School Wellness Policy

Belief Statement

The School Board of Roseland Christian School is committed to providing a learning environment that supports and promotes wellness, good nutrition, and an active lifestyle and recognizes the positive relationship between good nutrition, physical activity and the capacity of students to develop and learn.

Intent

The purpose of this policy is to ensure a total school environment that promotes and supports student health and wellness, helps reduce childhood obesity and meets the requirements of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 and the Illinois School Code.

Rationale

A disturbing number of children are inactive and do not eat well. The result is an alarming 16 percent of children and adolescents are overweight—a three-fold increase since 1980. Congress passed the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 on June 30, 2004. Recognizing the role schools can play in health promotion, this law requires local education agencies participating in a program authorized by the National School Lunch Act or the Child Nutrition Act of 1996 to develop a local wellness policy. The objectives of the wellness policy are to improve the school nutrition environment, promote student health and reduce childhood obesity. In addition, Public Act 094-0199 amends the Illinois School Code, requiring the Illinois State Board of Education to establish a state goal that all public and nonpublic schools have a wellness policy.

The link between nutrition and learning is well documented. Healthy eating patterns are essential for students to achieve their full academic potential, fully physical and mental growth and lifelong health and well being. Healthy eating is demonstrably linked to reduced risk for mortality and development of many chronic diseases. Schools and school communities have a responsibility to help students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to establish and maintain lifelong healthy eating patterns. Well-planned and well-implemented wellness programs have been shown to positively influence children’s health. For additional information please visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.