WELLNESS POLICY 2012
Background
In 2006, the Buffalo Public School District (BPSD) was required by federal law, section 204 of Public Law 108-265, (Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004), to establish a local, school district wide Wellness Policy. In school year 2006/2007, a Team from the Buffalo Public Schools (BPS) announced a policy which was adopted by the Buffalo School District Board of Education. (Policy ID # 2007-7515 students).
The initial District’s Wellness Policy had no formal process of implementation or evaluation. Parental, student, and Board of Education member concerns regarding school health and new regulations; section 204 of Public Health Law 111-296, (The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010)instigated discussion of updating the Wellness Policy. BPSD Health Related Services department engaged the school and community in evaluating the existing BPSD policy and its capacity for programs to impact student and faculty/staff wellness. The assessment facilitation and technical support were provided by Genesee Valley Educational Partnership through the New York Healthy Schools grant. Data from the WellSAT was used to identify opportunities to strengthen the physical education plan and increase opportunities for physical activity and healthful eating. The input and recommendations to strengthen the BPSD Wellness Policy was provided by members of the BPSD Community (Board/faculty/staff/parents/students) and representatives from the public, private, non-profit and civic organizations of Buffalo and Western New York and the New York State Education Department. The target starting date for adoption of the new District Policy is spring 2012, with implementation and annual evaluation starting in the fiscal year July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013.
The executive summary in the Policy report is followed by the upgraded District Wellness Policy that uses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s strategically comprehensive Coordinated School Health Modelto guide the updated Wellness Policy interventions, investment, evaluation and accountability reporting.
Following the Policy is the investment budget request to fully implement the BPSDWellness Policy and a defined set of deliverables for fiscal year 2012/2013.
An approval rounds out this policy and BPS mission supporting documents.
Overview
The students and families in the Buffalo Public School District (BPSD) are facing increasing health risks that can affect their health and wellness, academic performance and ultimately affect their quality of life and possible life span. BPSD is committed to providing an environment where students can learn to make healthy choices for lifelong health. Therefore, the BPSD
Wellness Policy addresses student wellness for every school community in the District.
Preamble
Whereas, children need access to healthful foods and opportunities to be physically active in order to grow, learn, and thrive;
Whereas, good health fosters student attendance and education;
Whereas, obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the last two decades, and physical inactivity and excessive calorie intake are the predominant causes of obesity;
Whereas, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are responsible for two-thirds of deaths in the United States, and major risk factors for those diseases, including unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity, and obesity, often are established in childhood;
Whereas, 33% of high school students do not participate in sufficient vigorous physical activity and 72% of high school students do not attend daily physical education classes;
Whereas, only 2% of children (2 to 19 years) eat a healthy diet consistent with the five main recommendations from the Food Guide Pyramid;
Whereas, school districts around the country are facing significant fiscal and scheduling constraints; and
Whereas, community participation is essential to the development and implementation of successful school wellness policies;
Thus, BuffaloPublicSchool District is committed to providing school environments that promote and protect children's health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. Therefore, it is the policy of theBuffalo Public School District that:
Summary
The BuffaloPublicSchool District and the Schools are committed to:
1)Establishing a District Health Council that consists of parent(s), student(s), school board member(s), school administrator(s), district administrators (including; Food Service, Physical Education/ Health Education, Health Related Service, Curriculum), representative of school staff, community member(s) and others as deemed necessary.Each council should draw from existing leadership groups including the Inter-High Student Council, the District Parent Coordinating Council, school health committees and others as deemed appropriate.
2)Establishing and implementing school level health committees that include students, parents, teachers, staff, community members and health professionals to continue to advocate for healthier school environments. Each school will complete the School Health Index on a bi-annual basis to ensure compliance and will update as necessary;
a)Each school will complete the School Health Index on a bi-annual basis
b)Each will complete the Health Check on a bi-annual basis
3)The school district will engage students, parents, teachers, food service professionals, health professionals, and other interested community members in developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing district-wide nutrition and physical activity policies.
4)All students in grades K-12 will have opportunities, support, and encouragement to be physically active on a regular basis.
5)Foods and beverages sold or served at school will meet the nutrition recommendations of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
6)Qualified child nutrition professionals will provide students with access to a variety of affordable, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students; will 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.
