Local Wellness Guidelines (LWG)

The Kimberly Area School District recognizes that good nutrition and physical activity are essential for students to maximize their full academic potential, reach their physical and mental potentials, and achieve lifelong health and well-being.  A responsible approach to nutrition and physical activity promotes healthy weight maintenance and reduces the risk of many chronic diseases, including asthma, hypertension, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes.

The Kimberly Area School District has a responsibility during the instructional school day to cultivate a school environment that helps students learn and maintain lifelong healthy eating and lifestyle habits.  Many factors play a role in achieving a healthy school environment, including foods and beverages available to students in school, nutrition education, opportunities for physical activity, and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness. 

  1. Nutrition Education

Students at the elementary, intermediate, and high school levels will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of classroom nutrition education learning experiences that include the following characteristics:

Nutrition knowledge: including but not limited to the benefits of healthy eating, essential nutrients, nutritional deficiencies, principles of healthy weight management, the use and misuse of dietary supplements, and safe food preparation, handling, and storage; 

Nutrition-related skills: including but not limited to planning a healthy meal, understanding and using food labels, and critically evaluating nutritional information and commercial food advertising; and 

Assessment of personal eating habits: setting goals for improvement, and planning to achieve those goals.

The nutrition education program will engage families as partners in their children’s education.

  1. Physical Activity

Students will be given opportunities for physical activity during the school day through daily recess periods, physical education classes, and the integration of physical activity into the academic curriculum.  Schools will also promote an environment supportive of physical activity that encourages safe and enjoyable activity for all students, including those who are not athletically inclined.  The physical education curriculum teaches children the importance of physical exercise and exposes students to a wide range of physical activities so that students develop the knowledge and skills to be physically active for life.  Physical activity will not be used as a form of discipline.

  1. Other School Based Activities to Promote Student Wellness

When using food as part of class or student incentive programs, staff and students are encouraged to utilize healthy, nutritious food choices.  When curricular-based food experiences are planned, staff and students are encouraged to seek out good nutrition choices whenever appropriate.  Schools are encouraged to send home informational materials with suggestions for healthy snacks.

Food service is encouraged to utilize Smarter Lunchroom techniques as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to encourage students to make healthy food choices.  Smarter Lunchrooms use research-based principles that lead children to make healthy choices but still offer a full spectrum of choice.  

  1. Nutrition Guidelines

School Meals Program
The school meals program will operate in accordance with the National School Lunch Program standards and applicable laws and regulations of the Kimberly Area School District.  Schools will offer varied and nutritious food choices that are consistent with the federal government’s current Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  All school meals will be prepared in a way that maximizes nutrient density and reduces fat and sodium.  All school meals will feature a variety of age-appropriate healthy choices that are tasty, attractive, and of high quality.  Menus will be planned with input from students, family members, and other school personnel and should take into account students’ health needs, cultural norms, and preferences.  Parents and caregivers are encouraged to support a healthy school environment by providing a variety of nutritious foods if meals or snacks are sent from the home.  The district will also ensure that free, drinkable water is available wherever meals are served.  This can be accomplished through access to a drinking fountain within the vicinity of the lunchroom. 

Eating as a Positive Experience
The district will provide adequate time for students to enjoy eating healthy foods and socializing, scheduled near the middle of the school day as possible.  Adequate service space will be provided and efficient methods of service will be used to ensure students have access to school meals with a minimum amount of waiting time.  Adequate seating will be available to accommodate all students served during each meal period.  Adequate supervision will be provided in the dining area.  The dining area will be clean, orderly and inviting.

Competitive Foods
Nutrition information for a la carte snacks and beverages offered in a meal service lines, vending and school stores is readily available to students, parents, and the school community.

Any food sold in school must:

  • Be a “whole grain-rich” grain product; or
  • Have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, or a protein; or 
  • Be a combination food that contains at least ¼ cup of fruit and/or vegetable; or

Snacks: 

  • No more than 200 total calories per package
  • No more than 35% calories from fat
  • No more than 10% calories form saturated fat
  • No more than 0 g trans fats
  • No more than 200 mg sodium
  • No more than 35% sugar by weight
  • Excludes fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and nut butters

Entrees:

  • No more than 350 calories
  • No more than 480 mg of sodium
  • No more than 35% calories from fat
  • No more than 10% calories form saturated fat
  • No more than 0 g trans fats
  • No more than 35% sugar by weight

Beverages:
All schools may sell:

  • Plain water (with or without carbonation)
  • 100% fruit and vegetable juice
  • 100% fruit or vegetable juice diluted with water (with or without carbonation), and no added sweeteners
  • Unflavored low fat milk
  • Unflavored or flavored fat free milk and milk alternatives permitted by NSLP/SBP

Elementary schools may sell up to 8-ounce portions, while middle schools and high schools may sell up to 12-ounce portions of milk and juice.  There is no portion size for plain water.

Beyond this, the standards allow additional “no calorie” and “lower calorie” beverage options for high school students.

  • No more than 20-ounce portions of
  • Calorie-free, flavored water (with or without carbonation); and
  • Other flavored and/or carbonated beverages that are labeled to contain <5 calories per 8 fluid ounces or no more than 10 calories per 20 fluid ounces.
  • No more than 12-ounce portions of beverages with 40 calories per 8 fluid ounces, or 60 calories per 12 fluid ounces.

Fundraisers:
The school administrator or designee must approve all fundraising projects.  All fundraising projects are encouraged to meet the district nutritional standards.  Items being sold must not interfere or compete with the National School Lunch Program.  

The sale of food items that meet nutrition requirements as fundraisers are not limited in any way.  Each school may allow up to two fundraiser exemptions per student organization per school year.  Each fundraiser granted an exemption may be up to two weeks in time.  The above standards do not apply during non-school hours, on weekends and at off-campus fundraising events.  The schools will encourage non-food items to be sold as part of school-sponsored fundraising activities.

  1. Kimberly Area School District Wellness Committee

The District Administrator will designate one or more school district officials to ensure that each school in the district complies with the school wellness policy.  With the purpose of (a) monitoring the implementation of the district’s wellness policy, (b) periodically evaluating policy progress, (c) serving as a resource to school sites, (d) revising the local wellness guidelines as necessary, and (e) reporting to the public, a district-wide student wellness committee will be established.  The committee will meet annually at a minimum.   Members providing feedback regarding the local wellness guidelines shall include: the school board, school administrators, physical education teachers, school health professionals, school food service representatives, students, parents and the public.  

Annual Goals
The Student Wellness Committee will review goals and objectives established in key area of student wellness: nutrition education, physical activity, other school based activities and nutrition promotion.  

LWG approved by the KASD Student Wellness Team 4/15, 1/16
LWG approved by the KASD Board of Education 5/15, 5/16