INTRODUCTION

Alpha Charter of Excellence recognizes that good nutrition and regular physical activity affect the health and well-being of all students. Furthermore, research suggests that there is a positive correlation between a student’s health and well-being and his/her ability to learn. Moreover, schools can play an important role in the developmental process by which students establish their health and nutrition habits by providing nutritious meals and snacks through the schools’ meal programs, supporting the development of good eating habits and promoting increased physical activity both in and out of school.

Alpha Charter of Excellence is committed to creating school environments that promote and protect the overall well-being of all students and staff. The guidelines listed below encourage a comprehensive wellness approach that is sensitive to both individual and community needs.

1. Local School Wellness Policy Leadership District level

Alpha Charter of Excellence will assemble a representative wellness committee that will meet annually to monitor and set goals for the development and implementation of its local school wellness policy. As required by K-20 Education Code 1003.453 the policy shall be reviewed annually and an updated copy shall be sent to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services when a change or revision is made.

• The Wellness Policy Coordinator shall ensure overall compliance with the local school wellness policy.
• Parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, teachers of physical education, school health professionals, the school board, school administrators and the general public shall be permitted to participate in the development, implementation, and periodic review and update of the local school wellness

Alpha Charter School of Excellence Wellness Coordinator will be responsible for:

 Establishing goals and overseeing the school’s health and safety policies and programs. This includes development, implementation, and periodic review, and provides an update to the district level Wellness Plan Coordinator, This district coordinator will ensure collaborative efforts among the school to enable compliance to the plan.

Establishing a relationship with stakeholders who will help to maintain the wellness plan. The stakeholders include but not limited to local dietitian, business represented, health care professional or community or civil leader.

Alpha Charter School of Excellence will establish an ongoing Healthy School Team that will meet bi- annually to ensure compliance and to facilitate the implementation of Alpha Charter of Excellence’s wellness policy.

• The school principal and local school staff shall have the responsibility to comply with federal and state regulations as they relate to wellness
• The plan coordinator will be responsible for establishing the Healthy School Team that will ensure compliance with the
• The Healthy School Team should include, but not be limited to, the following stakeholders: parents, students, school food service program representatives, school administrators, school health professionals, physical education teachers and the general
• The Healthy School Team is responsible for:
  • Ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations for competitive food and beverage items sold on the school campus (7 CFR 210.11 and FAC 5P-1.003);
  • Maintaining a school calendar identifying the dates when exempted competitive food fundraisers will occur in accordance with the frequency specified in paragraph (c) of FAC 5P- 1.003;
  • And reporting its school’s compliance of the aforementioned regulations to the district’s wellness committee chair who is responsible for ensuring overall compliance with Alpha Charter of Excellence’s wellness

Alpha Charter of Excellence will review and consider evidence-based strategies and techniques in establishing goals for nutrition promotion and education, physical activity and other school based activities that promote student wellness to include, at a minimum, a review of Smarter Lunchroom tools and techniques.

2.   Nutrition Promotion

Nutrition promotion can positively influence lifelong eating behaviors by creating food environments that encourage healthy choices and encourage participation in the school meal programs.

• The school environment, including the cafeteria and classroom, shall provide clear and consistent messages that promote and reinforce healthy
• Schools will provide parents with healthy snack ideas, lists of foods for healthy celebrations and opportunities for physical activity before and after

3.   Nutrition Education

Academic performance and quality of life issues are affected by the choice and availability of nutritious foods in our schools. Healthy foods support student physical growth, brain development, resistance to disease, emotional stability and ability to learn.

• The nutrition benchmarks included in Florida’s Physical Education Standards shall be integrated within the comprehensive health education curriculum in each grade level, or integrated into other core subjects, such as math, science, language arts and social

4.   Physical Activity

Alpha Charter of Excellence shall ensure that physical activity is an essential element of each school’s instructional program. The program shall provide the opportunity for all students to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to participate in a lifetime of physical activity.

• All elementary school students will have at least 15 minutes of daily recess. Each school will provide space, equipment and an environment conducive to safe and enjoyable
• Students will have the opportunity to be involved in physical activity through physical education programs. Students will be encouraged to participate in community-offered fitness and athletic programs.

5.   Other School-Based Activities

Alpha Charter of Excellence will integrate wellness activities across the entire school setting. These initiatives will include nutrition, physical activity and other wellness components so that all efforts work towards the same set of goals and objectives used to promote student well-being, optimal development and strong educational outcomes.

