Notice of Nondiscrimination
In accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977, applicants for admission and employment, students, parents, employees, sources of referral of applicants for admission and employment, and all unions or professional organizations holding collective bargaining or professional agreements with Briya Public Charter School are hereby notified that Briya Public Charter School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities.
Students, parents, and/or guardians having inquiries concerning Briya Public Charter School’s compliance with Section 504, ADA, Title VI, Title IX, and/or the Age Act as they apply to Briya Public Charter School students, or who wish to file a complaint regarding such compliance should contact:
Stephanie Mintz, Director of Student Services,
2333 Ontario Road NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-797-7337
or
Lena Johnson, Special Education Coordinator
2333 Ontario Road NW
Washington DC 20009
202-797-7337
who have been designated by Briya Public Charter School to coordinate its efforts to comply with the regulations implementing Section 504, ADA, Title VI, Title IX, and the Age Act as they relate to students. For inquiries or to file a complaint regarding Briya Public Charter School’s compliance with ADA, Section 504, Title VI, Title IX, an/or the Age Act as they relate to Briya Public Charter School employees, contact Christie McKay at info@briya.org or 2333 Ontario Road NW Washington, DC 20009, 202-797-7337. For further information on notice of non-discrimination, visit this link for the address and phone number of the office that serves your area, or call 1-800-421-3481.
Annual report
Briya’s annual report for SY23-24 can be found here.
Board of Trustees
Briya’s Board of Trustees is made up of community leaders, professionals, and students who work together to support the strategic priorities of the school.
Bullying Prevention Policy
A key responsibility of Briya Public Charter School (Briya) is to provide services in a respectful and positive environment. Acts of bullying, harassment and intimidation are an attack on core Briya values. Thus, to facilitate our mission, in consultation with families and staff, Briya has established this comprehensive bullying prevention policy. This policy protects the dignity and safety of the Briya community and describes Briya’s prevention strategies to identify and prevent incidents by connecting youth to necessary services. Briya will promptly report and investigate all incidents of bullying, harassment and intimidation and provide appropriate remedies for victims of an incident.
Click here to view Briya’s full Bullying Prevention Policy.
Calendar
Briya’s school calendar for SY25-26 can be found here.
Child Find Policy
INTRODUCTION
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Briya Public Charter School (Briya) is responsible for conducting continuous efforts intended to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities between the ages of three and twenty-two years of age enrolled in Briya. This policy establishes procedures for fulfilling Child Find responsibilities at Briya. Staff is expected to know and act in accordance with the requirements and procedures established by this policy. Briya trains staff on an annual basis to ensure staff understand and execute Child Find responsibilities.
POINTS OF CONTACT
Parents are encouraged to speak with any Briya staff if they have concerns about their child. Parents and other stakeholders should contact one of the following Briya staff to discuss Child Find, the referral process, and the availability of special education programming at Briya:
Lena Johnson
Inclusion Coordinator
2333 Ontario Rd NW
Washington, DC 20009
(P) 202-420-7200
ljohnson@briya.org
Lisa Luceno
Director of Early Childhood Education
2333 Ontario Rd NW
Washington, DC 20009
(P) 202-232-7777
(F) 202-797-8470
lluceno@briya.org
TARGET POPULATIONS
This policy and Briya Child Find efforts apply to students between the ages of three and twenty-two years of age enrolled in Briya.
OUTREACH EFFORTS
To ensure the local and school communities are aware of the availability of special education and related services for eligible children with disabilities and the methods for requesting such services, Briya provides public notice through a variety of methods:
- Briya provides information to parents and the school community at school events such as registration, orientation, and parent-teacher conferences.
- Briya publishes information and relevant dates in calendars and on its website at www.briya.org.
- Briya staff provides information to parents during parent-teacher conferences.
- Brochures regarding special education services are available for parents and the public at each site (see Appendix A).
