Introduction
Healthy nutrition is a decisive factor that affects students’ health and academic performance. Along with activities of physical activity, physical education, education on healthy eating, and access to drinking water, providing the opportunity to eat balanced meals will make children’s lives more satisfying. This paper aims to create a School Wellness Policy for the Northern Tioga School District, Tioga County, PA.
Statement of the Problem
The absence of a well-thought-out and well-planned Wellness Policy can cause low student performance and health problems like diabetes or obesity. On its official page, the North Tioga School District acknowledges that “students’ well-being and proper nutrition are linked to physical well-being, growth, development, and readiness to learn” (“Northern Tioga School,” 2017, para. 1). Such a policy will help improve students’ academic performance, as well as positively affect their health and life expectancy.
Who is Establishing the Policy?
In this regard, the North Tioga School District has developed a new Wellness Policy that should be implemented in schools across the district. To control the implementation process, a Wellness Committee was established. It should include at least one “member of the school board, district administrator, and district catering representative, student, parent, school health worker, physical education teacher, and member of the public” (“Policy manual,” 2017, para. 2). Wellness Committee will invite representatives from every school and ensure the participation of various community members.
To Whom Does the Policy Apply?
The Wellness Policy applies to students, teachers, principals, cafeteria workers, parents, members of local health organizations, and business owners and workers selling snacks in schools. The hardest part will be to bring the idea of a healthy diet to outsiders, such as snack sellers (“Smart snacking,” 2017). Therefore, the state has developed a list of requirements for food sold in educational institutions, called Smart Snacks, to attract this part of the community.
What is the Policy?
The proposed Wellness Policy will ensure the introduction of healthy nutrition in schools, as well as education in healthy eating, physical education, and providing age-appropriate daily physical activity. The main objective of the policy will be to change the cafeteria menu according to the requirements of a healthy diet (“School nutrition,” 2019). Besides, lessons on healthy eating will be introduced in the curriculum (“Nutrition education,” 2019). Special attention will also be paid to physical education programs and daily physical activity (“Physical education,” 2019). The policy programs will be carried out by the school faculty and staff. Moreover, science classes will be held in the school garden; the school will invite farmers to participate in healthy eating classes and will supply food from local farms.
Who Enforces the Policy?
The superintendent or his designated person will monitor the policy implementation. It is necessary to “ensure that each school, district, and curriculum complies with this policy, relevant policies, and established guidelines or administrative rules” (“Policy manual,” 2017, para. 4). Furthermore, the principal will inform the superintendent about the policy progress and the status of the programs, as well as the school staff responsible for implementing the plans of the Wellness Policy.
What is the Duration of the Policy?
The Wellness Policy will be introduced without a time limit since its benefits for students are undeniable.
How will the Policy be Evaluated?
At the same time, the faculty will collect data to evaluate policy effectiveness every three years. The evaluation will be carried out following the policy objectives. Responsibility for evaluation lies with the superintendent or his designated person and the Wellness Committee.
Thus, a School Wellness Policy for the Northern Tioga School District, Tioga County, PA, was created. The policy will ensure the introduction of a healthy diet, classes on healthy eating, and physical education. Besides, more time from the school curriculum will be devoted to physical activity; outdoor science classes are also offered. This Wellness Policy will help create a healthy environment for students, and will positively affect their health in the future.
References
Northern Tioga School District Wellness Policy. (2017). Web.
Nutrition education in US schools. (2019). Web.
Physical education and physical activity. (2019). Web.
Policy manual. (2017). Web.
School nutrition. (2019). Web.
Smart snacking in school. (2017). Web.