JLSTUDENT WELLNESS
JL(Local Wellness Policy)
Tempe Union High School District (TUHSD) is committed to providing a District-wide environment that fosters and promotes health, well-being, and the ability to learn by supporting healthy eating, physical activity, and ensuring that mental health needs are addressed in order to support the general health, well-being, and academic success of each student. TUHSD aims to actively promote health and wellness to advance readiness to learn and live healthy lives. This policy is inclusive of all students, staff, families, and the community.
The Tempe Union High School District will maintain a wellness committee; this advisory group shall recommend, review and advise on implementation of School District policies that address student wellness. The Wellness Committee Program’s vision is to ensure the opportunity for all students, staff and community to gain knowledge, understanding and ability to apply and embrace the practice of successful healthy living.
Preamble
WHEREAS children need access to healthful foods and opportunities to be physically active in order to grow, learn, and thrive; and
WHEREAS employees of the school district are better-equipped to serve students and families with higher level of performance when they enjoy good health; and
WHEREAS good health fosters consistent student attendance and higher academic achievement in school; and
WHEREAS meals served in our cafeterias will meet guidelines for child nutrition including daily offerings of whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables and foods that are low in sugar, sodium and unhealthy fats; and
WHEREAS mental health challenges and developmental disabilities ranging from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to anxiety, stress, depression, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and many others experienced by youth negatively affect school performance and overall student wellness; and
WHEREAS for unfortunate historical and cultural reasons, mental health has persistently been stigmatized in our society manifested by bias, distrust, stereotyping, fear, embarrassment, anger, and/or avoidance; and
WHEREAS tobacco use, alcohol use, illicit drug use, and prescription drug misuse are major causes of youth mortality through violence, vehicular crashes, and overdose, as well as contributing to other problem behaviors such as risky sexual activity and poor school performance; and
WHEREAS community awareness and participation are essential to the development, implementation, and evaluation of successful school wellness policies with cooperation with the District Wellness Committee.
Therefore, the Tempe Union High School District establishes this policy and commits to providing environments that promote and protect health, wellness and the ability to be successful by encouraging healthy eating, physical activity and a positive healthy behavior for all students, families, staff and our community.
Safe School Environment
Tempe Union High School District is committed to providing high quality buildings and grounds that are in good repair, have superior indoor air quality, are clean, use resources efficiently, provide opportunities for physical activity and provide accessible and culturally inclusive learning environments that positively impact the productivity, health, and wellness of all students and staff.
TUHSD will create a safe and supportive school environment for all students that are culturally proficient, engaging, and provide skills-based education to promote healthy relationships and provide access to support services. It is our goal that all TUHSD students will value healthy relationships, and possess the necessary knowledge and skills to use safe health practices and access resources and services to support their physical and mental health.
Cultural Proficiency
TUHSD shall examine its schools' learning environments and organizational traditions to identify inclusive practices and opportunities to celebrate diverse cultures and identities. This includes the physical environment, the academic environment, classroom curriculum and promotional materials.
TUHSD is committed to providing all students with equitable and inclusive educational opportunities and access to school and community-based support services—recognizing and embracing each diverse learner from our diverse cultures and backgrounds (i.e., understand other's perspectives, to broaden our own, and to experience and educate ourselves).
Suicide Prevention
The Tempe Union High School District recognizes that suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages ten through thirty-four (10-34). TUHSD will protect the health and well-being of all students, staff, and families by having procedures in place to prevent, assess the risk of, intervene in and respond to suicide as well as enhancing resiliency in youth. In adherence with the Mitch Warnock Act, all TUHSD District staff will participate in a Best Practice suicide awareness training every three (3) years. All District staff will receive training on and will follow procedures for reporting at-risk students to the appropriate person on their campus for further intervention. Students will have access to developmentally appropriate, small group, Best Practice suicide prevention education, and materials to learn how to recognize the risk factors and warning signs for suicide and how to seek help appropriately. Families will have access to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention education and resources provided by the District. Parents, guardians, and/or families will be informed by a school administrator or counselor if their student is identified as being at-risk for suicide. Student re-entry procedures will be followed for students returning to school after a mental health crisis.
