Wellness

Albany Area Schools is dedicated to providing a healthy and safe environment in which all students and staff can thrive. In July 2017, our district revised its wellness policy to intentionally address the following areas:

  • Nutrition Education
  • Physical Activity
  • School Meals
  • Vending and other foods/beverages available at school

Phase One of our Wellness Policy Implementation included the following components:

  1. Physical Activity: Classroom teachers will provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes as appropriate. 
  2. Celebrations and Parties: The district will provide a list of healthy party ideas to parents and teachers, including non-food celebration ideas.
  3. Classroom Snacks: The school district will provide to parents a list of suggested foods and beverages that meet Smart Snacks Nutrition Standards.

Phase Two of our Wellness Policy Implementation included the following components: 

  1. Healthy Lunches/Snacks: The district will provide resources to parents to educate and encourage them to pack healthy lunches and snacks for their children.
  2. Smart Snack Compliance - Fundraising: The district will ensure all foods sold during the school day meet Smart Snacks Nutrition Standards. 
  3. Classroom Celebrations: Classroom celebrations that involve food during the school day should be limited to no more than one party per class per month. In addition, the district will strongly encourage parents to either order through our Celebration Order Form (food service) or choose an alternate activity to celebrate that is non-food related. 
  4. Rewards: The district will ensure that food is not regularly used as a reward for academic performance or good behavior (unless allowed by a student's IEP or Behavior Plan). In addition, any food used as an incentive should meet Smart Snacks Nutrition Guidelines. 

Phase Three - Beyond the Policy: Ongoing Wellness Committee work will focus on the following areas: 

  • Ongoing Policy Assessment: Complete Triennial Wellness Assessment to ensure compliance with the MN Department of Education. 
  • Student Mental Health: Identify areas of need, brainstorm solutions and strategies, and align with SHIP funding initiatives. Collaborate with Stearns County SHIP staff on Yellow Zones programming or other student mental health initiatives. 
  • Tobacco/Vaping Prevention: Communicate in an ongoing basis with parents and stakeholders regarding the epidemic of vaping within our students. Share resources and presentations whenever possible. 

Triennial Assessment

Albany Area Schools completed a Triennial Assessment of our Wellness Policy 533 in March 2022. This process assists the District Wellness Committee in setting goals and ensure we are compliant with the board approved policy. To obtain a copy of the triennial assessment summary and assessment details, please contact Cassie Novak at cnovak@district745.org or 320-845-5072. 

Wellness Committee Information & Meeting Dates

Albany Area Schools District Wellness Committee meets regularly throughout the year and encourages parent, student, and staff participation on the committee. All meetings are held at 7:30 am virtually via Google Meet. Meetings for the 2022-2023 school year are scheduled for the following dates:

  • Monday, September 26, 2022
  • Monday, January 9, 2023
  • Monday, May 1, 2023 

If you would like more information about the District Wellness Committee, please contact Cassie Novak at cnovak@district745.org or 320-845-5072.