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The Manchester School District is committed to creating a healthy school environment that enhances the development of lifelong social, emotional and physical wellness practices, promotes healthy eating and physical activities that support student achievement, and complies with federal mandates regulating school food and nutrition before, during, and after school. The USDA defines the school day as “midnight before to 30 minutes after the end of the instructional day.” 

School Wellness Council and Recruitment

The United States Department of Agriculture, as a requirement of the Manchester School District’s participation in the child nutrition programs (National School Lunch, National School Breakfast programs, etc.) requires the district to have a school wellness council. The council, who shall include members such as health and physical education teachers, administration, students, parents, food services and community organizations, will develop, implement and assist in the evaluation of the wellness and nutrition policy. The council reports to the superintendent who will communicate information about the wellness and nutrition policy to the school board as deemed necessary. 

The wellness and nutrition policy, policy assessments and meeting minutes are posted on the school wellness council section of the district School Food and Nutrition department web page. The policy is also posted on the district’s policy section of the website. Additionally, there is a link from each school’s web page to the School Food and Nutrition web page.

Recruitment for members of the council is ongoing, but most of the recruitment occurs at the beginning of the school year. Information regarding the council is posted on the website, on the back of the menus, and on a school flyer that is sent to the schools.

Policy Development, Implementation, and Informing the Public

The principal or designee from each school shall implement the wellness and nutrition policy. Input from teachers, school nurses, parents/guardians, students, representatives of the school food service program, school board members, school administrators, and the public shall be considered when developing the policy.

The district shall inform the public of the wellness and nutrition policy annually through principal and staff meetings, electronic messaging, and print media.

Policy Evaluation/Assessment

The principal or designee shall evaluate the compliance of the policy triennially (See Evaluation under Safety 128 in the National School Lunch Program federal regulation 210.11) using a survey assessment tool. The principal or designee shall send an assessment form with an action plan to the school wellness council and superintendent to review. The results will be shared on an aggregate basis with the school board and the public on the school district web site under the school wellness council section and/or on the nutrition blog. The school wellness council will assist with the corrective action plan. 

Nutrition Standards

The district shall ensure that:

• Reimbursable school meals meet the program requirements and nutrition standards found in federal regulations.          

  • Students are encouraged to make nutritious food choices.

  • All food and beverages sold or served to students shall be monitored for nutrient density per calorie, portion size, low fat, low sodium, and low sugar content, and variety of fruits and vegetables. These requirements shall apply to the school lunch and breakfast program and to food and beverages sold at vending machines, school stores, and snack bars in accordance with federal regulation 210.11, National School Lunch Program, 220, National School Breakfast Program and 5530, the Competitive Food Policy (See definition under Safety 128), Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 and USDA Smart Snacks Policy.

  • The Manchester School District does not serve or sell beverages that contain sugar, sugar substitutes or caffeine. This includes sports drinks, coffee, and soda.

  • Vending policies and contracts are modified accordingly or not renewed if the contracts do not meet the intent or purpose of this policy.

Nutrition Education Goal

Nutrition education shall:

1. Teach knowledge and skills needed to adopt healthy eating behaviors.

   Schools will include in the health education curriculum a minimum of 6 of the following essential topics on healthy eating:

   • Relationship between healthy eating and personal health and disease prevention

   • Food guidance from MyPlate

   • Reading and using FDA's nutrition fact labels

   • Eating a variety of foods every day

   • Balancing food intake and physical activity

   • Eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grain products

   • Choosing foods that are low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol and do not contain trans fat

   • Choosing foods and beverages with little added sugars

   • Eating more calcium-rich foods

   • Preparing healthy meals and snacks

   • Risks of unhealthy weight control practices

   • Accepting body size differences

   • Food safety

   • Importance of water consumption

   • Importance of eating breakfast

   • Making healthy choices when eating at restaurants

   • Eating disorders

   • The Dietary Guidelines for Americans

   • Reducing sodium intake

   • Social influences on healthy eating, including media, family, peers and culture

   • How to find valid information or services related to nutrition and dietary behavior

   • How to develop a plan and track progress toward achieving a personal goal to eat healthfully

   • Resisting peer pressure related to unhealthy dietary behavior

   • Influencing, supporting, or advocating for others’ healthy dietary behavior

2. Provide at least one annual staff training opportunity on nutrition through professional development including topics provided by the school wellness council.

Nutrition Promotion Goal

The school wellness council encourages nutrition and physical activity promotions and initiatives including a four week nutrition and physical activity journal program, health speakers for school staff, wellness clubs, bulletin boards, newsletters and posters, nutrition classes through nutrition interns, resources for health curriculum, and nutrition grants or awards. Each school will participate in at least one nutrition promotion per school year. 

Physical Education and Physical Activity Goals and Opportunities

Physically active kids are healthier kids and perform better academically. The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that youth engage in a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Schools can implement physical activity programs that maximize opportunities for students to be physically active and help them meet the national recommendation.

