Fostering Healthier Habits: A Look at our School Wellness Policy

In the Hudson Community School District, we believe that health and well-being are essential foundations for student success. That's why we've implemented a comprehensive school wellness policy that promotes healthy eating habits, regular physical activity, and a positive learning environment. This policy guides our efforts to create a school culture that supports lifelong wellness behaviors.

Our policy articulates the belief that a healthy learning environment is critical to academic success. By providing our students with nutritious meals, opportunities for physical activity, and resources that promote healthy living will empower our students to develop lifelong wellness habits. To help us realize these aspirations, the District has outlined several goals.

1. Offer nutrition education at each grade level as part of a sequential and comprehensive program that is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote their health.
2. Promote fruit, vegetables, whole grain products, low fat and fat free dairy, health food preparation methods, and health enhancing nutrition practices.
3. Emphasize caloric balance between food intake and physical activity.
4. Provide physical education, recess for younger students, and encourage classroom teachers to provide short physical activity breaks. 
5. Encourage parents to pack healthy lunches and snacks, refraining from including beverages and foods that do not meet the established nutrition standards for individual foods and beverages.
6. Provide for parents a list of foods and beverages that meet nutrition standards for classroom snacks and celebrations.
7. Ensure that all meals served through the national school lunch program conform to the minimum nutritional requirements and that they be served in clean and pleasant cafeteria settings, while offering a variety of choices. 
8. Finally, to encourage our concession stand to offer healthy options that meet Smart Snacks guidelines.

It is important for us to ensure this policy is up to date and effective. To do so, the policy is reviewed every three years. That review includes an analysis of our progress on the aforementioned goals articulated above, as well as any recommendations to the school board for approval. To facilitate this work, the district has appointed a committee that represents a cross section of our stakeholders. Our policy is scheduled for review in the spring of 2024 with recommendations presented to the school board for consideration in June of 2024.

Additionally, we encourage feedback from parents, students, staff, and the entire community in this effort. Great things can be achieved when working together to promote healthy habits in our schools. These efforts can create a healthier generation of students who are ready to succeed in school and in life!

For more information about our school wellness plan, visit the Wellness Page on our school website. We encourage everyone to get involved in making our schools healthier places for us all.