The Student Wellness Policy
Washoe County School District
What is a Wellness Policy?
• Goals
• Nutrition education, physical activity & other school wellness activities
• Nutrition Guidelines
• For all foods available on each school campus during the school day
• Reimbursable School Meals Guidelines
• Must be no less restrictive than regulations and guidance issued by the
Secretary of Agriculture (pursuant to the Child Nutrition Act and the
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act)
• Measuring Plan
• Including designation of 1 or more persons at each school charged with
operational responsibility for adherence and enforcement
• Community Involvement
• Parents, students, and representatives of the school food authority, the
school board, school administrators, and the public
Why Do We Need One?
• Why not?
• Congress passed a law (P.L. 108 - 265) stating that “each local educational
agency participating in a program authorized by the Richard B. Russell National
School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq) or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42
U.S.C. 1771 et seq) shall establish a local school wellness policy by School Year
2006.”
• The legislation places the responsibility
of developing a wellness policy at the
local level
• Created in response to community concern about
the wide availability of unhealthy foods and
beverages sold on school grounds.
• To control the sale and distribution of foods
in competition with the meal programs
• Vending Machines
• Fundraisers
• Outside vendors
• Giveaways
• Celebrations
Washoe County School District’s WP
1. Wellness Coordinators/Ambassadors
 Designate a person at each school site
 Responsible for setting goals and submitting yearly data
2. Food Specifications
 All foods and beverages must meet nutrition guidelines
 served, sold or given to students
 on school grounds
 during the school day
3. Reimbursable Meals
 All food and beverages made available to students from ½ hour before
instruction begins until ½ hour after instruction ends are governed by the
Wellness Policy
 Meals under the National School Lunch & Breakfast Program are exempt
from this policy (a la carte items must comply)
4. Meal Length
 At least 15 minutes for students to consume breakfast and at least 20
minutes for students to consume lunch
5. Daily Physical Activity & Recess
 Serve lunch in the elementary schools after the mid-day recess period.
Designate at least 30 minutes of time daily, for physical activity
Washoe County School District’s WP
6. Food Allergies
 Guidelines shall be established for managing students
with food allergies based on generally recommended guidelines:
 parent responsibilities
 administrative and staff education
 training and procedures for reasonably accommodating these
students to ensure the safest food handling
 sanitation procedures
 eating environment
 Food Allergy Form
7. Oversight
 Site-level contact
 Advisory group composed of representatives from the school community
 Measuring plan (specific questions re: nutrition & physical activity)
8. Monitoring
 Nevada Department of Education shall provide a website or form to
collect data and evaluate outcomes from policy implementation
Washoe County School District’s WP
Food Specifications
• Foods and beverages high in fat, salt, sugar, caffeine, and large
serving sizes are no longer allowed. Healthy choices and moderate
portions must be served instead. Advertising and promotion of
prohibited items are no longer allowed.
Allowed
Not Allowed
Water, 100% fruit juice or vegetable juice, nonfat
or 1% milk, soymilk or rice milk, sports drinks in
secondary schools
Sodas, carbonated drinks, milkshakes, coffee
drinks, energy drinks, any beverage over 12
ounces
Baked chips, pretzels, rice cakes, corn nuts, seeds
Regular chips, fried foods
Low-fat muffins, whole-grain granola
Large cookies, bagels and muffins
Low-fat yogurts, fruits & vegetables
Candy and gum
Typical Scenarios/FAQ
USE OF FOOD AS REWARDS FOR CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR/ACADEMIC AWARDS?
The student wellness policy does not govern a teacher’s classroom management. However,
any food or beverage made available during school hours must meet the policy guidelines.
Teachers, administrators, and parent groups are urged to reward students in ways that
promote health.
CLASS PARTIES?
Foods and beverages at class parties must follow the policy. At the teacher’s discretion,
exceptions include foods and beverages served in observance of state or national holidays,
established religious or community observances, or as part of a learning experience. Food
sold as part of a business enterprise or fundraising activity are not exempt from the policy.
PTA POTLUCK DINNER OR TEACHER APPRECIATION LUNCHEONS?
There are no restrictions on foods and beverages made available to staff and parents. Free
refreshments at a PTA meeting or open house are not subject to the policy, as long as it is
after hours.
BAKE SALES & THE SELLING OF SODA, CANDY, AND CHIPS?
