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Health & Wellness Plan

 

EMMA JEWEL CHARTER ACADEMY

WELLNESS PLAN

2015-2016

MISSION AND CORE BELIEF

Mission

The Mission of the Emma Jewel Charter School is to instill within each child a passion for learning, a strong desire to nurture their family members, friends and their community.  We will empower each individual student to be lifelong learners, problem solvers and have a positive impact in their community.

Core Belief

We believe that all children can demonstrate academic excellence when they are placed in a nurturing educational environment where they are valued and celebrated for their uniqueness.

Foundations for Student Success

Positive Character Growth/Safe Learning Environment: Positive character growth is just as important as academic growth. Not only do we want our students to be intelligent students but we also want them to be morally good people. We will provide a safe learning environment where students are free from bullying and feel empowered.  Each student in grades 2-8 will be required to perform a total of 10 community service hours per year within the Diamond Square Community.

Health and Nutrition:  We will promote healthy living and proper nutrition for all of our students.  We will infuse health and nutrition education into our core curriculum program as well as our supplemental curriculum.  EJCA believes that in order for children to be successful they must be well nourished and healthy.  We will strive to educate our students on the importance of proper nutrition and demonstrate to them the link between proper nutrition and responsible lifestyles.  Healthy and well educated students will become healthy and well educated members of their communities a thus improving the quality of life for everyone.

This Wellness Plan was developed with input from a dedicated team of stakeholders, with the sole purpose of providing guidelines for a healthy lifestyle for all students and stakeholders.

AREA REPRESENTED

COMMITTEE MEMBER NAME

Parent

Jarvis Wash

Student

Khadavion Forsythe

School Food Service Personnel

Angela Jackson

Governing Board

Erik Jones

School Administrator

Mary Karnetsky

Local Health Professional

Nancy Remson

Physical Education Teacher

Daryl Bryant

This Wellness Policy will be revised at the end of every school year.  A Task Force of interested stakeholders, which will include teachers, community members, parents and students will be formed for this sole purpose.  The formation of the task force will be advertised in the school’s newsletter and on the website.

The school’s task force will review all data collected (as listed in this policy) at the end of every school year in order to determine if the Wellness Policy goals have been met.  This data will drive all revisions to the Wellness Plan.

The Wellness Policy is provided to every family within the first two months of every school year.  A link on the school’s website is also available at emmajewelcharter.com

Thomas Cole, Principal, as LEA, ensures that all guidelines provided by the National School Lunch Program are adhered to.  If you have a concern, you may contact Mr. Cole at 321-634-5462 or email at  thomas.cole@emmajewelcharter.com

1. Student and Community Health

Environment

To help ensure the health and well-being of each student attending Emma Jewel Charter Academy, and to provide guidance to school personnel in the areas of nutrition, health, physical activity and food service, the Wellness Committee encourages teachers, administrative staff, and Nutrition Services employees to recognize the lunch period as an integral part of the educational program of the school, and work to implement the goals of this policy.

  • No student at Emma Jewel Charter Academy School shall go hungry during school;
  • Emma Jewel Charter Academy will create an economically sustainable meal program and cafeteria that offers a healthy, nutritious and delicious breakfast, lunch and after-school snack to every student so that students are prepared to learn to their fullest potential;
    • Lunch periods shall be scheduled so that students do not have to eat lunch unusually early or late and ideally, so that they have at least 20 minutes to eat their meal;
  • All school eating areas shall contain free, safe, drinking water sources and facilities for washing hands;
  • Meals will be attractively presented and served in a pleasant environment with sufficient time for eating, while fostering good eating habits, enjoyment of meals, good manners, and respect for others;
  • Students are not denied participation in the full lunch period as a form of discipline or to make-up/recover lost lesson time.

Measurement of Environment

School lunch program records

Class schedules

Cafeteria schedule

Student surveys

Student discipline policy and records

2.  Nutrition Education

Snacks and other food brought from home

Any food and drink brought on campus must comply with Emma Jewel Charter’s health guidelines.

Drinks that are permitted:

100% fruit juice

Water

Milk

Snacks that are permitted:

Chips (baked are best choice) – must not contain maltodextrin

Goldfish, cheez-its, pretzels

Fresh fruit & vegetables

Celebrations and Rewards

Emma Jewel Charter Academy will promote using non-food based rewards and celebrations for students and school personnel.

