Page 13 - The EDGE Spring 2020

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

BY BRIAN HAENEL
The Right Recipe for a Local Wellness Policy

Brian Haenel

You may have noticed the formation of a Wellness Committee Together this group should be involved in defining your
in your district in recent years. Or perhaps you were notified district’s stance on health and wellness. Not only will this
through an audit that your district needs to put together group work to set policies on health and wellness within the
a Wellness Policy as part of an audit finding or technical district, but will also determine how often it will meet to
assistance. Well, where is all this wellness buzz coming from discuss topics and review the policy.
and why is it so important?
“Children spend most of their
Children spend most of their waking hours in school and
eat up to half of their calories in a district nutrition program. waking hours in school and eat
For this reason, most districts engage in the National School up to half of their calories in a
Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program and others to
ensure their learners are fed nutritious meals throughout the district nutrition program.”
school day and beyond. These Child Nutrition Programs
allow the district to be reimbursed for the meals served. The
development and implementation of a Local Wellness Policy
or LWP, that address student nutrition and wellness needs
within a school district, is a required part of this agreement to
receive reimbursement funding for meals served to students.

A Local Wellness Policy, or LWP, is a set of written records
or guidelines that advises a local educational agency (LEA)
on student’s health, well-being, and overall physical activity
habits within a school environment. An effective and
comprehensive LWP should include:

• Nutrition education and physical activity goals.
• Nutrition guidelines for all foods available on the
school campus.

• Ways for parents, students, school administrators, the For those of you needing to address the LWP issue in your
school board, the school food authority and the general district, start by finding a few likeminded colleagues who can
public to get involved in developing and evaluating the meet once every few weeks. Invite a few parents to join in the
wellness policy. process and you are off to a great start. For more information on
how to get a LWP going, what it must contain and some great
• Other school-based activities designed to promote
student wellness trainings and examples, visit www.azed.gov/hns/nslp/lwp/
• Plans for evaluating the wellness policy. Here's to great health and wellness!

Success with a LWP will be achieved by encouraging the Brian Haenel, AASBO Director of Child Nutrition, is Operations
involvement of your local school community and general Manager: Contract Meal Service & Special Programs,
public (parents, teachers, school health professionals, school Scottsdale Unified School District. He can be reached at:
board officials, etc). The formation of a Wellness Committee (480) 484-3616 or mobile (480) 653-3669 or bhaenel@susd.org.
is so important and should include many stakeholders.

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