top of page
IMG_3552_edited_edited.jpg

Health and Wellness

Wa He Lut Indian School Health and Wellness Policy
INDIAN AFFAIRS MANUAL - Part 30 - Chapter 7
Education (Management)

1.1 Purpose. This chapter establishes policy, procedure, and guidance for creating a healthier school environment. The purpose of the policy is to establish a minimum standard for school wellness at all elementary and secondary schools and residential facilities funded by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). 1.2 Scope. The policy is applicable to all elementary and secondary schools and residential facilities operated by the BIE. While tribally controlled Public Lawl00-297 grant and Public Law 93-638 contract schools can develop their own policy, the BIE encourages grant and contract schools to adopt this policy, use resources developed by the BIE, and participate in BIE-sponsored health and wellness events. 1.3 Policy. All BIE schools shall follow the requirements contained within each of the following policy sections: 1.3.1 Wellness Council 1.3.2 School Meals and Snacks 1.3.3 Healthy Traditional and Cultural Foods 1.3.4 Competitive Foods and Beverages 1.3.5 Health and Nutrition Education 1.3.6 Physical Activity 1.3.7 School Employee Wellness 1.3.8 Physical Education 1.3.9 Before and After School Programs 1.3.1 Wellness Council. The BIE encourages all schools and residential facilities to establish a local level Wellness Council (known hereafter for this policy as the Council) to build a healthier school environment and a minimum standard for school wellness. The Council's purpose should be to oversee the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health and wellness at the school level in partnership with the school principal. The Council may also recommend to the Education Line Officer (ELO) and school board approaches in both programs and policies to enhance the health and wellness of students, families, and staff. The Council should: A. Establish Membership. 1. Membership should include the diverse participation of representatives including, but should not be limited to, school level staff, school administrators, Education Line office staff, surrounding community, federal and non-federal partners, student body, student family members, and other members of the community. 2. Meet at a minimum of once every other month. B. Conduct Inventory. The Council should conduct an inventory of the school's overall wellness annually. C. Develop an Action Plan. 1. Based on findings from the annual inventory, the Council should annually develop a school action plan to address identified disparities and goal areas defined by the Council. 2. The Council should be responsible for identifying resources to facilitate implementation of the action plan. D. Establish and Publicly Post Local Policy 1. The Council should facilitate the creation of a local wellness policy at the school level containing, but should not be limited to, the elements of this policy and as required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. 2. The Council should revisit the Health and Wellness Policy annually and amend (with any updates in statute, regulation, and policy pertaining to wellness). E. Communication Requirements. 1. At a minimum, the Council should communicate annually the status of their activities to school staff, students, families, and the ELO. 2. The Council should work with all students, parents, and the community to define traditional and cultural health and wellness components of this policy. 3. The Council should develop a process to provide parents, guardians, staff, and students with opportunities to provide meaningful input on the development of health and wellness activities in the school. 4. All Council meeting minutes should be made available and communicated to parents, the community, and the ELO, within ten working days of the meeting. F. Partnerships and Connections. 1. The Council should regularly assess efforts focused on improving student health and learning across the community, district, and state and where possible. 2. All Education Line office and school level improvement plans should demonstrate the line between the health and well-being of students and academic success. 1.3.2 School Meals and Snacks. It is the policy of the BIE that all schools and residential facilities serving meals and snacks to students: A. Serve school meals and snacks that meet the minimal nutritional values, as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); B. Comply with the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans for all foods served or sold during mealtimes by the school ( demonstrating adequate nutrient content without excessive caloric intake) by providing a variety of grains, especially whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sugars, and salt; C. Provide foods that must meet the health department's standards with regard to storage, preparation and serving; D. Should seek to obtain information, apply and participate fully in programs including, but should not be limited to, the USDA National School Lunch and Breakfast Program, USDA Summer Food Service Program, USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, Healthier U.S. School Challenge, and Farm-to-School, to leverage and maximize meal services to students; and E. Should seek to make training available, annually if possible, to all food and nutrition service staff that prepare and serve meals covering techniques, including but should not be limited to, reducing fat and sodium in food preparation, preparing healthy local traditional food dishes, and implement portion control. 1.3.3 Healthy Traditional and Cultural Foods. It is the policy of the BIE that all schools and residential facilities: A. Strive to incorporate healthy foods that reflect the traditions and culture(s) of the student body. When incorporating traditions/culture(s) of the student body, schools should consult with students, parents, and the tribe(s) or community/communities of the student body; B. Should strive to serve at least one healthy traditional or cultural dish or snack per month to students and provide cultural education around the food dish, consistent with traditions and practices of the community. All dishes and snacks should meet the school meal requirements contained herein; C. When feasible (space, climate, etc.), are highly encouraged to develop school gardens to cultivate and grow healthy fresh foods reflecting the traditions and practices of the community and culture(s) of the student body. If possible, use school garden produce in school meals; D. Encourage students to participate in the cultivation and preparation of healthy traditional and cultural foods, whenever possible; E. School meal staff should be provided with annual professional development and training (when feasible and within the constraints of resources) to meet the policy requirements contained herein; and F. Conduct annual taste tests and cooking demonstrations of healthy traditional and cultural foods and snacks that are representative of a variety of traditions and cultures found within the school community. 