STUDENT WELLNESS, NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY POLICY
The Litchfield School District recognizes that student wellness and proper nutrition are linked to students' physical well-being, growth, development, and readiness to learn. The Litchfield Board of Education will promote nutrition education, physical activity and physical education, nutrition standards for school foods and beverages, other school based activities to promote student wellness, communication, and implement a process of measurement and evaluation related to this policy.
To ensure the health and well-being of all students, the Board of Education establishes that:
- Curriculum and programs for grades K – 12 that are designed to educate students about proper nutrition and lifelong physical activity, in accordance with the State Board of Education curriculum regulations and academic standards.
- Physical education courses and/or opportunities for developmentally appropriate physical activity.
- Foods and beverages sold in schools which meet established nutrition standards and guidelines. The District shall insure compliance with Connecticut law which prohibits the sale of certain beverages and foodstuffs at times as prescribed by statute.
- Other school-based activities to promote student wellness including ongoing evaluation of the surroundings for eating as well as adequate time for and scheduling of meals.
- Communication to engage parents, students, staff, and community as partners in promoting student wellness, nutrition and physical activity.
- Food shall not be used as a reward, incentive, or punishment.
- The sharing of foods by students is discouraged.
- Recess and/or physical activity (non-academic activities) will be offered daily for elementary school children in grades K to 6, including indoor recess activities which promote physical movement during inclement or harsh weather.
- The removal of these activities as a consequence is prohibited. School employees shall not apply or withhold physical activity as a punishment.
- At all grade levels, classroom activities which require more than 45 minutes of seat time will be intermittently broken-up with opportunities for physical movement.
The school district administration, with the advice of the School Wellness Committee, shall develop administrative regulations to implement this policy. The District will periodically monitor and review the components of this policy to measure and evaluate its implementation.
(cf. 3542 - Food Service)
(cf. 3542.33 - Food Sales by Students/Others)
INSTRUCTION # 6180.1(b)
Legal reference: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-16b Prescribed courses of study.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-215 Lunches, breakfasts and the feeding programs for public school children and employees.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-215a Non-public school participation in feeding programs.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-215b Duties of state board of education re: feeding programs.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-215e Nutrition standards for food that is not part of lunch or breakfast program.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-215f Certification that food meets nutrition standards.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-216 Payment of expenses.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-221 Boards of Education to prescribe rules, policies and procedures.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-221o Lunch periods. Recess.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-221p Boards to make available for purchase nutritious, low-fat foods.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-221q Sale of beverages.
Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-215b-1 State Board of Education regulation – competitive foods
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-215b-23 Income from the sale of food items.
National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program; Competitive Foods. (7 CFR Parts 210.11 and 220.12)
The Child Nutrition and WIC reauthorization Act of 2004, Public Law 108-265.
Nutrition Standards in the National School lunch and School Breakfast Programs, 7 CFR Parts 210 & 220
Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, P.L. 111-296, 42 U.S.C. 1751
Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (as amended by P.L. 108-269, July 2, 2004)
School Breakfast Program, 7 C.F.R. Part 220 (2006)
National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program: Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in School (Federal Register, vol. 78, No. 125, June 28, 2013)
Litchfield Board of Education
Policy Adopted: 5/24/2006
Policy Revised: 11/20/2013, 6/15/2016