Marshall School District Wellness Policy
The Marshall School District adopted a wellness policy to meet the requirements of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. In recognition of the declining nutritional intake and increasing obesity in children, Congress passed the Act, which requires, by law, that by the first day of the school year in 2006, each school district participating in the National School Lunch Program adopt local school wellness policies that address healthy eating and physical activity. The Act aims to improve children’s health by expanding the availability of nutritious meals and snacks to more children in schools while also promoting increased activity.
The law places the responsibility of developing a wellness policy at the local level so the individual needs of each school district can be addressed. In developing the wellness policy, schools must set goals for nutrition education, physical activity and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness. In addition, districts must establish nutrition standards for all foods that are available on each school campus during the school day, with the objective of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity.
Below is the Marshall School District General Wellness Policy Statement. For a copy of the full wellness policy, more information on its development, or to become a member of the district’s school health council, please contact Brian Sutton, Marshall School District Director of Instruction.
Marshall School District General Wellness Policy Statement
The Marshall Public School District (hereafter referred to as the District):
- Recognizes that healthy nutrition and physical activity are basic needs for students’ overall physical well-being, growth, development, scholastic performance and readiness to learn.
- Recognizes its responsibility to promote a healthy learning environment by supporting wellness, good nutrition and regular physical activity as part of the total learning environment.
- Promotes knowledge and behaviors that include healthy nutrition, physical activity and support and encourage health, wellness, intellectual development, and overall quality of life.
This district-wide wellness policy encourages all members of the school community to create an environment that supports lifelong healthy eating habits and physical activity. Staff wellness is an integral part of a healthy school environment and staff should serve as daily role models for healthy behaviors.
The district will create a school health council dedicated to reviewing the design and implementation of the wellness policy and will consist of various stakeholders. An annual review of this policy will be conducted by the school health council and reported to the Board of Education.
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