School Board Candidate Information: Emily Fair

As mentioned last week, we invited the four candidates who expressed interest in and/or support for our group and goals to share their thoughts on our 47-page report, For the Health of Our Children, An Analysis of the Wayzata Public Schools Culinary Program and Wellness Policy, and how they would support our goals if elected. Those candidates were: Bindu Moram, Sheila Prior, Seanne Falconer, and Linda Cohen. Late last week Emily Fair contacted us and we offered her the opportunity to share her information with us. This is her response:

"First of all, I’d like to thank Healthy Food + Health Habits for Wayzata Schools for giving me this opportunity to make a contribution to the effort in raising the awareness of the importance of healthy food and healthy habits. As a school teacher, I have witnessed students' eating habits during lunch everyday at school. And as a parent of a Wayzata school student, I share the same feeling with other parents. So I will share a school teacher and a parent’s perspective and offer solutions to this issue.

Following are my proposals, if elected.

(1) Establish a dedicated procedure including a flowchart laying out a framework of responsibilities, frequency of the work and ways of communication among Wayzata schools and School Board. When the procedure and flowchart are well established, it will make it easier to timely detect and fix any problems in nutrient deficiency/imbalance and eating habits among the student body.

(2) Establish an open platform for sharing results and for receiving feedback directly from parents and all school staff.

(3) Seek and promote more creative ways to prepare nutritious and delicious foods that students will enjoy eating and finish. Seek ways for school to provide different portion sizes to accommodate different students' needs, reducing food waste by smaller students and on the other hand making sure bigger students are well fed.

(4) Invite principals, classroom teachers and parent volunteers once every other week to have school lunch with students, talk to students, observe students’ preferences, eating portions and habits, and record these observations using a simple checklist.

(5) Reinforce and promote healthy food and eating habits in health education.

(6) Start implementing the dedicated procedure in one or all the kindergarten classes for 3 months and adjust the procedure before applying to other grades.

(7) Invite school board members to visit and eat lunch with students once a month and provide feedback on a similar checklist.

About me? I’ve been a dedicated teacher for 20+ years in serving students and working with parents on a daily basis; therefore, I am very clear about the groundwork in education in all aspects. Wayzata district schools maintain a record of high academic achievements that I hope to continue to build upon. As a teacher and a parent, I am clearly aware that student’s performance can be affected by nutrient deficiencies. Therefore, I will work as a school board member to improve students’ health and wellbeing by ensuring the schools building a robust lunch program and providing tasty, nutritious and healthy food to all the students!"

School Board Candidate Information: Linda Cohen

As mentioned last week, we invited the four candidates who expressed interest in and/or support for our group and goals to share their thoughts on our 47-page report, For the Health of Our Children, An Analysis of the Wayzata Public Schools Culinary Program and Wellness Policy, and how they would support our goals if elected. Our fourth candidate is Linda Cohen. This is her response (comments in italics added by blog manager):

"I am quite excited in that I think we have some crucial pieces in place now to make headway on many of the recommendations of the quite impressive report, For the Health of Our Children. Thanks to all who worked so hard on it.

I, and Cheryl Polzin, met with Michelle Sagedahl, the new Director of Culinary Express, earlier this week and today (10/26/19) we met with the following 4 members of the Healthy Food + Healthy Habits group: Rochelle Dotzenrod, Karla Lemmon, Joel Spoonheim, and Lani Willis. Michelle used terms like “working collaboratively with parents, forming partnerships, communicating openly, and transparency.” In our meeting, Michelle seemed ready (in fact, perhaps already has to some degree) to work on reducing the “harmful” ingredients in some lunches, to consistently have 4 “Try It Tuesdays” (with some of our high school students helping—great collaboration!), as examples. Certainly the parent group is ready for a plan, and some action steps to be laid out and then pursued. The Board recently re-confirmed our Strategic Road Map for another 3 years. One of the 4 strategic directions (what we work on, pay close attention to) is Health and Well-Being. I, as a Board member, am interested in how we measure that, what we are going to measure, how we move forward on that area. The Board is going to discuss that topic THIS MON (10/28/19). At our work session (anyone can attend work sessions and observe).

