6142.101(a)
School Wellness Policy on Physical Activity and Nutrition
Regional School District #14 is committed to providing school environments that promote and
protect children’s health, well-being, and the ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and
physical activity. Therefore, it is the policy of this district that:

The school district 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 components.

All students in grades K-12 will have opportunities, support, and encouragement
to be physically active on a regular basis.

Schools will provide nutrition education and physical education to foster lifelong
habits of healthy eating and physical activity. Schools will establish linkages
between health education, the school meal program, and with related community
services.

Foods and beverages sold or served at school will meet the nutrition
recommendations as published jointly by the US Department of Health and
Human Services and the Department of Agriculture and guidelines promulgated
by the Connecticut Department of Education in addition to all applicable federal
and state statutes.

Qualified child nutrition professionals will provide students with access to a
variety of affordable, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet the health and
nutrition needs of students; will accommodate the religious, ethnic, and cultural
diversity of the student body in meal planning; and will provide clean, safe,
pleasant settings and adequate time for students to eat.

To the maximum extent possible, all schools in our district will participate in
available federal school meal programs (including the National School Lunch
Program).
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Regulations
District Health Council
The school district will create a District Health Council (DHC). This council will work to
develop, implement, monitor, review, and revise school nutrition and physical activity
components. The council will serve as a resource to school sites for implementing those
components. The DHC membership will consist of individuals representing the school and
community including parents, students, food service director, and members of the school board,
school administrators, teachers, and health professionals
The DHC will conduct an annual assessment to review policy compliance and to determine areas
in need of improvement. As part of that review, the District Health Council will review the
Region’s nutrition and physical activity components. The district will, as necessary, revise the
Wellness Policy based upon the recommendations of individual schools and the DHC. The
superintendent, principals, and/or DHC will develop work plans to facilitate its implementation.
Nutrition and Physical Activity Promotion and Food Marketing
Nutrition Education and Promotion
Schools should provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion that:

Is offered at each grade level as part of a sequential, comprehensive,
standards-based program designed to provide students with the knowledge
and skills necessary to promote and protect their health;

Is part of health education classes as well as classroom instruction in
subjects such as math, science, language arts, social sciences, and elective
subjects;

Promotes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat and fat-free
dairy products, healthy food preparation methods, and health-enhancing
nutrition practices;

Emphasizes caloric balance between food intake and energy expenditure
(physical activity/exercise);
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Links with the school meal program, other school foods, and nutritionrelated community services;

Teaches media literacy with an emphasis on food marketing; and
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Includes training for teachers and other staff.
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Integrating Physical Activity into the Classroom Setting
For students to receive the nationally-recommended amount of daily physical activity and for
students to fully embrace regular physical activity as a personal behavior, students need
opportunities for physical activity beyond physical education class. Toward that end:

classroom health education will complement physical education by reinforcing
the knowledge and self-management skills needed to maintain a physically-active
lifestyle and to reduce time spent on sedentary activities, such as watching
television;

opportunities for physical activity will be incorporated into other subject lessons
when applicable
Communication with Parents
The district will support parents’ efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for
their children. The district will send home nutrition information, post nutrition tips on school
websites, and provide nutrient analyses of school menus. Schools should encourage parents to
pack healthy lunches and snacks and to refrain from including beverages and foods that do not
meet the above nutritional standards for individual foods and beverages. The district will
provide parents a list of foods that meet the district’s snack standards and ideas for healthy
celebrations/parties, rewards, and fundraising activities. In addition, the district will provide
opportunities for parents to share their healthy food practices with others in the school
community.
The district will provide information about physical education and other school-based physical
activity opportunities before, during, and after the school day; and support parents’ efforts to
provide their children with opportunities to be physically active outside of school. Such supports
will include sharing information about physical activity and physical education through a
website, newsletter, or other take-home materials, special events, or physical education
homework.
Physical Activity Opportunities and Physical Education
Opportunities Before and After School
The middle school and the high school will offer extracurricular physical activity programs, such
as physical activity clubs or intramural programs. The high school, and middle school as
appropriate, will offer interscholastic sports programs. Schools will offer a range of activities
that meet the needs, interests, and abilities of all students, including boys, girls, students with
disabilities, and students with special health-care needs.
Accessibility of School Facilities
School facilities will be available to students, staff, and community members before, during, and
after the school day consistent with Board of Education Policies.
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School Lunch Meal Planning
All menus will be written in accordance with the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
guidelines. These guidelines follow Nutrient Standard Menu Planning (NuMenu). A USDAapproved nutrient analysis software program will be used to plan menus that include the daily
required menu items and, when averaged over the week, meet appropriate age/grade-based
nutrient standards and the Dietary Guidelines.
Nutrition Goals for School Meals