General Guidelines

• The goals outlined by the wellness policy will be considered in planning all school-based activities (such as school events, field trips, dances and assemblies).
• Afterschool programs will encourage healthy snacking and physical
• Alpha Charter of Excellence shall be in compliance with drug, alcohol and tobacco-free policies. Eating Environment
• Students will be provided an adequate amount of time to consume their meal with a minimum of 20 minutes after receiving their food from the
• Each school will provide nutritious, fresh, food provided by the Fresh Food From Florida food distribution
• Convenient access to facilities for hand washing and oral hygiene will be available during meal periods.

Recycling

• Alpha Charter of Excellence shall maximize the reduction of waste by recycling, reusing, and purchasing recycled

Employee Wellness

• All staff will be provided with opportunities to participate in physical activities and healthy eating programs that are accessible and free or low-cost.

Health Services

• A coordinated program of accessible health services shall be provided to students and staff and shall include, but not be limited to, violence prevention, school safety, communicable disease prevention, health screening, including body mass index, community health referrals, immunizations, parenting skills and first aid/CPR

Use of School Facilities Outside of School Hours

• Alpha Charter of Excellence will promote the use of school facilities outside of school hours for physical activity programs offered by community-based organizations and for the school

community’s use.

Behavior Management

• Alpha Charter of Excellence is committed to prohibiting the use of food as a reward, unless incorporated into an activity that promotes positive nutrition messages (such as a guest chef or field trip to a farm).
• Teachers and other school personnel will not deny or require physical activity as a means of punishment.

6.   Guidelines for All Foods and Beverages Available During the School Day

Alpha Charter of Excellence shall operate and provide food service in accordance with USDA’s National School Lunch Program (NSLP) standards and applicable laws and regulations of the state of Florida. The guidelines for reimbursable school meals shall not be less restrictive than regulations and guidance issued by USDA.

General Guidelines

• All reimbursable meals will meet nutrition standards mandated by USDA, as well as any additional state nutrition standards that go beyond USDA
• School meals will include a variety of nutrient-dense foods, including whole grains and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, while accommodating special dietary needs and ethnic and cultural food preferences.
• To the maximum extent possible, all schools in Alpha Charter of Excellence will participate in available federal school meal programs, including the
• Free, potable water will be made available to all children during each meal service.

Competitive Foods

• All foods and beverages sold on the school campus to students outside of reimbursable school meals are considered “competitive foods,” and must comply with the nutrition standards for competitive food as defined and required in 7 CFR 11.

• School campus means, for the purpose of competitive food standards implementation, all areas of the property under the jurisdiction of the school that are accessible 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

• Competitive foods include items sold from vending machines, school stores, snack bars and for in- school
• Unless being sold by Alpha Charter of Excellence food service program, it is impermissible for any competitive food item sold to students during the school day to consist of ready-to-eat combination foods of meat or meat alternate and grain products, as defined in 7 CFR 210.10 and 210.11. (FAC 5P-1.003)
• To be allowable, all competitive food items sold to students must meet general nutrition requirements and nutrient

General nutrition requirements for competitive foods:

• Be a grain product that contains 50 percent or more whole grains by weight or have a whole grain as the first ingredient; or
• Have as the first ingredient one of the non-grain major food groups: fruits, vegetables, dairy or protein foods (meat, beans, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, etc.); or
• Be a combination food that contains 1⁄4 cup of fruit and/or
• If water is the first ingredient, the second ingredient must be one of the of the above.

Nutrient standards for competitive foods:

Exemptions:

• Any entrée item offered as part of the breakfast or lunch program is exempt if it is served as a competitive food on the day of service or the day after service in the breakfast or lunch
• Fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables with no added ingredients, except
• Canned fruits with no added ingredients except water, which are packed in 100 percent juice, extra light syrup or light
• Low sodium/No salt added canned vegetables with no added
• Reduced fat cheese, nuts, seeds and nut/seed butters, as well as seafood and whole eggs with no added fat are exempt from the total fat and saturated fat

*Refer to 7 CFR 210.11 competitive food service standards for additional exemptions.

Nutrition standards for beverages:

Portion sizes listed are the maximum that can be offered.

For elementary and middle school students: foods and beverages must be caffeine-free with the exception of trace amounts of naturally occurring caffeine substances. Food and beverages for high school students may contain caffeine.

