Makayla King, center, shows an apple she picked for lunch to her friend Dakota Campbell, right, both first grade students at Dassa McKinney Elementary School on Thursday.

Student wellness policies must be adopted by all 501 districts in the state by June 30. The policy is created by a committee that includes a teacher, school nurse, school counselor, coach, staff member, dietician, health professional, representative of local or county government, representative of the community and food vendor.

A model policy would:

• Designate a person responsible for monitoring the wellness program and see the plan is carried out. This person must provide an update to the school board each year on progress made on wellness issues, food services and foods sold in schools, exercise and nutrition activities and feedback, suggestions and recommendations.

• Include nutrition education. It focuses on lifestyles and consistent messages from the district and in classrooms, cafeterias, homes, community and the media.

• Include physical activity. The district will provide at least 60 minutes of age-appropriate physical activity most or all days of the week. Students should participate in a variety of activities daily. Students are discouraged from spending more than two hours inactive.

• Include physical education. Physical education classes should encourage lifelong activity and track student progress according to state standards. The classes should have a teacher-student ratio comparable to other classes.

• Define adequate space for eating and serving school meals.

• Provide for 20 minutes of sit-down time for lunch and 10 minutes for breakfast.

• Give students access to hand washing before meals.

• Dictate that food and physical activity should not be used as a reward or punishment.

Information from the Pennsylvania School Board Association