Those 2 meetings give me a lot of hope and an expectation that many of the recommendations in the report will be addressed. The big questions will be an implementation plan, where do we start, what is emphasized first, what is measured, who is in charge. I am eager to be part of that conversation and as a sitting Board member (and I hope a re-elected one!!) will make sure it is on agendas.

Now for a little about me—please go to my website: https://www.reelectlindacohen.com/ for a lot more information. I’ve lived in the district for many, many years—all 3 kids went k-12 through Wayzata. My husband practiced medicine for a long time in Wayzata. I care about our community.

Education has been a life-long interest. I served on the University of MN Board of Regents for 12 years (2 as Chair), ending in May. I have been on the Wayzata Board for 20 years (5 years as Chair). I went to Wellesley College for a B.A. in chemistry, Harvard University for a Masters in the History of Science (on a Woodrow Wilson scholarship) and have a Ph.D in Educational Psychology from the University of MN. Had a Bush Summer Fellowship to study Organizational Leadership at Harvard. I care deeply that each of our students has great academic opportunities that fit for them—and that they are healthy!! (Physically and mentally).

It would be my great pleasure to use some of the expertise I believe I have gained to serve on the School Board for 4 more years."

School Board Candidate Information: Seanne Falconer

As mentioned last week, we invited the four candidates who expressed interest in and/or support for our group and goals to share their thoughts on our 47-page report, For the Health of Our Children, An Analysis of the Wayzata Public Schools Culinary Program and Wellness Policy, and how they would support our goals if elected. Our third candidate is Seanne Hanke Falconer. This is her response (comments in italics added by blog manager):

"I’m Seanne Falconer – and I want to be elected to the Wayzata School Board so that we can have a strong advocate for the goals of Healthy Foods & Healthy Habits for Wayzata Schools.

My family moved here five years ago from Boston when I was offered the opportunity to become the Executive Director of the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota. I jumped at the chance to raise my family in Minnesota and specifically enroll my kids in the Wayzata School District.

I want to be on the Wayzata School Board because I’m a mom of two 1st graders (twin boys who go to Oakwood Elementary) who are growing up in this rapidly changing and expanding school district.

My background working for both the U and Harvard, my financial and nonprofit management education earned via my Yale MBA, and my experience as a board member and organization influencer add up to a mom with skills and drive. And my career in academic medicine has taught me the value of evidence-based policy advocacy – that can change the minds of even the toughest skeptics. And my financial background means I’m used to big budgets, big questions, and finding big solutions.

I believe that our kids in the Wayzata Public Schools need better foods. We need the best foods to grow the best brains. But in addition to food, we need to look at the whole child including exercise, enough recess, and enough time to eat.

In July, as I was gathering information from our community before announcing my priorities - I sat down with the steering committee of Healthy Foods + Healthy Habits (they called themselves Wholesome Foods for Wayzata Schools) to hear about their research, concerns, and suggestions.

That conversation, and subsequent ones around recess timing / a la carte food / Try it Tuesday / new leadership at Culinary Express, informed my priorities -- and made improved nutrition and wellness one of my key themes around which I'll focus. (Falconer4Wayzata.org/Seannes-Priorities)

I support:

#1 (The district establish nutritional goals that exceed the minimum standards set by federal policy and then monitor compliance with the goals.) - Aiming for and achieving a standard of nutrition that is higher than the FLOOR. Metrics will be key - and that will require evaluation and accountability. This will drive progress on Recommendations #2, #3, and #4.

#2 (Consistent with the work of school districts in Minnesota and across the nation, move expeditiously to remove seven concerning ingredients (trans fats & hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, hormones & antibiotics, processed and artificial sweeteners, artificial colors and flavors, artificial preservatives, bleached flour) from foods available for purchase at all Wayzata Public Schools.) - Prioritize removing the 7 ingredients from foods prepared in our kitchens. Then prioritize ways to decrease / eliminate the sale of those foods in a la carte settings.