  • Parents and school personnel will be provided a list of healthy food options and/or non-food options to use for celebrations at the school.
  • Students will be rewarded with non-food options at all school recognition ceremonies (i.e., Honor Roll, sports, good character)
  • School personnel will utilize only non-food based rewards to recognize exemplar students.
    • Students receive nutrition education that is interactive and teaches skills they need to adopt healthy eating behaviors. Classroom lectures, activities and student participation are provided in nutrition and health classes. Classroom written tests (such as multiple choice, essay and fill in the blank) are given in the areas of nutrition.
  • Students will understand how food reaches the table and the implications that has for their health and future. Staff shall integrate hands?on experiences such as working in a garden, cooking activities and enrichment activities such as farmer’s market tours and visits to community gardens with the core curriculum. Students will receive homework supporting these activities to ensure comprehension.
  • Nutrition education teaches skills that are behavior?focused. Students will be taught about calorie balance, energy expenditure and how to read and interpret nutrition facts labels.

Measurement

Student surveys

Non-food & healthy food option lists

3. Making Healthy Food Choices

Emma Jewel will teach and promote choosing healthy food options at school and at home.  Students will be able to use ingredients and nutrition facts found on food labels to make healthy food choices for themselves.

  • The cafeteria menu will list available nutritional information on the posted daily/weekly menus (i.e., sodium content, calories, trans fat.)
  • School Personnel (i.e., Health and PE Teachers) will provide hands-on experiences to teach students how to use nutritional information found on food labels.
  • Students will be able to independently choose healthy food options using nutritional facts on food labels.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

Emma Jewel Charter is a recipient of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable grant funded by the USDA.  A fresh fruit or vegetable is provided at least twice a week. Students receive educational information about the fresh produce they are eating each week.  Student are encouraged to try new foods!

Measurement

Pre/post test

4. Physical Activity

The Wellness Committee recognizes the positive benefits of physical activity for student health and academic achievement.

Recognizing that physical education is a crucial and integral part of a child’s education, Emma Jewel Charter Academy will provide opportunities to ensure that students engage in healthful levels of vigorous physical activity to promote and develop the student’s physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. Besides promoting high levels of personal achievement and a positive self-image, physical education activities should teach students how to cooperate in the achievement of common goals.

The components of the School’s physical education program shall include a variety of kinesthetic activities, including team, individual, and cooperative sports and physical activities. Students shall be given opportunities for physical activity through a range of before- and/or after-school programs such as intramurals, interscholastic athletics, and physical activity clubs.

The Wellness Committee will ensure that:

• Physical education teachers shall develop and implement a curriculum that connects and demonstrates the interrelationship between physical activity, good nutrition and health;

• The School shall enhance the quality of physical education curricula and increase training of physical education teachers through site-based and district-wide staff development;

• An appropriate alternative activity shall be provided for students with a physical disability that may restrict excessive physical exertion;

• Physical education staff shall appropriately limit the amount or type of physical exercise required of students during air pollution episodes, excessively hot weather, or other inclement conditions.

• Staff is encouraged to provide short physical breaks between lessons or classes as appropriate.

• Staff is encouraged to incorporate physical activity in the classroom as a classroom management tool, and especially as an intervention for disruptive students who have excess energy.

• A partnership between the Wellness Committee and Staff and/or Parent Teacher Organization is established to schedule, promote and sponsor community and school based physical activities (i.e. Run/Walk/Bike Events, Walk to School Days, Sports Tournaments, Field Days, Parade Days, School Dances, Family Fun Nights with movement/sports activities etc.)

Measurement of Physical Activity

Lesson plans

Physical fitness test

School discipline records

Free/Reduced Lunch

  • Emma Jewel Charter Academy is a Community Eligible Program (CEP) approved site.  All students are served breakfast and lunch at no charge.
  • No application is necessary, all students who attend Emma Jewel Charter qualify for free breakfast and lunch during each school day.
  • Adult breakfast price:  $1.80
  • Adult lunch price: $2.75

If you have any questions about the breakfast or lunch program contact Angela Jackson, ajackson@emmajewelcharter.com or Mary Karnetsky, mary.karnetsky@emmajewelcharter.com or by phone 321-634-5462.

We assure that the guidelines for reimbursable meals shall not be less restrictive than regluations and guidance issued by USDA.

Meal Service

  • 8 ounces are served with every meal
  • White milk is fat free and flavored milks are 1% or less
  • All food choices are trans-fat free
  • Guidelines are provided and strictly followed for daily/weekly allowances for protein, grains, fruits and vegetables.