Administrative Procedure 0116 - Health and Wellness

I. Purpose

Prince George’s County Public Schools is committed to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for all students and procedures to ensure that students receive consistent information and education regarding proper nutrition, increased physical activity, and the benefits of healthy lifestyle choices throughout the school, classroom, and cafeteria.

II. Background

The United States Department of Agriculture requires that each local educational agency participating in the National School Lunch/Breakfast Program was to have a local wellness policy in place by 2006. In response, the Board of Education of Prince George's County approved Policy No. 0116, Wellness, Nutrition, and Physical Activity. The Board of Education directed the CEO and appointed designees to ensure students receive consistent information and education regarding proper nutrition, increased physical activity, and the benefits of healthy lifestyle choices throughout the school, classroom, and cafeteria. The Board of Education will ensure the Board Policy and Administrative Procedure are widely distributed and that an annual mechanism for evaluation is in place.

III. Policy

The Board of Education is committed to healthy schools and lifestyles, providing a total learning environment that enhances the development of lifelong healthy habits in wellness, nutrition, and regular physical activity. (Board Policy 0116)

IV. Definitions

Comprehensive School Health Education (CSHE): A planned, sequential K-12 comprehensive school health education program that addresses the physical, mental, emotional and social dimensions of health and enables children and youth to become healthy and productive citizens, capable of establishing and practicing health- enhancing behaviors over a lifetime. Nutrition Education is a component of a CSHE program.
Curriculum: The prescribed programs and courses that state what students should know and be able to do, how they will meet learning objectives, and how they will be assessed.
Health Education: A planned sequential curriculum that provides learning experiences integrating content and skills, which support and reinforce the health and well-being of each student, and ultimately builds health literacy.
Nutrition Education: A component of the comprehensive school health education program that teaches knowledge and skills to facilitate the voluntary adoption of eating and other nutrition-related behaviors conducive to health and well-being.
Physical Activity: Any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that result in an expenditure of energy.
Physical Education: A planned sequential curriculum that teaches skills, knowledge, and attitudes which are needed to establish and lead a physically active life. Physical Education is most effective when reinforced within a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP).
Recess: Regularly scheduled periods within the school day for physical activity and play.
School Health/Wellness Council: A group of individuals who represent segments of the community and the eight components of the coordinated school health program. The local school health council is mandated by Maryland law to provide advice and recommendations to the School Superintendent and County Health Officer in matters related to the health, safety, and wellness of students and staff.
School Health Services: Supports the academic success of each student, staff, and family by providing services that promote optimal health and wellness. The professional nurses provide care that include but is not limited to:
1. providing professional services for students and staff;
2. providing emergency and first aid care to students, staff, and visitors;
3. providing care to acute and chronically ill students;
4. medication administration;
5. evaluation of the school environment for safety and sanitary conditions;
6. communicable disease management and education; and
7. health promotion, illness prevention, and management education to students, staff, and families.
Maryland Nutrition Standards for All Food Sold in Schools (“Smart Snacks”) – Smart Snacks, previously known as competitive foods, are required by the Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act of 2010, which authorizes funding and sets policy for USDA's core child nutrition programs: the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the Summer Food Service Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Smart Snacks applies nutrition standards to snacks and beverages apart from the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program, and sold to students at school during the school day.
Wellness - An intentional choice of lifestyle characterized by personal responsibility, balance, and maximum personal enhancement which leads to the goal of attaining the state of physical, mental, social, intellectual, and spiritual well-being. It is a process of being aware of and altering unhealthy behaviors to those that will bring about a more healthful existence. Wellness is not just the absence of disease.

V. Procedures

Health Education and Nutrition Education
1. School Curriculum
  1. School administration will ensure that a comprehensive, sequential health education program, with its mandatory nutrition education component, will be taught at each grade level and as part of the Health Education requirement for graduation. The time allotted for health education shall be consistent with current research, and national and state standards. School administration will ensure that nutrition education is integrated across curricula and throughout the school day.
  2. It is recommended that students in elementary grades receive a minimum of 60 minutes per week of comprehensive health education, with nutrition education being a component of the broader curriculum; and that students in grades 6, 7, and 8 receive a minimum of one full semester of instruction in health education per academic year. At the high school level, students must complete the half credit graduation required Health Issues course and have the opportunity to participate in Health Education elective courses (e.g., Family Living or Sports Medicine).
  3. School-based staff responsible for nutrition education shall be certified and highly qualified in health education.
  4. In Health Education courses, Nutrition Education:
    1. ) Will be taught every year K-12, using a research-based or based in best practice nutrition education curriculum that leads to behavioral outcomes.
    2. ) Should provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Nutrition Education will be aligned to the National Health Education Standards and includes skill development (accessing information, analyzing influences, interpersonal communication, goal-setting, decision making, advocacy and self-management).
2. To ensure the effective delivery of an accurate nutrition education program, the Department of Human Resources will ensure that the school-based staff responsible for nutrition education are highly qualified and certified, and given the opportunity to participate regularly in professional development activities.
3. The Department of Human Resources will ensure that teachers of health education receive training and professional development on updated content, data analysis, and strategies to improve instruction in health education. This training will include nutrition education training.
4. The Director of Food and Nutrition Services shall provide guidelines to ensure that the school cafeteria serves as an opportunity for nutrition education. Research based nutrition education resources that encourage healthy lifestyles. Will be made available to families and the community.
Physical Education
1. School administration will ensure that a comprehensive, sequential physical education program will be taught at each school, and that the time allotted for physical education is consistent with current research, and national and state standards. A sequential physical education program will be taught at each grade level K-8 and a graduation requirement of .5 credits offered in High School.
  