COORDINATION WITH DISTRICT AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS
To ensure coordination with appropriate District agencies and community partners to facilitate the identification, location, and evaluation of children with disabilities enrolled in Briya, Briya maintains contacts with the following District agencies and community partners:
- District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Early Stages program
- Mary’s Center medical clinic
- Mary’s Center home visiting program
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Mary’s Center behavioral health services department
- Mary’s Center family support workers
- Strong Start/Early Intervention
As a community school program, Briya helps connect families with resources as needed in the DC community such as insurance, mental health services, economic assistance, and more.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT
Parents may obtain information about the availability of special education and related services through registration, orientation, the student handbook, this policy, information posted on our website at www.briya.org, or by contacting Lena Johnson. Briya also maintains written materials for parents, which can be found in the office at each site. Briya staff provides information to parents upon request and at parent-teacher conferences.
MULTI-TIER SYSTEM OF SUPPORTS (MTSS)
Through MTSS, a multi-tiered system of intervention supports that focus on social-emotional and language skills, Briya delivers a differentiated hierarchy of support that matches the students’ needs and helps struggling students before they reach the point of significant educational deficits. Every tenth week, MTSS meetings are held to examine student data for targeted areas, celebrate progress, and make instructional plans for data-driven interventions moving forward. If the data shows a student’s lack of progress consistently, despite intensive interventions, they are referred to the Inclusion Coordinator. Briya’s MTSS efforts must not delay the initial evaluation of a student who may be a child with a disability in need of special education and related services.
SCREENINGS
Briya implements a universal screening process to determine if a child should be referred for an evaluation, the result of which is provided to the child’s parent. Screenings utilize assessments and tools that are generally applied across the entire pre-K student population.
Briya, in collaboration with the parent, screens every child in our program with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) according to the child’s age range. Any children scoring in the black range may be referred to the Inclusion Coordinator for evaluations. Any child scoring in the grey range receives additional teacher support in those areas while they are in school, additional monitoring, and the family is contacted and given strategies to try in the home. The ASQ forms one part of the package of assessment tools and systems used to determine if a child is in need of additional educational services. In addition to ASQ, Briya uses Teaching Strategies GOLD (class and individual profile reports) as a curriculum-based assessment and observational tool. Observations are conducted in a variety of settings. Results are used to inform concerns for a student’s developmental age for a given area of development. The Learning Accomplishment Profile (LAP-3) assessment may be used if there is a concern in a particular area of development. All three tools help determine the student’s placement in MTSS groups.
TABLE OF ASSESSMENTS USED FOR SCREENINGS
| ASSESSMENT TYPE |
ASSESSMENT NAME |
DESCRIPTION OF SKILLS MEASURED |
SCORING DEFINITIONS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developmental and socialemotional screener |
Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) |
• Communication • Gross motor • Fine motor • Problem solving • Personal/Social |
Students who score in the black show that they are below ageexpectations in a developmental area. |
| Curriculum and observationbased criterionreferenced assessment for children from birth through kindergarten |
Teaching Strategies (GOLD) |
• Social-emotional • Physical • Language • Cognitive • Literacy • Mathematics • Science and Technology • The Arts |
Indicators and examples enable tool administrators to rate children’s knowledge, skills, and behaviors on a 10-point scale of “Not Yet” to level 9. The progressions use colored bands to show widely held expectations for various ages (birth–1 year, 1–2 years, and 2–3 years) and preschool 3, pre-K 4, and kindergarten. |
| Criterionreferenced assessment |
Learning Accomplishment Profile (LAP-3) |
Gross Motor Fine Motor Pre-Writing Cognitive Language Self-Help Personal/Social |
Assessment and observation summary forms are provided to summarize the progress of individual children at the beginning, middle, and end of the program year. Each form contains space to indicate skills the child has achieved, emerging skills, and strategies for supporting skill development at home. |
REFERRAL/EVALUATION PROCESSES
A referral is documentation provided by the child’s parent, or other referral source, which clearly states why it is thought that the child may have a disability. Briya ensures that a child is evaluated in all areas of concern. Briya is required to complete an initial evaluation and determine if a child is a child with a disability eligible for special education and related services under IDEA within 90 days of receipt of a referral. The 90-day requirement does not apply if any of the following occur:
- The parent fails or refuses to respond to a request for consent for the evaluation.
