Archive for month: October, 2017 (Page 2)

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10/17/17

General Provisions

21^st Century Public Academy shall maintain a wellness approach that follows the coordinated school health approach.  We recognize that a coordinated school health and wellness approach connects health with academic success, supports student and staff wellness, and contributes to student academic achievement.  21^st Century Public Academy shall strive to utilize the histories, language, and cultures of our families, community and students as the foundation of a coordinated school health approach that ensures every student is eager to be a world-class citizen.  Collaborative decision-making processes shall be incorporated on district and school-level School Health Advisory Councils.

The approach shall be culturally responsive and will focus on increasing academic opportunities by eliminating barriers that affect students’ readiness to learn. 21^st Century shall promote a healthy, safe learning and working environment that provides students and staff with the skills, social support, and environmental reinforcement they need to adopt long-term, health promoting behaviors that can improve student achievement and assist staff in meeting the needs of students.

Family, School and Community Engagement

In line with a coordinated school health approach, 21^st Century shall create a school environment that promotes student health and supports academic achievement through effective partnerships among families, schools and communities.

The school shall establish and maintain a School Health Advisory Council (SHAC).  Membership should include equal representation of family/ student/community membership and Albuquerque Public Schools employee members.  Membership shall include:

• Principal or representative
• Parent or Guardian
• Nurse or representative
• School staff member
• Student(s)
• Community member(s)

The School Health Advisory Council shall provide advice and counsel to School leadership, on the development, revision, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the district’s wellness policy.  In addition, the School Health Advisory Council may be asked to make recommendations regarding issues and topics related to the eight components of the coordinated school health approach.  The School Health Advisory Council shall meet for one or more of these purposes at least bi-annually and report progress to the Governance Council bi-annually.

At the request of the Administration, the School Health Advisory Council shall be responsible for recommending a list of topics/issues that the council will work on the next year and submit them for consideration.  Topics/issues may include, but not limited to:

• The promotion of physical activity opportunities for students, before, during and/or after school.
• The promotion of Smart Snack Nutrition Standards
• Competitive Food Sales
• Guidance for school sponsored fundraisers during normal school hours.
• Ensure K-12 health education curriculum is aligned to the New Mexico Health Education Standards and Benchmarks with Performance Standards.
• Ensure K-12 physical education curriculum is aligned to the New Mexico Physical Education Standards and Benchmarks with Performance Standards.
• Support the behavioral health needs of all students in the educational process.
• Ensure schools are in compliance with the Public Education Department requirements for Site Safety Plans.
• Support health services needs of students in the educational process.
• Ensures an equitable work environment and a work environment that meets the American with Disabilities Act for all staff.
• Ensure that schools provide site wellness information to the community through school wellness profiles.
• Ensure that the School Academic Master Plan aligns with a coordinated school health approach.

School level School Health Advisory Councils shall include one or more family and community members who are not also staff working in the school.

School Educational Plans for Student Success will include specific family engagement activities targeted towards student wellness within each component of the Coordinated School Health approach.

School level School Health Advisory Councils shall:

• Review the school’s Wellness Profile annually and
• Make recommendation to the school principal regarding programs and activities to support the school’s coordinated school health approach.

Nutrition

The School shall integrate programs that provide access to a variety of nutritious, affordable and appealing meals and snacks for students; nutrition education; and an environment that promotes healthy eating behaviors. In recognition of the role that nutrition in supporting academic performance and quality of life, the school shall provide adequate opportunities to be able to encourage and support healthy eating by students.

Principal shall ensure that all foods and beverages made available through vending machines, a la carte, student stores, food vendors, snack bars, and school-sponsored fundraisers during hours shall be in compliance with federal and state statutes and regulations.

Schools shall provide nutrition education activities that align with the New Mexico Health Education Content Standards with Benchmarks and Performance Standards.

Physical Activity

Physical activity is conducted for health and wellness reasons and should not be withheld or used as a punishment.

Physical activity is not a replacement for physical education. In addition to the Physical Education and Health Education Content Standards, schools shall provide opportunities for all students to participate in before, during and/or after school physical activity programs outside of physical education programs.  These may include, but are not limited to:

• 10-minute “brain breaks/energizers” integrated into curriculum
• Safe Routes to School encouragement and education activities
• Intramurals
• Family fitness nights
• After school clubs and activities
• Interscholastic athletics

Competitive and non-competitive physical activity opportunities that are developmentally appropriate in nature shall be offered to all students. Schools shall provide education on the health benefits of physical activity that align with both the New Mexico Health Education and Physical Education Content Standards with Benchmarks and Performance.