1.3.4 Competitive Foods and Beverages. It is the policy of the BIE that all schools and residential facilities meet the following guidelines: A. Food and beverages should never be withheld from students (including food served through school meals) as punishment; B. Food and beverages should never be used as a reward for students ( school holidays and parties are excluded); C. Commercial food and beverage branding should be prohibited in non-food environments such as recreational facilities, hallways, and classrooms; D. Food and beverage marketing should be restricted only to healthy and nutritional messages; and E. Schools should develop a local policy outlining competitive food and beverage requirements and publicly issue a notice annually to all parents and guardians. 1.3.5 Health and Nutrition Education. It is the policy of the BIE that all schools and residential facilities: A. Provide Health Education. 1. Offer skill based health education instruction to every student at each grade level ( elementary through high school) that meets the minimum requirements of the state in which the school resides, and includes information on healthy eating, physical activity, and tribal traditions/culture(s) of the student body (when available) as part of a comprehensive health education curriculum. When incorporating traditions/culture(s) of the student body, schools should consult with the tribe(s) or community/communities of the student body; 2. All schools should review their schools health education standards and implement health education program improvements wherever possible; 3. All health education must be based on a written and sequential curriculum that is aligned to national and/or state health education standards and be medically accurate, developmentally appropriate, current and effective; 4. All students should be regularly assessed in health education and results of this assessment will be included on their report cards every term that they are enrolled in health education; and 5. All teachers who teach health education should receive annual professional development on effective practices in health education. B. Provide Nutrition Education. 1. All schools should provide nutrition education to all students and engage in nutrition promotion incorporating the traditions/culture(s) of the student body (when available); 2. Should involve multiple channels of communication, including the classroom, cafeteria, the student's home and parents or guardians; and 3. Should strive to integrate healthy nutrition messages into classroom instruction and in the school cafeteria; designing nutrition messages around lessons in math, science, language arts, social sciences, or elective subjects. 1.3.6 Physical Activity. It is the policy of the BIE that all schools and residential facilities: A. Within constraints of time and staffing, should implement: 1. Daily physical activity breaks with an annual plan to integrate physical activity into most subject areas; 2. Develop and promote school goals to increase biking and walking to schools where feasible; 3. At least 20 minutes of daily recess at the elementary level; and 4. Provide opportunities for competitive and non-competitive physical activity aimed at engaging students in fun, recreational and lifelong learning opportunities before or after the school day, incorporating the traditions/culture(s) of the student body (when available). When incorporating traditions/culture(s) of the student body, schools should consult with the tribe(s) or community/communities of the student body. B. Should prohibit the use of physical activity and withholding of physical education class and other forms of physical activity as punishment (including recess); C. Should strive to make school facilities available through joint use agreements; facilities use agreements and other partnerships with youth and community organizations so additional opportunities are available for all youth in our communities to participate in quality physical activity, fitness, sports and recreation programs; D. Should provide at least 20 percent of their time to physical activity, if they operate before and after school programs on school grounds; and E. Should strive to help make safe and active walking and bicycle routes to school, and promote these and similar alternative methods of travel to and from school; such as walking and bicycle programs. 1.3.7 School Employee Wellness. All BIE schools and residential facilities should appoint a School Employee Wellness Coordinator to: A. Coordinate school building efforts with this BIE Health and Wellness Policy; B. Convene a school employee wellness committee that is a subgroup of the Council; C. Survey the needs and interest of school staff in wellness activities; D. Create and implement a school-employee wellness action plan to address identified areas of concern, to include those activities that are evidence-based to prevent chronic diseases and absenteeism. 1. The action plan should include, but should not be limited to, weight management, healthy screenings, tobacco cessation and stress management. E. Report the implementation and results of the action plan to the Council. 1.3.8 Physical Education. It is the policy of the BIE that: A. All students in BIE schools have equal and equitable opportunities for physical activity and fitness education; B. Physical education must be based on a written and sequential curriculum that aligns with the standards of the state in which the school resides; C. Within budget and appropriate classroom student-teacher ratios, every effort must be made to have physical education taught by licensed physical educators at the secondary level or classroom teachers at the elementary level; D. All teachers that teach physical education should receive annual professional development on effective practices for physical education to ensure that all physical education instruction: 1. Utilize instructional strategies and practices that support the needs of all students, including students with chronic health conditions and/or special needs; 2. Offer appropriate class sizes, facilities, equipment, and supplies needed to deliver quality physical education consistent with the state and nutritional standards; 3. Engage students in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 50 percent of physical education class time; and 4. Assess all students in the mastery of skills and content in physical education. 