Standards for food and beverages available during the school day that are not sold to students:

• The school will provide parents and teachers a list of ideas for healthy celebrations/parties, rewards and fundraising activities.
• Class parties or celebrations shall be held after the lunch period and only foods that meet the Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards can be
• Schools will limit celebrations that involve food during the school day to no more than one party per class per

Fundraising 

• Fundraising efforts will be supportive of healthy eating by complying with all applicable regulations and nutrition standards for competitive foods while also emphasizing the sale of nonfood
• No fundraisers that include the sale of food items will occur until thirty (30) minutes after the conclusion of the last designated meal service
• The school board is permitted to grant a special exemption from the standards for competitive foods as specified above for the purpose of conducting infrequent school-sponsored fundraisers, not to exceed the following maximum number of school days per school campus each school year:

• Each school’s Healthy School Team will maintain a school calendar identifying the dates when exempted competitive food fundraisers will occur. (FAC 5P-1.003)

7.   Policy for Food and Beverage Marketing

School-based marketing will be consistent with policies for nutrition education and health promotion. As such, the following guidelines apply:

• School will only be allowed to market and advertise those foods and beverages that meet or exceed USDA’s Smart Snacks in School nutrition
• Marketing activities that promote healthful behaviors are encouraged. Examples may include: sales of fruit for
• Alpha Charter of Excellence nutrition department’s replacement and purchasing decisions will reflect the marketing guidelines mentioned

8.   Evaluation and Measurement of the Implementation of the Wellness Policy

Alpha Charter of Excellence wellness committee will update and make modifications to the wellness policy based on the results of the annual review and triennial assessments and/or as local priorities change, community needs change, wellness goals are met, new health information and technology emerges and new federal or state guidance or standards are issued. The wellness policy will be assessed as indicated at least every three years following the triennial assessment.

Annual Progress Assessments

Alpha Charter of Excellence will conduct an assessment of the local school wellness policy to measure wellness policy compliance at least once every three years. This assessment will measure the implementation of the local school wellness policy, and include:

• The extent to which Alpha Charter of Excellence is in compliance with the local school wellness policy;
• The extent to which the local school wellness policy compares to model local school wellness policies; and
• A description of the progress made in attaining the goals of the local school wellness

9.   Informing the Public

Alpha Charter of Excellence will ensure that the wellness policy and assessment are available to the public at all times. Alpha Charter of Excellence will also actively notify households on an annual basis about any updates made to the wellness policy and the availability of the annual assessment results, as well as provide information to the community about the school nutrition environment.

• Alpha Charter of Excellence will ensure the most updated version of the wellness policy and assessments are always available on the school website for the public to
• Alpha Charter of Excellence will present wellness policy updates, as applicable, during meetings with the Parent Teacher Association/Organization, school board, district superintendent, health and wellness committee and other interested groups or
• Wellness updates will be provided to students, parents and staff, as applicable, in the form of handouts, Alpha Charter of Excellence website, articles and each school’s newsletter, to ensure that the community is informed and that public input is

10.   Community Involvement

Alpha Charter of Excellence is committed to being responsive to community input, which begins with awareness of the wellness policy. Alpha Charter of Excellence will actively communicate ways in which parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, teachers of physical education, school health professionals, the school board, school administrators and the general public can participate in the development, implementation and annual review of the local school wellness policy through a variety of means, including:

Alpha Charter of Excellence will consider student needs in planning for a healthy nutrition environment. Students will be asked for input and feedback through the use of surveys and attention will be given to their comments.

Alpha Charter of Excellence will use electronic mechanisms, such as email or displaying notices on (The LEA’s) website, as well as non-electronic mechanisms, such as newsletters, presentations to parents or sending information home to parents, to ensure that all families are actively notified of any updates to the wellness policy, as well as how to get involved and support the policy.

11.   Record Keeping

Records to document compliance with the requirements of the local school wellness policy will include, but is not limited to the following:

• The written local school wellness policy;
• Documentation demonstrating compliance with community involvement requirements, including requirements to make the local school wellness policy and triennial assessments available to the public as consistent with the section on informing and updating the public; and
• Documentation of the triennial assessment of the local school wellness

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Date of Board Meeting

Ratified by vote:

Number for:                     Number against:                              

Governing Board’s Approval

_____________________                       ______________

Board Chair’s Signature                            Date

*Board’s approval of the Wellness Policy noted in the board’s minutes