7)To the maximum extent practicable, all schools in our district will participate in available federal school meal programs (including the School Breakfast in the Classroom Program, National School Lunch Program [including after-school snacks], Summer Food Service Program, Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program, and Child and Adult Care Food Program [including suppers]).
8)Schools will provide nutrition education and physical education to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity, and will establish linkages between health education and school meal programs, and with related community services.
To implement the wellness policy, the District requires all schools to have a school-site
Coordinated School Health Committee to address the health needs of their students and ensure a coordinated approach in addressing the wellness and safety of students, parents, staff, and communities. The District ensures that there is a Coordinated School Health Program to address Districtwide health and safety and support school level committees.
The District will use health, mental health, social service, healtheducation, nutrition, and physical education staff to provide programs topromote good nutrition, healthy lifestyles, and physical activity and to preventobesity and related health problems for students and staff and to a certain extentfor families and the community.
District health, mental health, and social service staff provide health andmental health services to reduce high-risk behavior among youth, such asteen pregnancies, STI’s, smoking, drug or alcohol abuse, bullying, violence,and eating disorders.
The District works to ensure prevention of disease exposure to staff byproviding training and information regarding HIV, hepatitis B, influenza,and bloodborne pathogens and ensuring the use of universal precautions.
Health Promotion and Education
Consistent health promotion messages will be sent to students, staff, andparents through school bulletins, newsletters, BPS web page, newspapers, radio and TVpublic announcements and will be presented at parent and communitymeetings that highlight healthy lifestyles and best practices.
The District promotes health education and parent training programs toreduce health disparities due to poverty, culture, or language and improvehealthy behaviors for students, staff, families, and communities.
The District promotes health education to assist students, parents, and families to bebetter consumers of health and improve their wellness. The District alsosupports participation of school staff in Health and Career Fairs to helpfurther educate students and families on health and wellness.
The District encourages partnerships and joint use with communityagencies to provide health and mental health services at school for students,families, and staff. This includes services rendered through school-based health clinics. The District also encourages jointuseprojects that allow students, staff, families, and communities access tophysical activity, nutrition, and health programs after school hours atschools or in adjoining recreation facilities.
- HEALTH EDUCATION
Overview
Buffalo Public School District (BPSD) recognizes the critical relationship between a healthy student and academic achievement. Health Education is defined as a planned, sequential, K-12 curriculum that addresses the physical, mental, emotional and social dimensions of health. The curriculum is designed to motivate and assist students to maintain and improve their health, prevent disease, and reduce health-related risk behaviors. It allows students to develop and demonstrate increasingly sophisticated health-related knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices. The comprehensive health education curriculumshall follow a variety of topics such as personal health, family health, community health, consumer health, environmental health, sexuality education, mental and emotional health, injury prevention and safety, nutrition, prevention and control of disease, and substance use and abuse. Qualified, trained teachers shall provide health education.
In light of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) definition and following NYSED guidelines, the District and its schools shall ensure that:
1)Health education shall be taught in grades Pre-K through twelve.
a)Curriculum shall include a sequential health education program for all pupils, grades K-6. In the kindergarten and primary grades, the teacher shall provide for pupil participation in planned activities for developing attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviors that contribute to their own sense of self-worth, respect for their bodies and the ability to make health enhancing decisions regarding their social, emotional, and mental as well as physical health. Provision shall be made in the school program of grades Pre-6 for planned units of teaching which shall include health instruction through which pupils may become increasingly self-reliant in solving their own health problems and those of the group. Health education in the elementary school grades shall be taught by the trained/or health certified regular classroom teachers.
b)Curriculum in grades 7 through 12 shall include health education as a constant for all pupils. Provision shall be made for a separate one-half year course. In addition to continued health guidance in the senior high school, provision shall also be made for an approved one-half unit course. Health education shall be required for all pupils in grades 6 through 8 and 9 through 12 and shall be taught by teachers holding a certificate to teach health. A member of each faculty with approved preparation shall be designated as health coordinator, in order that the entire faculty may cooperate in realizing the potential health teaching values of the school programs. The health coordinator shall insure that related school courses are conducted in a manner supportive of health education, and provide for cooperation with community agencies and use of community resources necessary for achieving a coordinated school - community health education program.
- PHYSICAL EDUCATION and PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Overview
A strong correlation exists between physical fitness and academic achievement. Physical Education and physical activity will be a critical element of each school’s instructional program buffalo Public Schools (BPS) will afford opportunities for every student to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for specific physical activities, to maintain physical fitness, to regularly participate in physical activity, and to understand the benefits associated with adopting healthy behaviors.
