The South Orangetown Central School District, through the Board of Education is committed to establishing school environments that advocate and protect students’ and staff’s health, well-being, and ability to work and learn.  Our schools will provide healthful food choices, a strong health and physical education curriculum, daily physical activity, and foster the early development of lifelong healthy eating habits and lifestyles.  The Board believes schools have a responsibility to help students develop the skill, knowledge, and attitude necessary to adopt and maintain optimal levels of health.

            The District will, through the South Orangetown Central School District Wellness Committee (the School Health Advisory Council)

1.    Provide education in the areas of health, nutrition, physical education, pre-K through grade 12, including promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity and diet-related chronic diseases.

2.   Establish administrative regulations (guidelines) ensuring food and beverages sold, served, and offered at the District’s schools will meet or exceed the nutritional requirements of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, to be implemented as per Federal guidelines.

3.   Establish guidelines supporting and providing physical activity Pre-K through grade 12.

4.   Establish guidelines that help create an environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle.

The Board delegates to the South Orangetown Central School District Wellness Committee the responsibility to annually assess and monitor the District’s Wellness Policy and regulations.  The South Orangetown Central School District Wellness Committee shall report annually to the Board and shall recommend to the Board any proposed changes to the District’s Wellness Policy.

Adopted:  June 14, 2006

Wellness Committee Executive Summary

Introduction
In February 2005, the Education Department mandated under Section 204 of the Child Nutrition and Women, and Infants and Children’s Reauthorization Act of 2004 (PL 108-265) signed into law June 30, 2004, included a provision that required each local education agency (LEA) participating in the national lunch program, school breakfast program, special milk program and summer food service program, to establish a local Wellness Policy for schools under the LEA.  Under this regulation, the policy must be developed and implemented not later than the first day of the school year beginning after June 30, 2006.

In response to the regulations from the Education Department, the South Orangetown Central School District Board of Education established a Wellness Committee committed to establishing school environments that advocate and protects student and staff health, well being, and their ability to work and learn.  With the establishment of this Wellness Committee, the Board charged this committee to take the place of a nutrition committee, and move forward in establishing a Wellness Policy, including goals for nutrition education, physical activity, and other school-based activities designed to promote wellness in a manner that the LEA determines, providing assurance that guidelines for reimbursable school meals shall not be less restrictive than the regulations of the Child Nutrition Programs, establish an evaluation and monitoring plan for the policy, and designate the appropriate personnel within each school to insure that the school meets the goals of the policy.  The Board further charged the Wellness Committee to involve parents, students, local school representatives, a liaison of the school board, administrators, and other members of the public in the development of the Wellness Policy.

On December 13, 2005, the members of the Wellness Committee met to review the Board’s charge and also the roles and responsibilities the Wellness Committee would undertake, including the development of a Wellness Policy for the South Orangetown Central School District.  At this meeting, the Wellness Committee divided into four subcomponents:  nutrition, health, physical education, and environment.  Sub-committees were established and after subsequent meetings, the following were accomplished:

1. The Wellness Committee reviewed the draft policy and reached consensus regarding presentation to the Board of Education for a first reading of the Wellness Policy on June 7, 2006.
    

2. The selection of the Wellness committee members will follow the prescribed regulations and process as mandated by the State Education Department.  Timeline and recommendation for Board presentation included presentation and first reading of the Wellness Policy to the Board of Education on June 7, 2006, second reading and adoption by the Board of Education on June 14, 2006, and implementation of the Board-adopted policy effective September 1, 2006.  In addition, the Wellness Committee’s charge would continue and it would act as a standing committee in accordance with the Education Department Regulations, including the following over a three year cycle:

• 2006-2007:  The Wellness Committee will develop site-specific long-range action plans based on the Wellness Policy and criteria.  During this year, beginning with implementation in September 2006, recommendations made by the sub-committees will be implemented, while the Wellness Committee continued its work in developing the long-range action plans.
   

• 2007-2008:  The Wellness Committee will begin implementation of long-range action plan based on recommendations and activities in accordance with the Wellness Policy and be site-specific.
   

• 2008-2009:  The Wellness Committee’s responsibility will include reviewing and revising the Wellness Policy as needed, as well as the Administrative Regulations and guidelines.

Guidelines & Activities Recommended by the Following Subcommittees

Health Curriculum Subcommittee
The South Orangetown Central School District will continue to provide a PreK-12 health education curriculum that addresses the physical, social, and emotional dimensions of health.  Students will develop knowledge, attitudes, and skills through common threads and the New York State Standards of health education, which is tailored to the developmental level of the children of the South Orangetown Central School District.  Recommendations beginning September 2006, to be implemented during the 2006-2007 school year include the following: 

• Each building will perform a needs assessment to insure that students and staff know and are able to meet learning objectives.
   
• PreK-5 will continue with an inter-disciplinary curriculum to address health education in the classroom instruction in such subjects as mathematics, physical education, science, language arts, and social studies.
   
• South Orangetown Central School District will communicate with parents and the community on the health curriculum via the South Orangetown Central School District website, Family Resource Center, and through the health curriculum that involves staff, parents, and the community.
   
• The Wellness Committee will assist in developing and promoting staff and community awareness opportunities and encourage healthy eating, physical activity, and other elements of a healthy lifestyle.

Environment Subcommittee
The following to be implemented during the 2006-2007 school year include:

• Place Purrell dispensers outside the lunch line and around the cafeteria for students to clean their hands before they eat.
   
• Place trash cans outside for the sports teams and lunch recess trash.
   
• Review and assess noise reduction possibilities in cafeterias throughout the District.
   

Physical Education Subcommittee
The following to be implemented during the 2006-2007 school year include:

• Review the Board policy of opting out of physical education for twelfth graders.
   
• Introduce at least 50% of physical activities to be spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity.
   
• Review and provide regular professional development through Southern Westchester BOCES Health and Physical Education Consortium. 
   
• At SOCES schools, the building team will evaluate fitness paths, fitness equipment, and playground facilities.  At SOMS, the recommendation is to continue with the after-school intramurals.  At the high school, focus on the fitness center, transform the current weight room into a fitness center that is conducive to physical education, recreation, conditioning, and athletics.  This would include select-a-ride and cardio equipment. 
   
• All schools will seek to investigate before school activities and intramurals.
   
• Physical Education Department will integrate the President’s Challenge Physical Fitness test, grades 3-12

Nutrition Subcommitte

• It is recommended that meals served through the National School Lunch Programs will be appealing and attractive to all of the students.
   

• Beginning during the 2006-2007 school year, the implementation of the following will also take place on the part of the continued work of the Nutrition Subcommittee:
   

  • Introduction of new foods and nutrition education
     

  • National Breakfast Program, particularly recognizing that it is essential to educate families on the importance of a good breakfast and the impact on learning and behavior.  The District should review its need to provide a breakfast program.
     

  • Food and beverages sold individually
     

  • Limiting portion sizes of food and beverages sold individually
     

  • Reward and punishment – schools will not use foods or beverages for academic performance or good behavior and will not withhold food or beverages as a punishment.  In addition, the Nutrition Subcommittee will continue to work during the 2006-07 school year to establish long-range plans, particularly in the area of fundraising activities, snacks, celebrations, school-sponsored events, and food and beverage contracts.

Wellness Committee Members 2006/2007
 

Minutes

October 25, 2006