School Health and Safety Policies and Environment

Question Title

* 1. Thank you for taking the time to participate in the Panther Valley Healthy Schools survey.  Please select the answer that best describes you.

Question Title

* 2. Does your school have a representative committee or team that meets at least four times a year and oversees school health and safety policies and programs?

Question Title

* 3.
Does your school or district have written health and safety policies that include the following components?
*  Rationale for developing and implementing the policy
*  Population for which the policy applies (e.g., students, staff, visitors)
*  Where the policy applies (e.g., on or off school property)
*  When the policy applies
*  Programs supported by the policy
*  Designation of person(s) responsible (e.g., school administrator(s), teachers) for implementing the policy
*  Designation of person(s) responsible (e.g., school administrator(s), teachers) for enforcing the policy
*  Communication procedures (e.g., through staff meetings, professional development, website, staff handbook) of the policy
*  Procedures for addressing policy infractions
*  Definitions of terms

Question Title

* 4.
Does the school communicate its school health and safety policies in all of the following ways?
*  Signs (e.g., tobacco-free, weapon-free)
*  Staff member orientation
*  Staff meetings
*  Student orientation
*  Student handbook
*  Staff handbook or listserv
*  Employee contracts
*  Parent handbook, newsletters, or listserv
*  Policies included in contracts with outside vendors and organizations that use school facilities
*  Announcements at school events
*  School-sponsored meetings
*  Community meetings
*  School or district website 

Question Title

* 5. Does the school offer, to all students who need them, a variety of programs designed to help students overcome barriers to learning?

Question Title

* 6. Has your school implemented the following components of the district's local wellness policy? 
*  Nutrition education and promotion activities
*  Physical activity opportunities
*  Nutrition standards for all foods and beverages available on each school campus during the school day that meet or exceed the USDA's requirements for school meals and competitive foods and beverages
*  Marketing and advertising of only those foods and beverages that meet the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards that promote school wellness
*  Other school-based activities that promote student wellness
*  Permit parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, teachers of physical education, school health professionals, the school board, school administrators, and the general public to participate in the development, implementation, and review and update of the local school wellness policy
*  Regular reporting on content and implementation to the public (including the parents, students, and community members)
*  Periodic measurement of the school compliance with the local wellness policy and progress updates available to the public
*  Designation of a lead school official to ensure compliance with local wellness policy

Question Title

* 7. Does the school provide a broad variety of student enrichment experiences that are accessible to all students? 

Question Title

* 8. Does your school implement a standard precautions policy that includes all of the following components?
*  Providing and requiring the use of latex or poly gloves and eye wear when exposed to blood and body fluids
*  Providing a hard-sided container for contaminated needles/sharps in offices where syringes may be used
*  Appropriate disinfecting of surface areas and clean-up materials after exposure to blood and body fluid
*  Instructions for appropriate disposal of contaminated materials (e.g., dressings, clothing, tissue/towels)
*  Procedures and follow-up for staff members who are exposed to blood

Question Title

* 9. Does your school have a written crisis preparedness and response plan that incudes preparedness, response, and recovery elements?  Is the plan practiced regularly and updated as necessary?

Question Title

* 10. Does your school day start at 8:30 am or later to promote sufficient sleep and improved health and academic performance?
NOTE:  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that classes start no earlier than 8:30 am in order to permit student to get adequate sleep.

Question Title

* 11. Are students actively engaged in school decision-making processes?

Question Title

* 12. Have all staff members received professional development on preventing unintentional injuries, violence, and suicide in the past 2 years?

Question Title

* 13. Are indoor and outdoor physical activity facilities open to students, their families, and the community outside school hours?

Question Title

* 14. Does your school prohibit using physical activity and withholding physical education class as punishment?  Is this prohibition consistently followed?
NOTE:  Please do not consider issues related to participate in interscholastic sports programs when answering this question.

Question Title

* 15. Does your school prohibit giving students food as a reward and withholding food as punishment?  Is this prohibition consistently followed?

Question Title

* 16. Does your school conduct periodic testing of drinking water sources for lead?

Question Title

* 17. Does your school make safe, unflavored, drinking water available throughout the school day at no cost to your students?

Question Title

* 18. Does your school make safe, unflavored, drinking water available throughout the extended day at no cost to your students?

