Gracepointe Academy will establish an ongoing Healthy School Team that will meet annually to ensure compliance and to facilitate the implementation of Gracepointe Academy’s wellness policy.

• The school principal and school staff shall have the responsibility to comply with federal and state regulations as they relate to Gracepointe Academy’s wellness policy.
• The principal of Gracepointe Academy will be responsible for establishing the Healthy School Team that will ensure compliance with the policy.
• Parents, students, staff (including food service staff), faculty, the school board, school administrators, and the public shall be permitted to participate in the development, implementation, and periodic review and update of the local school wellness policy.
• The Healthy School Team is responsible for:
  • Ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations for competitive food and beverage items sold on the school campus (7 CFR 210.11 and FAC 5P2.002);
  • Maintaining a school calendar identifying the dates when exempted competitive food fundraisers will occur in accordance with the frequency specified in paragraph (c) of FAC 5P-2.002;
  • And reporting its school’s compliance of the regulations to the school principal, the person responsible for ensuring overall compliance with Gracepointe Academy’s wellness policy.

Gracepointe Academy will review and consider evidence-based strategies and techniques in establishing goals for nutrition promotion and education, physical activity and other school-based activities that promote student wellness to include, at a minimum, a review of Smarter Lunchroom tools and techniques.

Nutrition promotion can positively influence lifelong eating behaviors by creating food environments that encourage healthy choices and encourage participation in the school meal programs.

At a minimum, Gracepointe Academy will strive to meet the following Nutritional Promotion goals:

• Utilize Smarter Lunchroom tools and strategies to promote and reinforce healthy eating in the school environment, ensuring that messages are clear and consistent.
• Provide three on campus locations that students can access useful nutrition information.
• Discover effective ways to communicate school wellness messages and identify healthy eating and active living messages that resonate with parents. Examples may include presentations, newsletters, social media posts, and printed materials which highlight a wellness topic of interest.

Academic performance and quality of life issues are affected by the choice and availability of nutritious foods in our schools. Healthy foods support student physical growth, brain development, resistance to disease, emotional stability, and ability to learn.

• Nutrition education shall be taught as part of the structured instruction during physical education classes and will be integrated into other subject areas (e.g., math, science) where there is a natural fit.
• Students receive nutrition education that is interactive and teaches skills they need to adopt age-appropriate healthy eating behaviors. Topic may include: mindful eating, balanced meals, and how to read nutrition facts labels.
• The staff responsible for nutrition education will be adequately prepared and participate regularly in professional development activities to effectively deliver an accurate nutrition education program as planned. Preparation and professional development activities will provide basic knowledge of nutrition combined with skill practice in program-specific activities and instructional techniques and strategies designed to promote healthy eating habits.

Gracepointe Academy shall ensure that physical activity is an essential element of each school’s instructional program. The program shall provide the opportunity for all students to develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to participate in a lifetime of physical activity.

• All students in grades K-5 shall receive at least 60 minutes per day of physical education/activity.
• For middle school physical education in grades 6-8, all students shall receive a minimum of one semester of physical education in each of the three years. In grades 9-12, students receive a minimum of one credit of physical education in senior high school as required. One semester must be personal fitness while the second semester may be any physical education course offered by Gracepointe Academy with the approved state course codes. (Sunshine State Standards)
• Gracepointe Academy will provide space, equipment and an environment conducive to safe and enjoyable play.
• Students will have an increase in both the number and variety of physical activity opportunities offered to them.
• Gracepointe Academy staff will be encouraged to participate in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (e.g., brisk walking, jogging, swimming) every week as part of their personal fitness plan. Staff will be informed of the opportunity to participate in physical activity in afterschool programs and community events where applicable.
• The school will provide access to free, quality drinking water for all students. Additionally, students will be permitted to keep a bottle of water at their desks or in the classroom.

Gracepointe Academy will integrate wellness activities across the entire school setting. These initiatives will include nutrition, physical activity, and other wellness components so that all efforts work towards the same set of goals and objectives used to promote student well-being, optimal development, and strong educational outcomes.

General Guidelines

• The goals outlined by the wellness policy will be considered in planning all school-based activities (such as school events, field trips, dances and assemblies).
• Afterschool programs will encourage healthy snacking and physical activity.
• Gracepointe Academy shall actively develop and support the engagement of students, families and staff in community health-enhancing activities and events at the school or throughout the community.
• Gracepointe Academy shall be in compliance with drug, alcohol and tobacco free polies.

Eating Environment

• Students will be provided an adequate amount of time to consume their meal with a minimum of 20 minutes after receiving their food from the line.
• School will provide nutritious, fresh, locally grown food that reflects Florida’s bountiful harvest.
• Convenient access to facilities for hand washing and oral hygiene will be available during meal periods.

Use of School Facilities Outside of School Hours

• School will promote the use of school facilities outside of school hours for physical activity programs offered by community-based organizations and for the school community’s use. Parents will be allowed to bring their children to the school and have access to basketball court.

Behavior Management

• Teachers and other school personnel will not deny or require physical activity as a means of punishment.

Gracepointe Academy shall operate and provide food service in accordance with USDA’s National School Lunch Program (NSLP) standards and applicable laws and regulations of the state of Florida. The guidelines for reimbursable school meals shall not be less restrictive than regulations and guidance issued by USDA.

