File: ADF - WELLNESS POLICY

Students are the first concern of the district and must receive the primary attention of the School Committee and all staff members. In pursuit of this primary goal, it is imperative that the health and wellness of the individual student, and the student body as a whole, be considered an important part of the educational process. Good health fosters student attendance, academic achievement, and college, career, and community readiness. Children need access to healthful foods and opportunities to be physically active in order to grow, learn and thrive. To this end, the School Committee will work with the Wellness Advisory Committee, staff, students and community members to initiate and implement the Wellness Policy.

I. Nutrition Guidelines for All Foods on Campus

Framingham Public Schools aims to teach, model, and support healthy eating to help all students develop healthy lifestyle practices. Framingham Public Schools will: provide students with access to a variety of affordable, appealing, and nutritious foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students,incorporate culturally relevant foods into the meal plan that reflect the Framingham Public School's diverse student body; and, in collaboration with the building principals, will provide clean, safe and pleasant settings and adequate time for students to eat.

1. All foods made available on campus will comply with the current USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA meal standards under the National School Lunch Act.

2. Competitive Foods & Beverages sold by Framingham Public Schools will comply with the current Massachusetts standards established under 105 CMR 225.000.

Competitive foods or beverages means all foods or beverages sold or provided 30 minutes before and after the school day in:

(1) a la carte lines in school cafeterias;

(2) school stores;

(3) school snack bars;

(4) vending machines; and

(5) any other locations in public schools; provided that competitive foods or beverages shall not include foods sold or provided as part of the School Breakfast Program, the School Lunch Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program of the United States Department of Agriculture; provided further, that competitive foods or beverages can include non-sweetened carbonated water

3. Specific nutrition standards for competitive foods in schools:

(A) Beverages.

(1) Juice.

(a) All juice shall be made of 100% fruit or vegetable juice, with no added sugar, and may or may not be diluted with water or carbonated water.

(b) Servings of juice shall be no more than eight ounces.

(2) Milk and Milk Substitutes.

(a) All milk and milk substitutes, which include alternative milk beverages such as lactose-free and soy milk, shall be fat free or low-fat (1% or less).

(b) All milk and milk substitutes shall meet the USDA definitions and standards for fluid milk and milk substitutes.

(d) Flavored milk and flavored milk substitutes must be fat free and have no more than 22 grams of sugar per eight ounces.

(3) Water. Water shall contain no added sugars, sweeteners or artificial sweeteners, but may contain natural flavorings and/or carbonation.

(4) Other Beverages. No beverages other than juice, milk, milk substitutes, and water, as defined in 105 CMR 225.200(A) shall be sold or provided.

(B) Food.

(1) Calories. Foods shall not exceed 350 calories for entrée items (including accompaniments) or 200 calories for side or snack dish items (including accompaniments).

(2) Fat. No food shall contain more than 35% of its total calories from fat, except as provided in 105 CMR 225.200(B)(4).

(3) Saturated Fat. No food shall contain more than 10% of its total calories from saturated fat, except as provided in 105 CMR 225.200(B)(5).

(4) Exceptions to Standards on Fat Content. Regardless of the limits established above in 105 CMR 225.200(B) for fat content, schools may provide or sell up to one ounce of nuts, seeds, nut/seed butters, reduced fat cheese, part-skim mozzarella, or products that consist of only dried fruit with nuts and/or seeds with no added nutritive sweeteners or fat. Additionally, schools may provide or sell seafood with no added fat. No other combination products are exempt from the fat standard.

(5) Exceptions to Standards on Saturated Fat Content. Regardless of the limits established above in 105 CMR 225.200(B) for saturated fat content, schools may provide or sell up to one ounce of nuts, seeds, nut/seed butters, reduced fat cheese, part-skim mozzarella, or products that consist of only dried fruit with nuts and/or seeds with no added nutritive sweeteners or fat. No other combination products are exempt from the saturated fat standard.

(6) Trans Fat. All foods shall be trans fat-free.

(7) Sugar. No food shall contain more than 35% of its weight from total sugars; provided, however, that a public school may provide or sell:

(a) Fresh, frozen and canned fruits/vegetables with no added sweeteners except for fruits packed in 100% juice;

(b) Products consisting of only dried fruit with nuts and/or seeds with no added nutritive sweeteners or fat; and

(c) Dried whole fruits/vegetables, dried whole fruit/vegetable pieces, dried dehydrated fruits/vegetables with no added nutritive sweeteners, and dried fruits with nutritive sweeteners that are required for processing and/or palatability purposes, i.e., cranberries, tart cherries, and blueberries.

(8) Sodium. No food shall contain more than 200 mg of sodium per item, with the exception of a la carte entrées, which shall not contain more than 480 mg of sodium per item.

(9) Grains. All bread and other grain-based products shall be comprised of whole grains.

(1) Artificial Sweeteners. No food or beverage shall contain an artificial sweetener.

(2) Caffeine. No food or beverage shall contain more than trace amounts of caffeine.

