Background

The Center for Disease Control reports student academic achievement is associated with good health and regular physical activity. Schools play a significant role in providing a positive environment to support lifelong physical activity and healthy dietary behaviors. Congress recognized that the creation of a healthy school environment can provide support in the prevention of childhood obesity and reduce the likelihood of developing disease and/or improper growth and development associated with improper nutrition.

In 2004, Congress passed the Child Nutrition and Women Infants and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act (Sec. 204 of O.L. 108-205). This act required schools participating in The National School Lunch Program or other child nutrition programs craft a local wellness policy to address school performance promotion, implementation, and measurement of student wellness in the areas of nutrition education, nutrition guidelines, physical activity, and other school-based activities.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (Sec. 204 of P. L. 111-296) of 2010 provides additional provisions for local wellness policies related to implementation, evaluation, and publicly reporting on progress of local wellness policies.

Purpose

The mission of the J.O. Combs Unified School District’s Food Service Department is to provide a school environment that promotes and protects children’s health, well-being, and the ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. Therefore, it is the practice of J.O. Combs Unified School District to engage students, parents, teachers, food service professionals, health professionals, PTSO’s and other interested community members in participating in implementing these policies set forth.

All students shall possess the knowledge and skills necessary to make nutritious and enjoyable food choices for a lifetime. In addition, all school staff is encouraged to model healthy eating behavior as a valuable part of daily life. School leaders shall prepare, adopt and implement a comprehensive plan to encourage healthy eating.

Goals:

I. Food Service Operation

A. Program Requirements
- It is acknowledged that the feeding of children is primarily a family responsibility. To supplement their efforts, every school shall operate a food service program to ensure that all students have affordable access to the varied and nutritious food they need to stay healthy and learn well.
- During each school day the food service program shall offer breakfast and lunch under the nutritional guidelines of the USDA’s National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs.
- School meals served through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program will:
i. Be appealing and attractive to children
ii. Be served in a clean and pleasant environment
iii. Meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by the state and federal regulations
iv. Offer a variety of foods which are healthy and include whole grain rich products and serve only low fat or fat free milk
v. Food Service shall provide snacks that meet federal nutrition guidelines to after-school education or enrichment programs as appropriate.

B. Menu Requirements
The Food Service department will monitor the nutrient breakdown of their menus

C. Staffing
- Food Service Supervisor and staff will follow all regulations of the Arizona State Nutrition Standards.
- Food Service shall provide professional development and training for all managers and office staff.

D. Food Safety
Food Service shall adhere to all federal, state, and local policies in relation to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) and food safety and sanitation required by the USDA, Arizona Department of Education, and county guidelines.

E. Dietary Modification
Food Service shall comply with USDA’s dietary modification requirements for accommodating students with disabilities with proper documentation.

II. Nutrition Guidelines for all Foods on School Campus

A. School Meals
- All schools in the J.O. Combs Unified School District will provide breakfast and lunch through participation in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. All reimbursable school meals served will comply with federal and state regulations.

B. Free and Reduced-priced Meals
- J.O. Combs Unified School District will ensure meals are served free to children from families who qualify according to the income guidelines set forth by the USDA. No child eligible for free or reduced meals shall be discriminated against because of race, color, or national origin.
- J.O. Combs Unified School District shall not segregate physically, nor impart any
other discrimination against any child because of the inability to pay the full price of
a meal. The names of children eligible to receive free or reduced meals shall not be
published, posted, or announced in any manner. Further assurance is given that
children eligible for free or reduced meals shall not be required to:
i. Use a separate lunchroom, enter the lunchroom through a separate
entrance, or go through a separate serving line
ii. Eat meals at a different time or eat a meal different from the one sold to a
child paying full price
- To prevent overt identification and ensure students eligible for free and reduced
meals have the opportunity to participate, J.O. Combs Unified School District will:
i. Utilize an electronic payment system
ii. Create individual student school meal accounts with corresponding student
ID number
iii. Promote the availability of school meals to children, regardless of income

C. Celebrations
- To safeguard the health and well-being of students at J. O. Combs Unified School
District, parents, community members, school staff and students providing foods
and beverages for parties/celebrations/meetings shall be encouraged to offer
healthy options
- All foods offered:
i. Must comply with local food safety and sanitation guidelines
ii. Must come from a commercial source with an approved Maricopa or Pinal
county Health permit
iii. Is consumed within the celebration area and within a reasonable amount of
time
iv. Must be served with a serving utensil or a non-latex gloved hand if
unwrapped: No contact is to be made by a non-gloved hand with any food
item that is not pre-wrapped