Physical Education

The School shall provide students with physical education to assure that all students are able to learn and develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to be physically active.

The School shall provide a planned, sequential, physical education curriculum that provides the optimal opportunity for students to:

• Learn and develop skills,
• Increase knowledge and attitudes necessary to personally decide to participate in lifetime healthful physical activity, and is
• Aligned to the Physical Education Content Standards with Benchmarks and Performance Standards.

Physical education classes will be sequential, building from year to year, and content will include motor skills, concepts and strategies, engagement in physical activity, physical fitness, responsible behavior and benefits of physical activity.  In addition, physical education classes will be aligned to the New Mexico Physical Education Content Standards with Benchmarks and Performance Standards.

A high quality physical education program improves overall student health and enhances student academic achievement.  Every student shall have opportunities to participate in physical education, including students with disabling conditions (Adapted PE) and those in alternative education programs. Each student will be enrolled in the equivalent of 1 year of PE during 6^th through 8^th grade.

Health Education

The School shall provide a comprehensive health education curriculum to provide opportunities for students to acquire health literacy and life skills.

The School shall provide a planned, sequential, health education curricular framework that is aligned to the New Mexico Health Education Content Standards with Benchmarks and Performance Standards.  Each student will be given the equivalent of one semester of Health during 6^th through 8^th grade.

Healthy and Safe Environment

The School shall promote a positive school climate and culture that facilitates teaching and learning in a healthy and safe environment before, during and after school that:

• Focuses on the whole child,
• Promotes personal growth and healthy personal relationships, and
• Provides freedom from discrimination and abuse including bullying prevention and intervention.

The School shall promote a climate and culture before, during and after school for students, teachers, staff, parents and community members that support academic achievement.

The School shall develop and utilize guidelines for a Site Safety Plan, which will be reviewed and updated annually. The plan shall include prevention, policies and procedures, preparedness, response, and recovery that focuses on supporting healthy and safe environments. Plans shall be submitted to Albuquerque Public Schools for annual approval.

Families shall be notified annually at registration of where they can access information regarding school emergencies.  Schools shall perform twelve (12) emergency drills annually, at different times during the school day including while students are in the classroom and at lunch/recess.  Emergency drills shall consist of nine (9) fire drills, (2) lockdown drills and one (1) evacuation drill.

The Schools shall provide safety procedures and appropriate training for students, teachers, parents, and staff.  These trainings shall support personal safety and a violence/harassment-free environment.  Example of trainings include: OSHA, child abuse, suicide prevention, bullying, lockdown, and lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) sensitivity.

Buildings and grounds, structures, buses and equipment will meet current state and local statutes, regulations and standards.

The facility shall abide by district policies which create and promote an environment free of tobacco or tobacco products, alcohol and other drugs.

Implementation of school-wide prevention programs and supports shall be based on each school’s needs and best practices in coordination with the Albuquerque Public Schools Student, Family and Community Supports Division.

School Counseling/Social and Emotional Wellbeing

The School shall provide services to maintain and/or improve student’s mental, emotional, behavioral and social health.

The School shall collaborate with students, families, staff and community to influence student success by building awareness and promoting strategies focused on maintaining and/or improve student mental health.

Schools shall have an active Health and Wellness Team to address student specific and school-wide issues.   The core members may include the school nurse, school counselor, teacher(s) and school administrator.

Schools shall have a documented procedure in place for students to request assistance with any social-emotional need. In turn, all school staff shall have annual training and information on this procedure and others to support student safety and wellbeing including the following:

• Child abuse and neglect procedure,
• Health and Wellness Team
• School-specific social and emotional resources.

Schools shall have an individual student safety plan for students that are exhibiting behaviors that could impact the safety of the students and/or staff.

Health Services

Health service programs shall meet all reporting, record-keeping and confidentiality requirements of state and federal statutes and regulations.

Staff Wellness

The School shall promote activities that help maintain and improve the health of staff, contributing to improved morale and a greater personal commitment to the goals of the district.  These activities shall:

• Promote the physical, emotional and mental health of employees,
• prevent disease and disability
• Provide opportunities for staff to learn and practice skills to make personal decisions about health-enhancing daily habits.

The Albuquerque Public Schools Human Resource Department, shall 1) provide staff with information related to exercise, stress management and nutrition and 2) encourage and provide opportunities for staff to participate in health promotion activities and events that focusing on exercise, stress management and nutrition.