Wellness Guide & Policy

WELLNESS

As required by law, the Board of School Trustees establishes the following wellness policy for Elkhart Community Schools as a part of a comprehensive wellness initiative.

The Board understands that good nutrition and regular exercise are important for students' health and well-being. Studies show that healthy students are better learners. Schools can help students develop good eating and exercise habits by offering healthy meals and snacks, encouraging good eating practices, and promoting more physical activity both during and outside of school.

However, schools can't do this alone. Teachers, parents, and the community need to work together to promote and model healthy behaviors.

Board Policy

Student Wellness

Elkhart Community Schools is dedicated to nurturing the health and well-being of our students. By fostering supportive school environments, promoting nutritious choices, and encouraging daily physical activity, we help our students grow, learn, and thrive.

Employee Wellness

Elkhart Community School supports the health and well-being of our staff by creating and promoting policy and environments that provide physical activity and healthy eating opportunities.

Requirements for School Meals

Vending Machines & Outside School Meals

Vending machines at an elementary or middle school that dispense food or beverage items may not be accessible to students.

Vending machines in high schools:

Only smart snack compliant vending machines will be available during the school day.
Diet soda will be available 30 minutes after the school day ends until midnight.
Vending machines that offer non-compliant items will be available 30 minutes after the school day ends until midnight.
Vending machine that offer both compliant and non-compliant items will have timers on non-compliant items.
Vending machines for school staff will not be accessible to students.
Food and beverages will not be sold in school stores.

Concession Stands: The concession items sold at school-sponsored events to participants, fans, and visitors shall include at least 50 percent healthy beverages and foods, according to the approved nutrition standards.

Fruit
Yogurt
Water
Diet Soda
Vegetables
Salad
Flavored Water

Smart Snacks in School

USDA Guide to Smart Snacks in School

What are the Smart Snacks Standards for foods?

To qualify as a Smart Snack, a snack or entrée must first meet the general nutrition standards:

Be a grain product that contains 50 percent or more whole grains by weight (have a whole grain as the first ingredient); or
Have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy food, or a protein food; or
Be a combination food that contains at least ¼ cup of fruit and/or vegetable (for example, ¼ cup of raisins with enriched pretzels); and
The food must meet the nutrient standards for calories, sodium, fats, and total sugars.

Nutrient	Snack	Entrée
Calories	200 calories or less	350 calories or less
Sodium	200 mg or less	480 mg or less
Total Fat	35% of calories or less	35% of calories or less
Saturated Fat	Less than 10% of calories	Less than 10% of calories
Trans Fat	0 g	0 g
Total Sugars	35% by weight or less	35% by weight or less

Nutrition Education & Promotion

At Elkhart Community Schools, we believe that healthy bodies support active minds. We are committed to creating a supportive school environment where healthy eating behaviors and physical wellness go hand in hand with academic excellence. Through district-wide initiatives, we actively guide our students to make smart food choices every day.

How We Support and Educate Our Students:

USDA-Standard, Free Meals for All: Under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), all students have access to nutritious, freshly prepared breakfast and lunch at no cost. Our partner, Chartwells, focuses on fresh ingredients, whole grains, and lean proteins in meals that meet or exceed rigorous federal nutrition standards.
Active Nutrition Education: We bring nutrition to life through engaging dining experiences, seasonal promotions, and interactive learning opportunities in our cafeterias and classrooms.
Healthy Rewards & Mindful Classrooms: To reinforce positive habits, district guidelines encourage our staff to use non-food incentives rather than sugary treats or candy for classroom rewards.

Physical & Other Activity

Physical Activity and Physical Education:

Elkhart Community School supports the health and wellbeing of students by promoting physical activity through physical education, recess, and other breaks throughout the school day, as well as before/after school activities and walking/bicycling to school. Additionally, Elkhart Community School provides elementary students with at least 20 of the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day (weather permitting). School staff are encouraged not to withhold opportunities for physical activity as punishment.

Schools shall encourage families to provide physical activity outside the school day, such as outdoor play at home, participation in sports sponsored by community organizations, and engaging in lifelong physical activities like bowling, swimming, or tennis.
All students in grades K-6 are provided with a daily recess period.

Physical Activity Opportunities Before and After School:

Our schools are committed to establishing clear goals that promote nutrition, regular physical activity, and overall student wellness. To keep students active outside of the classroom, schools will offer a variety of extracurricular options based on student interest and staff availability.

Wellness Evauluation

Communication

Wellness Committee

Per Board Policy

The Director of Food Service is charged with operational responsibility for measuring and evaluating the Corporation's implementation and progress under this policy.

The Director of Food Service shall appoint a Corporation wellness committee that meets at least four (4) times per year and includes parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, nutritionists or certified dietitians, educational staff (including health and physical education teachers), mental health and social services staff, school health professionals, the School Board, school administrators, and members of the public to oversee the development, implementation, evaluation, and periodic update, if necessary, of the wellness policy. School-level health advisory teams may assist in the planning and implementation of these Wellness initiatives.

The wellness committee shall:

assess the current environment in each of the Corporation’s schools;
measure the implementation of the Corporation’s wellness policy in each of the Corporation’s schools;
review the Corporation’s current wellness policy;
recommend revision of the policy, as appropriate; and
present the wellness policy, with any recommended revisions, to the Board for approval or re-adoption if revisions are recommended.

Before the end of each school year, the wellness committee shall submit to the Superintendent and Board their report in which they describe the environment in each of the Corporation’s schools and the implementation of the wellness policy in each school, and identify any revisions to the policy the committee deems necessary. In its review, the wellness committee shall consider evidence-based strategies in determining its recommendations.

The Director of Food Service shall report annually to the Superintendent and Board on the work of the wellness committee, including their assessment of the environment in the Corporation, their evaluation of wellness policy implementation Corporation-wide, and the areas for improvement, if any, that the committee identified. The committee also shall report on the status of compliance by individual schools and progress made in attaining goals established in the policy.