1. Wellness Policy Goals

   Goal for Nutrition Promotion

   Southgate Academy’s goal is to promote healthy lifestyles through various forms of media such as school website, newsletters, social media, handouts and presentations, this will also include the Smarter Lunchroom Techniques, participate in a Farm to School activity, and utilize community resources that are available.

   Goal for Nutrition Education:

   Southgate Academy aims to teach, encourage, and support healthy eating to students and staff.

   Nutrition Education is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health such as: Food Guidance from MyPlate, Understanding FDA’s Nutrition Fact labels, food safety, accepting body size difference, importance of water consumption, reducing sodium intake, eating more fresh fruits and fresh vegetables.

   Nutrition Education is incorporated into instructions through other subjects like math, science, and language arts, social sciences, and electives.

   Lessons will promote fruits, vegetables, whole grain-rich products, low-fat and fat-free dairy, and healthy preparation methods.

   Lessons link with school meal programs, cafeteria nutrition promotion activities, and other nutrition related community activities.

   Food guidance, food safety, physical activity, social influences on healthy eating, including media, family, peers, and culture will be provided during community events.

   Goal for Physical Activity and Physical Education:

   All students will participate in physical education that meets or exceeds state standards.

   Southgate Academy will provide students with formal, age-appropriate physical education, consistent with national and state standards for physical education.

   Southgate Academy offers opportunities for students to participate in physical activity before and after school.

   Southgate Academy recommends teachers provide short (3-5 minute) physical activity breaks to students during and between classroom hours.

   8/28/2024

   To the extent practicable, Southgate Academy will ensure that its grounds and facilities are safe, and that equipment is available for all students to be active.

   Southgate Academy will work to ensure that inventories of physical activity supplies and equipment are known and, when necessary, will work with community partners to ensure sufficient quantities of equipment are available to encourage physical activity for as many students as possible.

   Goal for Other School-Based Activities that Promote Student Wellness:

   Southgate Academy will provide resources for staff to promote health and wellness. When feasible, Southgate Academy will offer professional learning opportunities to increase knowledge and skills promoting healthy behaviors in the classroom and school.

   After school program will provide and encourage daily physical activities for participants.

   During community events, Southgate Academy will promote the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity throughout the year.

   All school-sponsored wellness events will include physical activity and healthy eating opportunities.

   When possible, Southgate Academy will offer professional opportunities and resources for staff to increase knowledge and skills about promoting healthy behaviors in the classroom.

   Southgate Academy will continue relationships with community partners as appropriate, such as hospitals, SNAP-ED Providers, local businesses, and universities/colleges.

   Southgate Academy will various forms of communication to notify parents and families of opportunities to participate in school-sponsored activities and receive info about health promotion efforts.

2. Nutrition Standards

   School Meals

   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.

   1. All schools in the district will participate in the National School Lunch Program.

   2. All meals will, at a minimum, meet the New Meal Pattern requirements.

   3. Free, potable water will be available to all students during meal periods.

   4. Southgate Academy’s child nutrition program will accommodate students with special dietary needs.

   5. Local and regional products will be incorporated into the school meal programs.

   6. Water sources and containers will be maintained on a regular basis to ensure good hygiene and health safety standards.

   7. Students will be allowed to bring and carry approved water bottles with only water in them throughout the day.

   8. Additional standards include:

      1. All meals are accessible to all students and food will be served in a clean and pleasant setting.

      2. Offer a variety of fruits and vegetables.

      3. Participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

      4. Students will be allowed at least 20 minutes for breakfast and lunch.

         Competitive Foods and Beverages

   9. Nutrition standards for competitive foods and beverages must, at a minimum, meet the USDA’s Smart Snacks in Schools guidelines. These guidelines apply to all foods sold in the following locations:

      1. All Gator Cafeterias

      2. Classrooms

      3. Field Trips

      4. Gator Events

         Celebrations and Rewards

         Arizona Law (ARS 15-242) states that all food and beverages served to students in grades K-8 must meet the USDA’s Smart Snacks in Schools guidelines.