Physical Activity Goal

During the school day, schools will offer at least one physical activity opportunity. This can include recess or activity breaks. Schools can also encourage physical activity outside of school hours by promoting community use of school facilities, walking or biking to school or intramurals. These policies help students reach the goal of engaging in 60 minutes of physical activity daily. 

Physical Education Goal

The district shall offer physical education curriculum that:

• Includes the components of a quality physical education program as defined by the federal government

• Equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to sustain lifelong physical activity

• Is aligned with the NH Department of Education physical education frameworks

• Encourages students, K-12, to participate in supervised physical activities, either organized or unstructured, that are intended to maintain physical fitness and to foster understanding of the short- and long-term benefits of a physically active and healthy lifestyle.

Other School-Based Activities Designed to Promote Wellness

The district may implement other appropriate programs that are conducive to school health and wellness. Each school will participate in one school-based wellness activity per year. These opportunities may include but are not limited to walk–a-thons, Jump Rope for Heart, Red Ribbon Week, Walk for Hunger, collaboration with sports teams or local hospitals, health fairs, and school wellness clubs. 

Food and Beverage Marketing in Schools

The district is committed to providing a school environment that ensures opportunities for all students to practice healthy eating and physical activity behaviors throughout the school day while minimizing commercial distractions. The district strives to teach students how to make informed choices about nutrition, health and physical activity. It is the intent of the district to protect and promote student’s health by permitting advertising and marketing for only those foods and beverages that are permitted to be sold on the school campus, consistent with the district’s wellness and nutrition policy and the USDA’s Smart Snacks guidelines.

Wellness and Nutrition Policy Procedures for Foods

Outside the USDA Reimbursable Meals 

Fundraisers

To support children’s health and school nutrition education efforts, the goal of school fundraising during school hours is to use foods that meet the USDA Smart Snacks Policy. Fundraising includes food/snack or bake sales. The principal or designee may allow their school up to nine exempt food/snack fundraising events (such as bake sales) per year, but the fundraising should not be in competition with the school breakfast or lunch program. See list of ideas for healthy or non-food related fundraising activities on the Manchester School District website. The principal or designee will follow the district procedure on scheduling and documenting a fundraising event. 

The school nurse will consult with staff/students during a food/snack or bake sale about food allergies. All known ingredients shall be reviewed by the nurse for students with known allergies prior to dissemination. The nurse cannot guarantee that any item prepared in a home is allergen free.

Staff Food and Fundraisers

Foods consumed by personnel or purchased in the teachers’ lounge that do not meet the nutrition standards shall be kept in the teachers’ lounge. This would include teachers selling food items as an outside fundraiser. All employees of the district are encouraged to be a positive role model for students by following these guidelines.

Ice Cream and Popcorn

Schools that choose to sell ice cream or popcorn shall not offer either or a combination of both more than twice a week. They shall not be sold during scheduled mealtimes. The portion of popcorn shall not be more than a 3-cup portion of popcorn. Schools that choose to sell ice cream or popcorn will follow the USDA Smart Snacks Policy.

School Stores

School stores shall sell non-food items or follow the USDA Smart Snacks Policy. A snack calculator can be utilized. Refer to http://foodplanner.healthiergeneration.org/calculator.  Foods sold in school stores should not be in competition with the school breakfast and lunch program.

School Parties

School parties such as holiday parties shall follow the nutrition standards for Smart Snacks. Parents are also strongly encouraged to choose non-food items from the birthday party suggestion list on the Manchester School District website Food Service. Teachers are encouraged to have one monthly birthday celebration. 

Foods Used as an Incentive or Reward

If school staff feel compelled to routinely utilize foods as an incentive, they shall choose from the list of foods that meet the nutrition standards.

Physical Activity Used as a Punishment

Students are more attentive and ready to learn if provided with periodic physical activity breaks.  Physical activity or recess is beneficial for overall health. The removal of physical activity should not be used as disciplinary means.

WELLNESS AND NUTRITION REGULATIONS

The following nutrition guidelines apply to all foods available in venues that are within the district’s control before, during and after school and are outside the federally regulated child nutrition programs. The goal is to offer nutrient rich foods from the five food groups while minimizing foods and beverages that are high in calories and low in nutrients. These guidelines will be reviewed to reflect current science.

• The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommend increased consumption of whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products.

• USDA’s Smart Snacks criteria for sales of individual foods were followed for snack foods: ≤35% calories from fat; ≤10% calories from saturated fat; ≤35% total sugar by weight; ≤200 calories/selling unit, 200 mg sodium/selling unit.  Smart Snacks calculator.

   

For more detailed information on the wellness and nutrition policy, visit the Manchester School District website, Food and Nutrition Services web page.

Revised from 3/09, 11/13/12, 5/29/13, 9/28/15, 10/23/17 (bake sale section only), 9/15/2020

First Reading Policy Committee:  9/15/2020

Second Reading and Adoption by BOSC: 9/28/2020