#3 (As part of a full review of food nutrition and meals provided to children, the district should reconsider the previous decision to not participate in Federal Programs at the high school level, and prepare a more accurate and sustainable budget and associated meal prices.) - Fully review all meals, financial structures, operational structures of the Culinary Express program - in close collaboration with the new Culinary Express Director. She is brand new, has signaled a fresh perspective and willingness to review everything and adjust long-standing initiatives. I look forward to working with her - but also in concert with the parents and experts on the Wellness Committee. Last week’s meeting was an amazingly encouraging sign that we may have found a partner in the Culinary Express Director!

#4 (Review and reconsider the role of the à la carte options. Consider elimination of à la carte options or replacement with foods consistent with nutritional standards.) - I would like to review and reconsider what options are sold a la carte.

#5 (Establish metrics with meaningful and more than annual measurement of each element of the wellness policy. Report on findings openly across schools to foster cross-school learning and sharing of best practices.) - Without metrics, we will never see change - or understand where we could improve - or where we've done a remarkable job. Across the board, I’ll be pursuing transparent and measurable metrics, with timely progress updates, in all areas of district concern including foods and wellness.

#6 (Hold Wellness Committee meetings monthly for the coming two years to accelerate implementation of best practices, rather than semi-annually. Consider establishing a working committee outside of the Wellness Committee in order to drive results forward. Designate at least one school official who will be operationally responsible for measuring implementation of the wellness policy as required and holding schools accountable to compliance of the policy per the Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010 Section 204.9A(b)5(A).) – My #1 priority would be to convene a robust Wellness Committee. I'd want to see it meet monthly - and have sub-committees and task forces to dig into issues and report back to the bigger WC - which would then make recommendations and give frequent updates to the board. These task forces would be asked to look into the issues, find evidence-based solution, collaborate with district finance to make sure financial assumptions were accurate, and have authority to reach out to other districts to share best practices. I’d expect to have parents and administrators on these task forces – as well as Culinary Express staff, nutrition and education experts and advisors from other districts.

I have experience driving change in organizations and finding ways for organizations who were competitors to identify their shared priorities and see a path forward that was better together.

I've been told that as a board member I am only one of seven. Although I agree with that math, I see myself also as a megaphone for the parents of our district and as a person who can ensure that parents' concerns and ideas get before the board. To do this - I want to see many more task forces - formal groups who are looking into concerning issues and coming back with ideas that the board (and district staff) can consider on the record.

I’d be honored to leverage my education, career experience, natural extrovert mom skills and my familiarity with the district’s Legislative Action Committee and Citizens Finance Advisory Council – to serve as a Director of the Wayzata School Board.

Please reach out if there's anything else you'd like to know.

Falconer4Wayzata.org

Thank you,

Seanne Falconer

Mom

> And please vote on November 5, 2019.<

School Board Candidate Information: Sheila Prior

As mentioned last week, we invited the four candidates who expressed interest in and/or support for our group and goals to share their thoughts on our 47-page report, For the Health of Our Children, An Analysis of the Wayzata Public Schools Culinary Program and Wellness Policy, and how they would support our goals if elected. Our second candidate is Sheila Roberts Prior. This is her response:

"Hello Healthy Food & Healthy Habits group! I hope by now you know I am running for Wayzata School board and that I support the mission of this group. I believe the Wayzata lunch program should be as reputable as its academic program, but right now it falls short. I have three children in the district, so this issue hits close to home for me.

Healthy eating should be a priority in this district, as it impacts every child at the most basic level, affecting learning, behavior, and general well-being. Moreover, eating habits learned in school can stay with a child into adulthood; if our goal is to prepare students for life after graduation, we should be teaching them healthy eating habits. I am a scientist by training, and there is much data to support implementing the goals of this group.

The district has made strides toward providing healthier lunches, including hiring a new Director of Culinary Express, limiting chocolate milk to one day a week, and implementing “Try it Tuesdays” and “Around the World Wednesdays.” However, the district has failed to eliminate ingredients of concern, and it is promoting unhealthy habits with some of its à-la-carte and entrée offerings. Moreover, many parents report that their elementary aged children do not have time during the lunch period to finish their meals, and the district has not yet implemented a district-wide policy of scheduling recess before lunch.

