October 16, 2003
A. Purpose:
The Board of Education recognizes that sound nutrition and optimal physical fitness correlate with learning readiness, academic achievement, decreased discipline problems and improved emotional wellbeing. Life long healthy habits include the daily consumption of fruits and vegetables and performing daily physical fitness activities. Such habits can prevent Type 2 Diabetes, some Cancers, Cardiovascular Disease, Obesity and Osteoporosis.
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is committed to promoting the health of its students by linking the Departments of Food and Nutrition Services with Health Services, Health and Physical Education and, Family and Community Services.
This Nutrition and Physical Activity Policy will ensure that all students in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will have the opportunity to receive the following:
- High quality, nutritious food while in school including
during classroom activities.
- Nutrition education in the classroom
- Standards based physical education and physical activity
at all grade levels.
B. Program Implementation:
1. Nutritious Food/Food and Nutrition Services
Access to high quality, nutritious meals has been shown to improve eating habits and overall health status.
- Food and Nutrition Services will offer healthy foods for sale on all school campuses, elementary through secondary. School meals will meet the standards set by the National School Lunch Program.
- All food and beverages served or sold during school hours will also meet or exceed Senate Bill 19 Guidelines. See Addendum "A" for explanation of these standards and guidelines.
- The SMMUSD Farmers' Market Salad Bar which is served daily in all of the our schools has received national recognition for positively impacting children's eating habits by providing fresh, seasonal, California grown, Farmers' Market produce and shall remain a reimbursable lunch option in all of our schools
2. Nutrition Education
Research validates that healthy eating is directly correlated with the amount of nutrition education received. It is the District's position that all students will receive:
- Consistent nutrition education K thru 12
- Nutrition education integrated into standards based curriculum using Science, Math, Language Arts, History, etc.
- Nutrition education will include recommendations made in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans which can be found at: http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/DietGd.pdf
- Nutrition behavior monitored biennially through Healthy Kids Survey.
The Board of Education authorizes that nutrition education be provided in a variety of instructional settings such as:
- The Farmers' Market Salad Bar Program which plays a valuable role in providing nutrition education via cafeteria messages, Farmers' Market tours, nutrition education offered by a Nutrition Specialist and school gardens that connect classroom gardens, nutrition education and the school salad bar.
- The Health Champions Program, a Comprehensive Health Education Program present in eight of our schools and supported by Saint John's Health Center reinforces the above nutrition messages.
- Schools Gardens: Research has shown that children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables if they grow them. The Santa Monica High School Garden is a learning laboratory linking gardens to the science curriculum and has become a model for other school districts. SMMUSD supports the California Department of Education Mandate, "A Garden in Every School".
- Standards-based Health Education curriculum included in elementary school programs, in Health courses in middle and high school programs and through Science curriculum in middle and high school programs.
Teachers will be kept aware of the above programs via workshops, staff meetings and flyers and be encouraged to participate and to utilize them as much as possible.
2. Standards Based Physical Education and Physical Activity
The Board of Education recognizes that student academic performance, behavior and health status are compromised by physical inactivity and enhanced by consistent, quality physical activity. Research indicates that becoming physically active and maintaining a regular physical activity program significantly reduces the risk of some obesity and some cancers, Diabetes and other chronic diseases.
It is the District's position that all students have equal and equitable opportunities for physical activity and fitness education in our schools. As budget allows, the Board will review and consider implementing Physical Activity and Fitness Education Program improvements. The goals of this Policy are:
- All children, from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 will participate in a quality, Standards-based physical activity/fitness education program.
- All secondary schools will have certificated physical education teachers and all elementary schools will have classified Physical Activity Specialists providing instruction.
- All schools will have appropriate class sizes; facilities, equipment, and supplies needed to deliver quality physical education.
- District physical activity/physical education programs
will be monitored and assessed regularly in conjunction with other District academic and health-related programs. Using tools like the Healthy Kids Survey, School Health Index and High Places Survey, State mandated Fitnessgram Physical Fitness Testing - student health and fitness performance and achievement of State physical fitness and health standards will be assessed. Results of these surveys and assessments will be reported to the Board of Education, school sites,parents and community on an annual basis.
- Access to school sites will be provided through permitting use of facilities to community youth sports groups, community college and municipal joint use agreements and partnerships with youth organizations so additional opportunities are available for all youth in our communities to participate in quality physical activity, fitness, sports and recreation programs.
3. Family and Community Partnerships
The Board of Education acknowledges that a team of community partners delivering strong, consistent health related messages and modeling healthy food choices and physical activity as part of a coordinated school health program increases the effectiveness of school based nutrition and fitness education.
- All family groups within the district (i.e. PTA, sports booster clubs,, etc.) will be informed of this policy and receive information on healthy ways to do fundraising and offer refreshments for meetings that present a healthy message. Teachers will receive information on appropriate foods in the classroom.
- A coordinated effort will be made to educate parents and care givers as to proper nutrition and physical activity to encourage modeling for students.
- District Advisory committees exist for Health and Safety and Physical Activity. These groups will interface to assess adherence to this Nutrition and Physical Activity Policy. The Chairperson of the Health and Safety Committee will report annually to the School Board on compliance with this policy.
Addendum "A"
The National School Lunch Act mandates that school meals "safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation's children". Participating schools must serve lunches that are consistent with the applicable recommendations of the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans including: eat a variety of foods, salt and sugar in moderation, choose a diet with 30% or less of calories from fat and less than 10% of calories from saturated fat.
In addition, lunches must provide, on average over each school week, at least 1/3 of the daily Recommended Dietary Allowances for protein iron, calcium, and Vitamins A and C.
California Senate Bill 19
The Pupil Nutrition, Health and Achievement Act of 2001
Summary of Provisions to become operative January 1, 2004
Elementary Schools:
Food sold during breakfast and lunch must be sold as a full meal.
Does not prohibit sale of fruit, non fried vegetables, legumes, beverages, dairy products or grain products if meet the following criteria:
- No more than 35% calories from fat. Excludes nuts or seeds.
- No more than 10% from saturated fat.
- Not more than 35% of total weight shall be composed of sugar - excluding fruits and vegetables.
- The only beverages that may be sold to students are milk, water or juice that is at least 50% fruit juice with no added sweeteners.
Middle Schools and High Schools
Same as above but with regard to vending machines:
- -0- carbonated beverages may not be sold from one half hour before the start of the school day until after the end of the last lunch period.
- Fruit based drinks have no less than 50% fruit juice and have no added sweeteners.
- Drinking water
- Milk - chocolate, soy, rice, etc.
- Electrolyte replacement beverages have no more than 42 grams of added sweetener per 20 ounce serving. Does not include natural sugar contained within the fruit juice that is a component of the beverage.
- No beverage to exceed 12 ounces per serving. Does not apply to water, milk, electrolyte replacement beverages as stated above.
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