         Southgate Academy will provide a list of healthy party ideas and snacks to parents and teachers, including non-food celebration ideas, we will also provide parents with a list of foods and beverages that meet Smart Snacks nutrition standards.

         Southgate Academy will also provide teachers and staff a list of alternative ways to reward children.

         Food and Beverages will not be used as a reward, or withheld as punishments for any reason, such as performance or behavior.

   10. These guidelines apply to (check all that apply):

       ☒School-sponsored events

       ☒Celebrations and parties

       ☒Classroom snacks provided by parents

       ☒Classroom rewards and Incentives

       Fundraising

   11. The district will not allow exempt fundraisers.

   12. Only Foods and Beverages that meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks may be sold through fundraisers on the school campus during the school day.

       Food and Beverage Marketing in Schools

       Food and beverage marketing is defined as advertising and other promotions in schools. Food and beverage marketing often include an oral, written, or graphic statements made for the purpose of promoting the sale of a food or beverage product made by the producer, manufacturer, seller or any other entity with a commercial interest in the product. Due to these facts, all products advertised and promoted on school campus and marketed on the school campus meet the Smart Snacks guidelines.

3. School Wellness Committee

   Committee Role and Membership

   The District 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.

   1. Meet at least 2 times a year – July and January

   2. Parents, students, and representatives of the school food authority, teachers of physical education if applicable, school health professionals, the school board, and school administrator are encouraged to participate.

      The wellness committee will represent the whole school community, this includes, parents, students, food service staff, Health teacher, administration, school board members, health aide, and the general public.

   3. Southgate Academy will publish an tri-annual report to share basic information about the school wellness policy. Assessment results will be provided. Southgate Academy will notify households/families of the availability of the annual report through the website. The committee will update and/or modify the wellness policy based on results of the local wellness policy activity and assessment tool provided by the AZ Department of Education. Assessment will be completed and updated according to results every 3 years.

      Leadership

      The district 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.

   4. The designated official for oversight of implementation at each school is: Naomi Borboa

   5. The designated official for convening the wellness committee Is Naomi Borboa

   6. The person designated to inform the public about the wellness policy is: Sylvia Calmelat

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

   Implementation of the Wellness Policy

   Southgate Academy’s school wellness committee will meet at least 2 times in July and January, to establish goals and review school health and safety policies and programs including the periodic review and update of the wellness policy.

   Triennial Progress Assessments

   At least once every three years, the LEA must conduct an assessment of their wellness policy. To accomplish this, the District will evaluate compliance with their wellness policy and assess progress

   toward meeting the goals of the District Wellness policy. Additionally, USDA requires that the District will compare their policy to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s model wellness policy.

   1. The District will assess compliance and progress of their local wellness policy at least once every 3 years.

      Southgate Academy will utilize AZ Department of Education Local Wellness Policy Activity & Assessment Tool.

      The NSLP Director shall be responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the Southgate Academy School Wellness Policy through meetings with agendas and sign in sheets.

   2. The District will assess how their wellness policy compares to model wellness policies.

      i. Southgate Academy will compare their policy with the model policies. This will be done with the help of the AZ Department of Education Program Specialist.

Revisions and Updating the Policy

Southgate Academy will update or modify the wellness policy as appropriate, based on the needs of our school.

Notification of Wellness Policy, Policy Updates and Triennial Assessment

• Southgate Academy will inform families and the public each year of any updates to the wellness policy and every three years their compliance with the written wellness policy.

• Southgate Academy will inform families and the public each year of any updates to the wellness policy and every three years their compliance with the written wellness policy.

• Southgate Academy will inform families and the public about improvements to school meals standards, how to apply for meal benefits, and a description of Smart Snacks nutrition standards. Communication will include culturally and linguistically appropriate language. Forms of communication will be through notices on website, newsletters, presentations to parents, sending information home.

• >Policy is available at www.southgateaz.org.

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Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3)

email: program.intake@usda.gov.