August Healthy Schools - Healthy Students

Which Fruit or Vegetable Are You?

Take this quiz to learn which produce represents your personality. A great ice breaker idea for back to school staff trainings and an opportunity to learn more about produce grown in Iowa!

Fruit & Vegetable Survey

Training Opportunities

School Nutrition Professional Standards are intended to ensure staff who manage and operate school nutrition programs have adequate knowledge and training to meet program requirements.

Iowa Department of Education offers a variety of in person, webinar, and on-line school nutrition training opportunities:

- School Meals Education Events: schedule of upcoming in person and webinars.

- School Meals Learning Tools: collection of recorded webinars on a variety of topics.

- Web-Based Tutorials: self-directed learning on Iowa Learning Online.

- School Nutrition Staff Training Webcasts: 10-15 minutes that include facilitator guides.

- School Nutrition E-mail Based Group: communication tool to share ideas and gather feedback from others. To participate, contact carrie.scheidel@iowa.gov.

Healthiest State Walk - October 2nd

The Annual Walk is an opportunity for your school to join thousands of other Iowans statewide in walking for 30 minutes. This is the 9th annual event and we hope you'll join us and be inspired to walk for 30 minutes not just on October 2, but every day! #GetYourWalkOn2019

This year includes a School Mascot Challenge for the first 16 schools who register walks in their regions for a total of 64 schools. The schools will compete in a bracket style challenge for a chance to win $1,000! Limited spots remain in each region.

Iowa Local Food Day - October 11

Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is sponsoring the annual Iowa Local Food day on October 11th.

What does the day include? Schools serve at least two food items in school meals that feature local ingredients from Iowa farms.

How do I sign up? Visit Iowa Local Food Day.

Questions? Contact tammy.stotts@iowaagriculture.gov.

Physical Activity, Physical Education & Health

Physical Activity Requirements

The Iowa Healthy Kids Act has been in place since 2008 and includes physical activity requirements for students:

- K-5: minimum of 30 minutes per school day (i.e. recess, physical education, brain breaks, etc.)

- 6-12: minimum of 120 minutes per week (i.e. recess, physical education, interscholastic sports, non school activities - can be documented through a physical activity contract, etc.).

Voluntary Physical Education and Health Standards

Iowa's voluntary physical education and health standards were approved and adopted by the Iowa State Board of Education on March 28, 2019 based on public input and review team recommendations. Questions? Contact Lyn Jenkins at lyn.jenkins@iowa.gov.

Meal Signage Requirements

School meal programs are required to have signage that identifies the content of a reimbursable breakfast or lunch near or at the beginning of serving lines. This requirement is to ensure students do not unintentionally purchase a la carte items and minimize issues at point of sale.

Iowa Department of Education has a collection of Reimbursable Meal Signage to assist schools in meeting this requirement:

Today's Menu (Lunch)
Build a Healthy Breakfast
Make a Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Salad Bar
What Makes a Lunch/Breakfast? (Dubuque CSD)

Staff Wellness Idea

Start the school year off on the right foot by participating in the Next Step walking challenge with colleagues from Sept 9 - Oct 18th.

Teams of 2-10 compete in an active competition tracking the number of steps accumulated. Through an online dashboard, members report their step count in effort to move their team up the challenge leaderboard. There are opportunities to win team incentives and individual prizes!

Cost is $10/participant. Visit Live Healthy Iowa for more information or to register.

Join others from across the state working in schools, child care, out-of-school programs, health care, and communities to adopt strategies to support the healthy choices as the easy choice.

The summit will take place on October 22nd at Des Moines University. Mileage ($0.39/mile) and sub-pay (up to $100/staff member) reimbursement will be available for school staff to attend. Cost: $30/person Registration opens August 19th!

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter ad- dressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the com- plaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410
Fax: (202) 690-7442
Email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Iowa Nondiscrimination Statement

It is the policy of this CNP provider not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or religion in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code section 216.6, 216.7, and 216.9. If you have questions or grievances related to compliance with this policy by this CNP Provider, please contact the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Grimes State Office Building, 400 E 14th St, Des Moines, IA 50319-1004; phone numbers 515-281-4121 or 800-457-4416; website: https://icrc.iowa.gov/.