CPSD Wellness Policy
What Parents Need to Know
Did you know that the Cambridge Public Schools have a district-wide Wellness Policy?
The policy aims to improve children's access to healthy food and physical activity.
- Breakfast and lunch are served every day; students do not need to go hungry while in school.
- School Food Service strives to offer healthy and appealing foods including: healthy main dishes, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and foods that are low in fat and sugar.
- Schools will offer drinking water in the cafeteria.
- Schools will have students wash hands before eating lunch.
- School Food Service will offer parents the chance to provide input through periodic Food Service Advisory meetings.
Healthy Snacks and Fundraising
- Families are expected to send healthy snacks to school to support learning. Find healthy snack information at http://www.cambridgepublichealth.org/services/school-health or check with your school nurse.
- Do not send candy and soda to school.
- Schools should not use candy as a reward for good behavior, grades, or effort.
- School principals will limit bake sales to a maximum of six per year; they should be held after lunch or after school.
- Candy sales as fundraisers are discouraged. Principals will decide whether to allow candy sales, and if so, set and monitor a maximum frequency.
School health services are provided by registered nurses, nutritionists, vision and hearing specialists, and health aides. The goal is to help students stay healthy and in school.
K-8 students should get health education the equivalent of once per week.
To reduce inactivity schools will:
- Discourage sitting for two hours or more without a stretch break.
- Encourage families to limit children's use of TV and other recreational screen time to two hours or less per day.
Walk and Bike to School
The Cambridge Public Schools will support walking and biking by providing resources including:
- Information about safe walking and biking to school.
- Safe bike parking at schools.
- Crossing guards at intersections close to elementary schools.
- Students in grades K-8 need at least twenty minutes of supervised recess, preferably outdoors.
- Principals will encourage scheduling of extra recess for kindergarteners.
- Recess will not be taken away as punishment or to make up work unless under unusual circumstances.
- Adults will be present during recess to encourage safe play. Adults will step in when kids bully or behave aggressively.
- Recess will be held in all types of weather. Families should send their child dressed for the weather. If it is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, dress your child in a coat, long pants, gloves, and hats as needed. On sunny and hot days, send hats and sunscreen. For more detailed guidelines please visit the following website: http://idph.state.ia.us/hcci/common/pdf/weatherwatch.pdf.
Physical Education (PE)
- PE classes are scheduled for all students.
- PE will be taught by trained specialists.
- PE classes will offer at least 50% moderate to vigorous physical activity.
- PE will not be substituted with other activities or taken away as punishment unless health and safety are at risk.
- To increase students' overall physical activity time, before and after school programs will be offered at all elementary and secondary schools.
The complete school Wellness Policy can be found at: http://www.cpsd.us/cpsdir/school_policies.cfm.
The school wellness policy is federally mandated by the USDA as part of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.