The Board recognizes that health and student success in school are interrelated. Schools cannot achieve their primary missions of education if students and staff are not healthy and fit physically, mentally and socially. Consequently, the District shall develop, adopt and implement a coordinated, comprehensive school health program.

It is the intent of the Board that the District's program be designed in response to demonstrated community needs; be based on models that demonstrate evidence of effectiveness; emphasize a positive youth development approach and respond to District families' needs and preferences.

The school health program shall be designed to incorporate the following:

1. A school environment that is safe; that is physically, socially and psychologically healthful; and that promotes health-enhancing behaviors;
2. A sequential, age-appropriate health education, physical education and nutrition instruction curriculum provided in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 and that is designed to motivate and help students maintain and improve their health, prevent disease and avoid health-related risk behaviors;
3. Food services activities that are coordinated with the District's nutrition education curriculum;
4. School health services activities that are designed to ensure access and/or referral to primary health care services, foster appropriate use of health care services, prevent and control communicable disease and other health problems, and provide emergency care for illness or injury;
5. Counseling, psychological and social services activities that are designed to ensure access and/or referral to assessments, interventions and other services for students' mental, emotional and social health; and
6. Integrated family and community involvement activities that are designed to engage families as active participants in their student's education, that support the ability of families to support student's school achievement, and that encourage collaboration with community resources and services to respond more effectively to the health-related needs of students; and opportunities for school staff to improve their health status through activities such as health assessments, health education, health-related fitness and similar activities.

In conformity with state statute, the Board requires that in all District schools full-time students shall be provided a daily lunch program of no less than twenty (20) minutes. In addition, all student enrolled in elementary school shall have included in the regular school day, time devoted to physical exercise, of no less than twenty minutes in total, except that this requirement may be altered by a Planning and Placement Team (PPT) for a child requiring special education and related services according to state and federal law, as may be amended from time to time.

School employees shall not deny a student's participation in the entire time devoted to physical exercise in the regular school day as a room of discipline or punishment, nor should they cancel it for instructional makeup time. Further, any student in kindergarten through grade twelve shall not be required to engage in physical activity as a form of discipline.

In addition, it is the intent of the Board that District schools take a proactive effort to encourage students to make nutritious food choices. Food and beverages sold or served in District schools shall include nutritious food choices. Food and beverage sold or served in District schools shall include nutritious, low-fat foods and drinks, which may include but shall not be limited to, low-fat dairy products, natural fruit juices and fresh or dried fruit at all times when food or drink is available for purchase by students during the school day.

The Superintendent or his/her designee will develop administrative regulations as necessary to implement the policy, including specific provisions for the responsibilities of staff under the District's program and for evaluation of each component of the schools' health program on and [annual] [regular] basis.

(cf. 3542 -Food Service)

(cf. 3542.33 -Food Sales Other Than National School Lunch Program)
(cf. 3542 34- Nutrition Program)

(cf. 3452.45 Vending Machines)

(cf. 6141.61 - Physical Activity)

(cf. 6412.101 - Wellness)

(cf. 6142.63 - Physical Education

 

Legal References:

Connecticut General Statues

10-215 Lunches, breakfasts and the feeding programs for public school children and employees

10-215a Non-public school participation in feeding program.

10-2 l5b Duties of state board of education in re-feeding programs. 

10-216 Payment of expenses.

10-215b Lunch periods, recess (as amended by P.A 12-116, An Act Concerning Educational Reform, and P.A. 13. 173, An Act Concerning Childhood Obesity and Physical Exercise in Schools)

 

Policy Adopted:  April 11, 2000

Policy Amended:  First Reading September 8, 2015

Policy Adopted:  October 13, 2015