1. The Wellness Policy Mandate. Will You Be Ready for July 1, 2006? Pennsylvania Department of Education Division of Food and Nutrition Pat Birkenshaw, State Director Child Nutrition Programs Vonda Fekete, M.S., R.D.,L.D.N.

2. Local Wellness Policy Public Law 108-265, Section 204 Each LEA participating in National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program Establish policy for schools under the LEA Intent of Congress = Local level Awaiting guidance from USDA 1 st day of school after July 1, 2006

3. Local Wellness Policy Requirements Goals for: –Nutrition education –Physical activity –And other school based activities Designed to promote student wellness

4. Local Wellness Policy Requirements Nutrition guidelines for all foods available on each school campus during the school day Objectives of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity

5. Nutrition Standards for Competitive Foods Voluntary Phased in over 3 years For competitive foods only Provide assistance for meeting requirements Consistent standard for “healthy” Uniform request (nutrient content and package size) for food manufacturers to better respond www.pde.state.pa.us/food_nutrition

6. Local Wellness Policy Requirements Establish a plan for measuring implementation Designation of one or more persons (LEA or at each school) charged with operational responsibility for ensuring school meets wellness policy

7. Local Wellness Policy Requirements The development involves: –Parents –Students –School Food Authority –School Board –School Administrators –Public

8. Coordinated School Health

9. What is Coordinated School Health? Integrates efforts of eight components Can strongly influence student health Focus is improving quality of each component and collaboration among people working on them Emphasizes needs assessment, planning based on data, sound science, analysis of gaps and redundancies in school health programming, and evaluation

10. What is Coordinated School Health? School Health Coordinator School Health Councils

11. School Health Coordinator Responsible for managing and coordinating all school health policies, programs, activities and resources

12. School Health Councils Representatives from different segments of school and community: ParentsTeachers Students School Administrators Community Service Providers Provides guidance to school health coordinator Can institutionalize health promotion in school or district

13. Action Steps Form team Investigate councils that already exist at the district or building level that involve many of the same people Investigate policies that already exist at the district or building level

14. Resources Project PA “Preventing Childhood Overweight and Obesity: Parents Can Make a Difference” Environmental Strategies Mini Grants Poster and Essay Contest Increasing School Meals Participation- Breakfast http://nutrition.psu.edu/projectpa

15. Resources USDA Team Nutrition –Wellness Policy Section –Making It Happen-coming soon! –Changing the Scene www.fns.usda.gov/tn.htm HealthierUS School Challenge www.fns.usda.gov/tn/HealthierUS/index.htm National Association for Sports and Physical Education (NASPE) www.aapherd.org/naspe

16. Resources American Cancer Society www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_1_6Sch ool_health.asp Action For Healthy Kids www.ActionforHealthykids.org Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (PANA) www.panaonline.org Family and Community Careers Leaders of America (FCCLA) www.fcclainc.org