Wellness

Statement of Policy

It is the policy of West Lafayette Community School Corporation to promote student wellness
by supporting healthy choices, good nutrition and physical activity as a part of the total learning
environment. This policy applies to all students, staff, and schools in the Corporation.

Implementation of Policy
1. The Superintendent shall appoint a School Wellness Advisory Council consisting of at least
one representative of:
(1) Parents;
(2) Food service supervisor and staff;
(3) Students;
(4) Nutritionists or certified dietitians;
(5) School health care professionals (e.g., school nurses);
(6) Board members;
(7) A school administrator;
(8) Interested community organizations;
(9) Teachers of Physical Education and Health.

2. The School Wellness Advisory Council shall meet at the call of a chair (“Wellness
Coordinator”) designated by the Superintendent from among the members serving on
the School Wellness Advisory Council; and shall oversee the Corporation’s efforts to
improve student wellness through curriculum, policies, and practices. The School
Wellness Advisory Council shall meet at least once a school year. Proposals for policies
and practices shall be made in writing and shall be reported to the Board through the
Superintendent. No votes shall be taken and where there are diverging views on a
matter to be reported to the Board, all points of view shall be included in the written
report to the Superintendent. The food service director shall serve as the Wellness
Coordinator.

3. The School Wellness Advisory Council shall hold at least one (1) public meeting annually at
which public input about the development, implementation, evaluation,
and update of Corporation’s wellness policies and practices is solicited.

4. The School Wellness Advisory Council shall work with the:
a. School Attorney to ensure that the Corporation’s policies and practices are consistent
with Indiana and federal law and regulations, and the
b. Indiana Department of Education, the Indiana Department of Health, and other
public and private agencies offering information and support for student
wellness initiatives.

5. Each administrator/supervisor assigned to manage a Corporation school has the authority
and duty to oversee the successful implementation of this Policy.

Nutrition Education and Nutrition Promotion

The Corporation will teach, model, encourage, and support healthy eating by all students. The
Corporation will provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion that is designed
to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote their health. The
Corporation sets the following goals in an effort to enable students to establish good health and
nutrition habits:

A. With regard to nutrition education:

a. Nutrition education standards and benchmarks shall be age-appropriate and
culturally relevant.
b. The standards and benchmarks for nutrition education shall be behavior focused.
c. The school cafeteria shall serve as a learning lab by allowing students to apply the
knowledge, attitudes, and skills taught in the classroom when making choices at
mealtime.
d. Nutrition education benchmarks and standards include a focus on media literacy
as it relates to food marketing strategies.

B. With regard to physical activity:

a. The sequential, comprehensive physical education curriculum shall provide
students with opportunities to learn and practice, developmentally appropriate
knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to engage in lifelong, health-enhancing
physical activity.
b. Physical education classes shall provide students with opportunities to learn and
practice, developmentally appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary
to engage in lifelong, health-enhancing physical activity.
c. The physical education curriculum shall expose students to the importance of
remaining physically active for life.
d. Planned instruction in physical education shall meet the needs of all students and
shall be presented in an environment free of embarrassment and humiliation.

C. With regard to other school-based activities

a. The school shall provide an attractive clean environment in which the students
eat.
b. The schools may use environmentally friendly practices, such as the use of non
disposable tableware and dishes.
c. Schools in our system shall utilize electronic identification and payment systems
to protect the privacy of individual students.

D. With regard to nutrition promotion, the Corporation shall:

a. Encourage students to increase their consumption of healthful foods during the
school day and decrease their consumption of processed foods and sugar
sweetened beverages;
b. Create an environment that reinforces the development of healthy eating habits,
including offering the following healthy foods:
i. Free drinking water shall be available to students during designated
mealtimes and may be available throughout the school day.
ii. A variety of fresh produce to include those prepared without added fats,
sugars, refined sugars, and sodium
iii. A variety of vegetables daily to include specific subgroups as defined by
dark green, red/orange, legumes, and starchy
iv. Whole grain products will meet the requirements as set forth by the
USDA .
v. Fluid milk that is fat-free (unflavored and flavored) and low-fat
(unflavored)
c. Meals designed to meet specific calorie ranges for age/grade groups
i. Eliminate trans-fat from school meals;
ii. Require students to select a fruit or vegetables as part of a complete
reimbursable meal;
iii. A wide variety of alternative rewards can be used to provide positive
reinforcement for children’s behavior and academic performance.
Rewarding children in the classroom with candy and sweets will be
discouraged;

