The Levittown School District is committed to providing a school environment that promotes and protects children's health, well being and the ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. Pursuant to Section 204 of the Child Nutrition and Women, Infants and Children Reauthorization Act of 2004, the district establishes the following Wellness Policy to enhance the learning and development of lifelong wellness practices.

The members of this committee were chosen based on the shared decision making process followed by the district and recommendations of representation provided in Sec. 204 of the child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.

Members of the committee consist of representation from Levittown School District Board of Education, Central Office Administration, Elementary and Secondary Building Administrators, Health and Physical Education Teachers, Food Service Personnel, Elementary and Secondary Students, School Nurse, Parents of Elementary and Secondary Students and PTA Council.

Nutrition Education Goals
Nutrition education is defined as "any set of learning experiences designed to facilitate the voluntary adoption of eating and other related behaviors conducive to health and well being." The District adopts the following nutrition guidelines in its schools, with the goal of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity:

• Students in grades K-12 shall receive nutrition education that is interactive and teaches the skills they need to adopt healthy eating behaviors and provide them with the knowledge and skills to promote and protect their health. Education should begin at the elementary level in this curriculum area covering age appropriate topics related to healthy nutrition;

• Nutrition education shall be offered in the school cafeteria as well as in the classroom, with coordination between food service staff and teachers. Students should take an active role by creating posters to be displayed in the cafeteria;

• Students shall receive consistent nutrition messages throughout the school, classrooms, cafeterias, homes, community and media and school based marketing that will be consistent with nutrition education and health promotion;

• The school district shall provide information to families that encourage them to teach their children about health and nutrition and to provide nutritious meals through news of the schools and parent workshops, if possible beginning as early as pre-school level to establish good habits early on;

• Nutrition educational activities shall be integrated into the health education or core curricula. Hands on cooking of healthy recipes can be incorporated into lesson plans as well as family/student involvement as sharing recipes/nutritional tips through cookbooks, district website and school calendar;

• Staff who provide nutrition education shall have appropriate training and shall participate regularly in professional development activities to effectively deliver an accurate nutrition education program;

• Students shall have access to a variety of affordable, nutritious and appealing food choices that meet their health and nutrition needs and which accommodate the diversity of the student body;

• Students shall be encouraged to start each day with a healthy breakfast. Breakfast program, although not required, exists at the high schools and is being piloted at middle school level.

• Fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat dairy products, healthy food preparation methods and health enhancing nutrition practices shall be promoted. Nutritional values of all foods prepared/sold will be made available for review.

• Caloric balance between food intake and energy expenditure (physical activity/exercise) shall be emphasized in health and physical education classes.

• The district's guidelines for reimbursable school meals shall not be less restrictive than applicable federal regulations and guidelines of Child Nutrition programs.

Physical Activity Goals
The primary goal for the District's physical activity component is to provide opportunities for every student to develop the knowledge and skills for specific physical activities, maintain physical fitness, regularly participate in physical activity and understand the short and long term benefits of a physically active and healthy lifestyle. The District adopts the following physical activity guidelines:

• Students shall be given opportunities for physical activity during the school day through physical education classes, daily recess periods for elementary school students, eight minutes of physical activity integrated into the elementary curriculum and through the integration of physical activity in the academic curriculum wherever possible at the secondary level;

• Students shall be given opportunities for physical activity through a range of before and/or after school programs including, but not limited to, intramural, interscholastic athletics and wellness clubs;

• Schools shall work with the community to create ways for students to walk or bike safely to and from school;

• Schools shall encourage parents to support their children's participation in physical activity, to be physically active role models and to include physical activity in family events;

• Schools shall provide training to enable teachers and other school staff to promote enjoyable lifelong physical activity among students;

• Schools will provide opportunities for all students to participate in before or after school programs geared to a less structured physical environment but promote physical activity and a healthy lifestyle;

• All attempts will be made to not use physical activity (e.g., running laps or pushups) or withhold opportunities for physical activity (e.g., recess, physical education) as punishment.

Other School Based Activity Goals
It shall be the District's goal to create a school environment that provides consistent wellness messages and that is conducive to healthy eating and being physically active. In accordance with this goal, the district adopts the following guidelines:

• There shall be a clean, safe, enjoyable meal environment for all students with adequate time to enjoy eating healthy foods with their friends;

• Every effort will be made to provide enough space and serving area to ensure all students have access to school meals with minimum wait time;

• Drinking fountains shall be available in all schools so that students can get water at meals and throughout the day;

• All students are encouraged to participate in school meals programs and the identity of students who eat free and reduced price meals will be protected;

• Food and beverage marketing activities shall be consistent with and reinforce the objectives of the education and nutrition environment goals of the District.

