Cedar Rapids Community School District is committed to creating a supportive learning environment that promotes health, safety, and well-being. In partnership with parents, schools play a critical role in helping students establish lifelong patterns of healthy behavior and setting them up for greater success in school and in life.
The LIVE WELLness program focuses on creating environments where healthy choices are easier. CRCSD, building, and community representatives make up the district wellness council, which helps support schools in improving staff and student well-being. The school health advisory council reviews and makes recommendations for wellness policies and regulations that meet federal guidelines and are approved by the board of education.
The elementary and secondary LIVE WELLness commitments show what students, staff, and family members should expect to see happening in their building to promote wellness.
Elementary school wellness commitments
- Celebrate events involving food not more than one time each month with foods that meet Smart Snack Guidelines
- Ensure physical activity is not used for or withheld as punishment
- Provide multiple opportunities for physical activity to meet or exceed the Healthy Kids Act requirements (30 minutes/day)
- Require that students are physically active during the majority of time in physical education class
- Provide a healthy eating environment that encourages competent eating
- Discontinue using food/food coupons as rewards or incentives
- Ensure all foods, beverages and food/beverage marketing (including snacks and fundraisers) available from midnight to 30 minutes after the end of the school day meet Smart Snack Guidelines
Middle and high school wellness commitments
- Provide health and wellness education, including nutrition, in the curriculum
- Ensure physical activity is not used for or withheld as punishment
- Require that students are physically active during the majority of time in physical education class
- Provide multiple opportunities for physical activity to meet or exceed the Healthy Kids Act requirements (120 minutes/week)
- Discontinue using food/food coupons as rewards or incentives
- Ensure all foods, beverages, and food/beverage marketing (including snacks and fundraisers) available from midnight to 30 minutes after the end of the school day meet Smart Snack Guidelines
Wellness policy
Compliance with the school wellness policy is monitored by the district wellness council, wellness policy council, and school health advisory council. These groups work to align the components of the whole school, whole community, whole child model to best serve students. The district wellness policy is reviewed annually and updated every three years.
In addition, each building completes a self-assessment of wellness policy implementation annually. Find the results of the most recent assessment here. Items reported as “fully implemented” by less than 50% of CRCSD buildings are addressed by the councils noted above as priorities.