School Wellness

Nationwide Waiver of Local School Wellness Triennial Assessments - Under the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, an assessment of the school wellness policy must be conducted a minimum of once every three years. The first assessment was to be completed by June 30, 2021. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, USDA has extended the deadline to complete the first triennial assessment to June 30, 2022 for those SFAs that elected to participate in the waiver by June 30, 2021. 

Regulation and Compliance Tools

A local school wellness policy is a written document that guides a local education agency or school district's efforts to establish a school environment that promotes student health, well-being, and the ability to learn.

• Local Wellness Policy Requirements (Final Rule) - On July 29, 2016, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) finalized regulations to create a framework and guidelines for written wellness policies. 
• Sample Wellness Policy and Regulation - Iowa Association of School Boards has amended the sample policy (507.9 - Wellness Policy) and added sample regulation (507.9R1) to reflect the final rule.
  • Non-Public School Sample Wellness Policy - An example of a wellness policy for non-public schools to use as a guide developed by Holy Family Schools.
  • RCCI (Residential Child Care Institutions) Wellness Policy Template - Developed using Lutheran Services in Iowa's Wellness Policy as a best practice.
  • Alliance for a Healthier Generation Model Wellness Policy - Provides best practice goals and can serve as a resource in wellness policy development.
• School Wellness Policy Checklist - A tool to review and update your wellness policy and ensure it meets all requirements.
• School Wellness Policy Progress Report - A tool to document progress in meeting the goals written into the wellness policy at the building level.
  • Sample Action Plan - Developed by Lutheran Interparish School in Williamsburg, Iowa.
• Triennial Assessment Resource - Provides an overview of the requirements and a tool to summarize the information gathered during the Triennial assessment.
• Wellness Policy Timeline
  • Each Year: Public Notification, Building Progress Reports, and School Wellness Committee Meetings
  • Every 3 Years: Review and Update School Wellness Policy and Complete Triennial Assessment
  • Every 3-5 Years: School Nutrition Administrative Review to Assess Compliance

Training

• School Wellness Triennial Assessment Webinar - Overview of the triennial assessment requirements, examples from schools, and how to register as a 5-2-1-0 site.
• School Wellness and Smart Snacks Webcast (10 minutes) - Provides information on School Wellness Policy and Smart Snack requirements.

Nutrition Education and Promotion

Schools can provide students with opportunities to learn nutrition and engage in nutrition promotion that help students develop lifelong healthy eating behaviors.

• Display a MyPlate poster in every classroom.
• Teachers review school lunch menu each morning and discuss food groups.
• Invite a Registered Dietitian or other health professional to present nutrition information to students.
• Partner with curriculum director, family consumer science teachers, and PE teachers to incorporate nutrition education.

Resources to Support Nutrition Education and Promotion at Your School

• MyPlate Classroom BINGO Cards - Includes way to incorporate nutrition and physical activity in the classroom on a monthly basis.
• Team Nutrition - Provides free (print and online) nutrition education resources for child nutrition programs.
• Pick a Better Snack - Resources to promote fruits and vegetables (family newsletters, recipe cards, monthly lessons, bingo cards, scorecards, posters, and fact sheets).
• Food Tasting Resources - Fact sheets, sample tasting schedule, how to hold a taste testing, tasting instructions for students, words to describe foods, food safety tips, and riddles.
• School Nutrition Policies and Practices Can Support the Social and Emotional Climate and Learning - CDC

Physical Activity

Schools can provide students and staff with opportunities to engage in physical activity that meet federal and state guidelines, including the Iowa Healthy Kids Act.

• Provide access to the gym and exercise equipment before and after school.
• Educate teachers and administrators the academic benefits of physical activity.
• Demonstrate brain breaks during staff meetings to encourage teachers to use them their classrooms.
• Discourage withholding recess as a punishment.

Resources to Support Physical Activity at Your School

• Iowa Physical Education and Health Education Voluntary Standards
• Get Movin' Card Set - Simple, short brain break activities.
• Take a Break - Physical activity breaks for middle/high school classrooms.
• Stories in Motion - Utilize these stories in the classroom for short physical activity breaks.
• Move for Thought - 10 activities that can be integrated with any subject in the elementary classroom.
• GoNoodle - Online video collection that are free to access.
• School Physical Education and Physical Activity Policies Can Support the Social Emotional Climate and Learning - CDC

Other School Based Activities

Other school based activities that promote wellness can ensure an integrated whole-school approach to the school's wellness program.

• Create a wellness webpage that contains non-food celebration or reward ideas, school meal information, the wellness policy, and the assessment of implementation.
• Involve high school students in organizing special events such as school-wide walks/runs or taste testing new food items in elementary schools.
• Provide access to water fountains, dispensers, and hydration stations throughout the school.
• Allow students to have water bottles in class or to go to the water fountain if they need to drink water.