Health Services
School-based health care removes the health obstacles to learning by ensuring access and/or referral to primary health care services, providing the necessary mental health resources to foster socially and emotionally health school environment, managing chronic disease conditions during school hours, providing emergency care for illness or injury, identifying communicable diseases and enacting practices and systems to ensure that all students have access to key resources and services that are appropriate and support developmental health in a safe and supportive environment.
Staff Wellness
Tempe Union High School District cares about the well-being of staff members and understands the influence that staff actions have on all student health behaviors. All staff shall promote a school environment supportive of healthy behaviors. Adults are encouraged to model healthy behaviors, especially on school property and at school-sponsored meeting and events. Staff and students are encouraged to support wellness initiatives.
TUHSD is committed to supporting staff mental health and wellness initiatives in an effort to promote a socially and emotionally healthy environment.
Physical Activity and
Physical Education
Numerous studies indicate that regularly engaging in moderate-to-vigorous exercise contributes to overall physical and mental health and that nurturing an exercise habit among children lays the foundation for lifelong fitness. Research also shows that increased physical activity increases student’s cognitive function, ability to concentrate in class, and academic performance. As a part of a strategic effort to improve academic performance, TUHSD recognizes and promotes the benefits of a comprehensive Physical Activity program, where excellence in physical education is the cornerstone and additional physical activity is integrated throughout the school day and into before and after school programs.
The Tempe Union High School District is committed to a strong athletics program that offers a variety of programs and is accessible to all students. Athletic participation can contribute to student fitness, social and emotional wellness, character development and a lifelong commitment to a physically active lifestyle. Additionally, by establishing a safe, supportive and engaging school environment, athletic programs encourage school connectedness and create a climate where healthy competition and support fill the school with spirit and a sense of community.
School Food and Nutrition
Promotion
TUHSD supports lifelong healthy eating habits for all students and staff, and is committed to addressing the increasing rates of diet-related health consequences among these groups. The District shall promote healthy lifestyles and appropriate nutritional practices for all students. Components of this approach include:
A. Constantly reviewing and assessing the food available in school meals to ensure safety, quality, visual appeal, cultural proficiency and accessibility and is consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) School meals.
B. Identifying opportunities to teach healthy eating habits in the cafeteria and other District-wide promotions.
C. Promoting health and nutrition messages that encourage the consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, low-fat dairy products, water, and other messages consistent with research-based findings or other dietary alternatives.
D. Establishing policy guidelines for food and beverage sales within school environments that meet or exceed those required by federal, state, and current District policy.
E. Vending machines will only dispense foods that meet nutrition standard guidelines as set forth by the Arizona Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs and the U.S. Department of Agriculture requirements for foods and beverages that are sold individually.
Health Promotion and Education
Consistent health promotion messages shall be sent to students, staff, and parents through school bulletins, newsletters, web pages, and community meetings.
All marketing, advertising and promotions of food and beverages during the school day must meet Smart Snack Standards.
The District promotes health education and distributes information to parents to reduce health disparities due to poverty, culture, or language and improve healthy behaviors for students, staff, families, and communities.
The District encourages all district staff, students, and families to learn about social and emotional wellness and activities that promote education and awareness of the different mental health needs of our schools.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The Superintendent's Wellness Committee is responsible for reviewing and monitoring the District's Wellness Policy in accordance with our goals and initiatives to ensure high academic achievement.
The goals, objectives and guidelines of the Wellness Policy will be reviewed annually or as necessary emphasizing the utilization of available data. Recommendations to the Superintendent by the Wellness Committee will address responses to changing conditions, more effective techniques and proven strategies, incorporate new objectives if needed, and ensure that the guidelines reflect emerging knowledge relevant to our student's health. The Wellness Committee will continue to include in formulating these recommendations the stakeholders of the District who shall consist of but not limited to; nurses, physical education teachers and coaches, food service staff, teachers, principals, community members, security guards, parents and students.
Adopted: July 10, 2024
LEGAL REF.:
A.R.S.
15-118
15-159
15-242
42 U. S. C. 1751 et seq. (National School Lunch Act)
42 U. S. C. 1771 et seq. (Child Nutrition Act)
CROSS REF.:
ABA - Community Involvement in Education
ABAA - Parental Involvement
BBA - Governing Board Powers and Responsibilities
EF - Food Services
EFDA - Collection of Money/Food Tickets
EFE - Competitive Food Sales/Vending Machines
IA - Instructional Goals and Objectives