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Student Nutrition and Wellness

Purpose and Goal:

The line between nutrition and learning is well documented. Healthy eating patterns are essential for students to achieve their full academic potential, full physical and mental growth, and lifelong health and well-being. Healthy eating is demonstrably linked to reduced risk for mortality and development and chronic diseases as adults. Schools have a responsibility to help students and staff establish and maintain lifelong, healthy eating patterns. Well-planned and well-implemented school nutition programs have been shown to positively influence students' eating habits.

All students shall possess the knowledge and skills necessary to make nutritious and enjoyable food choices for a lifetime. In addition, staff is encouraged to model healthy eating and physical activity as a valuable part of daily life. The Tarkington Independent School District shall prepare, adopt, and implement a comprehensive plan to encourage healthy eating and physical activity.

Component 1: A Commitment to Nutrition and Physical Activity

1. The Tarkington Independent School District will have a School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC). One of its missions will be to address nutrition and physical activity issues and will develop, implement, and evaluate guidelines that support a healthy school nutrition environment. This committee will offer revisions to the guidelines annually or as needed.
2. The coordinated health program for the Tarkington Independent School District will be the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH).
3. Principals will address concerns such as kinds of foods available on campus, sufficient mealtime, nutrition education, and physical activity.
4. Nutrition education will be integrated across the curriculum, and physical activitiy will be encouraged daily.
5. The school food service staff will participate in making decision and guidelines that will affect the school nutrition environment.

Component 2: Quality School Meals

1. The Tarkington Independent School District will offer breakfast and lunch for students.
2. School food service, which is properly qualified according to current professional standards and will regularly participate in professional developement activities, will administer the Child Nutrition Programs.
3. Food safety will be a key part of the school food service operation.
4. Menus will meet the nutrition standards established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Texas Department of Agriculture, conforming to good menu planning, principles, and featuring a variety of healthy choices that are tasty, attractive, of excellent quality, and are served at the proper temperature.
5. Students will be given the opportunity to provide input on their favorite foods.
6. School personnel, along with parents, will encourage students to choose and consume full meals. Positive nutrition statements will be available on a daily basis.

Component 3: Other Health Food Options

1. The SHAC will develop and recomment to the administration guidelines on nutrition standards for food and beverages offered through parties, celebrations, and social events. See Attachment A.
2. Outside of the cafeteria during the school day, students in possession of foods or beverages of minimal nutritional value not brought from home will be asked to surrender such items to staff members. See Attachment B.
3. Food or beverages, other than those provided through the school food service department, may not be made available to elementary school students. However, elementary classrooms may serve one nutritious snack per day inthe morning or afternoon (not during lunch time) under the teacher's guidance. The snack may be provided by the school food service, the teacher, parents, or other groups. School food service provides juice or milk on a class by class basis for 25 cents. Foods and beverages, other than those provided through the school service department, may not be available to junior high students until the end of the regular school day and may not be available to high school sudents until the end of the last lunch period. See Attachment A for serving size restrictions.
4. The school district will provide nutritional information to parents that will encourage parents to provide safe and nutritious foods for their children.
5. Organizations shall only use non-food items for foods designed for consumption after school hours as fund-raisers. For example, barbeque plate sales after school hours would be acceptable.

Component 4: Please Eating Experiences

1. Facilty design will be given priority in renovations and new construction.
2. At the discretion of administrators or lunch room monitors, drinking fountains, will be available for students to get water at meals or water may be made available next to the tea.
3. School personnel will assist all students in developing the healthy practice of washing hands before eating.
4. School personnel will schedule enough time so students do not have to spend excessive time waiting in line.
5. Schools should not schedule tutorig, pep rallies, assemblies, club/organization meetings, and other activities during mealtimes.
6. Adequate time to eat in a pleasant dining environment should be provided. The minimum eating time for each child after being served will be 10 minutes for breakfast (provided a student arrives 10 minutes before the morning bell) and 20 minutes for lunch.
7. Schools will encourage proper socializing among students and between students and adults. Adults will supervise the cafeteria and serve as role models to students by demonstrating proper conduct and voice level. Parents are encouraged to dine with students in the cafeteria.
8. Reasonable methods will be used to keep noise levels appropriate.

Component 5: Nutrition Education

1. Tarkington Independent School District will follow health education curriculum and guidelines as stated by the Texas Education Agency. Schools will link nutrition education activities with the coordinated school health program.
2. Students will receive nutrition education that teaches the skills they need to adopt healthy eating behaviors. Teachers are encouraged to integrate nutrition education into core curriculum areas such as math, science, social studies, and language arts, as applicable.
3. Nutrition education will be offered in the school cafeteria and in the classroom,with coordination between school food service staff and teachers. Teachers can display posters, videos, websites, etc. on nutrition topics.
4. Tarkington Independent School District will participate in USDA nutrition program in CATCH and conduct nutrition education activities and promotions that involve students, parents, and the community. The school nutrition team responsible for these activities will be composed of Child Nutrition Services staff, the school nurse, classroom teachers, and physical education teachers.

Component 6: Marketing

1. Students will receive positive, motivation messages, both verbal and nonverbal, about healthy eating and physical activity thoughout the school setting. School personnel will help reinforce these positive messages.
2. Schools will consider student needs in planning for a healthy school nutrition environment. Students will be asked for input and feedback through the use of student surveys and attention will be given to their comments.
3. Schools will promote healthy food choices and encourage advertising that promotes healthy nutritious food choices.
4. Healthy eating and physical activity will be actively promoted to students, parens, teachers, administrators, and the community at registration, PTO meetings, open houses, teacher-in-services, etc.
5. Schools will work to spread the word to the community about a healthy school nutrition environment through a variety of avenues such as the school district website.

Component 7: Implementation

1. The SHAC will be composed of parents and school district staff. The committee may include parents, community members, students, staff members, teachers, and administrators. Permanent members of the committee include a physical education teacher, Athletic Director, and the Food Service Director.
2. The SHAC members will conduct a needs assessment in the fall semester of each year. These members will report their finding, and the committee will develop a plan of action for improvement as needed.
3. The SHAC, via the Food Service Director, will report to the superintendent the progress of the committee.

Attachment A
Guidelines for Food and Beverages Offered to Students during School

Attachment B
Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (FMNV)

Students may not be in possession of any of the foods or beverages listed below at school except during times approved by this policy.* Any of the following items that are found in the possession of any student during unapproved times will be collected.

Soda Water

Any carbonated beverage including carbonated water. No product will be excluded from this definition because it contains discrete nutrients added to the food such as vitamins, minerals, and protein

Water Ices

Any frozen, sweetened water such as "...sicles" and flavored ice with the exception of products that contain fruit or fruit juice.

Chewing Gum

Any flavored products from natural or synthetic gums or other ingredients that form an insoluble mass for chewing

All Candies

Any processed foods made predominantly from sweeteners or artificial sweeteners with a variety of other ingredients, including powdered drink mix (i.e., Kool-Aid).

Certain Chips and Snack Foods

Any portions larger than or nutritional content other than those indicated on Attachment A.

*Approved Times for the Availability of Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value

Exemptions: