e-mail:  sps@stpatrickwadsworth.org                                                                   

Web Site:  www.spswadsworth.org

July 11, 2008                                            

Greetings from the office staff at St. Patrick School!

We hope you are enjoying these summer days.

As usual we are busy here preparing for the next school year.  The mailing went out Friday, June 27th for the first tuition payment which is due today Friday, July 11th.  If you did not receive the mailing, please contact Mrs. Kotlar in the school office between 8:00-1:00. 

Scrip is available for sale in the school office Tuesdays through Thursdays between 9:00-11:00 AM. 

We will be posting changes to our parent handbook on the website these weeks before school begins.  We begin this week with our WELLNESS POLICY.    The policy has been a work in progress for the last year and it is now in final form.   The complete policy, including philosophy, rationale, and procedures will appear in the 2008-09 parent handbook.  We ask that you read the entire policy carefully.   Teachers and office staff will adhere to the carefully written procedural guidelines for lunch, snacks, pizza days, birthday treats, and party food. 

The state of Illinois has mandated this policy for all schools, public and private.  The intention of the state and by law all school systems is to promote wellness, good nutrition, and good physical health for children.  We are very aware of the number of children who suffer from respiratory conditions, asthma, and allergies (many of them severe).  It is our intention to keep all students safe and to help them form good habits regarding their own growth and wellness.  This policy does change how we deal with treats, snacks, and party food.  It is important that you are aware of the policy and number of changes in how we deal with food in our school, so that children are not disappointed or hurt by food items being returned to the parent rather than being distributed in the classroom. Please take the time to read the following carefully. 

WELLNESS POLICY

BELIEF STATEMENT

St. Patrick 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 to reduce childhood obesity and meets the requirements of Public Act 194-0199.

RATIONALE

Public Act 094-0199 amends the Illinois School Code, requiring the Illinois State Board of Education to establish a state goal that all districts 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, full physical and mental growth and lifelong health and well-being. 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.

GOALS FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION

• Students in grades 6 trough 8 shall receive nutrition education as part of a sequential program that is coordinated within a comprehensive health education curriculum. The curriculum shall be consistent with and incorporate relevant Illinois Learning Standards.
• To maximize classroom time and to achieve positive changes in students’ eating behaviors, nutrition education shall be integrated into the standards-based lesson plans for students in preschool through grade 5.

GOALS FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

• Students in preschool through grade 8 shall participate in daily physical activity that enables them to achieve and maintain a high level of personal fitness.

• Elementary and middle school students shall participate in physical education.
• The school shall provide a daily supervised recess period to elementary and middle school students.
• Students shall be provided opportunities for physical activity through a range of before- and after-school programs including intramurals, interscholastic athletics, and physical activity clubs.

GOALS FOR OTHER SCHOOL-BASED ACTIVITIES

Parent Partnerships

• The school shall support parents’ efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children. This support shall begin in elementary school and continue through middle school.
• Parents shall be provided information to help them incorporate healthy eating and physical activity into their student’s lives. This information may be provided in the form of handouts or postings on the school website.

Healthy Eating Programs

• The school’s hot lunch program is subsidized by the government and contracted by the Archdioceses of Chicago. For more information about our hot lunch program, visit www.fspro.com.
•  

Physical Activity

• Physical education shall be provided by trained staff members certified to teach physical education.
• Physical education classes shall have a student to teacher ratio comparable to those in other curricular areas.
• The school is encouraged to limit extended periods of inactivity. When activities such as mandatory testing make it necessary for students to be inactive for long periods of time, it is recommended that schools give students periodic breaks during which they are encouraged to stand and be moderately active.
• Physical activity facilities and equipment on school grounds shall be safe.
• The school is encouraged to work with the community to create a community environment that is safe and supportive of students walking or biking to school.

Food or Physical Activity as a Reward or Punishment

• School personnel shall be encouraged to use nonfood incentives or rewards with students and shall not withhold food from students as punishment.

• School personnel shall not use physical activity as a punishment or withhold participation in recess or physical education class as a punishment.

BIRTHDAY TREATS, PARTY TREATS, AND SNACKS

• In Kindergarten through eighth grade, non-edible or healthy food items purchased from a store (with ingredients listed) may be brought to school to celebrate a child’s birthday. In grades K-5, please send a note a day or two before to let the teacher know what you will bring.
• Party snacks and drinks will be provided by the teacher and room parent. Please do not send in extra edible treats to distribute to your child’s class. If edible treats do arrive, they will be returned.
• Daily, individual snacks are encouraged to be healthy.

• All birthday and party treats must be dropped off at the front office by an adult; treats may not enter the classroom with the child. Treats that do not adhere to the guidelines will be returned.
• All birthday and party treats are required to be individually wrapped and contain a nutritional/ ingredient label.
• If a child has a food allergy, it is the parents’ responsibility to complete an allergy form through the office and to discuss the matter with the classroom teacher.

OPTIONS FOR BIRTHDAY TREATS, PARTY-TREATS, AND SNACKS

Treats must be individually wrapped and contain a nutritional/ ingredient label.

• Non-edible treats (such as stickers, pencils, pens, highlighters, notepads, erasers, bookmarks, etc.)
• Frozen fruit pops with fruit juice or fruit as the first ingredient
• Raw vegetable sticks/slices with dressing or yogurt dip

• 100% fruit or vegetable juice
• Dried fruits – raisins, cranberries, apples, apricots
• Single serving applesauce or canned fruit in juice
• Fruit smoothies
• Pretzels or crackers
• Baked chips with salsa
• Low-fat muffins (small or mini)
• Granola bars
• Graham crackers
• Fig or fruit bars

• Low-fat flavored yogurt & fruit parfaits
• Fat-free or low-fat pudding cups
• Low-fat milk products (string cheese, single-serving cottage cheese, cheese cubes)
• Pure ice water

*This list is not all-inclusive and is meant only to provide parents and school staff with guidance for healthier food and beverage choices. However, all of the items in the list are consistent with the wellness policy to promote student health and reduce childhood obesity.