School Wellness Program
Our School Wellness Program is committed to fostering a healthy, active, and supportive environment for all students. Through careful policy implementation, ongoing evaluation, and community engagement, we aim to ensure every student thrives physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Members of the Wellness Committee
The Wellness Committee will be responsible for implementing and upholding the school’s wellness policy.
SCHOOL WELLNESS
Mission: Nativity Preparatory School is a tuition-free, Jesuit middle school, offering a high-quality, comprehensive education to boys from under-resourced communities. Within an academically challenging and highly structured environment, students are accompanied as they develop a love for learning and a sense of responsibility to their community. Our students grow to become men for others, READY to thrive in high school, college, and beyond.
Nativity Prep has established a Wellness Committee to prioritize the health and wellness of our students, guided by the Jesuit ideal of cura personalis, or care for the whole person. This Committee may be composed of parents, the Food Program Manager, members of the school Leadership Team, school administrators, teachers, school nurses, school counselors, and members of the public.
Our students thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally
Implementation & Communication
Committee
The Wellness Committee will be responsible for implementing and upholding the school’s wellness policy. The designated officials for oversight to ensure compliance with the policy are the President and Business Manager.
Wellness Committee Members FY26
- Brian Maher, President
- Janet Depaz, Chief Operating Officer
- Nuria Montrond, Admin Asssistant & Food Program Manager
- Belkis Cruz, Community Engagement & Library Liaison
- School Nurse
Purpose
Our meetings serve as crucial platforms for reviewing policy and compliance, assessing progress, and identifying areas for enhancement. Integral to this process is the review of our food program, food and nutrition education, and physical activity policies, ensuring that our school environment consistently promotes healthy eating habits and physical well-being. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we will adjust our wellness policies as needed and develop actionable plans to support their effective implementation.
Cadence
The Wellness Committee will meet at least four times a year during the academic year, strategically timed to coincide with the conclusion of each academic trimester. The schedule is as follows:
- Meeting #1: Last week of August
- Meeting #2: Second week in December
- Meeting #3: Second week in March
- Meeting #4: First week of June
Official minutes of each meeting will be kept and available to the public upon request. To request a copy, please send an email to info@nativityboston.org, or call (857) 728-0031.
Parent/Community Engagement
Our Director of Parent Engagement hosts monthly parent meetings, which provide a forum for parents to engage in discussions about their child’s education. The school also schedules presentations during these meetings to provide educational opportunities on health and wellness topics to families. The school hosts regular morning coffees for parents and caregivers to connect with the School counselors and to offer social and emotional support and information. Nursing staff collaborate with families to ensure students’ immunizations, physicals, and action plans are up to date, prioritizing their overall health and well-being. During the course of the year, Nativity Prep hosts family events that help strengthen the bond between parents, students, and school staff through shared experiences and celebrations.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The President, along with the Wellness Committee members, ensures compliance with the Wellness Policy and oversees implementation procedures. The Wellness Policy undergoes a comprehensive review every three years. The policy review process includes measuring compliance with state and federal standards, comparing the local wellness policy to a model policy, updates on policy goals, and communicating those goals to the public.
School Meal Programming
Nativity participates in the School Breakfast Program, the National School Lunch Program, and the After-School Snack Service. Nativity meets the criteria for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which is a non-pricing meal service option that allows us to serve these meals at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications. More information about CEP can be found HERE. Meals are distributed in a manner that allows anonymity for students who have a free or reduced meal status.
Nativity is committed to serving healthy meals to our students and meeting their nutrition needs and calorie requirements while accommodating cultural food preferences and special dietary needs. We work closely with our food vendor to ensure they meet the USDA nutrition standards for reimbursable school meals. The menus offer healthy choices that include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and low-fat dairy products, and are planned considering student input.
The time provided for lunch is sufficient for eating and socializing, under proper supervision. Water fountains are located throughout the school building, and students have access to free potable water during the school day, including during meals, as mandated by federal rules under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA). Students are encouraged to stay hydrated throughout the day. Food Program staff will receive annual training in line with USDA professional standards. Food safety is a top priority. The kitchen facility is inspected twice a year. All foods are served and prepared in a health-inspected facility under the guidance of the Health Department.
Competitive Foods & Beverage Standards
Nativity Prep does not sell or provide any competitive foods during the school day, nor do we engage in any fundraising involving foods during or after school. The school day is defined as from midnight the night before until 30 minutes after the final bell. If this changes in the future, all competitive foods will comply with Massachusetts Nutrition Standards for Competitive Foods and Beverages and the USDA’s Smart Snacks nutritional standards, whichever is stricter.