Question Title

* 19. Do all competitive foods sold to students during the school day meet or exceed the USDA's nutrition standards for all foods sold to students (commonly called Smart Snacks in School)?  This includes a la carte, vending, school stores, snack or food carts, and any food based fundraising (school follows fundraising exemptions and guidance set by their State agency, which also must adhere to the federal Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards).  See below:

Smart Snack in Schools - Nutrition Standards for Foods
Any food sold in schools must:
*  Be a grain products that contains 50% or more whole grains by weight or have whole grains as the first ingredient; or
*  Have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetables, a dairy product, or a protein food; or
*  Be a combination food that contains at least 1/4 cup of fruit and/or vegetable

Foods must also meet several nutrient requirements:
*  Calorie limits
Snack items:  equal to or less than 200 calories
Entrée items:  equal to or less than 350 calories
*Sodium limits
Snack items:  equal to or less than 200 mg
Entrée items:  equal to or less than 480 mg
*  Fat limits
Total fat: equal to or less than 35% of calories
Saturated fat:  less than 10% of calories
Trans fat: zero grams
*  Sugar limit:  less than or equal to 35% of weight from total sugars in foods

Question Title

* 20. Do all competitive beverages sold to students during the school day meet or exceed the USDA's nutrition standards for all beverages sold to students (commonly called Smart Snacks in School)?  This includes a la carte, vending, school stores, snack or food carts, and any food based fundraising (school follows fundraising exemptions and guidance set by their State agency, which also must adhere to the federal Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards).  See below

Smart Snacks in School- Nutrition Standards for Beverages
All schools may sell:
*  Plain water (with or without carbonation)
*  Unflavored low fat milk
*  Unflavored or flavored fat free milk and milk alternatives
*  100% fruit or vegetable juice
*  100% fruit or vegetable juice diluted with water (with or without carbonation), and no added sweeteners

There is no portion size limit for plain water
Schools may sell up to 12-oz portions of milk and juice

Question Title

* 21. Does your school sell only plain water 100% juice with no added sweeteners, or low-fat or fat-free milk to students during the school day in all venues (e.g., vending machines, school stores or snack or food carts)?

Question Title

* 22. Do all foods and beverages served and offered to students during the school day meet or exceed the USDA's Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards?  This includes snacks that are not part of a federally reimbursed child nutrition program, birthday parties, holiday parties and school-wide celebrations.

Question Title

* 23. Do all foods and beverages sold to students during the extended school day meet or exceed the USDA's Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards?  This includes snacks and meals served in the extended school day that are not part of a federally reimbursed child nutrition program (e.g., CACFP, NSLP Afterschool Snack Program), birthday parties, holiday parties and school-wide celebrations.

Question Title

* 24. Do all foods and beverages served and offered to students during the extended school day meet or exceed the USDA's Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards? This includes snacks that are not part of a federally reimbursed child nutrition program, birthday parties, holiday parties and school-wide celebrations.

Question Title

* 25. Do fundraising efforts during and outside school hours sell only non-food items or only foods and beverages that meet or exceed the USDA's Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards?  This may include, but is not limited to, donation nights; cookie dough, candy and pizza sales, and market days.

Question Title

* 26. Does your school limit food and beverage marketing (e.g. contests or coupons) on school property to foods and beverages that meet or exceed the USDA's Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards?
This may include, but is not limited to, marketing and branding in cafeterias, hallways, common spaces, classrooms, staff lounges or school stores; and on snack or food carts, vending machine exteriors, display racks, food or beverage cups or containers, coolers, athletic equipment and sports bags.  Examples may include, but are not limited to, in-school media, signs, posters and stickers.

Question Title

* 27. Does your school prohibit the use of tobacco by students, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the following locations?
*  In all school buildings (including during extracurricular events)
*  On all school grounds (including during extracurricular events)
*  At all school-sponsored events off school grounds
*  In all school vehicles

Question Title

* 28. Does your school prohibit the use of tobacco by staff members and visitors, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the following locations?
*  In all school buildings (including during extracurricular events)
*  On all school grounds (including during extracurricular events)
*  At all school-sponsored events off school grounds
*  In all school vehicles

Question Title

* 29. Does your school have a written policy to prohibit the use of alcohol and other drugs by all students, school staff members, and visitors, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the following locations?
*  In all school buildings (including during extracurricular events)
*  On all school grounds (including during extracurricular events)
*  At all school-sponsored events off school grounds

Question Title

* 30. Does your school handle violations of the alcohol, tobacco, and drug us policies in each of the following ways?
*  Designating individual(s) to enforce the policies
*  Having written policies for addressing violations by students, staff, and visitors
*  Providing educational opportunities (e.g., alcohol, tobacco, or drug use prevention education sessions, DUI courses) and not using solely punitive measures (e.g., detention, suspension)
*  Referring students to the school counselor or nurse or community-based services
*  Tracking the frequency of violations by students so that repeat offenders can be identified and receive heavier consequences and more intense prevention or cessation assistance and/or referrals
*  Communicating violations to parents

