Child Nutrition and Wellness

Children spend 12 years of their youth in school developing their minds, bodies, and character in preparation for life. They're influenced daily by their school experiences that shape their lives and ultimately their future. The Child Nutrition & Wellness department is a support team in partnership with the district's educators to ensure that students are nourished for an engaged day of learning. 

Research shows that well-nourished students are better equipped to learn and we play a vital role in fueling students for success. 

Our department is comprised of approximately 60 employees. The leadership team has more than 30 years combined of training and professional experience in food service and nutrition. Each school location is managed by a Cafeteria Manager who has completed an extensive food safety course and passed the nationally accredited ServSafe exam. 

Together, we can make a healthy difference in the lives of Creighton's adventurous learners. 

Our Programs 

Breakfast in the Classroom 

Numerous published studies show that academic achievement among students who eat school breakfast tends to improve, especially in vocabulary, math, and standardized tests. Students who eat breakfast at school also have better attendance and tend to behave better. That's why we serve breakfast in the classroom at no cost to students, district-wide. All Creighton students have premier access to a healthy meal first thing in the morning to set themselves up for a successful day. 

Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program 

USDA's Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program is a federally assisted program which provides free fresh fruit & veggies to elementary school students during the school day. Through this program we're able to introduce learners to a variety of produce that they may otherwise not have had the opportunity to sample and provide nutrition education through facts about the fruit or vegetable that students are sampling. All nine Creighton schools are eligible and participate in the FFVP. 

Afterschool Supper Program 

Afterschool meals contribute to the healthy growth & development of children by providing them with supplemental nutritious options once the school day ends. We serve hot supper meals, free to children, most days of the week and during scheduled breaks. 

 

Nutrition Standards 

Breakfast & lunch menus are planned according to USDA's guidelines for the National School Lunch & School Breakfast Programs. Breakfast is served in the classroom district-wide. For lunch, students have the option to build their own meals by selecting from a variety of foods served. At minimum, students must pick 3 of these options (including 1 fruit or vegetable) and are encouraged to choose 1 from each category for maximum nutrition benefits:

Entree + Fruit + Vegetable + Milk + Various Sides 

All meals served must meet the minimum nutrition requirements that are federally mandated.

Breakfast 
- 1 oz whole grain-rich grains 
- 1 cup of whole fruit or vegetable, and/or 100% juice 
- 1 cup of milk 

Lunch 
- 1 oz of whole-grain rich grains 
- 1 oz of protein 
- 1 cup fruit or 100% juice 
- 1 cup vegetable 
- 1 cup milk 

Ultra-processed Foods 

Per HB2164 and as defined in A.R.S. 15-242.01, ultra-processed foods are not served or sold during the school day.

All foods provided by the Child Nutrition Department do not contain the following ingredients: 

- potassium bromate
- propylparaben
- titanium dioxide 
- brominated vegetable oil 
- yellow dye 5 or 6 
- blue dye 1 or 2
- green dye 3 
- red dye 3 or 40 

The Child Nutrition Department is committed to reducing the amount of processed foods served in the Child Nutrition Programs. In addition to the ingredients listed above, food served in our programs are also free from the following ingredients: 

- BHA
- BHT
- aspartame
- azodicarbonamide (ADA)
- propylgallate
- methylene chloride

A la carte (snack) purchases
Snacks sold or served to students anywhere on campus during the school day must comply with federal & state Smart Snacks Standards. Per 7 CFR 210.11 the School Day is defined as the period from midnight before to 30 minutes after the end of the official school day. 
- Must be a whole grain-rich product 
- The first ingredient must be a fruit, vegetable, protein or dairy product
- Must meet nutrient specifications as defined below under "Nutrition Standards"
This includes food sold as fundraisers and any other food provided by Creighton employees which students may consume on campus during the school day. This does NOT apply to food that parents/guardians send in from home for classroom celebrations. Foods brought from home must be store-bought.

To learn more about these programs and their nutrition regulations, please visit Arizona Department of Education - Health & Nutrition Services. 

Special Dietary Accommodations 

The Child Nutrition & Wellness Department has two Registered Dietitians that provide assistance to students that have medical needs that may require special dietary accommodations. This includes (but is not limited to) food allergies, inborn errors of metabolism, and neurological disorders. 

We will work with the parents/guardians, school nurses, and the student's health practitioner to develop a customized menu to meet their needs. 

Please download the Special Dietary Accommodations Form below and return it to either your school nurse or the Child Nutrition & Wellness Department. Please note, this form must be signed by a licensed physician. 

Special Dietary Accommodations Form

The Local Wellness Policy (LWP) is intended to guide a school district's efforts to establish a school environment that promotes students' health, well-being, and ability to learn. All schools that participate in USDA's Child Nutrition Programs are required to have a written wellness policy in addition to: 

• Goals for nutrition promotion and education, physical activity, and other school-based activities that promote wellness
• Nutrition standards and guidelines for all foods served and sold, served, and marketed to students 
• Establish a Local Wellness Policy Committee to oversee implementation at the school level 
• Assess compliance with the LWP requirements on a triennial basis 

Creighton School District Local Wellness Policy 

Local Wellness Policy Committee 

The purpose of this committee is to contribute to academic success by creating a healthy school environment. The committee is currently working on the following objectives:

• Create awareness about the federally required LWP
• Develop best practices for implementation of the policy at the school level
• Build connections within the organization in regards to the wellness culture
• Strengthen partnerships amongst all stakeholders

All stakeholders are welcome to participate in this committee. This includes parents, students, members of the Child Nutrition & Wellness Department, teachers of physical education, school health professionals, the school board, and school administrators. Participants are responsible for communicating best practices at the site level, being a resource for implementation of the policy, developing best practices to improve student wellness, and assisting with the triennial evaluation criteria. If you are interested in participating, please email Britni OConnell at boconnell@creightonschools.org.

Triennial Assessment 

An assessment must be conducted at least once every three years. This was most recently completed during the 2023-2024 school year. Details regarding the results of the assessment can be found in the documents below: 

• TriennialAssessmentSummary.pdf
• 2023-2024WellSATRecommendations.pdf
• ModelPolicyComparisonTool.pdf

Food Sales & Fundraisers

Per Creighton School District policy 3-301.A only Smart Snack approved items are allowed to be sold or served to students during the school day (midnight before through 30 minutes after the dismissal bell). Compliant foods: 

• Meet all Smart Snacks Nutrition standards
• Do not contain any ultra-processed food ingredients
• Are not sold in competition with the School Meal Programs (i.e. during breakfast or lunch)

Smart Snack regulations do not apply to: 

• Food not intended for consumption on campus during the school day (i.e. cookie dough)
• Afterschool or weekend activities

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) does allow for exempt fundraisers. Exempt fundraisers do not need to meet Smart Snack nutrition guidelines however, they must be infrequent and submitted to ADE. Regulations state that no exempted fundraiser foods or beverages may be sold in competition with school meals in the food service area during meal service. 

The Local Wellness Policy Committee established the following recommendations for fundraisers and exemptions:

• Food-based fundraisers should prioritize items that are Smart Snack compliant as there are no limitations for their approval.
• A list of compliant competitive food items that can be purchased from the Child Nutrition Department is available.
• Individual schools should utilize no more than 10 fundraising exemptions per school year. This allows sites the flexibility to determine when it is best fit to use their exemptions while maintaining the requirement that exempt fundraisers must be infrequent. The maximum allowable length of a fundraiser is 1 week in duration. 
• The survey link from ADE for exemptions should be submitted by office managers, principals, or APs as they are currently involved in overseeing the fundraisers on their respective campuses. This responsibility also provides oversight that different fundraising organizations on each campus are equitably allowed exemptions. 
• Non-food based fundraisers are encouraged. Checkout these ideas. 

 

Let us know what we can do to serve your guests at your next event. We will work with you to develop a menu based on your preferences and the needs of your event. 

Contact:
Rick Hall - rhall@creightonschools.org
Rosa Ramirez - rramirez@creightonschools.org

602 - 381 - 6048

All requests must be submitted on the Catering Request Form.  

Requests must be made at least 2 weeks in advance.