New wellness trainings help schools help students get fit
Published: October 19, 2005
To help districts create a school climate that encourages students to eat healthy and get active – and to offer suggestions for complying with new federal and state regulations governing campus food offerings, physical activity and wellness policies – CSBA is offering new trainings for school board members, administrators and others interested in the welfare of California’s kids.
The 2005 Student Wellness Policy Training sessions, sponsored by CSBA and California Project LEAN, are scheduled for the first week of November in San Diego, Oakland and Los Angeles. CSBA Assistant Executive Director for Governance and Policy Services Martin Gonzalez said additional wellness training sessions will be offered in January.
“Participants will hear from their colleagues in other districts about how to offer healthier foods, beverages and physical activities options without sacrificing their bottom line,” said Gonzalez. “They will learn how to develop student wellness policies and come away with useful tools and resources to help them get started.”
The trainings will feature sessions on new federal and state regulations, which among other things, require that schools design and implement wellness policies, phase out junk food and sodas from campus cafeterias and vending machines, and appoint committees to supervise the overall school climate.
These regulations apply only to schools that participate in federally funded meal programs, but with childhood obesity climbing at an alarming rate, it makes sense for all schools to look at what foods are sold on campus and evaluate exercise programs for students.
Federal regulations require that all schools that operate programs under the Child Nutrition Act adopt a wellness policy by the start of the 2006 school year. Districts that haven’t yet begun their planning process should do so immediately, Gonzalez said, and the new trainings are designed to help.
Some of the newest state regulations governing student wellness, signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger Sept. 15, are included in the CSBA-co-sponsored Senate Bill 12 by Sen. Martha Escutia, D-Whittier. The regulations, which take effect in July 2007, set fat, sugar and calorie limits for entrée and snack items.
Another Escutia bill, which CSBA supported, revises and extends existing requirements governing campus beverage sales. By July 1, 2009, campuses may only sell beverages that are low-sugar fruit- or vegetable-based drinks, water and milk. Research has found that students who eat nutritious food and get plenty of exercise tend to do better in class. They are less likely to be sick and miss class. Handled skillfully, school sports can help students of all ability levels feel connected to school, alleviate stress and increase self-confidence.
CSBA and Project LEAN have recently revised their comprehensive resource manual, “Student Wellness: A Healthy Food and Physical Activity Policy Resource Guide.” View sample board policies relating to nutrition and fitness and CSBA policy advisories on new legislative requirements, or download the guide.