  SHAPE America recommends that schools provide 150 minutes of instructional physical education for elementary school children, and 225 minutes for middle and high school students per week for the entire school year.
2. School administration shall ensure physical education classes are taught in a separate space, preferably a gymnasium with adequate equipment and facilities.
3. Instruction should provide meaningful content, which includes:
  1. Instruction in a variety of motor skills that are designed to enhance the physical, mental and social/emotional development of every child.
  2. Fitness education and assessment to help children understand, improve and/or maintain their physical wellbeing.
  3. Development of cognitive concepts about motor skills and fitness.
  4. Opportunities to improve their emerging social and cooperative skills and gain a multi-cultural perspective.
  5. Promotion of regular amounts of appropriate physical activity now and throughout life.
4. Withholding of physical education as a punishment is prohibited.
5. The Department of Human Resources, in conjunction with the Instructional Supervisor for Physical Education and Instructional Specialist for Adapted Physical Education, will ensure that physical education and adapted physical education teachers are certified and highly qualified. PGCPS will provide 24 hours annually in professional learning communities to address issues related to instructional practices, data analysis and improve instruction for physical education teachers.
Physical Activity
1. School administration shall ensure physical activity is integrated across curricula and throughout the school day, and that teachers are trained to accomplish this goal.
2. School administration will ensure that all elementary children will receive at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity outside of physical education class, which should include a minimum of 20 minutes of recess. This can occur in several ways:
  1. Lesson plans include planned student movement and are integrated into academic lessons.
    1. ) Teachers shall make all reasonable efforts to avoid periods of more than 40 minutes when students are physically inactive. When possible, physical activity should be integrated into learning activities. When that is not possible, students should be given periodic breaks during which they are encouraged to stand and be moderately active.
    2. ) Schools will have a designee to coordinate and provide professional development for staff members to integrate physical activity into the classroom setting.
  2. Recess
    1. ) It is recommended that elementary schools set aside 30 minutes each day for recess. At a minimum, 20 minutes must be allocated. If a school is able to offer the full 30 minutes of recess, then the entire time shall be used for recess.
    2. ) Though most schools have recess after lunch, it is recommended that the daily recess period occur prior to lunch if scheduling permits. There is research that posits the many benefits to children with recess taking place before lunch.
    3. ) Withholding of recess as a punishment is prohibited. Recess should not be taken away from a child for not completing homework/classwork or for issues unrelated to recess. Rather than withholding recess, school administration should consider alternatives available under the Code of Student Conduct, including:
      1. Have the student contact his/her parent to report misbehavior;
      2. With consent from the parent, have the child complete community service or a beautification project at the school;
      3. Use restorative practice and conflict resolution strategies; and
      4. Referral to school staff who may be trained in or familiar with positive behavioral intervention strategies for particular students and situations for additional strategies.
    4. ) In cases where a child has misbehaved during recess time, it may become necessary to remove the child from recess to investigate the situation, de-escalate the situation, or provide opportunity for the child to restore relationship with others. During these times, the child may not be at recess; however, the child should have recess restored as quickly as possible.
3. Physical activity may not be used as punishment.
4. Principals shall ensure that physical activity facilities on school grounds are safe and that the school provides a physical and social environment that encourages enjoyable activity for all students, including opportunities for non-competitive physical activity.
5. The Supervisors for Health Education and Physical Education will provide a bank of physical activity resources for sharing information with families and the community to positively impact health.
6. Physical Activity Before and After School Goals:
  1. Students will be provided opportunities to participate in physical activity clubs with access to adequate facilities, equipment and supervision.
  2. Schools shall partner with local officials to provide opportunities for safe alternative modes of transportation (i.e. walking and biking) to and from school.
  3. Students will have opportunities to participate in interscholastic sports programs after school.
7. Encourage and offer opportunities with community partners on shared use agreements for facility use before and after school.
Nutrition Standards
1. Principals will ensure the eating environment will be pleasant and conducive to appropriate food consumption and socialization.
2. Principals will ensure that students have a minimum of 30 minutes for lunch with at least 20 minutes to consume meals.
  1. To ensure all students have the opportunity to start each day with a healthy meal, principals will allocate a minimum of 10 minutes for students to participate in the school breakfast program.
  2. Breakfast programs such as Grab and Go, Breakfast in the Classroom or other alternative breakfast options will be explored.
3. Use of food as a reward or as a punishment is prohibited.
4. The Director of Nutrition Services will ensure that:
  1. All meals meet or exceed current USDA School Nutrition Standards. Standards and resources can be found at:
    http://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp/national-school-lunch-program-nslp
  2. Meals are planned in accordance with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, utilizing healthy recipes, menus, culinary techniques, and other tools and strategies to improve school nutrition.
  3. Healthy food and beverage choices are promoted using Smarter Lunchroom techniques, which are designed to assist school lunchrooms with evidence-based tools to promote healthy eating in children.
