Group works with Frazier on school’s wellness policy
PERRYOPOLIS – A Fayette County non-profit organization is working with the Frazier School District to ensure the state requirements of a mandatory school wellness policy are met by July 1. Through Steps to a HealthierPA-Fayette County, Frazier has already started to fine-tune its breakfast and lunch programs to promote student health while addressing the growing problem of obesity.
Kelly Loomis, project coordinator for Steps, said the staff is working with the county’s six school districts along with businesses, doctor’s offices and other community organizations to provide appropriate programs, training and plans to promote healthier lifestyles.
“Every school district is doing similar things but tailored to needs of their own district,” said Loomis of the policy.
While some districts have taken a more nutritional approach, Loomis said others have opted toward the policy’s physical activity component depending on the needs of students.
The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act, signed into law in 2004, requires each local education agency participating in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program to develop a school wellness policy in order to continue receiving state reimbursement.
The county was awarded a five-year grant the same year to participate in a national program called Steps To A Healthier US aiming to reduce diabetes, asthma and obesity by addressing factors such as nutrition, physical activity and tobacco use.
In addition to the breakfast and lunch programs, Loomis said the policy focuses on all aspects of food throughout the school districts including fund-raisers, classroom parties/holiday celebrations, recess, physical education classes and rewards from teachers.
“It’s to encompass the entire school environment during the school day,” said Loomis.
Loomis stressed afterschool fund-raisers for clubs such as pizzas and hoagies won’t be taken away.
However, the policy does require they eliminate bake sales during the school day that are contributing to childhood obesity and concentration problems in the classrooms.
At Frazier, wellness policy committee members have been working closely with the Steps program over the last several months to address various concerns with the breakfast and lunch programs that Suzanne Boni, cafeterias and transportation coordinator, said reflects little change.
Boni, along with business manager Tom Shetterly, curriculum and federal grants supervisor Patricia Thomas and school director Valerie Bubnash comprise the committee with fellow school directors John Sterdis, Vicki Olexa and Stacey Erdely also involved.
The committee agreed to implement the policy over the next three years starting in 2006-2007, while the school board received a rough draft earlier this week.
“An important part of the wellness policy is that it starts in the classroom and teaches kids why it’s important to eat those things,” said Bubnash.
Under the policy, all foods available in the district will be offered to students with consideration for promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity.
According to Boni, high school and middle school students will see the most change in the variety of vending machine items offered when the district replaces the current snacks such as pastry cakes with items like baked potato chips.
Vending is not available for students in grades kindergarten through fifth.
For the most part, Boni explained that Frazier has offered its students daily ala carte menu items including carrot and celery sticks and mixed vegetables.
Boni added the committee is in the process of reviewing other foods students might have a preference for by making some of them available on the menu now.
“The products have to meet the policy guidelines,” Boni said.
Except for entrees, the policy states ala carte items have to provide less than 200 calories per serving and at least 50 percent of grains offered as whole grains.
A minimum of two fruits and two vegetables also meets the standards along with a variety of items that provide less than two grams of fiber per serving.
No foods are to be deep fried, according to the policy.
But that doesn’t include stir-fried or saut?ed foods while pre-fried foods can’t be offered more than three times a week.
Beverages also included in this menu include water, 100 percent fruit juice and 2 percent and 1 percent milk.
As far as the regular lunch menu, Boni explained that pastas would be substituted with whole grains instead and breakfast cereals substituted with reduced sugar varieties as one example.
But, Boni expects the serving sizes under the national school lunch guidelines could soon change.
Loomis explained that the integrated approach is the first effort of its kind in the region as a targeted plan to reduce the high incidence of diabetes, asthma and obesity – diseases that are often painful, costly and affect the quality of life.