The Board recognizes the relationship between student well-being and student achievement as well as the importance of a comprehensive district wellness program. Therefore, the district will provide developmentally appropriate, sequential nutrition and physical education, as well as opportunities for physical activity. The wellness program will be implemented in a multidisciplinary fashion and will be evidence-based, using the components of our anti-bias commitment to shape and inform all policies and procedures for the Wellness Program.

A district-wide Wellness Committee will be established and will meet at least (4) four times per year. City Garden Montessori will establish a wellness committee that consists of at least one parent, student, nurse or other school health professional, physical education teacher, school food service representative, Board member, school administrator, member of the public, and other community members as appropriate. If available, a qualified, credentialed nutrition professional will serve on the wellness committee. To the extent possible, the DWC (district wellness committee) will include representatives who will reflect the diversity of the community.  Committee meeting dates and agendas will be posted on the district's website in advance of each meeting and advertised to reach students, staff, and community members. All wellness committee meeting agendas will include a public comment period during which students, staff, and community members are encouraged to provide input on the district's wellness program. Meetings, records, and votes of the wellness committee will adhere to the requirements of the Missouri Sunshine Law.The District will use electronic mechanisms, such as displaying notices on the district’s website, as well as non-electronic mechanisms, such as newsletters or sending information home to parents, to ensure that all families are actively notified of the content, implementation, and updates to the wellness policy. The District will ensure that communications are culturally and linguistically appropriate to the community.

The Board designates the following individual(s) as wellness program coordinator: Tiffany Whitlock Murphy, Business and Facilities Manager. Only district employees who are members of the wellness committee may serve as wellness program coordinators. Wellness coordinators, in consultation with the wellness committee, will oversee implementation and evaluation of this policy. Wellness program coordinators are responsible for ensuring that the school follows this policy.

The nutrition guidelines outlined in this section do not apply to food or beverages brought from home by students for consumption solely by the student or food or beverages created or used by students as part of the district's instructional program.It is the policy of City Garden that all foods and beverages sold to students during the school day on any property under the district's jurisdiction will meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) school meal and Smart Snacks in School (Smart Snacks) nutrition standards.  These nutrition standards apply to all food and beverages sold to students, including those sold in vending machines, school stores, and through district-sponsored fundraisers, unless an exemption applies (we have five exemptions per year). In addition, the Smart Snacks standards apply to all food and beverages provided, but not sold, to students outside the reimbursable school meals program during the school day. For the purposes of this policy, the school day is the period from 30 minutes before midnight to 30 minutes after the official school day.

‍The District will provide nutritional education aligned with the Missouri Learning Standards and Grade-Level Expectations (GLE’s) in health and physical education in all grades. In addition, the district will disseminate nutritional messages and other nutrition-related materials received from the USDA to students, staff, and the community through a variety of media and methods. The wellness program coordinators, in consultation with the wellness committee, will develop procedures that address nutrition education and promotion. 

The district will provide physical education and opportunities for physical activity aligned with the Missouri Learning Standards and GLEs in health and physical education in all grades. The Health and Physical Education Lead Guide, in consultation with the wellness committee, will develop procedures that address physical education and physical activity.

The wellness program coordinators, in consultation with the wellness committee, are charged with developing procedures addressing other school-based activities to promote wellness.

The local wellness program will be assessed at least once every three years. The assessment will measure the district's level of compliance with implementing the local wellness program, including compliance levels in each of the district's schools; the extent to which the district's policy compares to model wellness policies; and a description of the progress made in attaining the goals of the program. Wellness program coordinators will report assessment results to the Board, and each assessment's results will be made available to the public on the district's website and through other appropriate means. The wellness program coordinators will make recommendations for modifications to the wellness policy based on these assessments, and the Board will revise the wellness policy as it deems necessary. Administrative procedures will be revised accordingly.

The wellness program coordinators will maintain records necessary to document compliance with law, including a copy of the policy; documentation of community involvement, including sign-in sheets or other documentation of the names of those who provided input to the committee; documentation of triennial assessments; and documentation that assessment findings were shared with the public.