Children's Home of Kingston, Wellness Policy

1.0         Wellness Committee

1.0.0      The Children’s Home of Kingston (hereafter called the Agency) is committed to creating home and school environments and experiences that establish healthful eating and daily physical activities that promote student’s mental, emotional and physical health.

The Agency has established a Wellness Committee that is a sub-committee of the Safety Committee which will

participate in the development, implementation and periodic review and update of the Agency Wellness Policy.  The Agency will solicit participation from parents/guardians, students, Director of Food Service, Agency Administrators, Agency Nurses, Physical Education teacher, Social Work and Registered Dietitian, Board of Directors and the general public.

1.1         Wellness Policy Leadership

1.1.0      The Agency delegates The Food Service Director to ensure that it complies with the Wellness Policy.

1.2         Policy Implementation, Review, Update and Public Notification

1.2.0      The Wellness Committee shall conduct an annual assessment that includes the extent to which the Agency is in compliance and a description of the progress made in attaining the goals of the policy.  This assessment will be made available to the public.

1.2.1      Food Service staff will ensure compliance with nutrition policies and report on this matter to the Executive Director as necessary.

1.2.2      The Wellness Committee serves as a resource to the Agency for implementing the Wellness Policy.

1.3         Goals to Promote Student Wellness

1.3.0      The Agency will provide nutrition promotion and education, physical education and other school-based activities to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity and will establish linkages between health education and meal programs.  The following are the Agency goals:

  1. Environmental Health – The goal is to provide a healthy physical environment free from harmful products and materials.
  2. Health Education – The Agency will provide students with instructions in General Health.
  3. Mental Health (education and services) – The Agency provides a community which values positive mental health and behavioral health, encourages everyone to seek help when they need it, provides good mental health prevention and responds to mental health needs.
  4. Nutrition:
  1. Guidelines: The goal is to promote resident/student health and reduce childhood obesity by ensuring that all foods and beverages provided to students meet or exceed the USDA nutrition standards for school meals.
  2. Nutritional Promotion/Nutrition Education

The Agency will provide nutrition promotion and education to influence lifelong eating behaviors in a positive manner by encouraging healthy nutrition choices.

All foods offered will meet nutrition guideline requirements of the USDA Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch Program.

The Agency will provide opportunities support and encouragement for every resident/student to regularly participate in physical activity, develop the knowledge and skills for specific physical activities, maintain physical fitness, reduce sedentary time, learn about cooperation, fair play, responsible and safe participation that meets the needs of all residents and students and gain an appreciation for lifelong physical activity through a healthy lifestyle. Opportunities for physical activity are provided outside physical education classes for all grade levels. A physical activity curriculum/program for each grade level has been developed and shall meet the National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and New York State learning standards.

The Agency will establish a resident/school environment that presents consistent messages that are conducive to healthy eating, physical activity as well as social and emotional wellness for all.