Question Title

* 31. Does your school prohibit advertising and displaying of alcohol-and tobacco-industry brand names, logos, and other drug-related symbols, slang, or identifiers in each of the following locations?
*  On school property
*  At other places where school functions occur
*  In school-developed or school-sponsored publications
*  On students' and staff members' clothing, shoes, and accessories
*  On students' and staff members' gear and school supplies (e.g., backpacks, lunchboxes, games, book covers, other personal items)

Question Title

* 32. Does your school or district have written policies that permit students to carry and self-administer prescribed quick-relief medications for chronic health conditions (e.g., asthma, diabetes, food allergies, etc.) that include all of the following?
*  Approval from authorized prescriber (e.g., MD, DO, PNP, etc.)
*  Approval from parent/guardian
*  Approval from school nurse
*  Request for back-up medication to be kept in the school health office
*  Student contract with clear rules and consequences for violations
*  Immediate notification of a parent/guardian if permission is withdrawn
*  Annual parental notification about policy

Question Title

* 33. Have all staff members received professional development on the chronic health conditions basics and emergency response in the past two years?

Question Title

* 34. Does your school implement a non-discrimination policy, within the context of federal, state, or local requirements, that protects HIV infected students and staff members and includes all of the following components?
*  Children with HIV/AIDS can attend school in regular classrooms without restrictions by reason of HIV alone
*  Known HIV positive students are allowed to fully participate in physical education, recess, competitive sports, extracurricular school-sponsored activities, and other physical activity programs
*  Harassment or bullying of HIV infected students and staff members is not tolerated
*  Reasonable accommodation is made for necessary school absences (e.g., medically-necessary absences are excused, re-enrollment procedures are straightforward and not time-consuming)
*  Procedural safeguards are in place for corrective action when discrimination is alleged to have occurred (e.g., an impartial hearing with an opportunity for participation by the parents or guardians and representation by counsel, a review procedure)

Question Title

* 35. Does your school implement a confidentiality of HIV status policy, within the context of federal, state, or local requirements that includes all of the following components?
*  Students or staff members are not required to disclose HIV status to anyone
*  HIV antibody testing is not required for any purpose
*  HIV status will not be divulged without court order or informed, written, signed, and dated consent of the person with HIV infection (or parent/guardian of legal minor) in compliance with federal, state or local requirements
*  Health records, notes, and other documents that reference HIV status will be kept under lock and key
*  Access to confidential records is limited to those named in written permission from the person (or parent/guardian) and to emergency medical personnel
*  Information regarding HIV status will not be added to the student's permanent educational or health record without written consent from the student (or parent/guardian of legal minor)
*  Procedural safeguards for corrective action for policy violation

Question Title

* 36. Have all staff members received professional development on the following HIV policies or laws, and enforcement of policies or laws, in the past two years?
*  Attendance of students with HIV infection in regular classrooms without restrictions
*  Procedures to protect HIV-infected students and staff members from discrimination
*  Maintaining confidentiality of HIV-infected students and staff members

Question Title

* 37. Have administrators and teachers received professional development on HIV, other STD, and pregnancy prevention in the past two years?

Question Title

* 38. Does your school implement a non-discrimination policy, within the context of federal, state, or local requirements that protects pregnant and parenting students and includes all of the following components?
*  Pregnant and parenting students have the right to stay in their regular or current school program
*  Pregnant and parenting students are allowed to fully participate in extracurricular school-sponsored activities
*  Pregnant students are accommodated to the same degree as students with other temporary disabilities
*  Pregnant students are permitted to take a leave of absence for pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions for as long as deemed medically necessary by her physician

Question Title

* 39. Does your school implement the following HIV, other STD, and pregnancy prevention strategies to meet the needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) youth?
*  Providing health education curricula or supplemental materials that include HIV, other STD, or pregnancy prevention information that is relevant to LGBT youth (e.g., curricula or materials that use inclusive language or terminology)
*  Identifying "safe spaces" such as a counselor's office, designated classroom, or students organization where LGBT youth can received support from administrators, teachers, other school staff, or other students
*  Prohibiting harassment and bullying based on a student's perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender expression
*  Facilitating access to providers not on school property who have experience providing health services, including HIV/STD testing and counseling and reproductive health care, to LGBT youth
*  Facilitating access to providers not on school property who have experience in providing social and psychological services to LGBT youth
Encouraging staff members to attend professional development on safe and supportive school environments for all students, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression

Question Title

* 40. Thanks again for participating.  Please provide any comments or feedback regarding any of the survey questions and/or suggestions on how to improve the health and wellness of Panther Valley.

T