Admin

Health and Wellness

Health and Wellness
The purpose of the local school Wellness Policy is to ensure schools follow all applicable regulations for physical and nutrition education and provide a healthy school environment. There is a district School Health and Wellness Advisory Council (SHWAC) that reviews and recommends revisions to the policy to the OCPS Board annually. A public forum will be announced in the newspaper to provide feedback. The Wellness Policy may be found on the OCPS Website under Departments>Food and Nutrition.

The Wellness Policy includes information about healthy foods on school campus, foods allowed for fundraising, recess, physical education, and each school’s Healthy School Team.

School Meals

Breakfast and lunch are available at all schools. Supper is available at no charge in schools with 50 percent or more of the children eligible for meals at free or reduced charges.

Information on meal prices, menus, and special diets are “Quick Links” on the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) webpage, accessible through the “Departments” link on the OCPS website, ocps.net.

Prepayment of meals online, applications for free or reduced meals, or how to find your school’s menu and nutrition are available under the “Parents” tab on the Food and Nutrition Services web page, accessible through the “Departments” link on the OCPS website, ocps.net.

The web page also includes a list of schools that are implementing the USDA Community Eligibility Program and will be serving meals at no charge. If a student transfers to a school without one of these USDA programs, please fill out an application for a free or reduced priced meal.

USDA no longer allows the FNS staff to report that a child owes lunch money at the cashier station. Instead, parents will be notified of any negative balance within a week of the charge.

Students with medically diagnosed food allergies are required to fill out the parent requested Diet Order form and give to the school registrar. This form is in the registration packet and may be obtained at the school.

Medications at School

Do not send medications to school with your child. This practice puts your child, as well as his/her peers, at risk. Should your child require medication while he or she is at school, please contact your school’s nurse or health assistant to obtain the appropriate forms.

NOTES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AS AUTHORIZATION FOR MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION.

Illness

Do not send your child to school if he or she has a rash, fever, eye drainage, severe vomiting or diarrhea, a productive cough, or any symptom that may be an indication of a communicable disease. Students with any of these symptoms will be sent home. If your child has any of these symptoms, please notify the school that your child is ill and request a doctor’s note so that your child’s absence can be excused.