- The parent of the child repeatedly fails or refuses to produce the child for the evaluation.
- The child enrolls in another LEA prior to the determination of eligibility.
If a parent or community member would like to request an initial evaluation to determine if a child is in need of special education and related services, please contact Lena Johnson, Inclusion Coordinator, 2333 Ontario Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009, 202-420-7200, ljohnson@briya.org. Briya staff will accept an oral or written referral for initial evaluation. Upon receiving an oral referral, Briya staff can assist any outside referral source in documenting the referral in writing, and must document the date of the referral within three business days of receipt. Briya provides a referral form to assist parents and other parties in documenting a referral. This form is included with this policy as Appendix B.
Briya accepts referrals for initial evaluation from the following persons:
- a student’s parent
- the student, provided that educational rights have transferred to the student
- employee of Briya who has knowledge of the student
- pediatricians or other medical professionals, including physicians, hospitals, and other health providers
- child development facilities
- district agencies and programs, including IDEA Part C programs
- community and civic organizations
- advocacy organizations
Briya maintains regular contact with community-based referral sources and works to collaborate with community-based service providers to provide information on the availability of special education and related services and the means through which parents or organizations may submit a referral. After Briya has received a referral, Briya will make reasonable efforts to obtain parental consent for an initial evaluation, which includes attempting to contact the parent at least three times on three different dates using at least two modalities. Briya shall conduct an analysis of existing data on the student to determine if additional assessments are necessary. Existing data that may be considered may include, but is not limited to, teacher observations, classroom assessments, schoolwide screenings and assessments, parent reports,
health records, or data from other interventions. Briya will provide the parent of a child suspected of having a disability with information about the nature of any additional assessment required. Evaluations are conducted by qualified, trained professionals as specified by the producer of the formal assessment tool. If reevaluations are necessary, the same procedures are followed (see Appendix C).
TRANSITION FROM PART C
Under IDEA, Briya must ensure a smooth and effective transition for children transitioning from Part C early intervention services to Part B special education and related services. In furtherance of this responsibility, Briya:
- identifies incoming children that were served by Strong Start DC Early Intervention Program (DC EIP) prior to enrollment at Briya and participates in transition activities as appropriate at the request of DC EIP.
- regularly coordinates with DCPS Early Stages to ensure a smooth transition for students served by District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Early Stages prior to enrollment at Briya.
When a child is transitioning from Part C to Part B services, Briya participates in transition planning conferences as appropriate and ensures each child with a disability has an IEP developed and implemented by the child’s third birthday.
PARENT PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS AND RIGHTS
Parents’ legal rights during the Child Find process are defined by IDEA and District of Columbia law. In the event of a disagreement, parents may pursue dispute resolution and due process rights, including mediation, due process complaints, or state complaints. Parents can learn more about their rights under IDEA by referring to the Part B Procedural Safeguards located on OSSE’s website, https://osse.dc.gov/publication/rights-parents-students-disabilities-idea-part-b-notice-procedural-safeguards or by contacting Lena Johnson to obtain a copy of their procedural safeguards.
DATA REPORTING
In accordance with District of Columbia law, Briya counts and reports the number of children with disabilities receiving special education and related services annually on October 5 or the date set for the annual pupil count required by D.C. Official Code § 38-2906.
