Text Goes Here



School Policy

Healthy eating and physical activity school policy

Rationale:

Healthy eating and physical activity are associated with improved learning and concentration, better mood and behaviour, healthy growth and weight and lifelong health and wellbeing. School communities can help students develop healthy habits to live, learn and grow.

Aim:

To promote the health and wellbeing of students by making healthy eating and physical activity a regular part of every child’s day.

Whole of school:

It is recognised that the school community impacts on children’s health and can contribute to creating an environment that promotes healthy eating and physical activity. All members of the school community including, staff, students, parents and volunteers will be supported to meet this policy.

Relevant policies:

This policy document is supported by the following existing school polices and documents.

❖ Policy area 1: Healthy drink choices

❖ Policy area 2: Healthy lunchboxes, healthy breaks

❖ Policy area 3: Healthy canteen, lunch order or other food services

❖ Policy area 4: Providing Physical Education and physical activity

❖ Policy area 5: Promoting more active play

❖ Policy area 6: Healthy, active and safe travel

❖ Policy area 7: Curriculum

❖ Policy area 8: Families and Community

Evaluation:

This policy will be reviewed every 2 years.

|I confirm that the following Award criteria have been met as described in this document and these strategies are formally |

|adopted as school policy |

|School Principal name: |School Association President name: |

|Clayton Sturzaker |Brett Holliday |

|Signature: |Signature: |

licy Area 1:

Policy area 1:

Healthy drink choices

\Drink Choices

Rationale

Railton Primary School is committed to a health education program that encourages students to engage in health promoting behaviours. That is, we not only want them to be healthy but to understand how diet impacts on health. It is hoped that students will put into practice at home what they learn at school. With many Australian children consuming sweet drinks on a regular basis increasing their chance of tooth decay and significant risk for overweight and obesity problems, tap water and plain reduced fat milk are the best drink choices for children.

Aim

Students and members of the wider school community are encouraged to drink water on a regular basis. The importance of keeping hydrated is taught in the classroom, and is supported by programs such as Physical Education. Railton Primary’s aim is to promote healthy drink choices by making access to drinking water easy and by removing competing sweet drinks from the classroom.

Whole of school

The entire school community is encouraged to drink water on a regular basis over other drink choices. All students are encouraged to bring ‘water only’ bottles to school which can be placed on or near their desks and can be accessed during class time and taken to P.E lessons. Water is available at all sporting and school events. Staff will also be encouraged to be visible in their water drinking habits.

Facilitation

Railton Primary School has undertaken several steps to encourage healthy drink choices:

• Drinking taps, fountains or water bottles are accessible to all children at all times;

• In class, students can drink only from water bottles filled with water;

• Juices and other sweet drinks are not available to students in class time;

• Students may use ‘water only’ water bottles or access drinking fountains during PE;

• Water cooler/filter is located in the staff room to encourage staff to be visible in their water drinking habits;

• Awareness of drinking water, suitable drinking bottles and cleaning of drinking bottles has been promoted in school newsletters;

• Water is available for purchase at the school canteen;

• These strategies are available to students at all grade levels, and

• These strategies will continue to be reinforced and promoted to parents/guardians.

icy Area 1:

Policy area 2:

Healthy lunchboxes, healthy breaks

\Drink Choices

Rationale

Railton Primary School is committed to a health education program that encourages students to engage in health promoting behaviours. That is, we not only want them to be healthy but to understand how diet impacts on health. It is hoped that students will put into practice at home what they learn at school. All Australian children and adults are recommended to eat two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables each day. On average children are eating only 50% of the recommended intake and not benefiting from the goodness fruit and vegetables bring. Fruit and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals and fibre required for healthy bones, teeth, skin, eyes and digestion. They can protect against overweight and obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

Aim

Railton Primary School encourages students and the wider school community to make healthy choices easier by making fruit and vegetable consumption regular in the daily classroom routine; thus, providing opportunities to remove competing high fat, high sugar options (‘occasional’ foods) and replacing them with simple, easy and healthy snacks for children. This classroom time provides opportunity for children to learn by watching others enjoy eating fruit and vegetables. Healthy eating is taught and supported in the classroom by all classroom teachers as well as programs such as Physical Education.