Standards of U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Programs and School Meals

The Board will provide and promote the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs to
ensure that all students have access to healthy foods and beverages to support healthier choices
and promote optimal learning. All meals served by the Corporation will meet the federal
nutritional guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) and follow
principles of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Guidelines promulgated by the
Superintendent will establish nutrition guidelines for all foods available on school campus
during the school day that are consistent with federal nutritional guidelines and promote student
health and reduce childhood obesity.

Sold and Unsold Foods and Beverages

The Corporation is committed to ensuring that all foods and beverages available to students
support healthy eating.

The foods and beverages sold and served outside of the school meal programs (e.g., “sold” foods
and beverages) will meet the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards, at a minimum.
By meeting the Smart Snacks standards, the Corporation aims to improve student health and
well-being, increase consumption of healthy foods during the school day and create an
environment that reinforces the development of healthy eating habits.

To support healthy food choices and improve student health and well-being, all foods and
beverages outside the reimbursable school meal programs that are sold or served to students on
the school campus during the school day will meet the USDA Smart Snacks nutrition standards.
These standards will apply in all locations and through all services where foods and beverages
are sold, which may include, but are not limited to, à la carte options in cafeterias, vending
machines, school stores and snack or food carts.

Food and Beverage Marketing in Schools

It is the intent of the Corporation to protect and promote health by permitting advertising and
marketing for only those foods and beverages that meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in
School nutrition standards during the school day.
Physical Activity and Other Activities
The Board supports the health and well-being of students by promoting physical activity
through physical education, recess and other physical activity breaks; before-and after-school
activities; and walking and bicycling to school. Additionally, the Board supports physical
activity among elementary students by providing them with at least 30 of the recommended 60
minutes of physical activity per day.

Public Input

Parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, teachers of physical education,
school health professionals, the Board, Corporation administrators, and the general public are
permitted to participate in the development, implementation, and periodic review and update of
this Policy and procedures.

Annual Notification of Policy

The Corporation will actively inform families and the public each year of basic information
about this policy, including its content, any updates to the policy, and implementation status.
This annual notification will include information on how the public can get involved in the
Student Wellness Advisory Council or the implementation of the wellness policy in general.
This information will be made available via the Corporation website and/or
Corporation-wide communications.

Evaluation

At least once every three (3) years, the Corporation will evaluate compliance with the
wellness policy through [an evaluation tool] to assess the implementation of the policy and
include: 1. The extent to which schools in the Corporation are in compliance with the
wellness policy; 2. The extent to which the Corporation’s wellness policy compares to the
Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s model wellness policy; and
3. The progress made in attaining the goals of the Corporation’s wellness policy.

The Corporation will post the results of the triennial evaluation on the Corporation website
when available.

Administrative Guidelines

The Superintendent or his or her designee shall ensure that this Policy and procedures are duly
implemented, complied with, and evaluated. The content and implementation of this Policy and
procedures shall be made available to the public. On an annual basis, the Superintendent or his
or her designee shall assess this Policy and procedures, including the extent to which the
Corporation is in compliance with the Policy, the extent to which the Policy compares to a
model policy, and a description of the progress made in attaining the goals of the Policy. The
Superintendent or his or her designee shall report to the board on an annual basis an assessment
of this Policy and corresponding procedures. This assessment shall be made available to the
public.

The Superintendent or his designee shall develop and administer guidelines to:

1. Coordinate the work of the School Wellness Advisory Council and staff members working
in Food Services, Curriculum Development, and extracurricular activities;
2. Promote student wellness in all curricular and extracurricular activities of the
Corporation;
3. Establish goals and procedures for the implementation of this Policy, including regular
assessment of progress on established wellness goals.

I.C. 20-26-9-18 et. seq.
42 U.S.C § 1758b

West Lafayette Community School Corporation

Adopted: March 4, 2024
Revised: [date]