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Lunch must meet one-third (1/3) of the RDA for key nutrients (protein, calcium, iron,
vitamin A, vitamin C and calories).
Calories must be age/grade appropriate.
Meals must meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; Limit total fat to 30% of
calories or less, limit saturated fat to less than 10% of calories.
The district’s school lunch program will follow the federal dietary guidelines and comply with
federal, state, and local requirements.
Competitive Foods
All competitive foods and beverages sold or served during the school instructional day will meet
the recommended nutrition standards published by the Connecticut State Department of
Education, Child Nutrition Program.
Connecticut state regulations prohibits schools from the sale or distribution by any group, of any
food or beverage to students anywhere on school premises by any group for 30 minutes prior to
the start of the NSLP until 30 minutes after the end of the program. In addition, income from the
sale of any foods (including vending machine, school stores, student fundraisers, etc,) sold or
distributed anywhere on the school premises during the same timeframe must be accrued to the
food service account.
Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value
Foods defined as having minimal nutritional value by the federal or state will not be sold or
distributed in the cafeterias or anywhere on school premises and include the following items


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soda
chewing gum
candy (excluding the accepted fruit snack products)
An up to date listing of foods that are classified under federal and state guidelines as minimal
nutritional foods can be acquired by contacting the main office at each school.
Other Food-Related Events
The sale or distribution of soda and candy is prohibited during the school day. Groups interested
in selling soda or candy at after school activities must receive permission prior to the event. The
group must complete the attached form and receive approval from the superintendent or
designee.
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The use of foods of as learning incentives or rewards is not allowed without prior approval from
the superintendent or designee.
Organizations operating concessions at school functions should strive to include at least some
healthy food choices in their offerings. It is recommended that these groups market these healthy
options at a lower profit margin to encourage student selection. These groups must receive prior
approval for the sale of non-healthy food and/or drink items.
It is recommended that classroom celebrations with foods of minimal nutritional value be kept to
a minimum and include healthy food alternatives or non-food activities for student choices. All
schools must adhere to CT State Statute (10-215b-23) regarding the sale and distribution of
competitive foods in the National School Lunch Program. In any case only drinks that comply
with the Connecticut Healthy Foods program will be permitted to be served.
It is recognized that there may be rare special occasions when the school principal may allow a
school group to deviate from these guidelines.
Fundraising Activities
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Any fund-raising requires administrative approval.
It is suggested that non-food items i.e. books, gift wrapping, candles, plants, flowers etc.
be considered.
The selling of candy as a fundraiser is prohibited.
Concessions sold at sporting events and other activities must be approved by the building
principal.
It is recognized that there may be rare special occasions when the school principal may
allow a school group to deviate from these guidelines, with approval from the
superintendent or designee.
Monitoring and Policy Review
The superintendent will ensure compliance with the Wellness Policy and established districtwide nutrition and physical activity wellness components. In each school, the principal will
ensure compliance with those components in his/her school and will report on the school’s
compliance to the District Health Council who will prepare an annual report to the
Superintendent.
School food service staff, at the school or district level, will ensure compliance with nutrition
components within school food service areas and will report on this matter to the superintendent.
In addition, the school district will report on the most recent USDA School Meals Initiative
(SMI) review findings and any resulting changes.
The superintendent will develop a summary report every three years on district-wide compliance
with the district’s established nutrition and physical activity wellness components, based on
input from district schools and the DHC. That report will be provided to the school board and
also distributed to the District Health Council. The policy will be reviewed, and revised if
needed, based on the report.
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