APPENDICES
Contact information for key staff
- Title XI Coordinator: Stephanie Mintz, smintz@briya.org, 202-797-7337
- McKinney-Vento Homelessness Coordinator: Shiela Escamilla, sescamilla@briya.org, 202-420-7200
- Safety point of contact: Amy Messer, amesser@briya.org, 202-847-4067
- Special Education point of contact: Lena Johnson, ljohnson@briya.org, 202-232-7777
Employee policies
Please find Briya employee policies here.
Enrollment information
Home and Hospital Instruction Policy
The purpose of this policy is to document the processes and procedures for applying for and receiving home or hospital instruction (HHI) at Briya Public Charter School.
Pursuant Chapter 25, Subtitle A, Title 5 of the DC Municipal Register: Students’ Right to Home and Hospital Instruction HHI, Briya is required to offer academic instruction and support to students who have been or will be absent from school for ten (10) or more consecutive or cumulative school days during a school year due to a health condition. For non-compulsory age students who do not have Individual Education Plans (IEPs), Briya will work with the student and their family to determine if exiting for a period is a better fit for that student’s situation (e.g., if an adult student gives birth to a child).
Briya’s unenrollment policy gives preference to previously enrolled students who wish to return after a medical absence.
Application for Home and Hospital Instruction
An adult student or parent of a prekindergarten student seeking HHI may submit an oral or written request to Briya PCS. Within two school days of an initial request for HHI, Briya will:
- Make available the written application for HHI; and
- Document the request for HHI in the student’s record.
Any applicant for HHI is required to present a medical certification from their health care provider. The request cannot be granted until medical certification is provided. Briya will deny any application for HHI if the application is missing information or is otherwise incomplete. An application for HHI should not be used in the instance where a student’s IEP requires HHI as the student’s least restrictive environment under IDEA.
Briya will provide a written decision on the submitted application that:
- Includes a written explanation of the basis for the approval or denial;
- If approved, describes a written plan for the delivery of HHI that includes the service delivery location, service to be delivered, identification of virtual and/or in-person service delivery as the method of service, identification of the number of hours per week of direct instruction for eligible students according to the medical certification of need, and the schedule for service delivery;
- States specifically, if Briya denies the application, that the basis for that determination is that the application or medical certification of need was missing information or incomplete; and
- Provides information on the right of a parent to appeal Briya’s approval or denial of the application to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).
If HHI is approved, during the provision of such instruction Briya may make reasonable requests for information from the parent concerning the student’s continuing medical need for HHI and work with a student’s parent to develop accommodations or measures that would permit the student to return to school.
Medical Certification of Need
A medical certification of need is a written statement, either on a form provided by OSSE or any other form containing this information, signed by a licensed physician, licensed nurse practitioner, licensed clinical psychologist, licensed mental health counselor or therapist, or physician assistant that:
- States the signatory’s license number;
- Certifies that a student has been diagnosed with a health condition and explains how the health condition has caused or is anticipated to cause the student to be unable to attend in-school instruction, on a continuous, partial, or intermittent basis, at the student’s school of enrollment or attendance for ten (10) or more consecutive or cumulative school days during a school year;
- Contains a recommendation that the student receive HHI, to the extent permitted by the student’s health condition;
- States whether there is a maximum number of direct instructional hours that the student may receive per week based on the student’s health condition;
- States the anticipated duration and frequency of the student’s health condition, and the needed start date of services; and
- States whether the student’s health condition is anticipated to cause continuous, partial, or intermittent absence from school.
A medical recertification of need is a written statement, either on a form provided by OSSE or any other form containing this information, signed by a licensed physician, licensed nurse practitioner, licensed clinical psychologist, licensed mental health counselor or therapist, or physician assistant that:
- States the signatory’s license number;
- Verifies the continued need for HHI and whether the student requires instruction in a home or hospital;
- States whether there is a maximum number of direct instructional hours that the student may receive per week based on the student’s health condition; and
- States the anticipated duration and frequency of the student’s health condition.