Whole of school

The entire school community is encouraged to make healthy eating choices. All students are encouraged to bring a piece of fruit for ‘fruit break’ each day to be shared or consumed by the individual. Staff are also encouraged to be visible in their fruit and vegetable intake during dedicated classroom fruit break times, recess and lunch.

Facilitation

Railton Primary School has undertaken several steps to encourage all students eat fruit and vegetables while at school:

• Each class teacher provides students adequate time during the morning block to consume fruit and vegetables every day;

• Children are provided with a positive eating environment to sit and eat snacks and lunches;

• Students are encouraged to bring pieces of fresh fruit or vegetable each day to eat during the allocated ‘fruit break’ time;

• Fresh fruit is available for purchase from the canteen on lunch order days for recess and lunch;

• Eating times, lunch time and breaks are structured to ensure students have sufficient time to eat before play;

• A “Lunch Box Ideas at a Glance” booklet is given to each family to promote and give ideas for healthy lunches;

• Awareness of healthy eating choices, particularly fruit and vegetables has been promoted in school newsletter;

• These strategies are available to students at all grade levels, and

• These strategies will continue to be reinforced and promoted to parents/guardians.

Policy area 3:

Healthy canteen, lunch order or other food services

Healthy Canteen, Lunch Order and Other Food Services\, H

Rationale

With 40% of children’s intake being ‘occasional’ foods and drinks such as chips, lollies, biscuits, cakes and high sugar drink it is imperative that school Canteens and school food services play important roles in creating a healthy school environment. Research shows children appear to believe school and anything permitted at school is inherently healthy, so it’s important canteen or lunch order services not only make healthy choices easy, they also give children the right messages about healthy eating. The canteen or lunch order service should also provide an opportunity to teach children that eating away from home can be healthy too.

Aim

Research has found that over 90% of children have ‘occasional’ food in their lunchboxes, with the amount averaging three serves on any one day. With this research in mind, Railton Primary School encourages students and the wider school community to make healthy choices easier. Railton aims to do this by providing healthy options in the canteen; limiting ‘occassional’ food in the wider community including fundraising, school fairs, BBQs, sporting events, excursions and other special events.

Whole of school

The entire school community is encouraged to make healthy eating choices and limit the ‘occasional’ food throughout the school. All students are encouraged to bring a piece of fruit for ‘fruit break’ (policy #2) and to eat their sandwiches or healthier options from their lunchboxes before the ‘occasional’ food choices. For those school occasions other than lunch breaks ‘healthy’ options are available to limit the ‘occasional’ food intake. For example, wholemeal bread is available at BBQs, water is available on excursions and sporting events.

Facilitation

Railton Primary School has undertaken several steps to encourage all students limit their ‘occasional’ food while at school:

• The school canteen is actively working towards Tasmanian School Canteen Association accreditation;

• ‘Occasional’ foods are not used as rewards in the classroom;

• Students are encouraged to bring ‘water only’ drink bottles to school to consume during class and sport times;

• ‘Occasional’ foods are limited in school fundraising activities;

• During school fairs there are ‘healthy’ food stalls as well as the ‘occasional’ food stalls.

• During excursions and other special events water and ‘healthy’ food choices are available;

• Outside of school hours care promotes healthy eating every day, which is consistent with other food services and nutrition policies within the school;

• These strategies are available to all students at all grade levels;

• These strategies will continue to be reinforced and promoted to parents/guardians to encourage their support; and,

• Awareness of healthy eating choices, particularly fruit and vegetables has been promoted in school newsletter.

Policy area 4:

Providing Physical Education and physical activity

• 3:

Rationale

The Australian Government recommends children need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day for good health. To support this, the Federal Government’s Active School Curriculum legislation prescribes two hours of physical activity per week for all students whilst at school. Why should children have 60 minutes or activity every day? Because, it increases confidence and self esteem, improved academic performance, develops cardiovascular fitness, builds strong bones and muscles, develops good posture, coordination and motor skills and even provides a longer, healthier life.

Aim

Meeting physical education, physical activity and sport requirements is one of the most important ways Railton Primary School can have a positive and direct impact on every student’s health and wellbeing. Railton Primary School aims to support this through the development of students’ motor skills, movement competence and health-related physical fitness to promote lifelong participation in physical activity; and, through helping students meet daily physical activity guidelines and providing opportunities for participation in regular physical activity.

Whole of school

The Railton Primary School community encourages all students to keep active. All students are encouraged to participate in all P.E lessons and other organised activities. Classroom teachers and P.E teachers are required to teach students the benefits of physical activity.

Facilitation

Railton Primary School has undertaken several steps to encourage all students to participate in physical activity by:

• Providing a variety of sports for students from Prep - 6 to be a part of outside of school hours;

• Learn to Swim K-6 (2 weeks each year with 30 minutes swimming each day);

• Organised lunch time activities eg. Fruit salad, dodge ball, skipping, basketball;

• Sports equipment is available for all students during recess and lunch breaks;

• 45 minute Physical Education lessons per week per grade;

• Blue-dot run each morning – 25 mins over 5 days;

• Daily PE – 10-15 minutes each day;

• 1.5 hours of sport available each Wednesday afternoon as part of activities;

• All the above strategies are available for all students in every grade;

• All teachers who teach physical and sport education are supported with professional development opportunities; and

• Parents and staff are encouraged to be physically active and model physical activity behaviours.

Policy area 5:

Promoting more active play

Rationale

Australian Government recommendations state that children should not spend more than 2 hours each day using electronic media for entertainment (e.g. computer games, internet, TV) particularly during daylight hours. Children are now 3.5 times more likely to be in front of a computer or television screen after school than playing sport. Given this information children who watch TV more than 2 hours per day are less likely to participate in any organised physical activity and more likely to consume an unhealthy diet. School playtimes and lunchtimes provide important opportunities for children to engage in active play.

Aim

Australian physical activity recommendations advise that children should participate in at least 60 minutes (and up to several hours) of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Railton Primary School’s aim is to allow and encourage each student the opportunity to participate in active play each day at school and also to provide opportunities beyond the school.

Whole of school

The Railton Primary School community encourages and promotes active play with students, parents and the wider school community through recognising the diversity of students’ interests and providing a variety of activities, programs and learning areas to suit each student. It is encouraged that staff talk openly to students about different choices they have instead of TV and computers. Railton Primary also aims to limit the amount of TV and computer time in the classroom which is not for educational purposes.

Facilitation

Railton Primary School has undertaken several steps to promote more active play by:

• Limiting ‘free choosing’ time on the computers in classrooms;

• Limiting afternoon or wet weather movie times;

• Encouraging students to participate in sports outside of school hours;

• Providing a variety of outside school sports for students likes and abilities;

• Bringing active play into the school curriculum and daily routine;

• Sports equipment is provided at recess and lunch times;

• Aussie Sport leaders provide a choice of games and activities during lunch times;

• Outside of school hours care programs promote and provide opportunities for participation in daily physical activity of children of all ages and abilities;

• The above strategies are available to all students in every grade; and

• Application submitted 2009 for Active After School Communities.

•

Policy area 6

Heathy, active and safe travel

Rationale

In the early 1970s, 57% of 5-9 year olds and 44% of 10-14 year olds walking to school. In early 2000 this had decreased to 25% for 5-9 year old and 21% for 10-14 year olds. Children who actively commute between home and school were 30% more likely to actively commute to other neighbourhood destinations, creating a habit of walking and cycling. One research study showed that although 72.3% of children in Years 3 – 6 were driven to school, 61% of these children said they would prefer to walk to school if given the choice.

Aim

Walking and riding a great ways for children to increase their participation in physical activity as a regular part of every day. Whole of school activities promoting walking and riding to school help families realise just how easy, cheap and fun it can be. This is the aim of Railton Primary School.

Whole of school

The Railton Primary School community encourages safe walking and riding such as to and from school, which in turn increases children’s fitness, improve their road safety skills and creates a sense of belonging at school, and in the community. All students at Railton Primary School are encouraged to participate in organised activities at least once a term to promote walking or riding to school and other places.

Facilitation

Railton Primary School as implement several strategies to promote walking and/or riding within the school community:

• Walk Safe to School Day each term;

• Term one – Bike day;

• Term two – Walkathon;

• Term three – Triathalon ;

• Classes walk to Sykes Sanctuary and other local destinations for excursions;

• Clean up Australia Day – Classes walk through the local town to participate;

• Bike racks are available for secure storage of bikes for staff and students;

• These activities are available to every student in each grade;

• Professional development opportunities and resources about traffic safety and cycling education are available to staff; and,

• Families are invited to attend and be a part of each activity.

Policy area 7

Curriculum

Rationale

Studies have shown that effective classroom-based teaching, in the context of a comprehensive whole-of-school approach, can positively influence young people’s health-related behaviour.

Aim

Through Railton Primary School’s Health & Wellbeing Curriculum and Scope & Sequence students participate in a wide range of activities. Students develop healthy practices, participate in physical activity and learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle into the future. Railton Primary School’s aim is for students to gain health eating and physical activity behaviours in which they use outside of school hours and during their future years.

Whole of school

The Railton Primary School is committed to the delivery of the Heath & Wellbeing curriculum to all year levels which includes explicit teaching about healthy eating and the benefits of physical activity.

Facilitation

• A health and wellbeing curriculum is delivered in each grade level which includes explicit teaching about healthy eating and the benefits of physical activity;

• Railton Primary School’s scope and sequence refers back to learning ideas within the Move Well Eat Well website and resources;

• Each teacher is provided with the schools scope and sequence and has access to many useful resources in order to teach the requirement explicitly.

Policy area 8

Families and community

Rationale

Families are a key component of a Health Promoting School. Highlighting the importance of the policies, identifying families’ roles and increasing the ability of families to meet the policies can help promote healthy partnerships between schools and families. Involving parents also has the potential to increase support for healthy behaviours outside of school hours.

Aim

Railton Primary School aims to engage families and increase their knowledge and skills to implement and support the Move Well Eat Well Award criteria to enable a health partnership between the school and its families.

Whole of school

Railton Primary School is committed to providing new families to the school with information about the relevant healthy eating and physical activity policies as well as supporting those families already within the school community.

Facilitation

Railton Primary School as implement several strategies to promote healthy partnerships between the school and families by:

• Information, ideas and strategies to promote healthy eating and physical activity are provided to each family as part of the parent/teacher handbook;

• Move Well Eat Well displays are visible to all students and families within the school;

• Each fortnight ideas and strategies are inserted into the newsletter for families as encouragement and extra support;

• Information requests families not to bring ‘occasional’ foods and drinks to school, in particular chips, confectionary and high sugar drinks.

• Information about local community sports, clubs and recreation opportunities is regularly provided to parents and students;

• Parents are encouraged to participate in developing safe and active transport solutions for school community and their own family;

• Parents are invited to be involved in sports days / walk-to-school week and other organised activities;

• External agencies and the wider community are involved in the promotion of healthy eating and/or physical activity in the school.

-----------------------

[pic]

[pic]

[pic]

[pic]

[pic]

[pic]

[pic]

[pic]

-----------------------

Move Well Eat Well

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download