District Wellness Policy 

STUDENT NUTRITION & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The Newport Public Schools School Department promotes healthy schools, by supporting wellness, good nutrition, and regular physical activity as part of the total learning environment.  The Department supports a healthy environment where children learn and participate in positive dietary and lifestyle practices.  Schools contribute to the basic health status of children by facilitating learning through the support and promotion of good nutrition and physical activity.  Improved health optimizes student performance potential and ensures that no child is left behind.

  1.  Provide a comprehensive learning environment for developing and  practicing lifelong wellness behaviors.
    The entire school environment, not just the classroom, shall be aligned with healthy school goals to positively influence a student’s understanding, beliefs and habits as they relate to good nutrition and regular physical activity.  A healthy school environment should not be sacrificed because of a dependence on revenue from high added fat, high added sugar, and low nutrient foods to support school programs.
  2. Support and promote proper dietary habits contributing to students’ health status and academic performance.
    All foods available on school grounds during the instructional day should meet or exceed the district nutrition standards.  Emphasis should be placed on foods that are nutrient dense per calorie.  To ensure high quality, nutritious meals, foods should be served with consideration toward variety, appeal, taste, safety, and packaging.

    The use of food as part of a student incentive program is strongly discouraged.  Should members of the staff feel compelled to utilize food items as an incentive, they are required to adhere to the Department’s Nutrition Standards.
  3. Provide more opportunities for students to engage in physical activity.
    A quality physical education program is an essential component for all students to learn about and participate in physical activity.   Physical activity should be included in a school's education program from grades pre-K through 12.  Physical activity should include regular instructional physical education, in accordance with The Rhode Island Physical Education Framework, as well as co-curricular activities, and recess.
  4. The Newport School Department is committed to improve academic performance in high-risk groups so that no child is left behind.
    Educators, administrators, parents, health practitioners and communities must consider the critical role student health plays in academic stamina and performance and adapt the school environment to ensure students’ basic nourishment and activity needs are met.  To ensure widespread understanding of the benefits to school environments where nutritious foods are provided and where students have an opportunity for physical activity, a public awareness campaign that highlights research demonstrating the positive relationship between good nutrition, physical activity, and capacity of students to develop and learn should be conducted.
  5. Establish and maintain a district-wide Nutrition & Physical Activity Advisory Council with the purposes of:
      • developing guidance to explicate this policy
      • monitoring the implementation of this policy
      • evaluating policy progress
      • serving as a resource to school sites, (e.g. providing lists of healthy incentives, snacks, birthdays, etc.) and
      • revising policy as necessary

    1.  The Council will meet two times annually with Council membership including, but not limited to:

        • District Food Service Director/Manager
        • Dietitian
        • Local Health Practitioner (e.g., pediatrician, dentist,  or other appropriate certified medical professional)
        • School Nurse-Teacher 
        • A parent representative from each school
        • Staff member representative from each school
        • A School Committee/Board member
        • Superintendent or designee, Co-Chair
        • Supervisor of Physical Education and Health, Co-Chair
        • Family & Consumer Sciences Teacher
        • Local Community Partners (e.g. Boys & Girls Club, YMCA) 

    2.  Responsibilities of the Nutrition & Physical Activity Advisory Council may include, but not be limited to, oversight of the following:

        • Implementation of district nutrition and physical activity standards
        • Integration of nutrition and physical activity in the overall curriculum
        • Assurance that staff professional development includes nutrition and physical activity issues
        • Assurance that students receive nutrition education and engage in vigorous physical activity
        • Pursuance of contracts with outside vendors that encourage healthful eating and reduction of school/district dependence on profits from foods of minimal nutritional value.
        • Consistent healthful choices among all school venues that involve the sale of food.

    3.  The Nutrition & Physical Activity Advisory Council will be responsible for preparing an Annual Report by June 15 of each year that includes, but may not be limited to, the following information:

        • Monthly district menus and meal counts
        • Listing of all a la carte, vending, and competitive foods sold by school food service
        • Listing of all other sales of foods throughout the district including vending machines, school stores, culinary and special education programs, in-school and in-class fundraisers, etc.
        • Listing of physical activity programs and opportunities for students throughout the school year.