The Jackson-Madison County School System recognizes that good nutrition, physical activity, and other health conscious practices contribute greatly to not only the physical development of a student, but also to the student’s ability to learn and succeed in school. Good health fosters student attendance, alertness, and helps to increase a student’s capacity for learning.

The Jackson-Madison County School System is committed to providing a school environment that contributes to the daily success of a student and also provides opportunities for a student to develop good health habits that will last a lifetime. In order to encourage student wellness, the following plan will be implemented by the schools in the Jackson-Madison County School System.

Nutrition and Physical Education:

Students need opportunities to be physically active and have access to healthful foods in order to grow, learn, and meet his/her potential in school.

Schools will provide nutrition education that will teach and encourage students to make nutritious, healthy food and beverage decisions. Nutrition education will help students understand the links between healthy food choices and performance in learning activities, testing, and retaining information as well as physical energy and endurance. Nutrition education in schools will assist in fostering lifelong habits of healthy eating and living.

Schools will provide physical education and opportunities for physical activity integrated within the school day and as extracurricular activities. Physical activity has substantial health benefits for students including favorable effects on body weight, blood pressure, endurance capacity and physical strength to promote optimal health. The U.S. Surgeon General maintains that regular physical activity is one of the most important ways that people of all ages can maintain and improve physical, mental, and emotional health and improve over all well-being.

All schools will be in compliance with the Tennessee Board of Education requirements for physical education for pre-k through 12th grade.

Guidelines for reaching these goals are attached.

Curriculum

All applicable courses of study should be based on Lifetime Wellness Curriculum Standards, the K-8 Healthful Living Curriculum Standards, and the K-12 Physical Education Curriculum Standards.

Nutrition Standards:

The school breakfast and lunch program will be accessible to all students and will follow the federal, state, and local school nutrition program requirements and laws. School meals will meet the patterns and nutrition standards established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Extra food items offered in the cafeteria that are not part of a reimbursable school meal, such as a cookie, will meet the State Board of Education’s Minimum Nutritional Standards – 0520-1-6-.04 in grades Pre-K – 8th grade as mandated by state law.

Competitive foods and beverages (foods and beverages that are sold in competition with the school nutrition program) are allowed in vending machines in the middle schools and high schools. The middle and high school principals are responsible for the vending machines in his/her school.

State law mandates the food and beverages placed in vending machines that are located in the middle schools must follow the nutrition standards and comply with the rules and regulations of Tennessee State Law – 0520-1-6-.04. At this time, the state law does not mandate high school compliance unless a lower grade such as the 8th grade is located at the high school. If a lower grade is part of a high school, then the entire school must be in compliance with – 0520-1-6-.04.

The system-wide school nutrition director and the school principals shall be responsible for overseeing the school district’s compliance with the State Board of Education Rules and Regulations for sale of food items in the school district. They are also responsible for seeing that all schools in the district are implementing this Wellness Policy.

Other School – Based Activities

Each school will strive for all school-based activities to be consistent with and enhance the wellness policy goals. (Guidelines are attached.)

School Wellness Committees

Each school shall organize a school wellness committee composed of school staff and interested community members. The school wellness committee will implement this wellness plan by creating a plan of action based on that school’s particular needs, goals, and resources. The school wellness committee will work with the system wide School Health Advisory Council.

System – Wide School Health Advisory Council

The Jackson-Madison County School Health Advisory Council shall be established and serve as a resource to school sites for implementing school wellness policies and goals. The council shall consist of individuals representing the school and community including parents, teachers, the school nutrition program director, other school nutrition representatives, school nurses and health professionals, school board members, school administrators, and members of the public.

The JMCSS School Health Advisory Council will assist all schools within the district in developing and implementing a School Health Improvement Plan related to the School Health Index module 1 (Healthy and Safe School Environment), module 3 (Physical Activity and Education), module 4 (Nutrition). The School Health Index is an internationally recognized research-based instrument developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of School and Adolescent Health.

The index instrument was developed to provide a self-assessment and planning tool to allow schools to assess the healthy learning environment in their school. Areas addressed by the index include: the school environment, physical activity and physical education, nutrition, tobacco use prevention, unintentional injury (such as car accidents) and violence prevention, asthma and other illnesses, sun safety, and food safety.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the School Wellness Plan

The School Health Advisory Council and School Principals shall monitor the effectiveness of the school wellness plan within a random wide range of student constituency groups. Factors to be considered shall include:

1. Participation rates in school meal programs;
2. Student satisfaction surveys to monitor the effects of consumption of healthy snacks on children’s health, behavior, and school performance and to monitor satisfaction with snack choices;
3. Parent satisfaction surveys to monitor the effects of consumption of healthy snacks on children’s health, behavior, and school performances and to monitor satisfaction with snack choices;
4. Frequency and types of health problems noted on school nurse logs;
5. Frequency and types of mental health and behavioral problems noted on counselor logs;
6. Incidence of student behavior infractions;
7. Teacher surveys of student’s classroom behavior, attention span, and memory;
8. Attendance