SCHOOL WELLNESS POLICY
 

The United States Department of Agriculture now requires all school districts to develop a local wellness policy.  The purpose of the wellness policy is to create a healthy environment for children and to provide the knowledge and skills so that children develop healthy lifestyle habits.  Links to school wellness policy toolkits, publications, articles, and resources are provided for review, along with a brief summary from the website referenced to help orient the browser to materials of personal interest.  Please review the materials provided and determine which materials might be of use in your school or school district.

The Nevada State Board of Education adopted a Statewide Wellness Policy in which each district is required to create a healthy school environment.
Nevada State Board of Education's Statewide Wellness Policy (pdf)

To evaluate the environment at your school, the school community can utilize a number of toolkits designed to help determine the actions that are needed to provide healthy learning options.
 

“Changing the Scene - Improving the School Nutrition Environment” is a tool kit that addresses the entire school nutition environment through a commitment to nutrition and physical activity.  “Changing the Scene” support materials provide an outline to determine the state of your school nutrition environment.

The CATCH Program (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) brings schools, families, and communities together to teach children how to be healthy for a lifetime. CATCH is effective because healthy behaviors are reinforced through a coordinated approach—in the classroom, in the cafeteria, in physical education, at home, and after school. CATCH is research-based and proven to work. Most important, CATCH makes nutrition learning and physical activity FUN!

Healthy Schools Campaign and School Health Corp., 2007 is a free online guide. This multimedia how-to guide is filled with comprehensive information, practical advice, tools, and resources to help you take action.

The Quick & Easy Guide to School Wellness.

                                      
To support the creation of these healthy school environments, the Nevada Department of Education has launched a website, which provides links to all aspects of a healthy school environment.

http://www.wellness4you.nv.gov