Newport-mesa Unified School District 2985a Bear Street • Costa Mesa • California 92626 • (714) 424-5000 Board of*

R2

School Districts in Orange County continue to ensure that food and beverages served on school campuses meet federal and state requirements. Response We agree with the finding and recommendation as stated. Newport-Mesa Unified School District's Nutrition Services department ensures that food and beverages served to students on campus meets federal and state requirements. . .

R3

Orange County school districts appoint nutrition and physical education specialists who can train classroom teachers in the essentials of their specialties. Response We agree with the finding and recommendation as stated. Newport-Mesa Unified School District engages specialists from Nutrition Services to meet with teachers for the purpose of training them to articulate various nutrition education components throughout the curriculum. The Nutrition Services team plans to utilize a Physical Education Specialist in the 2004-05 school year to develop a training program for classroom teachers that will promote increases in daily physical activity for all students. The Physical Education Specialist will develop a program for presentation to teachers during the 2004-05 school year that will improve their ability to positively impact the physical fitness of students. ~~~~

R4

Newport-Mesa Unified School District continue to offer healthful school meals that are appealing and appetizing to the student population, and offer guidance on menu planning to other school districts that request assistance. Response We agree with the finding and recommendation as stated. The Nutrition Services Director is available to meet and confer with officials from other Orange County school districts to offer guidance on menu planning as needed. and the second of the second of

R5

Orange County school districts apply for state and federal grants available for improving physical education and nutrition programs. Response We agree with the finding and recommendation as stated. Newport-Mesa Unified School District has vigorously pursued and obtained grant funding to improve physical education and nutrition programs throughout the District. ~~~~

R6

Orange County school districts make available their playgrounds and outdoor facilities before and after school hours for their students under the supervision of interested faculty members and parents. Response We disagree with this finding. In recent years the Newport-Mesa Unified School District has increased the level of Physical Education support as evidenced by the implementation of physical education specialists to support elementary grades 4, 5, and 6. There have been no reductions in physical education efforts in recent years within the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. We agree with recommendation #6. The Newport-Mesa Unified School District utilizes a Facilities Use Permit process to allow faculty members, parents and others access to outdoor facilities. The permit process assures an orderly scheduling and use of all facilities within the district except Davidson Field at Newport Harbor High School. A joint use agreement with the City of Costa Mesa provides for required city approval during certain times of the day for fields within the City of Costa Mesa. The fields at Lincoln Elementary School in Newport Beach are governed by the City of Newport Beach. However, all facilities are generally available with permits required to assure orderly use and proper indemnification. ~~~~

R7

Orange County school districts ensure that either food items sold on their campuses be labeled with caloric values and nutritional composition or that such information be posted in the food-serving areas. Response We partially disagree with this finding. Newport-Mesa Unified School District offers various snack and beverage items to students that are packed under local, regional, and national brands in packages identical to those offered for sale in the retail trade. Examples of such items fall under the categories of milk, milk beverages, water, fruit juices and fruit drinks, salty snacks, sweet snacks. The labels on these items contain information related to caloric value and nutritional composition. Newport-Mesa's Nutrition Services department is planning to implement a "full disclosure" program throughout all locations during the 2004-05 school year that will provide nutrition information postings for all items we sell, at every location where we serve school meals and snacks. These postings will follow the retail guidelines for nutrition information labels. The program will be fully implemented by June, 2005. ~~~~

R8

Orange County school districts incorporate instruction on the Body Mass Index into the nutrition and physical education programs and encourage students to share this information with their families. Response We agree with the finding and recommendation as stated. Newport-Mesa Unified School District's Nutrition Advisory Committee will review existing curriculum guidelines to assure instruction on the Body Mass Index principles at appropriate grade levels including information that students may bring home to their family and use within their home. While teaching these principles in Health and Physical Education programs may prove beneficial for individual or family self assessment in the privacy of the home; the District does not intend widespread application of the Body Mass Index as a screening tool. Such applications tend to alienate those individuals who may be most in need of intervention. Students observe each others' results and they may alienate those most in need of intervention by ostracizing and taunting those who fall outside the "normal" range. The District will continue to support the appropriate use of the Body Mass Index by school nurses for clinical purposes while assuring individual privacy. END