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Wellness_Policy_{SIS0B0C1850F874}_(1).pdf
Covington County Board of Education Wellness Policy
The Covington County Board of Education is committed to providing a school environment that enhances learning and development of lifelong wellness practices. To comply with this policy, the Covington County Board of Education adopts the following goals:
1. Covington County Schools Child Nutrition Program complies with federal, state, and
local requirements. The Covington County Schools Child Nutrition Program is accessible to all students.
2. All Covington County school-based activities are consistent with the local wellness
policy goals.
3. Covington County Schools will provide nutrition education that is appropriate for
students and reflects students' cultures. Nutrition education will be integrated into students' curriculum to teach and foster life-long healthy eating.
Covington County Schools will provide opportunities for students to develop the knowledge and skills for specific physical activities, to maintain physical fitness, to ensure students' regular participation in physical activity, and to teach short- and long term benefits of a physically active and healthful lifestyle.
5. Every school shall ensure that all foods sold in vending machines, school stores, and
cafeterias are compliant with the USDA Smart Snacks in Schools standards.
6. Covington County Schools will provide a safe, comfortable, pleasing school environment
that allows ample time and space for eating meals. The school campus shall reflect healthy nutrition environments. Schools must not establish policies, class schedules, bus schedules or other barriers that directly or indirectly restrict access to and compete with meal schedule. After being seated with their meal, students must have a minimum of 15 20 minutes to consume their meal.
7. Each school will designate two persons with the responsibility of ensuring their school is
compliant with the district-wide wellness policy. The designated persons at each school will meet during each school year to discuss achievement and compliance of policy goals and new updates. Each school shall retain documentation locally to support and verify all wellness policy guidelines and responsibilities have been attained. This documentation will be accessible for public, local and state review.
8. A copy of the Covington County Wellness Policy will be on the system and local school
websites. A hard copy will also accessible at each school office and the Central Office.
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Covington County Schools Dietary Guidelines
Students' lifelong eating habits are greatly influenced by the types of foods and beverages made available in their daily environment. Covington County Schools has established the following guidelines for all foods and beverages sold or served to students during the school day. (School Day means, for the purpose of competitive food standards implementation, the period from the midnight before, to 30 minutes after the end of the official school day.)
Nutrition Standards for Foods Sold Individually (exempts reimbursable meals)
Smart Snacks in Schools guidelines as established by the USDA: Any food sold in schools must:
• Be a "whole grain-rich” grain product
• Have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, or a protein food . Be a combination food that contains at least 1/4 cup of fruit and/or vegetable
• Contain 10% of the Daily Value (DV) of one of the nutrients of public health Concern in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (calcium, potassium,
Vitamin D or dietary fiber)* **On July 1, 2016, foods may not qualify using the 10% DV criteria.
Foods must also meet several nutrient requirements:
Calorie Limits
o Snack items: 200 calories or less
o Entrée items: 350 calories or less
• Sodium Limits
o Snack items: 230 mg or less**
o Entrée items: 480 mg or less
• Fat Limits
o Total fat: 35% of calories or less o Saturated fat: Less than 10% of calories
o Trans fat: zero grams
• Sugar Limit
0 35% or less of weight from total sugars **On July 1, 2016, snack items must contain 200 mg sodium or less per item.
Accompaniments . Must be included in the nutrient profile as part of the food item sold to help control the
amount of calories, fat, sugar, and sodium added to foods. . Examples include: cream cheese, salad dressing, catsup, mustard, pickles, pickle relish,
dips, sauces, and butter
School Definitions:
• Elementary Schools Pre K-Grade 5
• Middle Schools Grades 6-8
• High Schools Grades 9-12
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Beverages Portion Sizes All schools may sell:
• Plain water (with or without carbonation) . Unflavored low fat milk
• Unflavored or flavored fat free milk and milk alternatives permitted by NSLP/SBP
• 100% fruit or vegetable juice
• 100% fruit or vegetable juice diluted with water (with or without carbonation), and no
added sweeteners.
