Winfield City Schools :: Child Nutrition Overview for 2008-2009 School Year

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Child Nutrition Program

Child Nutrition Program:
The administration of the Winfield City School System believes that good nutrition is very important to learning and that every child has the right to nutritious meals. Winfield City School Lunch Programs are required to meet the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend that no more than 25 – 30 percent of an individual’s calories come from fat and less than 10 percent come from saturated fat. Lunch must provide one-third of recommended dietary allowances of calories, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium.

Students select three or more of the five menu items offered: entrée, vegetable, fruit, bread, and milk for lunch and three or more of the four menu items offered for breakfast. They may also purchase additional items along with the meal. These are extra sale items and prices on these items are subject to change. Please encourage your child to make good food choices, practice portion control and exercise daily.

Competing foods are not allowed in the lunchroom. Students should not bring in food from outside sources (restaurants or snack machines) Students are permitted to bring lunch from home if the lunch is in a lunchbox or plain (no logo) paper bag. Students are not allowed to leave campus during breakfast or lunch. No carbonated beverages or drinks of minimal nutritional value are allowed. If you do choose to send a lunch from home, please make sure it is a nutritious lunch with fruits and vegetables.

Meals must be paid for in advance or at the time of service. You may deposit daily, weekly, monthly or yearly in your child’s lunch account. It is the parent’s responsibility to provide lunch or lunch money for your child. Winfield City Child Nutrition Charge Policy states that only two (2) meals may be charged. Extra items may not be charged. Any charges above the 2 meals will be charged the price of the meal plus the USDA reimbursement rate plus the commodity entitlement rate. Please discuss with your child if they may purchase extra items in the lunchroom. Meals that are paid by check must have the student’s name, lunch number and phone number on the check. Please write separate checks for each student.

Students may be eligible for free or reduced priced meals in accordance with state and federal rules. Free and reduced priced meals applications are available at local schools and must be completed annually. If student qualifies for free lunch they also qualify for free breakfast.

Kindergarten students must complete a free/reduced application before they can be given free or reduced meals. If your child receives a letter from the Child Nutrition Office stating that they were directly certified for free lunches they do not have to fill out a free/reduced lunch form. You may fill out an application at any time during the school year. If you list zero income, your application will be given temporary approval. We make every effort to process the applications as quickly as possible but please note we have 10 days after receiving the free/reduced application to complete the approval process.

If your child has a medical condition where they need special food requirements, a physicians order must be on file in the School Nurse’s Office and Child Nutrition Manager’s Office.

Lunch menus are posted in all schools and on the internet.

Breakfast Prices                                                 Lunch Prices
Reduced Price…$.30                                          Reduced Price   $0.40
Regular Price… $1.00                                         Regular Price    $1.75

Wellness Policy:
Foods and beverages sold individually (i.e. foods sold outside of reimbursable school meals, such as through vending machines, cafeteria a la carte {snack} items, fundraisers, school stores, etc.) at a minimum must follow the Alabama State Department of Education guidelines.

State Guidelines on Foods and Beverages

Elementary Schools: No carbonated soft drinks shall be available for sale to students at anytime during the school day. No item to be considered to be in this category of carbonated drinks may be provided free of charge to students or brought on campus for consumption. No food or beverage that has high fructose corn syrup or sugar listed as the first ingredient may be made available during the school day. Items that may be sold include: (1) non-carbonated unflavored water any size, (2) up to 8 ounces 100% fruit juices with no added sweeteners, (3) up to 8 ounces low fat or non fat milk.
Middle School: No carbonated soft drinks shall be available for sale to students at anytime during the school day. No items to be considered in the category of carbonated drinks may be provided free of charge to students or bought on campus for consumption. No food or beverage that has high fructose corn syrup or sugar listed as the first ingredient may be made available during the school day. Items that may be sold: (1) Any size unflavored bottled water, (2) Up to 10 ounces low fat or non –fat milk, (3) Up to 10 ounces 100% fruit juice with no added sweeteners.
High School: High Schools may sell no calorie or low calorie carbonated drinks as long as they do not contain more than 10 calories per 8 ounces, with a 20 ounce maximum. No item considered to be in this full sugar category of carbonated drinks may be provided free of charge to students or brought on campus for consumption. No food or beverage that has high fructose corn syrup or sugar listed as the first ingredient may be made available during the school day. Items that may be sold: (1) Bottled water any size, (2) No or low calorie non-carbonated flavored or unflavored water up to 20 ounces, (3) Milk up to 12 ounces low fat or non-fat milk, Up to 12 ounces 100% fruit juice with no added sweeteners, (4) Tea, and sports drinks up to 12 ounces with no more than 99 calories.
Foods and drinks not allowed in the cafeteria: Foods or beverages that cannot be served in the cafeteria cannot be purchased by students elsewhere and brought into the cafeteria for consumption. No food of any type may be sold at any place on the school campus during meal service, to include breakfast and lunch times.
Sack Lunches: Parents that prepare sack lunches for consumption on school premises shall be encouraged to follow these same guidelines. Lunches from home should be in a plain paper bag or a lunch box. Restaurant meals are not allowed.
Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value: In addition to the restriction regarding the sale of carbonated beverages, no one on school campus may provide access to “for sale” or “free” foods and beverages of minimal nutritional value as identified under USDA regulations 7 CFR 210. (see Wellness Policy)
Fundraising Activities: All fundraising activities must meet the States Wellness Guidelines. (see Wellness Policy)
Snacks: Snacks served during the school day or in after-school care or enrichment programs shall make a positive contribution to children’s diets and health, with an emphasis on serving fruits and vegetables. All a la carte items sold or provided must meet the following guidelines per one ounce serving:
Contain less than 30 grams of carbohydrates. Less than 360 milligrams of sodium. Less than 10% of the daily value of fat.
Containing at least 5% (and preferably 10%) of the daily value of (DV) of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium or fiber. (5% of the daily value of more of at least one).

Additionally, the portion sizes shall follow these requirements.

Chips, 1.25 ounce maximum, baked or containing no more than 7.5 grams of fat per bag.
Cookies/cereal bars, 1.33 ounce maximum.
Pastries and muffins, 2 ounce maximum.
Frozen dairy desserts, low fat ice cream, puddings, jellied fruit bowls, 4 ounce maximum.
Yogurt, (low fat) less than 30 grams total carbohydrates, 8 ounce maximum.

Physical Activity
At a minimum, students will receive the Physical Education State Course of Study recommendation for per day activity and students will be encouraged to fully embrace regular physical activity as a personal behavior at school and at home. Waiver for exemption to physical education requirements must be approved by the State Department of Education. Waivers for High School students must follow the guidelines as outlined in Instructional Code Changes.

We encourage you to log on to www.winfield.al.org to view the entire wellness policy, free/reduced price application, nutrition nuggets, teen nutrition, and other nutritional information. If you do not have access to the internet; please contact the Child Nutrition Director. We encourage everyone to read and follow the wellness guidelines.

For other information about the Child Nutrition Program, please call Sandy McCaleb, Director of Child Nutrition Programs at the Winfield City Board of Education Offices, 205-487-0228 or toll free at 1-866-241-0416.

We hope that you and your child have a great school year.

This is an equal opportunity provider.