HHI Delivery and Attendance
Briya will design a HHI program that promotes participating students’ academic progress, allows the student to stay current with classroom instruction in core subjects to the greatest extent possible, fosters coordination between the student’s classroom teachers and the HHI instructors, and facilitates the rapid reintegration into classroom instruction when the student returns to school. HHI instructors will provide content aligned to that being provided in the student’s classroom at Briya.
Briya will begin delivering HHI to a student whose application has been approved no later than five (5) school days after Briya approved the application.
Briya will identify and provide a minimum number of hours per week of direct instruction for an approved student based on the medical certification or recertification of need.
Briya may adjust the minimum required amount of direct instruction based on the student’s schedule and amount of in-school instruction the student is expected to receive.
Direct instruction will be provided in-person by a home or hospital instructor, except that with the consent of the parent, direct instruction may be provided by a home or hospital instructor via real-time videotelephony or asynchronous learning. Briya may provide direct instruction via videotelephone in real-time or asynchronous learning without a parent’s consent in the following circumstances:
- During a public emergency, including a public health emergency, declared by the Mayor of the District of Columbia;
- When the student has been diagnosed with a communicable disease as defined in 22-B DCMR Chapter 2, or any superseding regulation;
- When a household member has been diagnosed with a communicable disease as defined in 22-B DCMR Chapter 2, or any superseding regulation, if the student is to receive instruction at home;
- When Briya determines that safety concerns prevent in-person instruction; or
- When the student is receiving medical treatment outside of the District of Columbia.
Briya may satisfy the provisions of this section through employing staff to provide instructional services to a student, contracting with private providers to deliver instructional services, contracting with other LEAs to provide instructional services, or combining any of the foregoing delivery options.
Briya will maintain a student receiving HHI on the regular attendance roll and count the student as medically excused, except when a student is not available for HHI, in which event the student may be counted absent.
Briya will ensure due deference to the medical opinions set forth in the medical certification of need, including any medical opinions regarding the return of the student to in-school instruction when medically feasible, including the use of accommodations or supports recommended by the medical professional.
Upon return of the student to in-school instruction, Briya may propose accommodations to allow the student to remain in school. Such accommodations must be agreed upon in writing by the medical professional signing the medical certification of need who agrees that such accommodations meet the medical needs of the student and permit in-school instruction.
Students with Disabilities
For students with individual education plans (IEPs), Briya will continue to deliver instruction in accordance with each individual student’s IEP. Content delivered during HHI will continue to align with the content being covered in the student’s class for the duration of their time away from school.
When a parent makes a request for HHI for a student who is suspected of being or is eligible for special education services under the IDEA, Briya will:
- Provide the parent with notice of the procedural safeguards under the IDEA defined by 34 CFR § 300.504; and
- Consider whether the request for HHI could impact the student’s educational placement in the least restrictive environment, and if so, convene a placement determination team to review and revise the educational placement of the student, as appropriate, and to review and revise the student’s IEP, as appropriate.
If Briya convenes a placement determination team to review whether the educational placement of a student with a disability should be changed, the determination and eligibility for HHI will be governed by the IDEA and any applicable District law or regulation governing IDEA rather than the standards in this chapter.
If a student with a disability is placed in HHI in accordance with the IDEA, the provision and duration of services will be governed by the IDEA and any applicable District law or regulation governing IDEA rather than the standards in this chapter.
Mediation and Appeals
Should a parent or adult learner wish to appeal the decision made by Briya about their right to HHI, they can submit an appeal to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education. The appeals form can be found here.
A parent may appeal Briya’s decision to approve or deny a request for HHI by submitting a written request for an appeal to OSSE. An appeal to OSSE will be submitted within ten (10) calendar days of receipt by the parent of the Briya’s written decision. The written request for an appeal will:
- Include the student’s name, date of birth, universal student identification number (USI), and the name of the LEA of enrollment (Briya) and school of attendance at the time of the appeal request;
- Describe how the denial or approval decision made by the LEA was not made in accordance with this chapter;
- Include a copy of the medical certification or recertification of need in support of the request for HHI; and
- Include a copy of the written decision of Briya.
