include lessons that cover topics such as how to read and use food labels, choosing healthy options and portion control.
2. School staff will collaborate with community groups and organizations to provide opportunities for student projects related to nutrition (e.g., cultivating school gardens, reading food labels and maintaining a caloric balance between food intake and physical activity/exercise). 
3. Nutrition education resources will be provided to parents/guardians through handouts, website links, school newsletters, presentations and any other appropriate means available to reach parents/guardians. 
4. Nutrition educators will partner with school staff of the school food service program to use the cafeteria as a learning lab. Healthy items, such as salads and fruits, will be displayed prominently in cafeterias to make healthier choices more appealing.
5. Nutrition labels will be provided on all foods to allow students to easily identify healthier foods.
6. Foods of minimal nutritional value, including brands and illustrations, shall not be advertised or marketed in educational materials.

Standards for USDA Child Nutrition Programs and School Meals

School Meal Content

1. Meals served through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs will:
1. Be appealing and appetizing to children;
2. Meet, at a minimum, the nutrition requirements established by the USDA for federally funded programs; 
3. Contain a limited amount of added sugar based on USDA guidelines; 
4. Offer a variety of fruits and vegetables; 
5. Include whole grains for at least half of all grains served.
2. Special dietary needs of students will be considered when planning meals, according to the document. Accommodating Children with Special Dietary Needs in the School Nutrition Programs. 
3. Schools are encouraged to purchase or obtain fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers when practical.
4. Students will have the opportunity to provide input on local, cultural and ethnic favorites. 
5. Special dietary needs of students will be considered when planning meals, according to the document Accommodating Children with Special Dietary Needs in the School Nutrition Programs.
6. The child nutrition department will share and publicize information about the nutritional content of meals with students and parents/guardians. The information will be available in a variety of forms that can include handouts, the school website, articles, school newsletters, presentations that focus on nutrition and healthy lifestyles, and through any other appropriate means available to reach families.

School Meal Participation

1. To the extent possible, schools will provide the USDA School Breakfast Program to all students.
2. To the extent possible, schools will utilize methods to serve school breakfasts that encourage participation, including serving breakfast in the classroom, serving “grab-and-go” breakfasts and arranging transportation schedules to allow for earlier arrival times.
3. Schools will inform families of the availability and location of Summer Food Service Program meals, in accordance with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Schools in which more than 50 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-priced school meals will sponsor the Summer Food Service Program when feasible. 
4. To the extent possible, schools will provide the After School Meal Program, in accordance with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

Mealtimes and Scheduling

1. Adequate time will be provided to students to eat lunch (at least 20 minutes after being served) and breakfast (at least 10 minutes after being served). 
2. Elementary schools will schedule recess before lunch.
3. School meals will be served in clean and pleasant settings.
4. Students will have convenient access to hand-washing and sanitizing stations. 
5. Plain potable (drinking) water must be readily available at all mealtimes.
6. Appropriate supervision will be provided in the cafeteria and rules for safe behavior shall be consistently enforced.

Professional Development 

Professional development and training will be provided at least annually to child nutrition managers and staff on proper food handling techniques and healthy cooking practices.

Nutrition Standards for Competitive and Other Food and Beverages

K-12 à la carte, school vending machines and other foods outside of school meals shall be limited to items allowed by the Smart Snack Guidelines.

K-12 à la carte, school vending machines and other beverages outside of school meals shall be limited to items allowed by the Smart Snack Guidelines.

Availability of Vending Machines

1. 1. A vending machine at an elementary school that dispenses food or beverage items may not be accessible to students.
   2. Vending machines in middle and high schools will not be available during mealtimes and will contain items that meet the approved nutrition standards. 
   3. Vending machines for school staff will not be accessible to students.

Food and beverages will not be sold in school stores.

Students and staff will have free, potable (drinking) water for consumption available in water fountains throughout the school building.

The concession items sold at school-sponsored events to participants, fans and visitors shall include at least 50 percent healthy beverages and foods, according to the approved nutrition standards. 

Classroom celebrations are encouraged to focus on activities (e.g., giving free time, extra recess, music and reading time) rather than on food.

Classroom celebrations that include food will be limited to one per month. Food items must meet the approved nutrition standards.

Teachers and staff will not use food as a reward or punishment. For example, the use of sugar-sweetened beverages or candy as a classroom reward at any school is not appropriate. 

Fundraising activities will support healthy eating and wellness. Schools will promote the sale of non-food items for school-sponsored fundraising. For a food or beverage item to be sold as a fundraiser, it must meet the approved nutrition standards. 

Physical Activity and Physical Education

1. All students in grades K-12 will participate in physical education in order to meet the Physical Education Standards. Also, high schools will encourage students to take more than the courses of physical education required for all Indiana diplomas.
2. Waivers will not apply towards the physical education courses required for a diploma. Credit flexibility in physical education will be limited to elective physical education courses.
3. Physical education classes will have the same student/teacher ratio used in other classes. In Indiana, the ratio for a single school shall not exceed an average of 30 to 1.
4. The physical education program shall be provided adequate space and equipment to ensure quality physical education classes for students.
5. Physical education will be taught by a licensed physical education instructor.
6. All staff involved in physical education will be provided opportunities for professional development focusing on physical activity, fitness, health and wellness. 
7. Students will not be removed or excused from physical education to receive instruction in other content areas.
8. School staff will not use physical activity (e.g., running laps, pushups) or withhold opportunities for physical activity (e.g., recess, physical education) as punishment.

Daily Recess and Physical Activity Breaks

1. Each elementary school shall provide daily physical activity in accordance with Indiana Code 20-30-5-7.5.
2. All elementary school students will have at least 1 period of active recess per day that is at least 20 minutes in length as recommended by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). This recess period will be outdoors when possible. If outdoor recess is not possible due to inclement weather, teachers will provide an indoor physical activity break in the classroom.
3. All teachers will be encouraged to use physical activity breaks during classroom time as often as possible.
4. Schools should discourage extended periods of inactivity (2 or more hours). During events such as mandatory school-wide testing, teachers will give students periodic breaks for moderate physical activity.

Physical Activity Opportunities Before and After School

1. Schools will offer intramurals, clubs, interscholastic sports and voluntary activities to increase opportunities for physical activity before and/or after school, taking into account student interest and supervisor availability. 
2. After-school enrichment providers will include physical activity in their programs, to the extent space and equipment allow.

Walking and Bicycling to School

1. Where appropriate and safe, schools will allow walking and bicycling to school. 
2. Schools will promote walking and bicycling to school, including the promotion of International Walk to School Day, which falls on the first Wednesday of October each year.

Use of School Facilities Outside of School Hours

School spaces and facilities, such as the playground, gym, pool and track, will be made available to students, staff and community members before, during and after the school day; on weekends; and during school vacations. School policies concerning safety will apply at all times.

West Lafayette Community School Corporation 

Adopted: January 27, 2026 

Revised: [date]