Food Program

One of Innovation's most rewarding benefits of our program is the food program. ISE is a non-pricing facility which means that all students, regardless of economic background, will receive three nutritious meals a day at no additional cost to the family. Breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack will be provided and for infants, this includes formula and baby cereal. This benefit requires parents to complete an application with the Child Care Food and Nutrition Program and/or the National School Lunch Program. Confidential information is required however this information is only accessible to administration and is stored in a locked filing system. Random audits are performed to verify provided information. ISE wants to inform all parents and guardians of his/her rights through the food program as they are as follows:

School Wellness Policy

A School Wellness Policy is a well-developed outline of our food program goals and the display of the objectives in how we plan to meet the nutritional goals. ISE has provided the introduction of our School Wellness Policy; however the Full Printable Version can be downloaded here: ISE Wellness Policy

INTRODUCTION/PREAMBLE:

Whereas, good health fosters student attendance and education;

Whereas, obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the last two decades, and physical inactivity and excessive calorie intake are the predominant causes of obesity;

Whereas, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are responsible for two-thirds of deaths in the United States, and major risk factors for those diseases, including unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity, and obesity, often are established in childhood;

Whereas, 33% of high school students do not participate in sufficient vigorous physical activity and 72% of high school students do not attend daily physical education classes;

Whereas, only 2% of children (2 to 19 years) eat a healthy diet consistent with the five main recommendations from the Food Guide Pyramid;

Whereas, nationally, the items most commonly sold from school vending machines, school stores, and snack bars include low-nutrition foods and beverages, such as soda, sports drinks, imitation fruit juices, chips, candy, cookies, and snack cakes;

Whereas, community participation is essential to the development and implementation of successful school wellness policies;

Thus, Innovation School of Excellence (ISE) is committed to providing school environments that promote and protect children's health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. Therefore, it is the policy of ISE that:

• ISE will engage students, parents, teachers, food service professionals, health professionals, and other interested community members in developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing district-wide nutrition and physical activity policies.
• All students in grades 1st-8th grade will have opportunities, support, and encouragement to be physically active on a regular basis.
• Qualified child nutrition professionals will provide students with access to a variety of affordable, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students; will accommodate the religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the student body in meal planning; and will provide clean, safe, and pleasant settings and adequate time for students to eat.
• To the maximum extent practicable, ISE will participate in available federal school meal programs (including the School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program [including after-school snacks], Summer Food Service Program, Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program, and Child and Adult Care Food Program [including suppers]).
  
  ISE will provide nutrition education and physical education to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity, and will establish linkages between health education and school meal programs, and with related community services.