If a parent appeals a decision by Briya to approve a request for HHI, the appeal will be limited to Briya’s decision to approve and will not include an appeal of Briya’s written plan for implementation of HHI.
Upon receipt of the parent’s request for appeal, OSSE will provide mediation between the parent and Briya. OSSE will provide the parent notice of the proposed mediation date and an opportunity to request an alternative date for mediation.
Policy Posting
This policy will be included in Briya’s Student Handbook beginning in the 2023-2024 school year and will be posted on the school’s website. It will also be provided to any student or parent who has made a request for HHI so that they are informed of the school’s process. This policy will also be provided to any applicant for HHI at the time of their application and at any point of recertification of the request.
Contact
Briya staff responsible for oversight of this policy are Elizabeth Bowman, Chief Academic Officer (ebowman@briya.org, 202-232-7777) and Lena Johnson, Director of Early Childhood Education (ljohnson@briya.org, 202-232-7777).
Reference
Lead Testing Results
Below are campus-by-campus lead testing results, conducted and posted in accordance with the Healthy Schools Act of 2010.
Sexual Abuse Prevention Policies
Student safety is the number one priority at Briya. In accordance with the School Safety Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018, Briya has developed two policies to prevent and address sexual abuse, harassment, and assault.
Click here to view Briya’s Policy on Preventing and Addressing Student-on-Student Acts of Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, and Dating Violence
Click here to view Briya’s Policy on Preventing and Addressing Child Sexual Abuse by School Staff
Student handbook
See Briya’s student handbook here.
Student/family policies
See Briya’s student and family policies here.
SMS Policy
Messaging Terms & Conditions
Briya Public Charter School / 2333 Ontario Road NW, Washington, DC 20011
General
When you opt-in to the service, we will send you a message to confirm your signup.
By opting into messages, you agree to receive recurring automated marketing and informational text messages from Briya Public Charter School. Automated messages may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system to the mobile telephone number you provided when signing up or any other number that you designate.
Message frequency varies, and additional mobile messages may be sent periodically based on your interaction with Briya. Briya reserves the right to alter the frequency of messages sent at any time to increase or decrease the total number of outbound messages. Briya also reserves the right to change the short code or phone number where messages are sent.
Message and data rates may apply. If you have any questions about your text plan or data plan, it is best to contact your wireless provider. Your wireless provider is not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
Your consent to receive marketing messages is not a condition of purchase.
How we share your personal information
No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes
Carriers
Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
Cancellation
You can cancel any time by texting “STOP”. After you send the SMS message “STOP”, we will send you a message to confirm that you have been unsubscribed and no more messages will be sent. If you would like to receive messages from Briya Public Charter School again, just sign up as you did the first time and Briya will start sending messages to you again.
Info
Text “HELP” at any time and we will respond with instructions on how to unsubscribe. For support regarding our services, email us at register@briya.org.
Transfer of Number
You agree that before changing your mobile number or transferring your mobile number to another individual, you will either reply “STOP” from the original number or notify us of your old number at register@briya.org. The duty to inform us based on the above events is a condition of using this service to receive messages.
Privacy
If you have any questions about your data or our privacy practices, please see our Privacy Policy.
Messaging Terms Changes
We reserve the right to change or terminate our messaging program at any time. We also reserve the right to update these Messaging Terms at any time. Such changes will be effective immediately upon posting. Your continued enrollment following such changes shall constitute your acceptance of such changes.
Wellness Policy
Briya Local Wellness Policy PDF
The U.S. Congress established a requirement in the Child Nutrition and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act of 2004, that all school districts with a federally funded school meal program draft a local school wellness policy. Section 204 of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (the Act) added Section 9A to the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) (42 U.S.C. 1758b), Local School Wellness Policy Implementation. The provisions set forth in Section 204 expand upon the previous local wellness policy requirement from the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.
