Optimal Schools Wellness Policy

Standards for School Meals:

Optimal is committed to serving healthy meals to children, with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free and low-fat milk; moderate in sodium, low in saturated fat, and zero grams trans-fat per serving (nutrition label or manufacturer’s specification); and to meet the nutrition needs of school children within their calorie requirements. Optimal participates in the USDA child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP). All schools under the Optimal’s umbrella are committed to offering school meals through the NSLP and SBP programs. Families will be sent information on how to apply for free/reduced meals as well as determining information at the start of every year and will be able to keep meal status from previous year for the first 30 days of the new school year or once a new application has been submitted. Optimal will utilize various incentives to promote participation, such as an application drive with the reward of a fun day with physical activities and healthy snacks.

All Optimal meals are accessible to all students. The school offers reimbursable school meals that meet USDA nutrition standards. Drinking water will be available to all students throughout the school day and throughout every school campus, including during mealtimes. Students will be allowed at least 15 minutes to eat breakfast and at least 25 minutes to eat lunch, counting from the time they have received their meal and are seated. Lunch will follow the recess period to better support learning and healthy eating. All school nutrition program staff will meet or exceed hiring and annual continuing education requirements in the USDA professional standards for child nutrition professionals. 

Competitive Food and Beverages:

Other food available at school. The foods and beverages sold outside of the school meal programs (i.e., “competitive” foods and beverages) will meet the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards, at a minimum.  Starting in the 2025-2026 school term, all foods offered on the school campus will meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards. (For USDA Smart Snack Guidelines, See Appendix A). Only foods and beverages that meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in Schools nutrition standards may be sold through fundraisers on the school campus during the school day starting in 2025-2026. Foods that do not currently meet the USDA requirements may only be sold 30 minutes after the end of the school day. All staff members will not be able to purchase any items that do not meet the USDA standards as well.

Due to concerns about food safety, allergies and nutrition, children will be recognized on their birthdays by being given special privileges, such as being line leader or the teacher’s helper for the day. In the event a teacher decides to have a class celebration, only foods and beverages that meet the USDA Smart Snack/Food nutrition standards may be served. Only one exemption per class per year will be allowed, such as a combined celebration. School-Wide exemptions may be allowed at the discretion of the school Administrators but shall not exceed more than two exemptions for school-wide fundraisers.

Foods and beverages will not be used as a reward, or withheld as punishment for any reason, such as for performance or behavior. Food rewards or incentives shall not be used in classrooms or on campus to encourage student achievement or desirable behavior.

In an effort to meet the above Competitive Food and Beverage goals, Optimal will do the following. Optimal will provide a list of healthy party ideas and snacks to parents and teachers, including non-food celebration ideas (Healthy Party Ideas); Optimal will provide to parents a list of foods and beverages that meet Smart Snacks nutrition standards; and Optimal will provide teachers and other relevant school staff a list of alternative ways to reward children. 

Nutrition Promotion:

Students and staff will receive consistent nutrition messages throughout schools, classrooms, auditoriums, and cafeterias. Optimal will promote healthy food and beverage choices for all students throughout the school campus, as well as encourage participation in school meal programs. 

Effective 2019/2020 school term Optimal will promote healthy food and beverage choices using at least ten Smarter Lunchroom techniques. Each school will implement at least one of the following four Farm to School activities: Local and/or regional products are incorporated into the school meal program; School hosts a school garden; School hosts field trips to local farms; and School utilizes promotions or special events, such as tastings, that highlight the local/ regional products. Any foods and beverages marketed or promoted to students on the school campus during the school day will meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards. Food advertising and marketing includes but is not limited to the following: Brand names, trademarks, logos or tags, except when placed on a physically present food or beverage product or its container. Displays, such as on vending machine exteriors. Corporate brand, logo, name, or trademark on school equipment, such as marquees, message boards, scoreboards, or backboards. Corporate brand, logo, name, or trademark on cups used for beverage dispensing, menu boards, coolers, trash cans, and other food service equipment.

Nutrition Education:

Optimal aims to teach, model, encourage, and support healthy eating by students. Nutrition education is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health.

Optimal aims to link nutrition education to the food environment by working with the school meal program to use the cafeteria as a learning lab and kitchen staff as a resource. Optimal aims to develop partnerships with local organizations for enjoyable, developmentally-appropriate, culturally-relevant, and participatory activities, such as cooking demonstrations or lessons, promotions, taste-testing, farm visits, and school gardens. Nutrition education will be included in the Health curriculum so that instruction is sequential and follows the Bob Jones University Standards for Nutrition. Optimal teaches students nutrition education using scientifically-based, up-to-date nutrition information consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Optimal will include in the health education curriculum the following essential topics on healthy eating: Food guidance from MyPlate, Reading and using USDA's food labels. Balancing food intake and physical activity, Food safety, Social influences on healthy eating, including media, family, peers, and culture, how to find valid information or services related to nutrition and dietary behavior, resisting peer pressure related to unhealthy dietary behavior Influencing, supporting, or advocating for others’ healthy dietary behavior.