1)Physical Education for Students K-12
a)The District shall comply with the physical education requirements set forth in the State Education Law and Chapter 11 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, including but not limited to Section 135.4, as the same may be amended by the State from time to time.
b)Commissioner’s Regulations require:
i)Elementary students in grades kindergarten through six receive at least 120 minutes of physical education per calendar week, exclusive of any time that may be required for dressing.
ii)All Students in grades K-3 shall participate in the Physical Education program on a daily basis.
iii)Students in grades 4-6 shall participate in the Physical Education program not less than three times per calendar week.
iv)Students in grades seven through twelve receive physical education at least three periods per week in one semester and two periods per week in the other semester of each school year.
c)The District strongly encourages all principals to provide appropriate physical education to all students on a daily basis, including students with disabilities, special health care needs, and in alternative educational settings.
d)Physical Education will be taught by certified Physical Education Teachers.
e)Consistent with the Commissioner’s regulations, the District shall employ a director of physical education who must be certified in both physical education and in administration.
f)If feasible, and to the extent appropriate to the individual needs of students, students should spend at least 50 percent of physical education class time participating in moderate to vigorous physical activity.
g)The District will provide a comprehensive sequential Physical Education curriculum that is validated and aligned with the New York State Standards for elementary and secondary students and includes appropriate assessments to measure student progress at each grade level.
h)There shall be activities adapted to meet the needs of pupils who are temporarily or permanently unable to participate in the regular Physical Education Program. Adaptive physical education programs will be taught by a certified physical education teacher.
i)The Physical education program shall be provided adequate space and equipment and conform to all applicable safety standards.
j)Physical education class size shall be consistent with the requirements for safety and proper instruction. The District will work toward providing a student to teacher ratio equivalent to other disciplines at all levels.
k)The District will provide administrative leadership to the Physical Education and Health Department to coordinate professional development, new initiatives, communication and motivation.
l)The District will provide opportunities for intramural and extramural athletic activities which are an extension of the physical education program.
2)Physical Activity
a)The District strongly supports and encourages principal initiatives to integrate physical activity beyond physical education class. Toward that end, principals shall:
i)Require the teaching of health education in the classroom that complements physical education by reinforcing the knowledge and self-management skills needed to maintain an active lifestyle and reduce time spend on sedentary activities, such as watching television and playing videogames.
ii)Require opportunities for physical activity as part of other subject lessons. For example, classroom teachers may provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes, as appropriate. The District encourages all elementary, middle and high schools to offer extracurricular physical activities before or after school through clubs, classes, intramurals or community-based partnerships.
iii)All high schools and middle schools are also encouraged to offer interscholastic sports programs. The District recommends that schools offer a range of activities that meet the needs, interests and abilities off all students including boys, girls, students’ with disabilities and students with special health care needs.
iv)The District encourages and promotes the use of school facilities outside of school hours for physical activity programs offered by community–based organizations. The District will work to create partnerships and mentorships with community agencies to increase physical activity and improve student, family and staff wellness.
v)Teachers and other school and community personnel should not use physical activity (e.g. running laps, pushups) or withholding opportunities for physical activity (e.g. recess, physical education) as punishment.
vi)The District will share physical activity and physical education information with families to positively impact community health.
3)Daily Recess
a)Given the strong connection between physical exercise and academic achievement, in addition to physical education classroom time, the District encourages that elementary school principals provide students with at least 20 minutes a day of supervised recess during which staff should promote moderate to vigorous physical exercise as appropriate to individual student needs. Outdoor play is encouraged when weather conditions are appropriate. In the event that an elementary school principal believes that the school is unable to provide daily, supervised recess to all school students, the principal shall provide a written statement to the chief of schools no later than the end of the first full week of classes in September, describing the reasons why daily recess cannot be provided to all. As a pre-condition of the waiver, the principal shall confirm to the chief of schools that the school is complying with the Commissioner of Education’s Regulations with regard to the minimum amount of physical education required for elementary school students (currently 120 minutes of physical education in each calendar week). The chief of schools shall determine whether or not to grant the school principal’s request to waive the recess requirement for the school year. The Superintendent or designee shall report to the Board of Education and the Wellness Counsel annually the schools receiving such waivers and shall post notice of such waivers on the District’s website.