The law requires that the policy must, at a minimum, (1) include goals for nutrition education, nutrition promotion, physical activity, and other school-based activities that promote student wellness; (2) establish nutrition guidelines for all foods available on each school campus during the school day with the objectives of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity; (3) provide assurance that those guidelines for reimbursable school meals shall not be less restrictive than regulations and guidance applicable to school meals issued by the Secretary of Agriculture; (4) establish a plan for measuring the implementation of the local wellness policy, including designation of one or more persons with operational responsibility for ensuring that the schools meet the wellness policy; (5) involve parents, students, teachers of physical education, school health professionals, and representatives of the school food authority, school board, school administrators, and the public, in the development of the school wellness policy; and (6) inform and update the public (including parents, students, and others in the community) about the content and implementation of the local wellness policy, including the extent to which schools are in compliance with the local wellness policy, the extent to which the local wellness policy compares to model local wellness policies, and to describe the progress made in attaining goals of the local wellness policy.
Briya Public Charter School (Briya PCS) recognizes that nutrition education, food served in school, and physical activity each affect student wellness. We also recognize the important connection between a healthy diet and a student’s ability to learn effectively and achieve high standards in school. Therefore, we will use the above requirements as a baseline and expand the policy to cover additional student wellness areas.
Section 1: Ensuring Quality Nutrition Education, Health Education and Physical Education
Briya PCS aims to provide age-appropriate and culturally sensitive instruction in nutrition, health and physical education that helps students develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to enjoy healthy eating habits and a physically active lifestyle.
Health and Nutrition Education
Briya PCS will work to develop a health and nutrition education program that:
- is a comprehensive and designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health;
- is part of not only life skills classes, but also includes education in family health;
- includes enjoyable, culturally-relevant activities; and
- promotes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, healthy food preparation methods, and health-enhancing nutrition practices.
Physical Activity
Briya PCS acknowledges the positive benefits of physical activity for student health and academic achievement and promotes the goal of 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Also, recognizing that physical education is a crucial and integral part of a student’s education, the school will provide opportunities to ensure that students engage in healthful vigorous physical activity to promote and develop the student’s physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. Besides promoting high levels of personal achievement and a positive self-image, physical education activities should teach students how to cooperate in the achievement of common goals.
The components of the school’s physical education program shall include a variety of kinesthetic activities, within the limits of the school’s infrastructure and location. Suitably adapted physical activity will be provided for students with physical disabilities that may restrict excessive physical exertion. Additionally, the school prohibits withholding or requiring physical activity as punishment.
Section 2: Establishing Nutritional Guidelines for All Foods Served and Sold on Campus During the School Day.
A component of the educational mission of Briya PCS is teaching students to establish and maintain life-long healthy eating habits. This mission shall be accomplished, in part, through selling and serving healthful food in the school. Briya PCS will ensure that all foods available on campus are consistent with federal and Healthy Schools Act guidelines.
Section 3: Goals for Increasing the Environmental Sustainability of the school
Briya PCS will seek to increase the environmental sustainability of the school by contracting with food service vendors that use and serve locally grown, locally processed and unprocessed foods. Additionally, the school will seek to establish a recycling program to increase environmental sustainability.
Section 4: Establishing a Plan for Measuring the Impact and Implementation of the Local Wellness Policy
Briya PCS shall develop a steering committee, including students and staff for the development, implementation, and monitoring of the wellness policy; and this committee shall also be responsible for the annual evaluation of the policy, and tri-annual update.
Section 6: Community Involvement
Briya PCS will seek involvement from the school and surrounding community in the development and implementation of the local wellness policy. Representatives will include students, teachers and school health professionals, as well as, representatives of the school administration and community. Additionally, we will disseminate the wellness policy to students through posting it in the school’s office and on the school’s website.