Nutrition education will also be integrated into other classroom instruction through subjects such as health, science, language arts, social sciences, and elective subjects and each teacher at Optimal will teach explicit health education at least two times per week.

Physical Education and Physical Activity

Physical Education:

Optimal will provide students with physical education, using an age-appropriate, sequential physical education curriculum consistent with national and state standards for physical education. The physical education curriculum will promote the benefits of a physically active lifestyle and will help students develop skills to engage in lifelong healthy habits, as well as incorporate essential health education concepts. All students will be provided equal opportunity to participate in physical education classes. 

Optimal students will participate in physical education that meets or exceeds state standards. All Optimal elementary students in each grade will receive physical education for at least 120 minutes per week throughout the school year. All Optimal middle school students are required to take physical education in every grade level. Students will be moderately to vigorously active for at least 50% of class time during most or all physical education class sessions.

Physical Activity:

Children and adolescents should participate in 45 minutes of physical activity every day. Schools will offer students a variety of physical activity opportunities that are in addition to, and not as a substitute for, physical education. 

Physical activity during the school day (including but not limited to recess, physical activity breaks, or physical education) will not be required or withheld as punishment for any reason. All elementary schools will offer at least 30 minutes of recess on all or most days during the year. Outdoor recess will be offered when weather is feasible for outdoor play. Active recess programming will be utilized to create universal participation by offering multiple activities at recess; designate different areas of play throughout the playground; provide equipment to decrease congestion on play structures; and provide group games, led by staff. In the event that the school must conduct indoor recess, teachers and staff promote physical activity for students, to the extent practicable. Optimal recommends teachers provide short (3-5 minute) physical activity breaks to students during and between classroom time. Activity break ideas are available through Active Schools. Optimal offers opportunities such as baseball, basketball, football and soccer for students to participate in physical activity before and/or after the school day.

 Wellness Promotion and Marketing:

Optimal will integrate wellness activities across the entire school setting, not just in the cafeteria, other food and beverage venues, and physical activity facilities. Optimal will coordinate and integrate other initiatives related to physical activity, physical education, nutrition, and other wellness components so all efforts are complementary, not duplicative, and work towards the same set of goals and objectives promoting student well-being, optimal development, and strong educational outcomes. Optimal will post signage around the school and school cafeteria promoting the importance of eating a healthy breakfast and the benefits. Adding the statement “Optimal schools will provide breakfast through the USDA School Breakfast program” and by posting the time breakfast is served.

Optimal will continue relationships with its community in support of this wellness policy’s implementation. Optimal will promote to parents/caregivers, families, and the community the benefits of and approaches for healthy eating and physical activity throughout the school year. Families will be invited to participate in school Parent Empowerment events and will receive information about health promotion. Optimal promotes staff member mandatory participation in health promotion programs and will support programs for staff members on healthy eating/weight management.

When feasible, Optimal will offer annual professional learning opportunities and resources for staff to increase knowledge and skills about promoting healthy behaviors in the classroom and school. Optimal will expand on the kind of training and topics for school staff throughout the year.

Policy Monitoring and Implementation

Optimal will convene a school wellness committee that meets at least three times per year to establish goals for and oversee school health and safety policies and programs, including development, implementation, and periodic review and update of wellness. The wellness committee membership will represent all school levels (elementary and secondary schools) and include (to the extent possible), but not be limited to: parents and caregivers; students; representatives of the school nutrition program (e.g., school nutrition director); physical education teachers; health education teachers; school administrators, PTA school board members; health professionals (e.g., dietitians, doctors, nurses, dentists); and the general public. Once a year, a letter/email will be sent to the school community inviting them to join the Wellness Committee and an announcement and invitation will be made at the Parent Teacher Support Group (PTSG) meeting.

Optimal will compile and publish a triennial report to share basic information about the wellness policy and report on the progress of the schools within the district in meeting wellness goals. Optimal will actively notify households/families of the availability of the triennial report through a school newsletter/updates and the school website. The wellness committee will update or modify the wellness policy based on the results of the triennial assessment and reports, and/or as Optimal priorities change; community needs change; wellness goals are met; new health science, information, and technology emerges; and new Federal or state guidance or standards are issued. At least once every three years, the wellness committee shall conduct a quantitative assessment of policy implementation using the School Health Index (SHI) or the Wellness Policy in Action Tool (WPAT). The Optimal School Board is responsible for ensuring that the wellness policy is up to date and implemented effectively and thoroughly at the school site(s).