I have read the report compiled by Rochelle Dotzenrod, Karla Lemmon, and others in this group, and I support its recommendations. There are many opportunities for the Wayzata District to improve its lunch program without raising prices and without over-burdening culinary staff. Other districts have paved the way in these areas.

If elected, I will engage administrators, parents, and culinary staff to find workable solutions for replacing current ingredients of concern and à-la-carte options with healthier versions. I will also investigate ways to add time to the lunch period, as well as ways to eliminate the need for students to wear their outdoor winter gear while eating. Other areas of action include reevaluating the district’s decision to withdraw from the federal high school lunch program, creating higher nutrition standards for the district, providing consistent oversight of the lunch program, and incorporating more environmentally friendly practices.

Making healthy habits a priority in the district will require support from multiple members of the school board plus buy-in from administrators, parents, and staff. I have experience driving change in my previous school district, Robbinsdale. I led my community in bringing back an elementary school to a vacant school in my old neighborhood. This involved working with the Robbinsdale school board and administration as well as with the Plymouth city council and Plymouth planning commission. The eventual solution that resulted in the FAIR Pilgrim Lane School now inhabiting the building in my old neighborhood was referred to informally in meetings as "The Sheila Prior Plan.”

In terms of my background, I have a bachelor of science in biology from Duke University, and I managed a Neurobiology lab at Duke until moving to Minnesota. I am currently a stay-at-home parent. Besides wanting to improve school lunches, I also have plans for managing district growth and eliminating the opportunity gap. If you would like to read more about me and where I stand on other issues, please visit my website, https://www.sheilaprior.com/.

I hope you will give me a chance to serve on the Wayzata school board. You'll find me to be a knowledgable and persistent ally in this group's mission to improve lunches in our district. Whether I'm giving voice to my community, advocating for my child with dyslexia, or ensuring my neighborhood's bus stop is on the safe side of the road, I am a tireless advocate who does not give up easily. I believe strongly that the Wayzata district should be doing more to provide healthy lunches for our students. I also believe that community input is extremely important, so please reach out to me in the comments with your suggestions, feedback, and questions!

For more information on how food affects health, I recommend reviewing the Promedica report on the social determinants of health (https://www.promedica.org/socialdeterminants/pages/default.aspx) or the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion on the same topic (https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-health/interventions-resources/food-insecurity)

Thank you for your consideration,

Sheila"

School Board Candidate Information: Bindu Moram

As mentioned last week, we invited the four candidates who expressed interest in and/or support for our group and goals to share their thoughts on our 47-page report, For the Health of Our Children, An Analysis of the Wayzata Public Schools Culinary Program and Wellness Policy, and how they would support our goals if elected. Our first candidate is Bindu Moram. This is her response (comments in parentheses added by blog manager:

"Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity again to present my views to the large group.

I have 2 adorable sons, elder one going to WHS and younger one to CMS. We as family living in Plymouth since 15 years. My kids have been in the district since age of early learning. I have been actively involved in various volunteering activities in school district during these years and well involved in school decisions. I am also a concerned parent when it comes to healthy eating and leading healthy lifestyle. After going through the Healthy Food + Habits for Wayzata schools report, following are my comments/opinion on the proposed recommendations in the report. If elected I would like to bring improvements in the culinary division of the school in phased approach. I would like to address Recommendations 1,2,4 and 6 as they will yield measurable results with minimum effort and start analysis and planning for 3 and 5 immediately to implement successfully.

Recommendation # 2 (Consistent with the work of school districts in Minnesota and across the nation, move expeditiously to remove seven concerning ingredients (trans fats & hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, hormones & antibiotics, processed and artificial sweeteners, artificial colors and flavors, artificial preservatives, bleached flour) from foods available for purchase at all Wayzata Public Schools.)

We should immediately work with school administration culinary lead to improve the menu in our schools where the ingredients like trans fats, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, hormones & antibiotics, processed artificial sweeteners & artificial colors, preservatives are removed.

Recommendation # 1 (The district establish nutritional goals that exceed the minimum standards set by federal policy and then monitor compliance with the goals.)

Looking at the district wellness policy section (II. A Food and Beverages), the policy states that the district should meet/exceed federal standards for the nutritional goals. I would like to have audit reporting and monitoring in place to make sure our district complies to the federal standards and find ways to raise the bar and exceed above the federal standards.

Recommendation # 4 (Review and reconsider the role of the à la carte options. Consider elimination of à la carte options or replacement with foods consistent with nutritional standards.)

a la carte items should be replaced with choice of foods/drinks consistent with nutritional standards.

Recommendation # 5 (Establish metrics with meaningful and more than annual measurement of each element of the wellness policy. Report on findings openly across schools to foster cross-school learning and sharing of best practices.)

We should openly look into the findings across schools to foster cross-school learning and sharing best practices. Meaningful measures need to be established and these should be made transparent and shared with all the district stakeholders.

Recommendation # 6 (Hold Wellness Committee meetings monthly for the coming two years to accelerate implementation of best practices, rather than semi-annually. Consider establishing a working committee outside of the Wellness Committee in order to drive results forward. Designate at least one school official who will be operationally responsible for measuring implementation of the wellness policy as required and holding schools accountable to compliance of the policy per the Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010 Section 204.9A(b)5(A).)

We can definitely start with the monthly wellness committee meeting to accelerate the progress and efficient implementation to reach to our desired/planned goals.

Recommendation # 3 (As part of a full review of food nutrition and meals provided to children, the district should reconsider the previous decision to not participate in Federal Programs at the high school level, and prepare a more accurate and sustainable budget and associated meal prices.)

There should be detailed analysis to be performed and build strategy to implement effectively and efficiently. Board and Administration should look into option 3 and understand what was the reason why district is not participating in the federal program and work through the avenues of how the federal program can be leveraged for the improvement of the district wellness.

I am currently working in United Health Group as Director for Clinical Data Services, in my experience I have worked with various business teams implementing changes/enhancement to provision the supplemental data to NCQA (National Committee of Quality Assurance) for effective patient care.

If elected my plan of action to implement the changes would be:

1. Define the scope of the change

2. Identify various stakeholders impacted by the change, perform scope review with the stakeholders to identify issues/risks

3. Build the confidence within the team and stakeholders with positive approach

4. Build an implementation roadmap in phases so that change can be excepted with minimal impact

5. Review and measure the change periodically

6. Finally...celebrate the change :)

Thank you for reaching out to me to understand my point of view with the recommendations.

Looking forward to earn your vote on Nov 5th for Wayzata School Board. Please reach out to me if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Bindu Moram for Wayzata School Board"

Meeting with New Culinary Director - a Breath of Fresh Air!

Last week we had a very refreshing meeting with Culinary Express. Michelle Sagedahl, the new Director, and Anne Marie Milbert, Assistant Supervisor, were in attendance.

Michelle shared her food philosophy with us, which you can see in the attached pictures. We hope you'll like what you see!

A few highlights from our conversation:

• Michelle is currently analyzing Wayzata's program and wants to build a 3 year strategic plan. They plan to focus on the elementary and middle school menu and then push changes to the high school.
• One goal is to reduce waste and plastic. Reusable grab and go containers are being tested at East and West Middle Schools along with the upper grades at Meadow Ridge.
Try It Tuesday is being done by an Ecology of Food program at the high school with 30 students. They hope to use the class for a recipe competition for Try It Tuesday later in the year.
In the elementary schools the goal is to get students through the line in 7-8 minutes. Sometimes it has been up to 10-12 minutes due to various factors - students not knowing PINs, new staff not knowing efficiencies, classes showing up late, etc. They get called in when this happens to figure out how to solve the problem.
They know the bread is a problem (it's the reason for a lot of the "red light" entrees on the monthly menu review) and yes, the high school menu does have bleached flour. Michelle has talked to other suppliers and is working on options. There are frozen options but she doesn't have enough storage.
Michelle is personally interested in building more kitchens.
Michelle and Anne Marie both know Bertrand Weber from Minneapolis Schools as well as Barb Mechura from Hopkins Schools. They have been sharing best practices and in fact Bertrand gave them the supplier for the new chana masala spice blend.
Michelle wants to focus on the lunch tray first before addressing the a la carte menu. She wants to figure out how to make it better while still leaving the option in place.
Next steps: she will work with the district to for a parent advisory council for Culinary Express (all other departments have a parent advisory council except Culinary Express) and hopes to have this in place by the end of the calendar year.

