Southern Arizona Community Academy is proud to continually place great emphasis on the overall wellness of the individuals within our community, both students and staff. We strive to provide an environment where students will possess both the knowledge and skills necessary to make decisions to feel and be their best every day not just here at SACA but throughout their lives. In addition, SACA’s staff is truly encouraged to model healthy behavior as a valuable part of daily life. We are a health-conscious hub! To ensure the health and well-being of all students, we are committed to the following foundational core elements:

 

NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES

The selection and primary goal of all foods available to our students in school during the day will be to promote student health and reduce childhood obesity.

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NUTRITIONAL EDUCATION

We are committed to providing quality information for our students so that they can make informed decisions learning to eat right and feel great. Beyond offering a general atmosphere of healthy eating, we also encourage our instructors to present and discuss healthy eating concepts in the mandatory “Creating your Future” coursework. In addition, healthy eating tips are available for our students as handouts and promotional slides featuring wellness can be found on the big screen television in our lobby as well as on the school’s social media pages.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

We provide all students with the opportunity to participate in our athletic program. Those students who are a part of this strong tradition gain an understanding of how playing sports is a vital part of leading a healthy life. We offer Girls and Boys Basketball, Coed Flag Football, Weightlifting and Soccer.

A necessary component of any successful program is support and buy-in from the community. At SACA, we aim to continually find compelling ways to involve and engage not just the students, but their family members and our staff. To ensure that our action plan remains current and relevant, we have committed to a regular review of our wellness policy at least once a year, being open to changes that might have a greater impact and influence in the lives of our students and community members. To that end, student surveys each year will also help to ascertain the effectiveness of this policy in promoting healthy eating and lifestyle decisions. FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM SACA’s food service program employs well-prepared staff who understand and are committed to the importance of offering appealing choices of nutritious foods. The designated eating area is clean and pleasant with adequate time for each meal to allow for unhurried eating and conversation. The food service program is an echo of the general overall school environment that prides itself in encouraging our students to make great food choices and take excellent care of themselves. It is acknowledged that the feeding of children is primarily a family responsibility. However, to supplement their efforts, we operate this program to ensure that all students have affordable access to the varied and nutritous foods they need to stay healthy and learn well. During each school day, SACA’s food service program shall offer breakfast and lunch under the nutritional guidelines of the USDA’s National School Lunch and Breakfast Program. SACA also makes sure that our families are aware that the free and reduced food program is available to all students. The menus meet nutrient guidlines set forth by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. and the most current menus have input from students, parents, alumni and staff.

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ADDITIONAL VITAL INFORMATION

We also continually provide information about the harmful effects of drug and alcohol use and other risky behavior. Not to mention, health and hygiene information is also available.