HINCKLEY-FINLAYSONS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
STUDENT WELLNESS 
POLICY # 533
 
PURPOSE
 
The purpose of this policy is to assure a school environment that promotes and protects student  and staff health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. 
 
GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY
 

1. The Hinckley-Finlayson school board recognizes that nutrition education and physical education are essential components of the educational process and that good health fosters student and staff attendance and education.
2. The Hinckley-Finlayson school environment should promote and protect students’ health, well-being, and ability to learn by encouraging healthy eating and physical activity.
3. The Hinckley-Finlayson school district encourages the involvement of students, parents, teachers, food service staff, and other interested persons in implementing, monitoring, and reviewing school district nutrition and physical activity policies.
4. Children need access to healthy foods and opportunities to be physically active in order to grow, learn, and thrive.  HES will operate as a peanut safe school for students with peanut allergies.
5. All students in grades K-12 will have opportunities, support, and encouragement to be physically active on a regular basis.
6. School staff will provide students with access to a variety of affordable, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students; try to accommodate the religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the student body in meal planning; and will provide clean, safe, and pleasant settings and adequate time for students to eat.

GUIDELINES

Foods and Beverages
 

1. All foods and beverages made available on campus will be consistent with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  Students will NOT be allowed to have soda pop, or energy drinks in school before, during, or after school (including lunch).
2. Food service personnel will take every measure to ensure that student access to foods and beverages meet or exceed all federal, state, and local laws and guidelines.  
3. Food service personnel shall adhere to all federal, state, and local food safety and security guidelines
4. The Hinckley-Finlayson school district will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to, and prevent the overt identification of, students who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals.  No record or list of free or reduced students will be kept in the lunch line.
5. The Hinckley-Finlayson school district will provide students access to handwashing before they eat meals or snacks.  Hand sanitizing stations will be available in the lunch line for adult and student use.
6. The Hinckley Finlayson school district will make every effort to provide students with sufficient time to eat after sitting down for school meals and will schedule meal periods at appropriate times during the school day.
7. The Hinckley-Finlayson school district will discourage tutoring, club, or organizational meetings or activities during mealtimes, unless students may eat during such activities. 
8. Food service personnel will work with healthy locally sourced foods suppliers to promote the a farm to school program.

 
School Food Service Program/Personnel

1. The Hinckley-Finlayson school district will provide healthy and safe school meal programs that strictly comply with all federal, state, and local statutes and regulations.
2. The Hinckley-Finlayson school district shall designate an appropriate person to be responsible for the school district’s food service program, whose duties shall include the creation of nutrition guidelines and procedures for the selection of foods and beverages made available on campus to ensure food and beverage choices are consistent with current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
3. As part of the Hinckley-Finlayson school district’s responsibility to operate a food service program, the school district will provide continuing professional development for all food service personnel in schools.

 
Nutrition Education and Promotion

1. The Hinckley-Finlayson school district will encourage and support healthy eating by students and engage in nutrition promotion that is:
   1. offered as part of a comprehensive program designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health;
   2. part of health education classes as well as classroom instruction in subjects such as math, science, language arts, social sciences, and elective subjects, where appropriate and;
   3. enjoyable, developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant, and includes participatory activities, such as contests, promotions, taste testing, and field trips.
2. The Hinckley-Finlayson school district will encourage all students to make age appropriate, healthy selections of foods and beverages, including but not limited to those sold individually outside the reimbursable school meal programs, such as, vending machines, fundraising events, concession stands, and student stores. Any food sold during the school day, including ala carte items, will be “Smart Snack” compliant.
3. Hinckley-Finlayson schools will encourage the use of only healthy food or beverages as rewards for academic performance or good behavior and will not withhold food or beverages as punishment.

 
Physical Activity

1. Students need opportunities for physical activity and to fully embrace regular physical activity as a personal behavior. Toward that end, health education will reinforce the knowledge and self-management skills needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce sedentary activities such as watching television including those concerning excessive screen time;
2. Opportunities for physical activity will be incorporated into other subject lessons, where appropriate; and
3. Classroom teachers will provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes, as appropriate.

Communications with Parents

1. The Hinckley-Finlayson school district recognizes that parents and guardians have a primary and fundamental role in promoting and protecting their children’s health and well-being.
2. The Hinckley-Finlayson school district will support parents’ efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children.
3. The Hinckley-Finlayson school district encourages parents to pack healthy lunches and snacks and refrain from including beverages and foods without nutritional value.
4. The Hinckley-Finlayson school district will provide information about physical education and other school-based physical activity opportunities and will support parents’ efforts to provide their children with opportunities to be physically active outside of school.
5. Advertisements for food and beverages will be in accordance with “Smart Snack” guidelines.

IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING

1. Hinckley-Finlayson school food service staff, at the school or district level, will ensure compliance within the school’s food service areas and will report to the food service program administrator, the building principal, or the superintendent, as appropriate.
2. The Hinckley-Finlayson school district’s head cook will provide a periodic report to the superintendent setting forth the nutrition guidelines and procedures for selection of all foods made available on campus.
3. The superintendent will ensure compliance with the wellness policy and will provide a periodic report of the school district’s compliance with the policy to the school board.
4. The Hinckley-Finlayson school will form and sustain a wellness committee (consisting of superintendent, staff, student representatives, and community members) for the purpose of reviewing and monitoring the school wellness programs.
5. The Hinckley-Finlayson school district will openly post this wellness policy for public view.

 
 
Legal References:       42 U.S.C. § 1751 et seq. (Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act)
                                    42 U.S.C. § 1771 et seq. (Child Nutrition Act of 1966)
                                    P.L. 108-265 (2004) § 204 (Local Wellness Policy)
                                    7 U.S.C. § 5341 (Establishment of Dietary Guidelines)
                                    7 C.F.R. § 210.10 (School Lunch Program Regulations)
                                    7 C.F.R. § 220.8 (School Breakfast Program Regulations)
            USDA Smart Snack rule July 29, 2016
            USDA Smart Snack reference Agust 28, 2018
 
Local Resources:        Minnesota Department of Education, www.education.state.mn.us
             Minnesota Department of Health, www.health.state.mn.us
             County Health Departments
 Action for Healthy Kids Minnesota, www.actionforhealthykids.org and www.actionforhealthykids.org/filelib/toolsforteams/recom/MN-Healthy%20Foods%20for%20Kids%208-2004.pdf
        




Re-Approved 10/12/2015
Re-Approved 12/11/2017
Re-approved August 12, 2019