We reinforced that we want to collaborate with them and they shared that thought. We made it clear that we are here to help them succeed and if there are things we can do on the wellness side to help them, we let them know we would. We look forward to working with them!

Wayzata Schools Menu Review

Each month we use the district's Nutrislice site to comb through the ingredient lists of all the menu offerings at the elementary schools.  We look for concerning ingredients - trans fats and hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, hormones and antibiotics, processed and artificial sweeteners, artificial colors and flavors, artificial preservatives, and bleached flour.  If a menu item has a concerning ingredient, it's marked red on the menu.  If it's free of concerning ingredients, it's marked green on the menu.  And if there's no ingredient list for us to review, the item is marked yellow.  It's important to note Nutrislice does not contain information about hormones and antibiotics so the number of red items could be much higher. 

We post the menu on our Facebook page so parents can use it to discuss meal choices with their kids.  This is an example of two weeks at the elementary schools in October 2019:

One month a year we try to also review the middle school and high school menus to show a comparison.  We would like to do this every month, but unfortunately it is simply too large of a job due to the larger menu.  These are the same two weeks at the middle schools:

And the same two weeks at the high school:

It's apparent that the food quality changes, and not for the better, in the upper grades. 

In addition to these standard menus, the middle schools and high school also offer an a la carte menu.  This menu includes items such as donuts, ice cream, cheese stuffed pretzels, and cupcakes.  These pictures were taken at Central Middle School in Spring 2019:

Parents often have no idea their kids are purchasing a la carte items until they realize how quickly their meal payment funds are disappearing.  But there is a way around this - parents who are worried about their kids eating off the a la carte menu for health reasons as well as the potentially large financial impact can call the school and the cashier will flag their account, which will not allow the purchase.  Of course parents should discuss this with their kids before doing so. 

We've heard many stories from middle and high school parents who now only send home lunch because of the food quality and potentially high meal cost at these schools.  One health-conscious middle schooler realized on his own he was eating too much a la carte.  How?  He was gaining weight!  He asked his parents to cut off his account from a la carte and now brings more nutritious food from home. 

School Board Election is Tuesday, November 5

The Wayzata Public Schools' School Board Election is Tuesday, November 5!

We encourage you to read the Sun Sailor Voter Guide to learn about all candidates and their views:
https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_sailor/community/plymouth_medicinelake/voters-guide-wayzata-school-board/article_eebfd17e-ef53-11e9-a739-c3a5b39166b0.html


We wanted to share our candidate interaction:

Fall 2017: Our group is formed.  No requests from school board members to meet with us for nearly two years.

March 2019: Seanne Falconer joins group.

July 2019: Seanne Falconer requests to meet to share her support of our cause and her candidacy.

September 5: We submit our 47-page analysis of the district’s culinary program and wellness policy to district leadership.

September 8: We submit our report to current school board including incumbents.

September 11: Incumbent Linda Cohen requests to meet after our scheduled October meeting with new Culinary Director Michelle Sagedahl. Later that day we submit our report to the candidates, including incumbents.

September 12: Seanne Falconer reiterates her belief in our goals and her interest in supporting us.

September 13: Bindu Moram expresses interest in meeting with us and Sheila Prior expresses interest in our group. Both candidates join group.

We have not yet met with Linda Cohen as we just had our culinary meeting, but we have met with Bindu Moram and Sheila Prior.  While they support our mission, we believe Seanne Falconer is the strongest candidate to represent our cause.

No other candidates have reached out to us to discuss our goals.

Please watch our feed in the coming days as we will be inviting these four candidates to share their viewpoints with us.

Concerning Ingredients Found in Wayzata's Elementary Menus

One of our goals is to eliminate concerning ingredients in the food served by Wayzata Public Schools.  These include  trans fats and hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, hormones and antibiotics, processed and artificial sweeteners, artificial colors and flavors, artificial preservatives, and bleached flour.

