Student Wellness: Local Wellness Policy

Last Revised:03/23/2022

Legacy Traditional Schools are committed to providing all students access to affordable and nutritious meals that adhere to the National School Lunch, National School Breakfast, and Summer Meals Program in accordance with the National School Lunch Act and Child Nutrition Act of 1966 as amended, and applicable laws and regulations of the State of Arizona, Nevada and Texas. The food service program will provide free and reduced prices for students who qualify at participating school campuses.

Legacy Traditional Schools will hold food safety as paramount, while also offering appealing meals that meet or exceed nutrition standards and are offered in a clean and attractive environment.

Our Wellness Policy is designed to support student wellness, encourage healthy food choices, and promote nutrition education and regular physical activity. The Wellness Committee hopes to help students adopt and foster healthy lifestyles starting in adolescence to achieve lifelong wellness. 

 

I. Wellness Policy Goals

Goal for Nutrition Promotion: School meals will be promoted and advertised to parents on the school website. Menu planning and meals are designed to be as appealing to students as possible within the National School Lunch Program Guidelines. Healthy choices will be prominently displayed in the school cafeterias utilizing posters and bulletin boards. Food and beverages that do not comply with nutrition standards will not be marketed or advertised on school grounds. Fundraising food and beverages will be advertised off campus and sold outside of school hours.

Goal for Nutrition Education: Schools will promote and support nutrition education by integrating nutrition into health education, and core curricula. Schools will share nutrition information with parents in menus on the Food and Nutrition portion of the website, wellness committee meetings, and other school-based wellness activities. Messages that encourage healthy eating will be displayed throughout school cafeterias.

Goal for Physical Activity: Schools will encourage and promote students to participate in physical activity to educate students on the benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle.

Schools provide students with a variety of age and developmentally appropriate opportunities to participate in physical activity. All students of every age group participate in at least 30 minutes of physical activity on each school day. In addition to the following activities :

• ii. Grades 1-2 receive at least two 30-minute physical education lessons to equal 60 minutes of physical education instruction per week.
• ii. Grades 3-6 receive at least one 30-minute physical education class. Students who choose the momentum curriculum track receive at least 120 minutes of physical education instruction per week.
• iii. Grades 7-8 receive at least 45 minutes of physical education instruction per week per chosen elective track momentum or Mozart track.

All students are provided at least 20 minutes for recess before or after their lunch period. In addition, Kindergarten through fifth grade receive two- 15 minute breaks for physical activity. The playgrounds are open a half hour before school begins and students are encouraged to be active during this time.

Goal for Other School-Based Activities that Promote Student Wellness: All Legacy Traditional schools host a field day event annually and all students are encouraged to participate. Schools are encouraged to provide other physical activity opportunities such as Turkey Trots and Fun Runs for their students. Schools are encouraged to take their students on field trips to local farms and to team up with organizations in the community to provide nutrition and wellness education to their students. Schools are also encouraged to educate parents and teachers to consider the wellness policy goals when planning school or classroom parties, celebrations, and events. Teachers are offered an incentive of free school lunch if they eat with their students, and are encouraged to serve as role models and advocates for the school lunch program.

 

II. Nutrition Standards

School Meals and Meal Consumption

The school meal programs aim to improve the diet and health of school children, help mitigate childhood obesity, model healthy eating to support the development of lifelong healthy eating patterns and support healthy choices while accommodating cultural food preferences and special dietary needs.

• i. All Legacy Traditional Schools currently participate in the National School Lunch program.
• ii. Food and beverages offered to elementary and junior high students during the day will comply with the Nutrition Standards, unless exempt from the Nutrition Standards by an exemption stated in these guidelines. All beverages sold on the school campus must be non- carbonated.
• iii. Vending machines for students on Legacy Traditional school campuses are not permitted. iv. Students, employees, and school visitors may not privately sell food or beverages to students on school grounds unless the food or beverages comply with the nutrition guidelines and the prior approval of the sale has been obtained from the school principal and approved by the district. v. Students and staff have access to free, potable drinking water during meal periods and throughout the day.
• iv. All Legacy Schools shall provide at least 15 minutes for each student to consume the breakfast meal; and Provide at least 20 minutes for each student to consume the lunch meal.

Smart Snack standards

All foods available for sale or given away to students on the Legacy school campus during the school day meets the minimum nutrition standards. These food standards apply to all grade levels.

Competitive food standards as follows:

Calories: Snack/Side Item- ≤200 calories per item as served (includes any accompaniments) Entree- ≤350 calories per item as served (includes any accompaniments) AND

Sodium: Snack/Side Item- ≤230 mg per item as served until June 30, 2016 (≤200 mg after July 1, 2016) Entree- ≤480 mg per item as served AND

Fat: Total Fat- ≤35% of calories Saturated Fat- <10% of calories Trans Fat– 0 g per serving AND Sugar: Total Sugar- <35% by weight

Beverages

All beverages sold at Legacy school campus during the school day must be non-carbonated.

Beverages offered at Legacy campus: Water– Plain, no size limit.

Milk– Unflavored non-fat, unflavored low-fat, or flavored non-fat milk, ≤8 fl. oz. per serving for elementary school, ≤12 fl. oz. per serving for middle school.