1.3.9 Before and After School Programs. It is the policy of the BIE that: A. Before and after school programs should strive to dedicate at least 20 percent of their time to physical activity; B. Before and after school programs offer a variety of physical activity and nutrition education opportunities that reflect the diverse needs of students, families, and the community; C. At the elementary and middle school levels, a healthy snack should be offered when feasible as an alternative to less healthy options; D. Before and after school programs encourage students to connect with physical activity opportunities in the community; and E. All before and after school program staff participate in annual professional development, when feasible, promoting physical activity and healthy eating (including traditional and cultural components reflecting the student body, when feasible) as an element of their programs. 1.4 Authority. A. 42 U.S.C. 1751 B. P.L. 111-296, The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of2010 C. P.L. 79-396, The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act D. P.L. 108-265, Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, provides amendments to the "Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act of 1966. E. 7 CFR Part 210 and 220 1.5 Responsibilities. A. Director, BIE is responsible for: 1. Final approval of BIE policy consistent with the delegated authority identified in 230 DM 1, and submission of the policy to the Deputy Director; 2. Supporting and encouraging BIE schools to adopt healthier school environments; 3. Disseminating information and resources to assist BIE management and schools; and 4. Developing national partnerships and collaborations to help support the local school environment and improve access to resources that will assist schools. B. Deputy Director, BIE is responsible for: 1. Annual review of the policy, monitoring, and evaluation in collaboration with Associate Deputy Directors (ADDs) and ELOs for overall improvement of the school environment and submission of the policy to all ADDs; 2. Supporting and encouraging BIE schools to adopt healthier school environments; 3. Disseminating information and resources to assist BIE management and schools; 4. Developing partnerships and collaborations to help support the local school environment and improve access to resources that will assist schools; and 5. Assisting ADDs and ELOs with coordinating training and technical assistance annually and ensuring that all BIE schools meet the professional development training requirements contained in this policy. C. Associate Deputy Director, BIE is responsible for: 1. The annual review of the policy, monitoring, and evaluation in collaboration with the Deputy Director and ELOs for overall improvement of the school environment. 2. The distribution of the policy to all ELOs; 3. Supporting and encouraging BIE schools to adopt healthier school environments; 4. Disseminating information and resources to assist BIE schools; Developing partnerships and collaborations to help support the local school environment and improve access to resources that will assist schools; and 6. Assisting the Deputy Director with coordinating annual training and technical assistance sessions. D. Education Line Officers, BIE are responsible for: 1. The annual review of the policy, monitoring, and evaluation in collaboration with the Deputy Director and ADDs for overall improvement of the school environment 2. The distribution of the policy to all schools; 3. Supporting and encouraging BIE schools to adopt healthier school environments; 4. Disseminating information and resources to assist BIE schools; 5. Developing partnerships and collaborations to help support the local school environment and improve access to resources that will assist schools; and 6. Assisting the Deputy Director and ADDs with coordinating annual training and technical assistance sessions. E. School Principals, BIE are responsible for: 1. Supporting and encouraging school staff to adopt a healthier school environment; 2. Developing Wellness Councils that meet the requirements of this policy at each school and all policy requirements contained herein; 3. Ensuring that staff receive training and technical assistance on the Health and Wellness Policy; 4. Ensuring that all evaluation, monitoring, and other policy requirements of this policy are met; 5. Developing partnerships and collaborations to help support the local school environment and improve access to resources that will assist schools; 6. Inviting families to attend and participate in physical activity programs and health fairs; 7. Ensuring that school staff consider the various cultural preferences in the development of menus, activities, physical education and health education programs; 8. Encouraging all students to participate in the school's nutritious meal program; 9. Providing varied and nutritious food choices consistent with the applicable federal government Dietary Guidelines for Americans; 10. Providing adequate time and space to eat meals in a pleasant and safe environment; 11. Ensuring access to safe, fresh drinking water throughout the school day; 12. Encouraging school employees to cooperate with other agencies and community groups to provide opportunities for students to participate in physical activity programs; 13. Encouraging the inclusion of traditional and cultural foods education in BIE schools; 14. Encouraging parents to promote their child's participation in the school's physical education programs and after school activities; and 15. Ensuring that physical and health education curricula include homework that students can do with their families. 1.6 Definitions. A. Wellness Council is a committee formulated to assess and implement wellness at the local school level. B. School Meals/Snacks are those meals/snacks served during the school day. C. Competitive Foods are defined as any foods or beverages sold in competition with reimbursable meals. This includes ala carte, vending, snack bar, school store, and/or any other food and beverage sales on campus. Seconds or extras sales of entrees offered as part of the day's reimbursable lunches are exempt. D. Extended School Day is the time before or after the official school day, which includes activities such as clubs, yearbook, band, choir, student government, drama, sports, childcare, and other programs.
bottom of page