Hawaiʻi State Department of Education

Ka ʻOihana Hoʻonaʻauao o ke Aupuni Hawaiʻi

Wellness Guidelines

Hawaiʻi’s public school wellness guidelines promote student and staff well-being through policies on health education, nutrition, physical activity and professional development.

wellness in our public schools

Guidelines

“Wellness” in our public schools includes a wellness committee, nutrition guidelines, health education, nutrition promotion, physical education, physical activity and professional development for staff. The wellness guidelines implement Board of Education Policy 103-1 (PDF) and fulfill the requirements of Public Law 108-265 Section 204 (PDF) and the Healthy Hunger Free-Kids Act (2010). 

Translations available in: 

Wellness Committee

All of our schools have a designated wellness coordinator and a committee that meets at least three times per year to address school health issues, including the implementation of the wellness guidelines. The wellness committee should consist of school administration, faculty and staff, as well as students, families and community representatives. The committee is responsible using data sources (e.g., Youth Risk Behavior Survey) to identify priority areas for the school’s Academic Plan.

At the beginning of each school year, each school community is notified about the wellness policy and provided with the wellness coordinator’s contact information. The schools also encourage students’ families to support wellness at school and at home.

For more information on how you can get involved:

Nutrition Guidelines

Children who eat school lunches are more likely to consume milk, meats, grains and vegetables than students who bring lunch from home. They also tend to have higher nutrient intakes — both at lunch and over the course of an entire day. We make it a priority to ensure students get nutritious meals that fuel learning and physical activities. The Department serves more than 100,000 meals daily during the school year. Learn more about the nutrition guidelines.

Ways schools promote good nutrition:

  • Positive messages about nutritious foods are displayed on campus.
  • Vending machines for students are stocked with water only.
  • School meals are made from scratch as much as possible, including fresh baked whole-grain bread items.
  • No foods contain trans-fats.
  • Drinking water is available for free to students during meal times.
  • Classes are invited to visit the cafeteria kitchen to learn how to prepare healthy foods.
  • Healthy breakfast, lunch and snacks are promoted to students and their families.
  • Instructional gardens demonstrate how food is grown.
  • Smart Snack Standards (PDF)

​​​​​Health Education and Nutrition Promotion

Health education and nutrition promotion provide the instructional foundation that is necessary to prepare students to make lifelong healthy decisions and practice healthy behaviors. This component area of the Wellness Guidelines includes school-wide promotion of nutritious meals and snacks as well as quality health education.

Guidelines for health education and nutrition promotion are organized around four key components:

  1. Instructional content of health education classes includes a focus on knowledge and skills that support healthy eating and is aligned with the HIDOE standards for health education.
  2. Health education is provided to students in elementary grades at least 45 minutes per week and secondary grades at least 200 minutes per week.
  3. Nutrition education includes culturally relevant activities that are ʻāina-based and hands-on, such as food preparation, taste-testing, farm visits and school gardens.
  4. All school-based marketing of foods and beverages must meet the nutrition guidelines. This includes, but is not limited to, school publications, the exterior of vending machines, posters, banners, in-school televisions and scoreboards.

Physical Education

The goal of physical education (PE) is to support all students in achieving the knowledge, skills and confidence to be physically active for a lifetime. Participation in PE also helps students reach the national recommendation of 60 minutes of physical activity per day.

There are six guidelines to support PE:

  1. Instructional content of physical education classes is aligned with the Hawaii DOE Standards for physical education.
  2. Physical education is provided to students in elementary grades at least 45 minutes per week and secondary grades at least 200 minutes per week.
  3. At least 50% of physical education class time is dedicated to moderate to vigorous physical activity.
  4. Physical education classes are taught by State-certified physical education instructors.
  5. Physical education classes have a student/teacher ratio similar to other classes.
  6. Physical education in grades 5, 7, and 9 includes a health-related student fitness assessment (e.g. FitnessGram).

Physical Activity

Regular physical activity builds healthy bones and muscles, improves muscular strength and endurance, reduces the risk for developing chronic disease, improves self-esteem, and reduces stress and anxiety. Research also shows that physical activity can help improve student academic achievement, including grades and standardized test scores.

There are six guidelines to support physical activity:

  1. Students are provided at least 20 minutes a day of recess that include opportunities to engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity.
  2. Students are provided with physical activity breaks at least every 60 minutes.
  3. The school does not use or withhold physical activity (e.g., recess or PE) as a negative consequence.
  4. The school supports active transport by encouraging students and staff to walk and/or bike to school if reasonably safe to do so.
  5. The school supplies bike racks for students and staff.
  6. The school staff, students, families and community members have access to school grounds and facilities to be physically active during non-instructional time (i.e., before and after school, on weekends and holidays).

Professional Development

In order to create a school community that is supportive of wellness, school staff are provided with opportunities for professional development relating to wellness. There are two guidelines to support professional development:

  1. School staff receive annual professional development on the wellness guidelines.
  2. School staff are encouraged to be role models for wellness.

Resources

Local Wellness Policy Assessment

Triennial Assessment

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Final Rule: Local School Wellness Policy Implementation Under the HHFKA of 2010 requires all local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish the minimum requirements for local wellness policies and complete the triennial assessment (PDF) for all schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program.

Every three years, the assessment must determine: 

  • Compliance with the wellness policy.
  • How the wellness policy compares to model wellness policies.
  • Progress made in attaining the goals of the wellness policy. 

View the assessments.

Safety and Wellness Survey (SAWS)

This annual online survey of public school principals is used to monitor and evaluate schools’ progress toward implementing the wellness guidelines. It is jointly administered by the Department of Education and Department of Health. Key indicators from the SAWS are included in the HIDOE’s annual report. View the latest Safety and Wellness Survey​​ (PDF) results.

USDA NON DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  • mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  • fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
  • email:
    [email protected]

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.