Foods of minimal nutritional value, including brands and illustrations, shall not be advertised or marketed in educational materials. The school environment will reinforce the development of healthy eating habits, including:
- Offering healthy foods
- Encouraging the students to try new items and make healthy choices
- Displaying visible and colorful menus
- Creating a welcoming environment making it a more inviting place for students to enjoy their meals.
- Displaying posters with healthy habits information, visual education, positive messaging, etc.
Each year, the school hosts celebrations of our rich cultural and ethnic diversity. For many in our community, food is an important part of cultural identity and becomes a central part of our celebration. While we recognize this importance, we also stress that celebrations include food of high nutritional value and minimize servings of snack foods and desserts.
The school will host the following events in the dining room. The food served at these events will meet the MA Competitive Food and Beverage Standards:
- Thanksgiving Potluck Celebration
- Hispanic Heritage Dinner
- Black History Month
Beyond these school-wide events, classroom celebrations will center on activities other than food, and reward systems will not include food as a prize.
Food Literacy & Nutrition Education
Administrators, faculty, and staff support the development of healthy lifestyles for students through encouragement and education to ensure students are capable of making wise lifelong food choices.
Food Program staff will participate in providing nutrition education through new food experiences and exposure to a wide variety of food choices. Consistent encouragement is given to students to try new foods and discourage students from making negative comments about new foods and healthy foods so they learn to try new flavors.
Nativity Prep aims to provide nutrition education based on state and national standards, be culturally responsive and specific to our community, and engage in nutrition promotion that:
- is offered as part of a sequential, comprehensive program designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health;
- includes enjoyable, developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant, participatory activities, such as the overnight trip to Farms School and cooking club.
- promotes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, recipe reading, healthy food preparation methods, and health-enhancing nutrition practices;
- includes the use of interpersonal communication skills, goal-setting, decision-making, and self-management skills to enhance health;
- links with school meal programs, farm-to-school, and other school foods, and nutrition-related community services;
- is integrated beyond health education and into core curricular areas.
Our school nurse actively collaborates with Boston College nursing students to hold presentations on health-related topics like nutrition for students in all grades.
Students actively participate in maintaining a clean cafeteria, fostering a sense of responsibility and respect for school property.
Physical Activity & Education
We understand the importance of staying active and promoting exercise, which will improve our students’ physical and mental health. All students are encouraged and have the option to participate in physical activities throughout the year.
The gym and outdoor recess areas are available for student use before school, during AM recess (5th and 6th grade only), for lunch recess, and during afternoon sports & activities.
A variety of interscholastic sports are offered during the school year, providing diverse opportunities for athletic engagement.
All students are required to participate in after-school activities, which include some form of physical activity.
In the fall and spring seasons, after-school sports and activities include outdoor and indoor options. Winter activities include basketball and clubs that have indoor playtime.
Physical activity and/or recess will not be used or withheld as a punishment during the school day.
Staff Wellbeing
At Nativity Prep, we genuinely value the health and well-being of every staff member. That’s why we actively plan and implement activities that support personal efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Through our partnership with the Archdiocese of Boston and programs provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield, our group health insurance provider, we offer a wide array of resources and programming designed to promote wellness.
We encourage all Nativity Prep staff members to model and practice healthy eating habits, engage in regular exercise, and adopt active lifestyles. Here’s how we bring this commitment to life:
- Informative Communications: We send periodic emails to keep staff informed about exciting events, challenges, webinars, and wellness programs available to them.
- Monthly Newsletter: The Archdiocese’s monthly newsletter, posted in the faculty room, features articles on various health and wellness topics, highlights the MoveSpring monthly challenge, and shares information about upcoming wellness webinars on topics like stress management, fitness, and financial planning. Plus, new seasonal healthy recipes are always
- Wellness Programs: This program includes wellness activities and monthly challenges, a personal wellness coach, and the ability to earn wellness rewards and participate in the gym reimbursement program, which encourages everyone to stay active and pursue their fitness goals.
- Well-Equipped Kitchen: We provide a clean, well-stocked, and organized kitchen space where staff can store their drinks, meals, and snacks. We also ensure access to free potable water throughout the day
- Participation: We encourage participation in fundraising activities, such as races and marathons, promoting both teamwork and health.
- Bi-Annual Retreats: Our retreats are held in beautiful locations near nature and walking trails, providing opportunities for physical activity, relaxation, and rejuvenation.
- Parent Council Involvement: Staff members are invited to participate in our monthly Parent Council meetings, where we discuss wellness topics and programming available through our community partners, including the YMCA.
