What’s up with Wellness

Why are we required to have a wellness committee? To combat childhood obesity. 2010 obesity rates in the United States= children 6-11 18.0%, adolescents ages 12-19 18.4% Obesity rates for Clarksville school district for the 15-16 school year: School Percent Overweight % Percent Obese % Combined Obese or Overweight % CPS 16.7 21.5 38.2 Pyron 15.2 23.8 39 Kraus 20 27.8 47.8 Jr. High 14 32.8 46.8 High School 15.7 48.55

Why are we required to have a wellness committee? What is the history? In 2004 Congress passed the Child Nutrition and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act. (because of childhood obesity rates in our country). This act required that all schools participating in the National School Lunch Program create a wellness policy by 2006. In 2010, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/healthy-hunger-free-kids-act) (Sec. 204 of Public Law 111-296 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-111publ296/pdf/PLAW-111publ296.pdf)), and added new provisions for local school wellness policies related to implementation, evaluation, and publicly reporting on progress of local school wellness policies. On July 21, 2016, the United States Department of Agriculture Final Rule on Local Wellness Policy Implementation was published in the Federal Register. The final rule strengthens the requirements on public involvement, transparency, implementation, and evaluation. A key piece to this legislation is that it requires all schools offering free/reduced lunches to revise their wellness policies to match these new rules.

What are the new requirements that come along with our new policy? Evaluation- All districts must assess their wellness policy at least once every three years on the extent to which schools are in compliance with the district policy, the extent to which the local wellness policy compares to model local school wellness policies, and the progress made in attaining the goals of the local wellness policy. Districts must make this assessment available to the public on an annual basis. This must be done for the first time in the 17-18 school year. Public Involvement – parents, students, and the general public are permitted to participate in the development, implementation, review, and update of the local wellness policy. Transparency/Implementation- Informing and updating the public (including parents, students, and others in the community) about the content and implementation of the local wellness policy.

How will we be monitored or evaluated on these new requirements? We will be monitored on these requirements during our food service review. Mrs. Villines

What is my responsibility as a committee member? K-9 PE teachers- SHI, review menues, Acsip/Indistar, attend meetings (4 district wide meetings required per year ¾ of committee present to count as a meeting). Mrs. Sosebee/HS Staff- SHI, menu review, ACSIP/Indistar, attend meetings Nurses- collect and input BMI data, review menues, attend meetings, Parents/students/community members/school board members/and all others- attend meetings as much as possible and give responses to menues.

Question/Comments/Complaints/Solutions