School Wellness Policy: Guidance for Montana Schools

Quick Guide for Using the School Wellness Policy Web Site Local School Wellness Policy:  Guidance for Montana Schools In 2004, Congress passed a law requiring each local educational agency participating in the USDA’s School Nutrition Programs to establish a local wellness policy by July 2006.  This requirement is intended to help combat childhood overweight and obesity; and to promote health enhancing behaviors in children.  The requirements included in the law, the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, apply to all schools participating in the School Nutrition Programs (e.g. National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Special Milk Program).  *For the purpose of this site, “wellness” refers to nutrition education and physical activity.*  IMPORTANT! Schools must have a school wellness policy in place by the end of school year 2005-06.   The four requirements for the wellness policy are listed below.  Schools are encouraged to visit the USDA’s website by following the links included with the requirements and in the “Resources” section (below).  The Office of Public Instruction, Health Enhancement and Safety Division, looks forward to helping schools access existing information about how to establish a school wellness policy that will meet federal and state regulations and suit local needs.  New resources and policies will be added to this website as they become available. Montana Board of Public Education Supports School Wellness Policy: In January 2005, The Montana Board of Public Education adopted a position statement that encourages all Montana schools to have a school wellness policy in place by September 2006 and that such policy is consistent with the requirements of the USDA school wellness policy.  It states: “By the 2006-07 school year, school wellness policies will be required in all schools that participate in federally funded school nutrition programs.  All students in all schools can benefit from the purposes of a school wellness policy.  To this end, the Board of Public Education encourages all Montana school districts to adopt and implement a school wellness policy.” Requirements of the School Wellness Policy As per the 2004 Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, a school wellness policy must include, at a minimum, the following four components: Goals for nutrition education, physical activity, and other school-based activities that are designed to promote student wellness in a manner that the local educational agency deems appropriate; Nutrition guidelines for all foods available on each school campus during the school day,  with the objectives of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity, and assuring that school meals guidelines are consistent with federal requirements; A plan for measuring implementation of the wellness policy, including the designation of one or more persons charged with operational responsibility for ensuring that the school meets the local wellness policy; and Involvement of parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, the school board, school administrators, and the public in the development of the school wellness policy."

Requirements of the School Wellness Policy Links to Help With Policy Implementation Model Policies Supporting Resources For More Information Contact information: Christine Emerson, School Nutrition, 406-444-2501 Katie Bark, Montana Team Nutrition, 406- 994-5641 Cathy Kendall, Coordinated School Health, 406-444-0829

RESOURCES:

Please note:  Montana policies will be added as they are developed.  Educational agencies are encouraged to contribute to this website!  If your educational agency has a policy that your would like to share, please contact the Office of Public Instruction using the contact information provided.

Links to Help With Policy Implementation:

• Action Guide for School Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies - Connecticut State Department of Education

• The USDA’s Team Nutrition School Wellness Policy web site ; includes policy requirements, basic steps, sample policies

• Wellness Policy Tool: This searchable database of policies from Action For Healthy Kids can help guide the drafting of local wellness policies. 

• Local School Wellness Policy Guide for Development: Mississippi

• Quick Guide to Implementing a School Wellness Policy: North Dakota Team Nutrition Program

• School Nutrition Association: Wellness Policy for Schools

• School Wellness Policy and Practice: Meeting the Needs of Low-Income Students - Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)
  

Model Policies:

• Montana School Board Association Model Policy

• MT Small Schools Alliance Model Policy for schools with SNPs

• MT Small Schools Alliance Model Policy for schools without SNPs

• Billings Public Schools Nutrition Recommendations and Implementation

• Billings Public Schools Physical Activity Resolutions

• South Dakota Board of Education Model Policy

• The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) Model Local School Wellness Policies on Physical Activity and Nutrition to assist local school districts as they write and implement wellness policies.  50 health, nutrition, physical activity, and education organizations assisted with or supported the development of these model school wellness policies.

• National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) ; sample general school health policies:

• Arizona’s Action for Healthy Kids State Team; School Nutrition-Healthy Environment Model Policy 

• National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA) Model School Wellness Policy

• Tennessee Nutrition Standards Policy

• Tennessee Physical Activity Policy

• Spokane Public Schools Nutrition Policy and Procedure Models

Supporting Resources:

• Healthy Habits Challenge
• Evaluating School Wellness Policies: a tool for developing strategies for evaluation of policy implementation and maintenance
• Montana School Wellness Policy Implementation Guide

School Wellness Policy Workshop Resources
	School Wellness Policy FAQs
	School Wellness Policy Implementation Checklist
	Maintain, Measure and Evaluate
	Menus and MyPyramid
	Nutrition Standards for Healthy Food Choices
	Healthy Vending Strategies
	HealthierUS School Challenge
	10 Ways to Increase Physical Activity at School

• Policy Language: Nutrition Guidelines for Foods Sold in School - Action For Healthy Kids

• Making It Happen! A Team Nutrition publication with school success stories, steps for implementation, key results, a description of the changes, and factors that helped them succeed. 

• The CDC’s School Health Index Assessment Guide 

• The USDA’s Team Nutrition Changing the Scene: Improving the School Nutrition Environment Kit 

• North Carolina’s Eat Smart; Recommended Standards for All Foods Available in School 

• North Carolina's Move More: Recommended Standards for Physical Activity in Schools

• Local Nutrition Policies: Seven Steps to an Effective School Policy article by Dayle Hayes, MS, RD.

• All it Takes is Nutrition $EN$E Toolkit ; Tips on selling and marketing healthful foods and beverages at student run stores:

• Recess Before Lunch Guide; Policy Implementation Guide for a Recess Before Lunch policy 

• Healthy Students Learn More: The Value of Nutrition and Physical Activity in Montana Schools.  Examples from Montana schools to implement key components of a healthy school nutrition environment. 

• The Role of Schools in Preventing Childhood Obesity Howell Wechsler, Mary L. McKenna, Sarah M. Lee and William H. Dietz.  This article describes the role of schools in addressing childhood overweight.

• School Foods Toolkit: A guide for improving school foods & beverages

• What's Right for Kids: Improving the School Nutrition Environment

• Engaging School Leaders in Wellness

• Selling Healthy Foods

• Dollars and Sense: The Financial Impact of Selling Healthier School Foods

• Healthy School Snacks
  

For More Information:

Coordinated School Health Program
School Nutrition Programs
Montana School Board Association