Juice– 100% fruit and/or vegetable juice, 100% juice diluted with plain water (no added sweeteners), ≤8 fl. oz. per serving for elementary school, ≤12 fl. oz. per serving for middle school. It is recommended that juice be sold in smaller serving sizes: 4-6 fl. oz. servings for elementary school and 8 fl. oz. servings for middle.

Beverage	Elementary School	Middle School
Plain water	No Size Limit	No Size Limit
Low-fat milk, unflavored*	≤ 8fl oz	≤ 12fl oz
Non-fat milk, unflavored or flavored*	≤ 8fl oz	≤ 12fl oz
100% Fruit/Vegetable juice**	≤ 8fl oz	≤ 12fl oz

 

*Includes nutritionally equivalent milk alternatives, as permitted by NSLP/SBP

**May include 100% juice diluted with plain water & with no added sweeteners

Caffeine
All foods and beverages at Legacy school must be non-carbonated and caffeine-free, with the exception of trace amounts of naturally-occurring caffeine substances (e.g. chocolate milk)

Chewing Gum
Legacy schools do not offer or sell any chewing gum.

Revenue From A-la-carte Sales
Revenue from the sale of a-la-carte and non-program food sales ( non-reimbursable meals) at Legacy schools is tracked through the monthly Profit and loss statement for each campus.

Exempt Food and Beverages

• i. Food and beverages sold or served to students after the school day or days school is not in session.
• ii. Food or beverages brought to the school by a student for consumption by the student only.
• iii. Food and beverages served by parents at classroom parties or activities.
• iv. Food and beverages sold as an approved exempt fundraiser.
• v. Food or beverages sold, served, or dispensed from vending machines restricted to school staff.

Celebrations and Rewards

All food and beverages provided and served, but not sold, to students in grades K-8 by school staff must meet the USDA’s Smart Snacks in Schools guidelines.

These guidelines apply to school-sponsored events but exclude celebrations and parties, classroom snacks provided by parents, and classroom rewards and incentives.

Staff and parents will be encouraged to serve Smart Snacks for parties and celebrations. They will be provided with healthy snack and beverage ideas as well as alternative non-food celebration ideas in the Legacy Traditional handbook as well as on the school website.

Fundraising 

Fundraising snacks sold to students on the school campus during the school day must meet the Smart Snacks Nutrition Standards, there are no exemptions.

Food and Beverage Marketing in Schools 

Legacy Traditional Schools will promote healthy choices and participation in the school lunch program by providing attractive meals to the students and displaying healthy foods in the cafeterias using posters and bulletin boards to promote the school lunch menu. There is no marketing in Legacy schools for any food or beverage outside of school lunch meals and snacks sold A la Carte which meet the Smart Snacks guidelines.

III. School Wellness Committee

Committee Role and Membership 

Legacy Traditional Schools will convene a representative district wellness committee that meets to establish goals for and oversee school health and safety policies and programs, including development, implementation and periodic review and update of this district-level wellness policy.

• i. The Wellness Committee will meet quarterly to assess progress and participation in implementation.

  • ii. The Wellness Committee is led by Legacy School’s Food Service Director, Nutrition Coordinator, and Regional Food Services Managers. The committee will also be composed of school principals, classroom teachers, physical education teachers, school nurses/health staff, and is open to any other administrators, parents, students, and interested members of the community.

  • iii. Wellness policy communications and meeting notifications will be posted on the Legacy school’s website and made available to the public and staff at each school.

Leadership 

Legacy Traditional Schools has designated one or more LEA and/or school official(s) who have the authority and responsibility to ensure each school complies with the local wellness policy.

• iv. The designated official for oversight of implementation at each school is: The superintendent of Legacy Traditional Schools and each school principal.

• v. The designated official for convening the wellness committee is: Legacy Traditional Schools Food Service Regional Manager

• vi. The person designated for informing the public about the wellness policy is: Legacy Traditional Schools Food Service Regional Manager

IV. Wellness Policy Implementation, Monitoring, Accountability and Community Engagement

Implementation of the Wellness Policy 

A primary goal of the Wellness Committee is to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of this policy in promoting healthy eating and physical activity and changing the program as appropriate to increase its effectiveness. During the first three years of implementation assessments will be made annually by the Legacy Traditional School’s Food Service Director and members of the food services and nutrition staff. School administrators will be encouraged to participate. A goal of the Wellness Committee is to engage and encourage community and staff involvement in the regular review of the policy. The results of each evaluation, including the extent to which schools are in compliance with the policy, the extent to which the policy complies with federal regulations, and a description/summary of the progress made in attaining the goals of the policy will be available to the public.

Triennial Progress Assessments 

Following the first three years of implementation, assessments of the wellness policy compliance and progress will move to once every three years as required by the USDA and the policy will be compared to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s model wellness policy.

Revisions and Updating the Policy 

Legacy Traditional Schools will update or modify the wellness policy as appropriate following annual and triennial assessments.

Notification of Wellness Policy, Policy Updates and Triennial Assessment 

Legacy Traditional Schools will inform families and the public annually of any updates to the wellness policy and every three years their compliance with the written wellness policy.

The wellness policy and annual assessments will be posted on the school’s website. 

Legal: A.R.S. 15-242 

National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. 1751, et. seq. 

Child Nutrition Act, 42 U.S.C. 1771, et. seq.

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Local Wellness Policy Assessment