1. Cochise County
and
University of Arizona
Nutrition Network
Wellness Policy Toolkit

2. Why is a Wellness Policy Important?
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, student health is a priority for long
term academic success, health, and overall quality of life today and in the future. Started by
the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, it is required that each local educational agency
participating in the National School Lunch Program or other Federal Child Nutrition programs
establish a local school wellness policy for all schools under its jurisdiction.
At minimum, a local school wellness policy must:
 Include goals for nutrition promotion and education, physical activity, and other school-
based activities that promote student wellness.
 Include nutrition guidelines to promote student health and reduce childhood obesity for
all foods available in each school district.
 Permit parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, teachers of
physical education, school health professionals, the school board, school administrators,
and the general public to participate in the development, implementation, and review
and update of the local wellness policy.
 Inform and update the public (including parents, students, and others in the community)
about the content and implementation of local wellness policies.
 Be measured periodically on the extent to which schools are in compliance with the local
wellness policy, the extent to which the local education agency’s local wellness policy
compares to model local school wellness policies, and the progress made in attaining the
goals of the local wellness policy, and make this assessment available to the public.
Local School Wellness Policy Requirements | Food and Nutrition Service. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/local-school-wellness-
policy-requirements

3. 4 Step Process:
Step 1: POLICYREVIEW
Allowusto reviewyourexistingwellnesspolicythroughourWellSAT:2.0tool. Thistool measuresthe
qualityof the written policies. Thistool reviewssix areasinaLWP: nutritioneducation,standardsfor
USDA school meals,nutritionstandards,physical education&physical activity,wellnesspromotion&
marketing,andevaluation. Universityof ArizonaNutritionNetwork(UANN) staff will inputthe policy
intothissystemanddeliverthe policyreviewresultsbacktothe school district.
Step2: WellSATFEEDBACK/POLICYREVISION
Once the feedbackissentback fromWellSAT2.0,both UANN staff and the Cochise HealthandSocial
Services(CHSS) representativeswill meetwithDistrictrepresentativestoreview the personalized
guidance thatis generatedthroughthe review process. Inadditiontothe personalizedguidance,a
resource guide forhowto implementchangesandimprovementswill alsobe included. Uponreview,as
the changeshave beenidentifiedanddiscussed,the CHSSrepresentative will thenoffertechnical
assistance ordirectassistance inthe policyrevisionprocess.
Step3: IDENTIFY WELLNESS COORDINATOR
In order to ensure active implementation of the LWP, we invite each district or site to identify a
Wellness Coordinator. This Wellness Coordinator will oversee the district/site’s Healthy Schools
Program, set annual school health goals, participate in/facilitate an active local School Health Advisory
Council (SHAC), and will be encouraged to keep school health and wellness goals an active component
on school campuses. Through Cochise Health and Social Services, a stipend of $260.00 total can be
awardedannuallythroughuptotwo paymentstothisWellnessCoordinator.
Step 4: HEALTHY SCHOOLS PROGRAMASSESSMENT/IMPLEMENTATION
The HealthySchoolsProgramisa tool createdbythe CenterforDisease Control andadoptedbythe
Alliance foraHealthierGenerationtoassessthe healthandwellnessneedsof eachschool ordistrictto
create an annual School HealthActionPlanbasedoff those needs. Itwill be the responsibilityof the
WellnessCoordinatortooversee the HealthySchoolsProgramAssessmentandActionPlan.This
program engagesstaff,parents,students,andcommunitymemberstocollaborate inschool health
promotion,anditis encouraged thatthe WellnessCoordinatorreachesouttothe aforementioned
personnel. Once the HealthySchoolsProgramActionPlanisestablished,the school yearwill focusona
minimumof quarterlySHACmeetingsandongoingactiontoimplementcomponentsof the LWP. UANN
and CHSS will be available forresourcesandtechnical assistance asoutlinedinthe WellnessPolicy
Supporthandout.

4. Assessment Timeline:
Wellness
Committee
Meetings
Meeting 1 Meeting 2 Meeting 3 Meeting 4
Meeting
Tasks
Meet and Greet with
districtSHAC and
Wellness
Coordinator(s).
Introduce UANN and
CHSS and review
services and support
offered. Go over
WellSAT tool and
attain permission to
submitpolicy to be
reviewed by WellSAT.
Review WellSAT
feedback and go over
any question/ concerns
regardingfeedback.
Meet with committee to
review and discuss
implementation of the
Healthy Schools Program
(HSP) assessment
Set goals and strategies for
next school year based off
HSP assessmentfeedback.
Celebrate success of
accomplishinginitial stages
of updatingpolicy and
assessingcurrentschool
health initiatives.
Between
Meeting
Tasks
UANN will facilitate
WellSAT assessmentand
feedback on Local
Wellness Policy.
CHSS will complete any
policy updates that were
agreed on duringreview
meeting. Email
correspondence will
occur to ensure
adequate changes.
Revised policy will be
submitted via email.
Conduct HSP assessment,
receive feedback, and
brainstormaction plan for
followingschool year.
Stipend can be awarded
upon completion of HSP
assessment.
Maintain contactwith key
school personnel,UANN, and
CHSS for planningfor the
followingschool year.
Resources Roza Vickers
rvickers@cochise.az.gov
Heather Robinson
hvaughn@email.
arizona.edu
Natoyah Swift
Natoyahswift@email.
arizona.edu
Casi Ruffo
Casieruffo1@email.
arizona.edu
https://www.healthiergener
ation.org/
https://schools.healthiergen
eration.org/
www.wellsat.org
http://www.cdc.gov
/healthyschools
/shi/index.htm
http://www.fns.usda.gov/sc
hool-meals/child-nutrition-
programs

5. Implementation Timeline:
Wellness
Committee
Meetings
Meeting 1 Meeting 2 Meeting 3 Meeting 4
Meeting
Tasks
Meet with SHAC
committee to pick AT
LEAST ONE goal which
the districtwishes to
work on for the school
year based off the
suggestions from the
Healthy Schools
Program Assessment.
Submit Action Plan
form to Cochise
Health and Social
Services.
This meeting will bean
opportunity to update
the committee on the
progress or possible
challenges of the area
that is being worked on
as per the action plan.
This is a great
opportunity to bringin
personnel who may be
of assistance.
Meet with committee to
prepare a report back on
whether the action plan
for the school year will be
achieved or not and
continue with the
implementation process.
Submit Annual Report and
Celebrate Successes!
Between
Meeting
Tasks
Communicate with SHAC
members on HOW the
action plan will be
achieved.
Firstpayout of stipend
will beawarded upon
competition of the
Healthy Schools Program
Assessment and once
the Action Plan is
submitted.
CHSS and AzNN will be
availablevia email or
additional visits for any
technical supportor
resources.
CHSS and AzNN will
continue to be available
via email or additional
visits for any technical
supportor resources.
Maintain contactwith key
school personnel,UANN, and
CHSS for planningfor the
followingschool year.
Second payout for the
stipend will be awarded
upon completion of annual
report.
Resources Roza Vickers
rvickers@cochise.az.gov
Heather Robinson
hvaughn@email.
arizona.edu
Natoyah Swift
Natoyahswift@email.
arizona.edu
Casi Ruffo
Casieruffo1@email.
arizona.edu
https://www.healthiergener
ation.org/
https://schools.healthiergen
eration.org/
www.wellsat.org
http://www.cdc.gov
/healthyschools
/shi/index.htm
http://www.fns.usda.gov/sc
hool-meals/child-nutrition-
programs