  4. Participation of all nutrition staff in annual training is complete and documented. Continuing education/training in nutrition should meet or exceed the annual hours required by the USDA Professional Standards. Topics may include but are not limited to: food safety, HACCP, nutrition standards updates, food sensitivities and allergies, customer service and food production techniques.
5. The Director of Food and Nutrition Services is responsible for marketing the school meals and encouraging participation in school meal programs.
6. All students and staff will have access to free and safe drinking water.
7. Students will be given the opportunity for input in school meals and menu items by participating in activities such as taste testing, focus groups, and surveys.
8. Nutrition information for school meals (e.g., calories, saturated fat, sugar) will be available online for students, staff and parents.
9. Nutrition standards will be met for specific age/grade groupings when averaged over a school week. A school week is defined as a minimum of three consecutive days and a maximum of seven consecutive days.
10. Any foods and beverages marketed or promoted to students on the school campus during the school day must meet or exceed the Maryland Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools (see Attachment 1). Food advertising and marketing is definedi as an oral, written, or graphic statements made for the purpose of promoting the sale of a food or beverage product made by the producer, manufacturer, seller, or any other entity with a commercial interest in the product.
Guidelines for Food and Beverages Sold in Vending Machines, Snack Bars, School Stores, and Concession Stands on PGCPS property
1. Food sales by school-related groups and the use of vending machines must comply with state and federal law (see Attachment 1 and not interfere with student participation in the county's food and nutrition services program.
2. School owned vending machines accessible to students are encouraged to meet Smart Snacks standards and they must be turned off from 12:01 a.m. through 30 minutes after the formal school day, to be monitored by school administration. This does not include vending owned (or operated) by Food and Nutrition Services.
3. Snack bars, student stores, and concession stands selling foods and beverages are encouraged to meet Smart Snack standards and/or School Meal standards but can only be accessible 30 minutes after the formal school day. (see Attachment 1). Principals and their site-based School Wellness Action Teams will be responsible to monitor, control and educate school groups on the merits of offering food and beverages that are predominately sound nutrition choices.
4. Schools will ensure a Certified Food Handler is in attendance at all functions where potentially hazardous foods (e.g. hot foods such a beef patties, chicken, etc.) are sold.
Guidelines for Food and Beverages Sold as Part of School-Sponsored Fundraising Activities on PGCPS Property
1. PGCPS promotes and provides resources of non-food based fundraisers. Emphasis and promotion of fundraisers that have a physical activity component is strongly encouraged.
2. Fundraisers selling foods and beverages to students during the school day must meet Smart Snack standards (see Attachment 1) and not interfere with a student's participation in the school meals program.
3. All foods served in schools by entities other than Food and Nutrition Services must also be high quality and meet all applicable safety, sanitation, and health laws and regulations.
4. Food from only licensed commercial vendors and sources promoting and selling healthful, nutrient-rich food may be sold as long as items meets Smart Snacks standards and does not interfere with a student's participation in the school meals program.
5. Principals and their site-based School Wellness Action Teams will monitor fundraisers to ensure compliance with the Health and Wellness procedure.
Guidelines for Food and Beverages Served at Parties, Celebrations, and Meetings
1. PGPCPS strongly encourages celebration and rewards that are physical activity over food- related celebrations or rewards.
2. All foods offered on the school campus must meet or exceed the Smart Snacks standards (See Attachment 1).
  1. PGCPS will provide a list upon request of healthy party ideas to parents and teachers
  2. A list of alternate ways to reward children
  3. A list of foods and beverages that meet Smart Snack standards
3. In order to protect the health of all students and avoid the risk of food borne illness, allergic reaction or food intolerance, only foods that are pre-packaged with a label; from a licensed commercial vendor and sources; whole fresh fruits and vegetables; or prepared by Nutrition Services will be allowed to be served to students.
Other School-Based Activities and Training for Staff
1. The Benefits Services Office will support the health of staff by providing information and opportunities for staff to engage in physical fitness and a variety of wellness initiatives.
2. The Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction will ensure comprehensive annual training of principals in all curricular areas addressed by this administrative procedure, preferably during the annual summer retreat.
Oversight and Monitoring
1. School Principals
  1. Principals will ensure that school-based activities are consistent with Prince George's County Health and Wellness Policy and Administrative Procedure including school events, field trips, dances, and assemblies.
  2. Principals will ensure opportunities for parents, teachers, administrators, students, and community partners to plan, implement, and improve health education, physical activity, and wellness in their schools by supporting systemic wellness initiatives.
  3. Coordinated School Health Strategy
    1. ) Principals will ensure that each school has an active School Wellness Action Team (SWAT) every school year starting in September of each school year.
    2. ) The School Wellness Action Team will be modeled to reflect the eight components of coordinated school health.
    3. ) The principal will collaborate with the departments represented in the school to ensure that a staff member from the following components of school health is represented on the School Wellness Action Team. At minimum, the SWAT should consist of the following staff members:
      1. Health Education teacher
      2. Physical Education teacher
      3. Health Services/School nurse
      4. Nutrition Services, i.e. Cafeteria staff person
      5. PTO/PTA representative, or Parent Liaison
        
