Health and Wellness

Important: The Extreme Dangers of Fentanyl

Our school wishes to share these two important video messages from Granite Wellness Center and the Placer County Sheriff's Office regarding the dangers of Fentanyl and other opioids in our local community. Please take a moment to watch both and open a conversation with your family.

Overview

The Ackerman Charter School District is committed to the optimal development of every student. The District believes that for students to have the opportunity to achieve personal, academic, developmental and social success, we need to create positive, safe and health-promoting learning environments at every level, in every setting, throughout the school year.

Establishing the Local School Wellness Policy

Ackerman’s Wellness Committee was established in the Spring of 2017. The committee consists of teachers, food service staff, school nurse, parents, school administration, and students. The committee meets multiple times each year to review, update, and implement the policy as needed.

In the Spring of 2017, the committee established a baseline survey for classroom teachers to determine how and what is being taught to our students in the areas of Health and Wellness. The results indicated a wide variety of implementation of the Health Education Standards adopted in 2008. (View the adopted Health Education Standards on CDE's website)

Upon reviewing the data, the committee set goals to help improve, and increase the visibility of the importance of making healthy choices. The committee wanted the opportunity to honor the importance of their work and therefore have set a 2-3 year timeline for these goals to be met.

Local School Wellness Policy Goals and Activities (2-3 years)

  • Research potential salad bar availability to students/staff. Cost, time, and resources.

  • Research and pilot available curricula that will meet State standards to promote health and wellness to our students. Once curriculum is identified, provide training to staff for full implementation.

  • Investigate current garden program and potential for expansion to more grade levels.

  • Research and develop avenues for parent communication of healthy lifestyles, nutrition, and physical activity.

  • Research and develop community partners to promote student wellness. Develop a staff and student survey to address Wellness and program improvement.

Activities to Meet Local Wellness Policy Goals (both current and future)

Nutrition Education

The results of our Spring 2017 survey indicated that there is a high need to supplement our current curriculum to meet the State standards of Health Education. Our committee will be reviewing and setting forth a timeline to pilot and implement units of study for each grade level (TK-8) that focuses on making healthy choices throughout one’s life.

Physical Education

Currently every student at Bowman School meets or exceeds the State required minutes for physical education AND recess. Student participation in physical education focuses on the development of skills that lead to lifelong practices of a healthy lifestyle. These skills build upon each other year after year as students progress through the grade levels. Every student is taught by a credentialed physical education teacher, as well as a well-trained instructional aide to maximize instruction.

Currently, Bowman Charter School is undergoing a major construction project that will provide our students with a multi-million dollar facility that includes a new gymnasium, locker rooms, band and choir rooms.

Students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities such as basketball, volleyball, and soccer while in middle school. Students in grades 4-8 are also encouraged to participate in cross country and track.

Teachers encourage students to take brain breaks throughout the day to get students moving, be more energized, and increase focus while learning.

School Meals

The Bowman’s food service personnel serve on the wellness committee. They are highly trained individuals that provide high quality meals that meet all State and Federal guidelines. As stated in our goals we will continue promoting healthy choices and a wide variety of options to our students.

The District has encouraged parents to take a big part in being role models and providing healthy, fresh options for students during classroom celebrations. Parents have accepted the challenge and regularly provide creative, appealing, and fun snacks that students enjoy. See below.

Bowman Charter School has removed all vending machines and installed one filtered water fountain with bottle filler. We will continue to update other water fountains around the campus as our current construction projects are completed. We have also ceased any competitive food sales on our campus.

Ackerman Charter School District will actively research avenues to promote the Wellness Policy to students, parents, and staff using e-newsletters, websites, and other resources.

Resources

MyPlate

Smart Snacks

Fuel Up to Play 60 | Kids In-School Health and Wellness Program

Vaccination Requirements for All New Students and Incoming 7th Graders

All new students and incoming 7th graders are required to show proof of their Tdap immunization. When your 6th grade student receives their Tdap booster, please bring a copy of their immunization record showing the Tdap booster date to the office ASAP. State Law requires exclusion from school if immunization mandates are not met, meaning, your student will not be able to come to school on Day One of the new school year if no immunization records are on file.

More information about vaccine safety can be found at:

New Law SB 277 Effective in 2016

Governor Brown signed Senate Bill (SB) 277 on June 30, 2015. SB 277 changes immunization requirements for children entering child care or school.

Starting January 1, 2016:

  • Parents or guardians of students in any school or child-care facility, whether public or private, will no longer be allowed to submit a personal beliefs exemption to a currently-required vaccine.

  • Students will no longer be required to have immunizations for entry if they attend:

    • A home-based private school or

    • An independent study program with no classroom-based instruction.

      • However, parents or guardians must continue to provide immunization records for these students to their schools, and schools must continue to maintain and report records of immunizations that have been received for these students.

  • The immunization requirements do not prohibit pupils from accessing special education and related services required by their individualized education programs.

  • Medical and personal beliefs exemptions will be allowed from any new immunization requirement initiated by CDPH for attendance at school or child care.

More information about school vaccine requirements and SB 277 is available from the California Dept. of Public Health:

Health Policy

If your child is ill, he/she MUST be kept at home. By enforcing this policy we are able to maintain a healthy environment for all children in our schools. If your child shows symptoms of an infectious illness during their stay at school, the parent will be contacted to pick him/her up within one hour from the time of telephone contact. Children must be free of symptoms for 24 hours before they may return to school.

The Symptoms are as follows:

  • Diarrhea

  • Fever of 100 degrees of above

  • Cough with mucous secretion

  • Vomiting

  • Pinkeye

  • Head lice, hair must be lice free prior to re-admittance to school

  • Heavy nasal discharge indicating an infection

  • Contagious illness, such as chicken pox

Health Documents