General Guidelines

• All reimbursable meals will meet nutrition standards mandated by USDA, as well as any additional state nutrition standards that go beyond USDA requirements.
• School meals will include a variety of nutrient-dense foods, including whole grains and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, while accommodating special dietary needs and ethnic and cultural food preferences.
• To the maximum extent possible, all schools in Gracepointe Academy will participate in available federal school meal programs, including the SBP, NSLP, ASSP, AMP, and SFSP.
• Free, potable water will be made available to all children during each meal service.

Competitive Foods

• All foods and beverages sold on the school campus to students outside of reimbursable school meals are considered “competitive foods,” and must comply with the nutrition standards for competitive food as defined and required in 7 CFR 210.11.
  • School campus means, for the purpose of competitive food standards implementation, all areas of the property under the jurisdiction of the school that are accessible to students during the school day.
  • School day means, for the purpose of competitive food standards implementation, the period from the midnight before, to 30 minutes after the end of the official school day.
• Competitive foods include items sold in the school store and in-school fundraisers.
• Unless being sold by Gracepointe Academy’s food service program, it is impermissible for any competitive food item sold to students during the school day to consist of ready-to-eat combination foods of meat or meat alternate and grain products, as defined in 7 CFR 210.10 and 210.11. (FAC 5P-2.002)
• To be allowable, all competitive food items sold to students must meet general nutrition requirements and nutrient standards.

General nutrition requirements for competitive foods:

• Be a grain product that contains 50 percent or more whole grains by weight or have a whole grain as the first ingredient; or
• Have as the first ingredient one of the non-grain major food groups: fruits, vegetables, dairy, or protein foods (meat, beans, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, etc.); or
• Be a combination food that contains 1⁄4 cup of fruit and/or vegetable.
• If water is the first ingredient, the second ingredient must be one of the above.

Standards for food and beverages available during the school day that are not sold to students:

• The school will provide parents and teachers a list of ideas for healthy celebrations/parties, rewards, and fundraising activities.
• Class parties or celebrations shall be held after the lunch period and must contain healthy nutritional options.
• Schools will limit celebrations that involve food during the school day to no more than one party per class per month.

Fundraising

• Fundraising efforts directed to students will be supportive of healthy eating by complying with all applicable regulations and nutrition standards for competitive foods while also emphasizing the sale of nonfood items.
• No fundraisers directed to students that include the sale of food items will occur until thirty (30) minutes after the conclusion of the last designated meal service period.
• The school board is permitted to grant a special exemption from the standards for competitive foods as specified above for the purpose of conducting infrequent school sponsored fundraisers, not to exceed 10 school days per school year.
• Gracepointe Academy’s Healthy School Team will maintain a school calendar identifying the dates when exempted competitive food fundraisers will occur. (FAC 5P-2.002)

School-based marketing will be consistent with policies for nutrition education and health promotion. As such, the following guidelines apply:

• Gracepointe Academy will only be allowed to market and advertise those foods and beverages that meet or exceed USDA’s Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards.
• Marketing activities that promote healthful behaviors are encouraged.
• Gracepointe Academy will foster a cafeteria environment that promotes healthy eating, including the incorporation of fresh, locally grown foods into student meals as available.

Gracepointe Academy wellness committee will update and make modifications to the wellness policy based on the results of the annual review and triennial assessments and/or as local priorities change, community needs change, wellness goals are met, new health information and technology emerges and new federal or state guidance or standards are issued. The wellness policy will be assessed as indicated at least every three years following the triennial assessment.

Triennial Progress Assessments

Gracepointe Academy will assess the wellness policy to measure wellness policy compliance at least once every three years. This assessment will measure the implementation of the local school wellness policy, and include:

• The extent to which Gracepointe Academy is in compliance with the school wellness policy;
• The extent to which the school wellness policy compares to model school wellness policies; and
• A description of the progress made in attaining the goals of the local school wellness policy.

Gracepointe Academy will ensure that the wellness policy and most recent triennial assessment are always available to the public. Gracepointe Academy will also actively notify households on an annual basis about any updates made to the wellness policy and the availability of the triennial assessment results, as well as provide information to the community about the school nutrition environment.

• Gracepointe Academy will ensure the most updated version of the wellness policy and triennial assessments are always available on the school website for the public to view.
• Gracepointe Academy will present wellness policy updates, as applicable, during meetings with the school board and other interested groups or stakeholders.
• Wellness updates will be provided to students, parents, and staff, as applicable, in the form of handouts, Gracepointe Academy website, articles and each school’s newsletter, to ensure that the community is informed, and that public input is encouraged.

Gracepointe Academy is committed to being responsive to community input, which begins with awareness of the wellness policy. Gracepointe Academy will actively communicate ways in which parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, teachers of physical education, the school board, school administrators can participate in the development, implementation, and annual review of the local school wellness policy through a variety of means, including:

• Gracepointe Academy will consider student needs in planning for a healthy nutrition environment. Students will be asked for input and feedback using surveys and attention will be given to their comments.
• Gracepointe Academy will use electronic mechanisms, such as email or displaying notices on Gracepointe’s website, as well as non-electronic mechanisms, such as newsletters, presentations to parents or sending information home to parents, to ensure that all families are actively notified of any updates to the wellness policy, as well as how to get involved and support the policy.