News & Information
A new fitness and nutrition policy adopted by the Bellingham School Board on Sept. 1 creates healthy vending in middle and high schools, aligns health and fitness instructional time and curriculum with state law, and encourages finding alternatives to food for rewarding students.
The policy was revised since presented to the Board for first reading in June after additional feedback from PTA/PTSA groups, families and staff. The main revision is that the policy encourages families and staff not to bring food made at home for class celebrations rather than banning it. See "Food from Home, for Fundraising" below for details.
The Board approved the policy following a year-long process of input from students, families of students, community experts and staff. A Board-appointed Fitness and Nutritious Task Force led the process to develop recommendations that met new state law requirements defined in Senate bill 5436.
"We set out to adopt a policy that went beyond the state requirements to also address the issues of vending and other food brought into our schools because we are concerned for the safety and health of our students," said Superintendent Dale E. Kinsley. "We needed to address life-threatening food allergies as well as children's health and fitness, all while taking into account the input that we received from students, their parents and our parent organization leaders about the impact of the policy on our schools and children."
Healthy Vending Machine Items
Under the new policy, all district vending machines in middle and high schools will be stocked only with healthy items that meet district nutritional standards, which are based on current recommendations of the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, and Agriculture. These items do not include soda, candy or foods identified as having minimal nutritional value.
To help identify healthy vending options that appeal to adolescents, a team of high school students and staff attended a healthy vending fair in Puyallup in May. Schools may continue to charge a commission on vended items to support their Associated Student Body (ASB) fund.
Food from Home, for Fundraising
Staff, PTA/PTSA and other school groups are asked to avoid the use of food for incentives, rewards/prizes or school supplies/manipulatives. The policy encourages schools to identify ways for school communities to celebrate special days or events without food or food distribution.
"Last year, Happy Valley Elementary PTA started a birthday book program in which students bring a book from home or choose one purchased from a PTA collection to share with their class on their birthday," said Rob McElroy, former principal of Happy Valley and now principal at Lowell.
If parents/guardians and staff still wish to serve food to a class or group of students, they are encouraged under the new policy to purchase packaged food that meets the nutritional standards rather than prepare food at home that may put children with food allergies at serious risk.
Those preparing foods in class or using school facilities need to have a valid food handler's permit and do so according to Whatcom County Health Department guidelines. The Board amended the policy to clarify this expectation.
Foods prepared in class require a clear connection to the curriculum. Information about the use of district facilities for food preparation can be found in Board policy/procedures 4331/4331P.
Foods sold for fundraising also need to meet the nutritional standards if they are sold during the school day or 30 minutes before or after school.
Families are encouraged to visit the district's Food Services Web site for more information or call (360) 676-6504.
Fitness Standards
Students in grades one through eight will have 100 minutes of physical education every week and kindergartners will have 30 to 50 minutes per week. Children will study what it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle as well as participate in aerobic activity.
About 39 percent of Bellingham School District eighth graders reported that they participate in moderate physical activity five or more days per week outside the school day, according to the state's Healthy Youth Survey given during the 2004-05 school year.
"We hope to improve this statistic by giving our students the physical education skills they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle," said Deputy Superintendent Susan Zoller.
Fitness and Nutrition Task Force members are community members Kelly Molaski and Gordon Chalmers; former Food Services manager Gaye Lynn MacDonald and Food Services staff member Marcy Brown; nurse Denise Meyer and teachers Ken Ericson, Kathy Norwood, George Gleason, Bonna Giller, Darin Nolan and Josh Meese; Fairhaven assistant principal Steve Rogers; Squalicum High School student Gabrielle Merz; and Deputy Superintendent Susan Zoller, chair.