Soda, candy, chips, and any other foods that do not meet the nutrition standards can no
longer be given or sold to students during instructional hours. These foods are allowed at
school events after hours or on weekends, or on holidays. Individuals or groups are
encouraged to offer healthy choices or alternatives to selling unhealthy foods to raise
money. At the principal’s discretion, healthy bake sale items such as low-fat banana bread,
zucchini muffins, fruit crisp, may be sold during school hours (1/2 hour before or after
school). Unhealthy bake sale items such as frosted cakes, cookies, doughnuts, must be sold
outside of school hours.
School Nutrition
Washoe County School District
Nutrition Services
Washoe County School District
Nutrition Services Mission Statement
Utilizing great customer service to provide
nutritious, high quality meals to every
student in a healthy and safe environment,
while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Overview on Achieving Dining Success
Environment
Focus on Nutrition
& Wellness
Increase Meal
Participation
Increase Student &
Parent Satisfaction
Engage Employees
& the Community
Holistic
Approach
Nutrition
Education
Improve Financial
& Operations
Performance
Speed of
Service
Flexible
Implementation
Options
Menu Operations
Age-Specific Dining Brands
Every year, about 30 schools will receive holistic dining
environments that promote healthy meal selection and increase
student meal participation. This year – 31 schools!

CoolCaf for Elementary
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
12 Spot™ for MS
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Fun, food-court inspired concept for
your youngest customers with six-item
fruit and vegetable bars in every school
High-energy dining environment for your
“tweens” that reflects their lifestyle,
preferences, and activities
U.B.U. Lounge™ for HS
–
Fun, vibrant, and comfortable space for
your teens to dine, socialize, and fuel up
for their busy schedule
New Menus & Breakfast Commitment
Lookout for new menus for all grade levels with a focus on:
•Locally Grown ingredients
•Whole-Grain vs. bleached flour products
•Increased Vegetarian offerings
•Lower Fat and Lower Sodium recipes and products
Encouraging students to try some of the new entrees including:
Sweet & Sour Chicken with brown rice
Spaghetti & Meatballs made with Barilla Plus pasta
Ranch-Style Chili con Carne with cornbread
Hummus Vegetable Platter and more!
“Evidence suggests that breakfast consumption may improve cognitive function related to memory,
test grades, and school attendance.”
— Journal of the American Dietetic Association
AMP Up with Breakfast is our refreshed breakfast program for middle
and high school students. AMP Up offers:
•easy-to-implement breakfast delivery options for classrooms,
cafeterias and/or portable stations,
•over 400 grab-and-go product options that will be used to enhance
existing offerings
We will also be offering Breakfast in the Classroom in more elementary
schools.
Focus on Nutrition
We support nutrition and wellness by serving high-quality,
nourishing, balanced meals that meet or exceed federal and state
nutrition guidelines. This includes:
Low and non-fat dairy options
Lean protein choices
Access to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables
Increased fiber from whole grains, legumes, fruits & veggies
Reduced-sodium foods
Grains with more than 50% whole grain ingredients
100% juice and water
1% and fat free milk
Nutritional comparison - Now vs. Last Year
Sodium
13%
Saturated Fat 11%
Carbohydrates 13%
Calcium
Protein
Vitamin A
Fiber
53%
29%
158%
77%
Nutrition Calculator
• Allow students, parents, and school nurses to calculate calories
• Allows for a user-friendly evaluation of the nutrition content of
any combination of meal selections
• Easy to save from the web site and is easily viewed on a local
computer
Wellness/Nutrition Education & Promotions
 ACE® the fox Elementary Nutrition Mascot Program
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Monthly Program with a “Stay Healthy” Message
Poster series
Monthly Parent Newsletters
ACE Website
 Treat Yourself Right Middle and High School
Communications designed to encourage healthy lifestyles,
wellness education, and “better for you” offerings
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Informative newsletters published bi-monthly
Flyers & Posters
Menu Identifiers & Countertop Signage
Nutrition Tips
Other programs and initiatives that encourage students’ development of
healthy lifestyle habits and education in basics of good nutrition to include:
•involvement in First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let Move” campaign
•partnerships with local PTOs/PTAs
•involvement in District Wellness Committee
THANK YOU!
Tony Cook, Director of Nutrition Services
Keziah Calmese, Marketing & Communications
(775) 353-5930