Portion size limitations by school categories:
• Elementary schools may sell up to 8-ounce portions of milk or juice
• Middle schools and high schools may sell up to 12 ounce portion of milk and juice.
• There is no portion size limit for plain water.
Additional "no calorie” and “lower calorie” beverage options for high school students:
• No more than 20-ounce portions of calorie-free, flavored water (with or without
carbonation); and other flavored and/or carbonated beverages that are labeled to contain less than 5 calories per 8 fluid ounces or 10 calories or less per 20 fluid
ounces.
• No more than 12 ounce portions of beverages with 40 calories or less per 8 fluid ounces, or 60 calories or less per 12 fluid ounces.
School Nurses This policy does not apply to school nurses during the course of providing health care to individual students.
Celebrations Schools (Pre-K through 6) should limit celebrations that involve food during the school day to no more than one party per class per month. Schools (Grades 7 through 12) should limit celebrations that involve food during the school day to one celebration per month. Each party should include no more than one food or beverage that does not meet nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold individually,
Food Sold/Served in the Cafeteria Serving sizes will comply with the meal pattern requirements as described by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations. Foods served and/or sold through the cafeteria shall adhere to the Smart Snacks in School standards established by USDA and the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Portion sizes, calories, sodium, fat, and sugar limits must comply with the requirements as described by the USDA Smart Snacks in School standards.
This policy does not restrict what parents may provide for their own child's lunch or snack. However, no fast food (Subway, Pizza Hut, etc.) or labeled carbonated drinks may be brought into the school cafeteria with competitive wrapping. A school may adopt a more restrictive rule, however, as a local policy
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Fundraising Activities Fundraising activities that involve the selling of food should reinforce food choices that promote good health.
Allowable Fundraising on School Campuses
• Foods that meet the USDA Smart Snacks in School standards, but are not sold in competition with school meals. Example: Fruit
• Foods that do not meet the USDA Smart Snacks in School standards, but are not consumed at school. Example: Cookie Dough Sales
• Non-food items. Example: School Supplies
• Food fundraisers which meet exempt fundraising definition.
Exempt Fundraiser Definition An exempt food fundraiser is defined as the sale of food items that do not meet the USDA Smart Snacks in School standards and are sold during the school day. A school may sponsor up to and not to exceed 30 exempt fundraisers per year, for no more than one (1) day each in length. Exempt fundraiser food is prohibited from being sold as a la carte item, in vending machines or in school stores, or before school on school campus.
Foods sold as part of exempt fundraisers may not be sold one (1) hour before or after meal periods. Example: If lunch ends at 12:30 p.m., then the fundraiser could not start until 1:30 p.m.
Exempt Food Fundraiser Procedure
• School principal
o Alabama's Implementation of USDA Smart Snacks in School and Exempt
Fundraisers Form.
of Complete, approve and sign form (attachment 3). of Provide copy to CNP Director. ofe Provide documentation of approval upon request by Alabama State
Department of Education (ALSDE) for audit review.
• Superintendent
o Attestation of Compliance with Alabama Implementation of USDA Smart
Snacks in School and Fundraising Activities.
of Complete and sign the attestation document (attachment 4). of Provide to CNP Director's to support the annual online application
renewal
• Child Nutrition Director
o Place a copy of the Alabama's Implementation of USDA Smart Snacks in
School and Exempt Fundraisers Form (signed by the school principal) in the wellness plan file. o Provide documentation of approval upon request by ALSDE.
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Semi-annual due dates are: July 1 and January 1 of each school year. The completed Alabama's Implementation of USDA Smart Snacks in School and Exempt Fundraisers Form is required to be signed and on file as described above before exempt food fundraisers commence.
a Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (79 P.L. 396, 60 Stat.230) b Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 c Federal Register, Vol. 78, No. 125, Friday, June 28, 2013, Rules and Regulations d U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, FNS-466, December 2013 e U.S. Department of Agriculture Memo SP 36-2014, Smart Snacks Nutrition Standards
and Exempt Fundraisers
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