6142.10 6142.10Instruction
Health Education Program
Version #1:
The Board recognizes that student health and success in school are interrelated. Schools cannot achieve their primary mission of education if students are not healthy and fit physically, mentally and socially. In order to play a proactive role in preventing disabling chronic health conditions, unnecessary injury and disease, to help students learn to take responsibility for their own health and to adopt health-enhancing attitudes and behaviors, the District shall adopt a comprehensive health education program consistent with the requirements of state and federal law.
The District's program will be developed in cooperation with staff, parents, members of the community and state and local agency representatives, as appropriate, and adopted by the Board.
The input of students will be encouraged. Development of the District's program will be guided by the following goals:
1. Each District school shall be a safe and healthy place for students and employees to learn and work, with a climate that nurtures learning, achievement and growth of character;
2. All students shall be taught the essential knowledge and skills they need to become health literate - that is, to make health-enhancing choices and avoid behaviors that can damage their health and well being;
3. Each District school shall be organized to reinforce students' adoption of health-enhancing behaviors and staff shall be encouraged to model healthy lifestyles; and
4. School leaders shall ensure that the nutrition health services and social services students need in order to learn are provided, either at the school site or in cooperation with other community agencies.
Contributing to the fulfillment of the above-stated goals and in conformity with state statute, the Board requires that in all District schools, full-time students shall be provided a daily lunch program of not less than twenty (20) minutes. In addition, all students enrolled in elementary school shall have included in the regular school day, time devoted to physical exercise, of not less than twenty minutes in total, except that this requirement may be altered by a Planning and Placement Team (PPT) for a child requiring special education and related services according to state and federal law, as may be amended from time to time.
Note: the new legislation requiring the daily period of physical activity for students in elementary school does not spell out types of activity. It can be a combination of planned physical education classes, recess, and/or teacher-directed classroom activities.
School employees (teacher, substitute teacher, administrator, superintendent, guidance counselor, psychologist, social worker, nurse, physician, paraprofessional, coach, or any other individual working in a District school, who in the performance of his/her duties has regular contact with students and provides services to or on behalf of students enrolled in a District school, pursuant to a contract with the Board of Education) shall not deny (alternate: refrain from denying) a student's participation in the entire time devoted to physical exercise in the regular school day as a form of discipline or punishment, nor should they cancel it (or refrain from cancelling it) for instructional makeup time. In addition, any student in kindergarten through grade twelve shall not be required to engage in physical activity as a form of discipline.
In addition, it is the intent of the Board that District schools take a proactive effort to encourage students to make nutritious food choices. Food and beverages sold or served in District schools shall include nutritious food choices. Food and beverages sold or served in District schools shall include nutritious, low-fat foods and drinks, which may include, but shall not be limited to, low-fat dairy products, natural fruit juices and fresh or dried fruit at all times when food or drink is available for purchase by students during the school day.
The Superintendent will develop administrative regulations as needed for the implementation of this policy, including a process for the regular review and evaluation of the District's program.
Version #2:
The Board recognizes that health and student success in school are interrelated. Schools cannot achieve their primary mission of education if students and staff are not healthy and fit physically, mentally and socially. Consequently, the District shall develop, adopt and implement a coordinated, comprehensive school health program.
It is the intent of the Board that the District's program be designed in response to demonstrated community needs; be based on models that demonstrate evidence of effectiveness; emphasize a positive youth development approach; and respond to District families' needs and preferences.
The school health program shall be designed to incorporate the following:
1. A school environment that is safe; that is physically, socially and psychologically healthful; and that promotes health-enhancing behaviors;
2. A sequential, age-appropriate health education, physical education and nutrition instruction curriculum provided in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 and that is designed to motivate and help students maintain and improve their health, prevent disease and avoid health-related risk behaviors;
3. Food services activities that are coordinated with the District's nutrition education curriculum;
4. School health services activities that are designed to ensure access and/or referral to primary health care services, foster appropriate use of health care services, prevent and control communicable disease and other health problems, and provide emergency care for illness or injury;
5. Counseling, psychological and social services activities that are designed to ensure access and/or referral to assessments, interventions and other services for students' mental, emotional and social health; and
6. Integrated family and community involvement activities that are designed to engage families as active participants in their student's education, that support the ability of families to support student's school achievement, and that encourage collaboration with community resources and services to respond more effectively to the health-related needs of students; and opportunities for school staff to improve their health status through activities such as health assessments, health education, health-related fitness and similar activities.
In conformity with state statute, the Board requires that in all District schools full-time students shall be provided a daily lunch program of not less than twenty (20) minutes. In addition, all students enrolled in elementary school shall have included in the regular school day, time devoted to physical exercise, of not less than twenty minutes in total, except that this requirement may be altered by a Planning and Placement Team (PPT) for a child requiring special education and related services according to state and federal law, as may be amended from time to time.
Note: the new legislation requiring the daily period of physical activity for students in elementary school does not spell out types of activity. It can be a combination of planned physical education classes, recess, and/or teacher-directed classroom activities.
School employees shall not deny a student's participation in the entire time devoted to physical exercise in the regular school day as a form of discipline or punishment, nor should they cancel it for instructional makeup time. Further, any student in kindergarten through grade twelve shall not be required to engage in physical activity as a form of discipline.
In addition, it is the intent of the Board that District schools take a proactive effort to encourage students to make nutritious food choices. Food and beverages sold or served in District schools shall include nutritious food choices. Food and beverages sold or served in District schools shall include nutritious, low-fat foods and drinks, which may include, but shall not be limited to, low-fat dairy products, natural fruit juices and fresh or dried fruit at all times when food or drink is available for purchase by students during the school day.
The Superintendent will develop administrative regulations as necessary to implement this policy, including specific provisions for the responsibilities of staff under the District's program and for evaluation of each component of the school's health program on an [annual] [regular] basis.
(cf. 6142.6 - Physical Education)
(cf. 3542 - Food Service)
(cf. 3542.33 - Food Sales Other Than National School Lunch Program)
(cf. 3542.34 - Nutrition Program)
(cf. 3452.45 - Vending Machines)
(cf. 6141.61 - Physical Activity)
(cf. 6142.101 - Wellness)
(cf. 6142.6 - Physical Education)
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
10-215 Lunches, breakfasts and the feeding programs for public school children and employees.
10-215a Non public school participation in feeding program.
10-215b Duties of state board of education re feeding programs.
10-216 Payment of expenses.
10-215b-1 State board of education regulation
10-221o Lunch periods. Recess. (as amended by P.A. 12-116, AN Act Concerning Educational Reform, and P.A. 13-173, An Act Concerning Childhood Obesity and Physical Exercise in Schools)
10-221p Boards to make available for purchase, low fat foods and drinks
Policy adopted: