Meghan Carroll- Acting Deputy Head of Primary

Healthy Eating and Living

It’s incredibly important for kids (and adults) to eat well and be active. Healthy eating and being physically active is essential for your child’s good health, growth and development and can benefit their physical, mental and social well-being in powerful ways.

When children understand the important role that food and regular exercise play in their lives, they are more likely to make their own healthy lifestyle choices as they get older.

What can you do? Here are five simple ways for your family to lead a healthy lifestyle:

Get active

Regular physical activity is important for the healthy growth, development and well-being of kids and teens. They should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, including vigorous activities that make them ‘huff and puff’. Parents should be good role models and have a positive attitude to being active.

H2O is the way to go

Water is the best way to quench your thirst. It has none of the sugar found in fruit drinks, soft drinks, sports drinks and flavoured beverages, which can cause tooth decay. Water is the best fluid for our bodies as it helps regulate our temperature, aids digestion, assists in the transportation of nutrients around the body, helps kidney function and the elimination of waste products.

It is important for children to be drinking an appropriate amount of water every day. How much to drink depends on the amount of activity one does, the temperature, diet and health. As a general guide, children up to 8 years of age should have a minimum of 4-5 cups of water a day. Children above 8 years old require at least 6-8 cups of water a day.

Eat more fruit and vegetables

Eating fruit and vegetables every day helps kids and teens grow and develop, boost their vitality and can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.

Select healthier alternatives

Healthy snacks help kids and teens meet their daily nutritional needs. When shopping, select snacks based on fruit and vegetables, reduced fat dairy products and whole grains as these are the healthiest choices. Try to avoid snacks that are high in sugar or saturated fats – such as chips, cakes and chocolate.

Limit screen time

According to the Australian Department of Health, kids who spend long periods of time inactive are more likely to have poor physical, social and intellectual development. Sedentary or ‘still’ time spent watching television, playing screen-based games, using social media, texting and so on should be limited to no more than 2 hours a day. Plan a range of active indoor and outdoor games or activities for your children, as alternatives to playing on or using a screen.

Fundraising results

This past Monday we held a BBQ to raise funds to assist Ms Maynard to build a toilet block at the school in a Cambodian village that she visited earlier in the year (Charm Bok Future School). We raised $260. Well done everyone. Thank you to the Charity Leaders, parent helpers, Holly Dillon, Nicolle Rubin and Helen Maynard for making this fundraiser a great success.

From left to right: Willow Gelin, Talia King, Sasha Becker, Yael Rembach

Year 6 Interrelate evening

On Tuesday evening the Year 6 students and their parents attended an Interrelate information session. Interrelate is a not-for-profit provider of relationship services that specialises in supporting parents and children. Thank you to Katrina, our presenter, for joining us and providing 2 highly engaging and informative sessions. If you are interested in purchasing the booklets Katrina discussed and/or obtaining more information about Interrelate please visit the following website: https://www.interrelate.org.au/resources

ASISSA Cross Country

On Thursday some students participated in the ASISSA Cross Country Carnival at Queen’s Park. Although the ground was wet, this didn’t dampen anyone’s spirit. All participants persevered and gave it their best go. We are very proud of your accomplishments. Thank you Stuart Taylor and the attending staff members for helping out and managing this event.

Musica Viva Primary School incursion – B’Tutta

On Thursday we had the privilege of welcoming the performers of B’Tutta to the Primary School. The performance was a combination of exciting percussion rhythms and driving melodies and lots of creative and interactive fun. It was a brilliant incursion, enjoyed by students and teachers alike. Thank you to the Music Department for organising this wonderful experience for the students.