ADF
Leverett Elementary School
Wellness Policy
Leverett Elementary School is committed to providing a school environment that supports the learning and development of lifelong wellness practices. The School recognizes that good health fosters consistent attendance, increased attentiveness and a greater capacity for academic growth.
With the goal to ensure and promote physical and emotional wellness throughout the school community, Leverett Elementary School will:
• Engage students, parent/caregivers, staff, food service professionals, health professionals, and other interested community members in developing, implementing and monitoring the School’s nutrition, nutrition education, and physical education programs.
• Enact a plan for the ongoing implementation and review of the Wellness Policy, including regular meetings of a wellness committee, which will oversee the guidelines and ongoing implementation of wellness practices.
• Participate, to the maximum extent allowable, in federal school meals programs (including the School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program and Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program).
• Endeavor to have all food and beverages available during the school day meet or exceed the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Nutrition Standards and U.S. Dietary Guidelines.
• Provide adequate time for students to eat, at appropriate times in the school schedule, and in clean, safe and pleasant setting.
• Refrain from using food as a reward or punishment; refrain from using or withholding physical activity as a punishment.
• Provide opportunities, encouragement and support for all PreK-6 students to be physically active on a regular basis and to achieve the recommended health-related physical fitness standards.
• Promote patterns of meaningful physical activity that connect to students’ lives outside of physical education.
• Coordinate physical education and nutrition education curricula throughout the school to promote comprehensive learning about wellness.
• Provide sequential, interdisciplinary nutrition education to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating in each grade from PreK-6.
• Promote partnerships between healthy education resources, school meal programs, and related local community services (e.g. local growers).
• Ensure that school-based activities are consistent with Wellness Policy goals.
Reviewed by Leverett Policy Committee: 05/02/16
Reviewed by Leverett Policy Committee: 09/12/16
Second Reading, First Vote by Leverett School Committee: 10/17/16
Final Vote: 11/07/16