        Other SWAT members may include:
      6. Counseling/Psychological/Social work/Behavioral Health Service
      7. Building Engineer
    4. ) Principals will ensure that all schools will complete the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) School Health Index every two years.
2. The School Health/Wellness Council
  1. The School Health/Wellness Council will work with the Office of Communications to promote the Health and Wellness policy and procedure PGCPS staff, students, parents, and the public.
  2. The CEO or designee(s) will convene the School Wellness Council and facilitate development of and updates to the wellness policy. The School Wellness Council will review and provide updates, progress and feedback to the district annually through an annual wellness report. The Council will further review the health and wellness policy and procedures every three years and recommend updates accordingly.
  3. School Wellness Council reviews the District Wellness Policy every three years. Members of the School Health/Wellness Council will represent all school levels (elementary and secondary schools) and include (to the extent possible), but not be limited to:
    
    parents and caregivers; students; representatives of the school nutrition program (ex., school nutrition director); physical education teachers; health education teachers; school health professionals (ex., health education teachers, school health services staff [i.e., nurses, physicians, dentists, health educators, and other allied health personnel who provide school health services], and mental health and social services staff [i.e., school counselors, psychologists, social workers, or psychiatrists]; school administrators (ex., superintendent, principal, vice principal), school board members; health professionals (ex., dietitians, doctors, nurses, dentists); and the general public.
  4. The CEO or Deputy Superintendent will provide management and oversight of the implementation of the Wellness Policy with support from the Prince George's County School Wellness Council. The Office of Research and Evaluation, in conjunction will design an evaluation model to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the Board Policy and Administrative Procedure.
  5. The CEO or Deputy Superintendent in conjunction with the School Health/Wellness Council will implement the evaluation model and review annually.
  6. The CEO or Deputy Superintendent will provide an annual report on the progress of the implementation of this policy and procedure to be presented to the Board on an annual basis.
  7. The school system will partner with community organizations and governmental agencies serving children to support programming that enhances student and family wellness.
  8. The school system will implement a communication plan for staff and parents around updates, changes and progress on the current wellness policy, in particular food/beverage related policies and offerings.
  9. Each school will gather and report school-level data on the Health and Wellness policy implementation. This can be accomplished through annual updates to the CDC's School Health Index assessment tool and action planning tool. A member of the school-based wellness council will gather the data.
  10. The Council shall provide school-level guidance and technical assistance on the evaluation and reporting of the Health and Wellness policy implementation. Assessment, action planning and evaluation should reflect both district and building level implementation and progress.

VI. Legal Authority

USDA regulations, 7 C.F.R. 210.31 et seq. – Local School Wellness Policy.

VII. Related Procedures

Administrative Procedure 3542.44, The Access and Sale of Competitive Foods and Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value in Schools and Outside of the Department of Food and Nutrition Services Program;
Administrative Procedure 6130, Guidelines for Elementary Playground and Indoor Recess Supervision Grades Pre-K- 5;
Bulletin B-13-01, Disciplinary Action and Food Rewards at Meal Times

VIII. Maintenance and Update of These Procedures

These procedures originate with the Department of Curriculum and Instruction: Health Office and Physical Education Office in the Division of Academics, and the Department of Student Services and will be updated as needed.

IX. Cancellations and Supersedures

This Administrative Procedure cancels and supersedes Administrative Procedure 0116, dated September 1, 2017.

X. Effective Date

October 31, 2019