• The District shall encourage that all fundraising efforts and school events such as field trips, dances and assemblies in the schools are supportive of healthy eating, healthy food choices and physical activity;

• Efforts will be made to keep school or district-owned physical activity facilities open for use by students outside regular school hours.

Establishing Nutrition Standards
Students' lifelong eating habits are greatly influenced by the types of foods and beverages available in their daily environment. The District establishes the following program requirements and nutrition standards to address all foods and beverages sold or served to students:

• Nutrition standards shall focus on maximizing nutritional value by decreasing fat and added sugars, and moderating portion size;

• All foods and beverages made available (including vending machines, a la carte, fundraising, concession stands, student stores and school parties/celebrations) during the school day shall be consistent with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines.

• Food providers shall offer a variety of age appropriate healthy food and beverage selections for elementary schools, middle schools and high schools;

• All foods made available shall adhere to food safety and security guidelines;

• Nutrition information for products offered in snack bars, a la carte, vending and school stores shall be readily available;

• Classroom snacks shall feature healthy choices and a list of such healthy choices shall be disseminated to teachers and parents;

• Celebrations that involve food during the school day shall be limited, when possible. Each party shall include no more than one food or beverage that does not meet the standards of the District. A list of party ideas shall be disseminated to parents and teachers;

• Students shall be discouraged from sharing their foods or beverages with one another during meal or snack times, given concerns about allergies and other restrictions on children's diets;

• Families, teachers, students and school officials shall be involved in selecting food choices for their schools in order to identify new, healthy and appealing food selections;

• The District shall make decisions on these guidelines based on nutrition goals, not on profit.

Food and Beverages Sold Individually
This includes but is not limited to foods sold outside of reimbursable school meals, such as through vending machines, cafeteria (snack) lines, fundraisers, school and stores.

The school food service program will approve and provide all food and beverage sales to students in elementary schools. Given young children's limited nutrition skills, food in elementary schools should be sold as balanced meals. If available, foods and beverages sold individually should be limited to low-fat and non-fat milk, fruits, and non-fried vegetables, with the exception of French fries served at the secondary schools 3x per week. In the middle and high schools, all food and beverages sold individually outside the reimbursable school meal programs (including those sold through a la carte snack lines, vending machines, student stores, or fundraising activities) during the school day or through programs for students after the school day, will meet the following nutrition and portion size standards:

Beverages

• Allowed: water, without added caloric sweeteners; fruit and vegetable juices and fruit-based drinks that contain at least 50% fruit juices and that do not contain additional caloric sweeteners (with the exception of Snapple); unflavored or flavored low-fat or fat-free milk;

• Not Allowed: soft drinks containing caloric sweeteners and caffeine (in all schools), sports drinks and iced tea (except in the secondary schools), with the exception of Snapple; beverages containing caffeine; ( excluding low-fat or fat-free chocolate milk which contains minimal amounts of caffeine).

Foods

Items sold individually:

• will have no more than 35% of its calories from fat (excluding nuts, seeds, peanut butter and other nut butters) and 10% of its calories from saturated and trans fat combined;

• will have no more than 35% of its weight from added sugars:

• will contain no more than 230 mg of sodium per serving for chips, cereals, crackers, French Fries, baked goods, and other snack items. Begin to investigate decreasing sodium content of main course offerings in total meal served to below 1500 mg of sodium.

A choice of at least two fruits and/or non-fried vegetables will be offered for sale at any location on the school site where foods are sold. Such items could include, but are not limited to, fresh fruits and vegetables; 100% fruit or vegetable juice; fruit-based drinks that are at least 50% fruit juice, and that do not contain additional caloric sweeteners; cooked, dried, or canned fruits (canned in fruit juice or light syrup); and cooked, dried, or canned vegetables (that meet the above fat and sodium guidelines).

Portion Sizes

Limit portion sizes of foods and beverages sold individually to those listed below:

• One and one-quarter ounces for chips, crackers, popcorn, cereal, trail mix, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit

• One ounce to one and one half ounce serving for cookies

• Two ounces for cereal bars, granola bars, pastries;

• Four fluid ounces for frozen desserts, including, but not limited to, low -fat or fat-free ice cream;

• Eight ounces for non-frozen yogurt and 100 % juice smoothies

• Twelve fluid ounces for beverages excluding water, Gatorade and iced tea in vending machines.

The portion size of a la carte entrees and side dishes, including potatoes, will not be greater than the size of comparable portions offered as part of school meals. Fruits and non-fried vegetables are exempt from portion-size limits.

Goals for Measurement and Evaluation
This policy will be evaluated and monitored on a quarterly basis. The district shall designate J. Keith Snyder, Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics and Shai Carmel, Assistant Business Manager/Treasurer who shall be charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the District meets the goals of this policy and that the individuals shall report on the school district's compliance to the Superintendent of Schools.

The Superintendent or designee will develop a summary report every year on District -wide compliance with the District's Wellness policy.