Roderick Review Week 6 (10/5/15-10/9/15)

This week's topic?  Our new Wellness Policy!

As many of you may recall, there is a new procedure for the Wrentham Public Schools for the 2015-2016 school year.  Recently, there have been some questions about why we are making some changes to a few of our traditions such as the Thanksgiving Feast in fourth grade or why celebrations with food are being discouraged in favor of non-food celebrations.  I encourage everyone to read the short summary below created by the members of the Wellness Committee and approved by the School Committee earlier this year:

Wellness Policy Implementation Procedure, 2015-2016

The Wellness Committee of Wrentham Public Schools is comprised of district and school administrators, school nurses, classroom teachers, PE teachers, students’ families, and members of the community. The purpose of the Wellness Committee is to review and recommend to the School Committee policies and procedures that promote student health, protect students with food allergies, and are consistent with federal and state laws. Please contact your building principal or nurse if you have any questions about the Wellness Policy Implementation Procedure outlined below.

·         Foods and beverages that are offered to all students (not individual snacks or lunches brought from home)  must meet the following criteria as outlined by Massachusetts General Law c 111 223 “An Act Relative to School Nutrition”:

o   Water, low-fat milk, and 8 ounces of 100% juice

o   Fresh fruit and vegetables

o   Snacks made of at least 51% whole grain, 200 calories or fewer per serving, and pre-packaged

o   No artificial sweeteners or trans fats

·         The principal and school nurse will approve the foods offered to all students at least 2 weeks prior to the event with the WPS Wellness Policy Food Event Request Form. Accommodations will be made to ensure all students can participate safely in classroom events that involve food.

·         Foods and beverages will not be used in the classroom as rewards or incentives.

·         Students are not permitted to share their food with other students.

Parents are encouraged to contact the school nurse or principal if they have any questions or feedback about the Wellness Policy Implementation Procedure. The Wellness Committee meets throughout the school year to update the Wellness Policy Implementation Procedure. Please let your nurse or principal know what works well and what we can improve.

This new implementation plan means that we need to change some traditions such as bringing in cupcakes for the class for birthdays or bringing in bags of candy to share.  In addition to needing to adhere to the nutritional requirements, we want school to be safe for everyone and for some students, exposure to certain allergens can be life-threatening.  Therefore, even though the offers to share snacks with one another are well-intended and generous, students may hear those supervising at snack and lunchtime reminding them that they cannot share food.  

We will still be able to share in meaningful celebrations within our school community even without some of the traditional edible treats.  In fact, by removing the "treat" element from the celebrations, the larger value is exposed such as school pride, achievement, accomplishment, strength of character, appreciation for one another, and so much more.  

 

For those with questions about the plan for this year, you are welcome to contact Dr. Beauchaine or our nurse, Mrs. Cashman.

NEXT WEEK...Delaney and Roderick Parents are invited to join the principals at the first Principal Coffee event for the year on Friday, October 16th in the Vogel Auditorium at 8:30 a.m.  During this time, we will be sharing a summary of the Spring 2015 MCAS results for students in grades 3-6.  We hope to see many of you there!