When we began this group in Fall 2017, these ingredients were found throughout the menu on a daily basis.  Over the last two years, the food has improved somewhat in the elementary menus.  For example, it is now rare to find bleached flour, MSG, or high-fructose corn syrup.  However, these ingredients are found in the high school menu on a daily basis.  We'd like to highlight some of the remaining problematic menu items in the elementary schools.

For the Health of Our Children: An Analysis of the Wayzata Public Schools Culinary Program and Wellness Policy

We’ve been working diligently in the background over the past many months gathering information to build a report full of data to support our cause. 

We gathered information from parents by posting survey questions.  We contacted surrounding school districts to acquire information on their food programs and costs.  We met with Wayzata district leaders to learn more about food program finances and wellness policies.  We researched best practices for school food and wellness programs.  We visited the inspirational Minneapolis Public Schools Culinary and Wellness Services and met with their visionary leader, Bertrand Weber. 

And what we discovered is this:

1. Research consistently demonstrates that consumption of unhealthy food undermines learning outcomes. 
2. Nutritional standards are not consistently adhered to in cafeteria-provided meals. 
3. Food ingredients that have been shown to negatively contribute to health issues such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and behavior problems are used pervasively in Wayzata Public Schools’ foods. Healthier and often less expensive alternatives are readily used by neighboring school districts including Minnetonka, Hopkins, and Minneapolis. Other districts have also expressed interest in coordinating purchasing efforts to secure even more advantageous pricing. 
4. Positive improvements have occurred, though often limited in reach or scale. The following examples of noted improvement of food offerings are mostly at the elementary level, including elimination of juice, offering fresh fruits and veggies daily, reducing access to chocolate milk to one day per week, and Try It Tuesdays.
5. Consumption of unhealthy à la carte items comprise up to 56% of middle school purchases.
6. While Wayzata Public Schools has a fairly strong wellness policy, it is implemented inconsistently within and across schools. Implications include food waste, lost teaching time, behavioral issues stemming from the withholding recess as punishment, suboptimal learning environments, and more. The policy lacks appropriate measures and monitoring to guide effective implementation.
7. Wayzata Public Schools’ meal prices are higher and have had significantly higher increases than most neighboring districts, including those offering healthier food.
8. Justifications provided for key decisions to remove Wayzata Public Schools from federal guidelines are not only misaligned with best practices, but in fact have raised costs for all families, including those of limited incomes.

From these discoveries we’ve built 6 key recommendations for Wayzata Public Schools to implement:

Recommendation #1: We recommend that the district establish nutritional goals that exceed the minimum standards set by federal policy and then monitor compliance with the goals.

Recommendation #2: Consistent with the work of school districts in Minnesota and across the nation, move expeditiously to remove the seven concerning ingredients from foods available for purchase at all Wayzata Public Schools.

Recommendation #3: As part of a full review of food nutrition and meals provided to children, the district should reconsider the previous decision to not participate in Federal Programs at the high school level and prepare a more accurate and sustainable budget and associated meal prices.

Recommendation #4: Review and reconsider the role of the à la carte options. Consider elimination of à la carte options or replacement with foods consistent with nutritional standards.

Recommendation #5: Establish metrics with meaningful and more than annual measurement of each element of the wellness policy. Report on findings openly across schools to foster cross-school learning and sharing of best practices. 

Recommendation #6: Hold Wellness Committee meetings monthly for the coming two years to accelerate implementation of best practices, rather than semi-annually. Consider establishing a working committee outside of the Wellness Committee in order to drive results forward. Designate at least one school official who will be operationally responsible for measuring implementation of the wellness policy as required and holding schools accountable to compliance of the policy per the Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010 Section 204.9A(b)5(A).

You can learn more by reading our attached report, “For the Health of Our Children: An Analysis of Wayzata Public Schools’ Culinary Program and Wellness Policy,” which was submitted to the district in early September.

Thank you for your contributions that were critical to this report, and we appreciate your ongoing support as we move forward in collaboration with the district to provide our children with healthy food and healthy habits!

For the Health of Our Children: An Analysis of the Wayzata Public Schools Culinary Program and Wellness Policy

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