Local Wellness Policy
Our Mission: Amherst County Public Schools is committed to providing a healthy environment for students and staff, recognizing that individuals must be physically, mentally and socially healthy in order to promote wellness and academic performance.
Healthy Schools Change Lives
We want your Feedback!
Here at Amherst County Public Schools, we are updating our Wellness Policy to address the changing health needs and concerns of students and to ensure that healthier options are available to everyone! We want your feedback! Please feel free to email your comments, suggestions and ideas to [email protected].
We completed an audit of our Local Wellness Policy in 2020. This audit identified several areas of improvement listed in the action items below. We are working on a revised policy that addresses these areas and reflects our values of "Every Child, Every Day." Please contact us with any additional ideas.
Action Items:
School cafeterias promote the importance of positive nutrition through signs and posters, but some have more information available than others. CNP will make sure all schools have access to a variety of posters and signs that promote good nutritional choices. Consideration will also be given to whether additional schools should be enrolled at Team Nutrition Schools.
Staff wellness has traditionally been promoted from the division level. While several of our schools have initiatives organized by individuals within their buildings, most administrators do not promote staff wellness, nutrition or physical activity on a regular basis. Administrators can promote the importance of physical activity and self-care during faculty meetings or through faculty newsletters, by encouraging after-school activities for teachers, and incentivizing participation in wellness activities. Resources will be provided to administrators.
Only a few schools are promoting the importance of families being active together, and this is mostly being done through PE fitness logs. Schools will be encouraged to include wellness and physical activity promotion during events and through communication with families. The division will provide resources to schools for this purpose and consider other ways to promote community wellness at the school level.
Division team is in the process of reviewing the current ACPS wellness policy and comparing it to guidelines from the USDA, Alliance for a Healthier Generation's model wellness policy, and recent memoranda from VDOE. Revisions will be made and presented to the school board for implementation during the 2020-21 school year.
Mandated Health Screenings
State Law requires that all NEW students (as well as ALL students in grades K, 3, 7, and 10) receive a vision and hearing screening. The screenings will take place during school and the school nurse will contact parents if any problems or deficits are discovered. We are thankful for our partnership with Amherst County Lion's Club who help us bring free visions screenings to our students! If you have any questions, please contact your school nurse or health assistant.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are serious health problems that usually start in childhood or adolescence and affect both girls and boys. With early diagnosis, eating disorders are treatable with a combination of nutritional, medical, and therapeutic supports. Recognizing the importance of early identification of at-risk students, the 2013 Virginia General Assembly passed a law requiring each school board to provide parent educational information regarding eating disorders on an annual basis to students in the fifth through twelfth grades. For more information please visit https://www.doe.virginia.gov/programs-services/
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