Wellness Programs at ISD:
- Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant Program
Iroquois Elementary School received a grant for this school year that provides our elementary students with a fresh fruit or fresh vegetable 3 times per week. This healthy afternoon treat is delivered to the classrooms and provides the students with exposure to healthy food choices that they may otherwise not have the opportunity to experience.

- Wellness Wednesday
Wellness Wednesday is a program in which our elementary students have come to love. Healthy, different food items are offered as a sample, encouraging students to try something new. The recipes use healthy, wholesome, and sometimes uncommon ingredients (such as farro or quinoa). A hand-out is sent home with students including nutrition facts, activities, and recipes.
- Feature of the Week
At the secondary level and during each month, there is a special featured in the cafeteria a la carte section. These items range from a healthy Rootbeer Float to Asian Spring Rolls to Chocolate Dipped Fruit.
Each month all secondary level TNG schools offer a Recipe of the Month. These homestyle entrees are created by our Corporate Chefs utilizing modern, healthy, and tasty ingredients. Some examples include: Savory Ham Pot Pie, Chili Cheese Tots, and Buffalo Chicken Alfredo.
The cafeteria provides students with nutritious, healthy food to nourish the body and mind. In addition, the café is also a place for students to gather and unwind for a brief period of time. Special, fun days are planned each month to help make the café a safe, happy, and comfortable place for students to enjoy. A few examples of our fun days are: Halloween Coloring Contest, National Popcorn Trivia Day, Twelve Days of Christmas, Super Bowl Contest, Lunch and a Movie, Groundhog Day, Disney Day.
Create Your Own Bowl is a secondary level concept to give students more control in their entrée choice, toppings, and serving size. At least two Create Your Own Bowls are offered during the month. Options include: Fiesta Bowl, Pasta Bowl, Potato Bowl, Rice Bowl, and Salad Bowl.
Wellness Committee Members
Dr. Thad Urban, ISD Assistant to the Superintendent (Committee Chairperson)
Karen Barringer, IES Physical Education Teacher
Christina Myers, ISD School Nurse
Denise Pyle, ISD Food Service Director/Nutritionist, Nutrition Group, Inc.
IES Assistant Principal
Jeannene Willow, IHS Assistant Principal
Mike Greider, IES Head Custodian
Dr. Steven Krauza, Parent/Community Wellness Expert
Wellness Committee Meeting Minutes
Iroquois SD Wellness Policy
Student Wellness Plan
Children
need access to healthful foods and opportunities to be physically active in
order to grow, learn, and thrive. Such good health fosters student
attendance and education.
Unfortunately,
obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the last
two decades. The predominant causes of obesity are excessive caloric
intake and physical inactivity. Unhealthy habits established in childhood
can lead to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes for
adults.
The
National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA) provides documentation of
the national impact of the increase in obesity and inactivity in its report,
“Obesity and Other Diet- and Inactivity-Related Diseases.” The entire
report with supporting statistics is available at www.NANAcoalition.org.
Nutrition
Standard
- Plan school
meals to meet standards defined by the State ad Federal regulations and
recommendations.
- Operate the
School Breakfast Program to ensure that all children have access to
breakfast.
- No food or
beverages shall be sold to students during established meal periods other
than those sold by School Food and Nutrition Services.
- All foods and
beverages sold during the school day must meet established nutrition
Nutrition Education Goals
- Provide
classroom nutrition education that consists of age appropriate activities.
- Expose
students to a wide array of healthy foods and choices.
School
Initiatives
- Fresh fruit and vegetable snack
- Pilot
Breakfast in the Classroom (Elementary School)
- Partner
with Nutrition Inc. to showcase a new food
- Expand
on the vegetable garden
- Repair/Restore
Greenhouse
- Nutrition
Education integrated in Health classes
Physical Activity Goals
-
Provide
regular physical education instruction for every student.
- Students
shall be moderately to vigorously active as much time as possible during a
physical education class. *Adaptive physical education and medical curriculum
will be established to accommodate students.
- Offer
a variety of cooperative, individual/personal and competitive physical
activities in physical education classes that shall reflect the needs and
interests of all students.
- Prohibit
using physical activity as a punishment and strongly discourage
withholding opportunities for physical activity as a punishment.
- Work
cooperatively with private and community organizations to make quality
activities, spaces and facilities available to students, staff, and
community members.
- Provide
at least twenty minutes each day of supervised recess for all elementary
school students.
- Create
a brochure/publication that details the extracurricular physical activity
programs available to all elementary, middle, and high school students.
- Student Wellness Initiatives
- President’s Fitness Challenge00 Mile Club
- Fuel Up to Play 60
- Principal’s Boot Camp Partner with YMCA
- Provide 9th grade Students with Guest
Memberships
- Certified P90X instructors
- Justice Jumpers (jump rope team)
- Fit 4 U Club – morning fitness
- PRIDE (Practicing Repeatedly Increases
Development of Excellence) – before-school basketball drills
- Mighty Milers after-school running
- Don’t Give up Your Stick – monthly sustained
running minutes
- Ring the Bell Challenge – climb diagonal pole on
playground and ring bell at top. Pictures taken and posted.
- Faculty and Student Push-Up Challenge
- Jump Rope for Heart
- Hoops for Heart
- Walk for Diabetes
- Walk for Autism
- Field Day
- Administer and analyze Wellness Screenings
- Height/Weight
BMI/Push-Ups/Pacers Test
- Boys/girls Biddy League Basketball
- Boys/girls soccer club