(3) Accompaniments. All accompaniments must be included in the nutrient profile as a part of the item served.

4. Nutritional information on all school foods will be provided to each school and made available either in hard copy or in electronic form.

5. Framingham Public Schools encourages families who do not participate in the school lunch program to try to maintain the USDA guidelines.

6. Food Service Directors are recommended to have a background in nutrition.

II. Nutrition Education statements and goals for the Framingham Public Schools

1. Students will receive nutrition education that teaches the skills they need to adopt and maintain healthy eating behaviors.

2. Nutrition education will be taught within the comprehensive health education program taught in the Framingham Public Schools. The district will strive to develop an organized, sequential, system-wide nutrition education program to be implemented in grades pre-K through 12, as outlined in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.

3. The Family and Consumer Science Department at Framingham High School will also teach nutrition education.

4. Nutrition education will be offered in the school cafeteria as well as in the classroom, with collaboration between the food service staff and other school personnel including teachers.

5. Staff who provide nutrition education will have appropriate training.

6. Students will receive consistent nutrition messages from all aspects of the school nutrition education program.

III. Physical Activity and Fitness offered by the Framingham Public Schools

The following list contains statements and goals for physical activity for students in the Framingham Public Schools.

1. Framingham Public Schools recognizes the importance of offering physical education instruction throughout the entire school year. All elementary school students in the Framingham Public Schools will have formal physical education class every week. All middle school students will receive a consistent amount of time in formal physical education class, with two 45-minute classes per cycle. The district will strive to increase present physical education offerings at the high school and to increase participation in all four years. Opportunities for physical activity shall be incorporated into other subject lessons when possible.

2. A state license is required for all teachers of physical education classes.

3. Recess is a necessary break in the day for optimizing a child's social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. In essence, recess should be considered a child's personal time, and it should not be withheld for punitive reasons. All elementary students, Grades Kindergarten through Grade 5, will engage in (a) total daily recess period(s) for a minimum of 30 minutes, but not less than 15 minutes if multiple sessions are scheduled. All middle school students in grades 6-8 will engage in (a) total daily recess period for a minimum of 15 minutes. Recess may be withdrawn only as a result of a student's behavior when that behavior jeopardizes the health and safety of the student or others during recess. Following an accountable consequence and intervention in alignment with the Code of Character, Conduct and Support, the student will be provided an opportunity to resume attending recess. In the event recess must be restricted for an individual student due to safety concerns for an extended period of time, an alternative recess should be structured to provide the student an alternative activity period, and paired with a restorative intervention and consequence in alignment with the Code of Character, Conduct, and Support. Recess should not be withheld for entire classes based on behavior issues. It is the expectation that other more effective interventions will be utilized to address classroom behavior. Whenever possible recess should be planned before lunch since research indicates that physical activity prior to lunch can increase the student's nutrient intake, increase student attention to academic work, and reduce food waste.

4. The district will broaden opportunities for physical activity for students at all levels through a variety of before and/or after school programs including, but not limited to, intramurals, interscholastic athletics and physical activity clubs. Framingham Public Schools, along with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, recognizes that the above named activities are not to be used in place of formal physical education classes, which are part of structured learning time.

5. The district will support walk-to-school initiatives.

6. Schools will encourage parents and guardians to support their children's participation in physical activity; to be physically active role models; and to include physical activity in family events.

7. Schools should discourage extended periods of inactivity. When activities, such as mandatory school-wide testing, make it necessary for students to remain indoors for long periods of time, schools should give students periodic breaks, to the extent they are able based on testing requirements, during which they are encouraged to stand and be moderately active.

IV. Other Health and Wellness Promotion and Marketing

1. Schools will receive ongoing professional development around social emotional learning.

2. Community partnerships that support the health and wellness of students will be developed and maintained in order to further promote the health and wellness of all students.

3. The district will provide staff, students, and families current, research-based information about health and health promoting behaviors.

V. Evaluation

1. The WellnessAdvisory Committee will collaborate with building principals to ensure that faculty and staff are in compliance with this Wellness Policy.

2. The Wellness Advisory Committee will provide necessary updates and report annually to the Superintendent or Superintendent's designee any assessments relative to the goals will be on an annual basis and publicly presented.

References:

Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004

Action for Healthy Kids: Massachusetts A La Carte Food and Beverage Standards

USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans

National Association for Sport & Physical Education (NASPE)

School Nutrition Association Wellness Policy Guidelines

Massachusetts Association of School Committees Wellness Policy Guidelines

Framingham Public School's Code of Character, Conduct, and Support

LEGAL REFS.: The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, Section 204,

P.L. 108 -265

USDA Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1751 - 1769h

The Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1771 - 1789

Nutrition Standards for Competitive Foods and Beverages Sold in Schools, 105 CMR 225.00

CROSS REFS.: EFC, Free and Reduced- Price Food Services

This policy was updated and approved by the Framingham School Committee in Open Session on March 26, 2025.