Resources to Support Other School Based Activities that Promote Wellness

• School Meal Promotion - Resources to promote and support school meals including communication templates for parents and staff.
• Iowa Recess Before Lunch Guide - The pilot included an assessment of food and milk waste, photo estimation, and school staff interviews and surveys.
• Water Availability During Meals - The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act requires schools to make free water available to students.
• 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! - Statewide campaign coordinated by the Iowa Department of Public Health in partnership with the Healthiest State Initiative, provides a framework to create healthy environments.
• Iowa Department of Education Social-Emotional Learning Webpage - Social and Emotional competencies are important for whole-student development and well-being and foster an environment where all individuals feel supported and can thrive. 

Nutrition Guidelines

Nutrition Guidelines for All Foods and Beverages Sold to Students

Schools providing access to foods outside reimbursable meal programs must meet the USDA Smart Snacks in Schools nutrition standards, at a minimum. This includes items sold through a la carte, vending machines, student run stores, and fundraising activities (before school, during school, and 30 minutes after).

• Work with middle or high school classes or student groups to evaluate foods and beverages sold using the Smart Snacks calculator.
• Educate administrators and teachers on Smart Snacks requirements.
• Partner with school groups to sell foods and beverages that meet the Smart Snacks requirements.
• Connect with food vendors to ensure they are aware of the requirements.

Resources to Support Nutrition Guidelines

• School Meal Planning and Resources - Tools, trainings, and communication templates to assist with implementation of the school meal regulations.
• Smart Snacks Resources - Nutrition standards, approved product lists and recipes, calculator, and student group resources.
• Time to Eat School Meals - Strategies to consider when looking to increase the amount of time for school meals including pros and cons of implementation.
• Making Time for School Lunch - CDC Healthy Schools Research Brief
• Cafeteria Coaching - Utilize middle and high school students along with school nutrition staff to encourage kids to try new foods and eat nutritious school meals.

Standards for All Foods and Beverages Provided (not sold) to Students

Foods and beverages provided (not sold) to students during the school day (e.g. class parties, rewards) must meet standards set by the district. Non-food fundraising, classroom rewards, and classroom celebrations should complement the school wellness policy to provide consistent messages about health and wellness throughout the school. Best practice examples include:

• Schools may set standards related to food safety or medical needs (i.e. allergies), best practice is that nutrition is also a consideration.
• Provide parents and staff a list of foods and beverages that meet nutrition standards for classroom snacks and celebrations.
• Provide ideas to teachers and staff for non-food rewards and celebrations ideas.

Resources to Support Nutrition Standards

• Healthy Classroom Celebrations and Snacks
  • Team Nutrition Celebration Ideas - Discover MyPlate
  • Healthy Celebrations Tip Sheet
  • Iowa City CSD Classroom Snacks and Celebrations
• Fundraisers
  • Non-Food Alternatives for School Rewards and Fundraising (ISU Extension)
• Non-Food Rewards
  • Healthy Non-Food Rewards (Action for Healthy Kids)
  • Healthy and Active Non-Food Rewards

Food and Beverage Marketing

Schools must only allow marketing and advertising of foods and beverages that meet the Smart Snacks nutrition standards on campus during the school day.

• Provide training to staff on food and beverage marketing requirements.
• Ensure food vendors are aware of the district's marketing policy.
• Display posters and bulletin boards promoting healthy foods.
• Include healthy messages and school meal menus on electronic monitors.

Wellness Leadership and Public Involvement

The superintendent or designee must implement and ensure compliance by reviewing the policy at least every 3 years and recommending updates as appropriate for board approval. Schools must permit parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, physical education teachers, school health professionals, school board, administrators, and the public to participate in the development, implementation, and review and update of the policy. Best practice examples include:

• Schedule the wellness committee meeting to take place with another school group meeting (i.e. School Improvement Advisory Committee).
• Delegate a wellness leader for each school building.
• E-mail parents about upcoming wellness committee meetings.
• Make the policy and assessment of the policy's progress available to the public by putting it on the school's wellness webpage.

Resources to Support Wellness Policy Committee and Public Involvement

• Local School Wellness Policy Outreach Toolkit - Sample flyers, presentations, newsletter articles, and social media posts.
• Parents for Healthy Schools
• Health and Academics (Centers for Disease Control) - Research shows a strong connection between healthy behaviors and academic achievement.
• MFL MarMac CSD - Local newspaper article highlighting school wellness initiatives in the district and inviting community members to be a part of the wellness committee.