D. Fundraising/Vending Machines/Student Store/Food and Beverages Sold Individually
- J.O. Combs Unified School District will acknowledge the intention of all food items
sold outside of menu items served in the National School Lunch and School
Breakfast Programs during the normal school day will supplement reimbursable
meals. This will include food items sold or offered through:
i. School-sponsored fundraising activities
ii. School stores
iii. School food service a la carte items
iv. Vending machines
- All food items served/offered to students during the school day (midnight the
nightbefore to 30 minutes after the last bell) must:
i. Meet federal, state, and local standards unless a waiver has been submitted
to ADE on behalf of sponsored fundraising activity by the Food Service
Department
ii. All fundraiser guidelines must be followed per USDA and district policies and
adhere to appropriate time frames

III. Nutrition Education

A. Food Allergies
- J.O. Combs Unified School District will review and update the protocol and
guidelines for supporting children with life-threatening food allergies as needed.
- The Food Service Department will review and update school food allergen
information posted on the J.O. Combs Unified School District website.

B. Parent Partnership
- J.O. Combs Unified School District will provide parents the opportunity to access
valuable information pertaining to healthy lifestyle strategies in the form of:
i. School/district newsletters, postings or handouts, social media
ii. School menu information will be posted to the district website.
Nutrient analysis and allergy information can be obtained by contacting
each school kitchen site.

C. Menu
- The Food Service Department will ensure that school menus are available via
the web and school office

IV. Activities to promote student wellness

A. J.O. Combs Unified School District will adhere to state and federal physical education mandates

B. Daily Physical Activity/Recess
- Daily recess provides an outlet to promote continued physical activity. Our
district will support movement-centered activities.

C. Special Programs
- Additional physical activity programs are available at schools within the district.
Schools will offer a variety of activities that will satisfy the needs, interests, and talents of all students.

V. School Environment

A. Safe environment
- J.O. Combs Unified School District is dedicated to providing each student a safe and healthy school environment.
- A crisis/emergency plan provides guidance in a crisis situation. The administrator
assigned to monitor emergency preparedness will ensure plans are updated at the
school and district level.

B. School Health Services
- The purpose of school health services is to provide students with extended support in the areas of mental, social, health, and community resources.
- The district will provide the following School Health Services:

• School Nurse or Health Assistant
• Social Worker or Counselor
• Psychologist
• Homeless Liaison

VI. Monitoring and Policy Review

A. The superintendent or designee will ensure compliance with established district-wide nutrition and physical activity wellness policies. In each school, the principal or designee will ensure compliance with those policies in his/her school and will report on the school’s compliance to the school district superintendent or designee.

B. Food Service staff, at the school and district level, will ensure compliance with nutrition policies within school food services and will report on this matter to the superintendent or designee.

C. The superintendent or designee will ensure compliance will develop a summary report each year on district-wide compliance with the district’s established nutrition and physical activity wellness policies, based on input from schools in the J.O. Combs Unified School District. That report will be provided to the school board and also distributed to all school health councils, parent/teacher organizations, school principals, and school health service personnel in the district.

D. Review of this policy will be repeated once a year to identify and prioritize needs.

Collaboration:
Food Service Staff
Principals
Health Office
District Personnel

 

In accordance with Federal Civil Rights Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

Fax: (202) 690-7442

Email: program.intake@usda.gov

De conformidad con la Ley Federal de Derechos Civiles y los reglamentos y políticas de derechos civiles del Departamento de Agricultura de los EE. UU. (USDA, por sus siglas en inglés), se prohíbe que el USDA, sus agencias, oficinas, empleados e instituciones que participan o administran programas del USDA discriminen sobre la base de raza, color, nacionalidad, sexo, credo religioso, discapacidad, edad, creencias políticas, o en represalia o venganza por actividades previas de derechos civiles en algún programa o actividad realizados o financiados por el USDA.

Las personas con discapacidades que necesiten medios alternativos para la comunicación de la información del programa (por ejemplo, sistema Braille, letras grandes, cintas de audio, lenguaje de señas americano, etc.), deben ponerse en contacto con la agencia (estatal o local) en la que solicitaron los beneficios. Las personas sordas, con dificultades de audición o con discapacidades del habla pueden comunicarse con el USDA por medio del Federal Relay Service [Servicio Federal de Retransmisión] llamando al (800) 877-8339. Además, la información del programa se puede proporcionar en otros idiomas.

Para presentar una denuncia de discriminación, complete el Formulario de Denuncia de Discriminación del Programa del USDA, (AD-3027) que está disponible en línea en:  How to File a Complaint, y en cualquier oficina del USDA, o bien escriba una carta dirigida al USDA e incluya en la carta toda la información solicitada en el formulario. Para solicitar una copia del formulario de denuncia, llame al (866) 632-9992. Haga llegar su formulario lleno o carta al USDA por:

Correo: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

Fax: (202) 690-7442

Correo Electrónico: intake@usda.gov

Esta institución es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.