Schools and Preschools
Children spend a large amount of time at school and child care centres making them an ideal place to promote healthy eating and physical activity. Giving kids encouragement to eat healthy food and enjoy exercise at school will assist physical and mental performance and concentration in the classroom. Establishing healthy eating habits in childhood has benefits throughout life.
Health Promoting Schools
The health promoting school approach provides a framework for effective health practice within a school setting. Any health promotion activities within schools should be based on the Health Promoting Schools framework. In October 2000, NSW Health launched, Health Promotion with Schools: A Policy for the Health System. This document provides a framework for action in good practice health promotion work within the schools setting.
Nutrition & Physical Activity Programs in Schools
Tooty Fruity Vegie in Primary Schools
The Tooty Fruity Vegie program is a one year health promotion program which aims to increase primary school aged children’s intake of fruits and vegetables. The program is multistrategic and takes on a whole school approach to promoting fruit and vegetables in the school community. The program has run in over 50 primary schools on the North Coast since its inception in 1998. This successful program has been independently evaluated and is now operating in various schools across Australia.A description of the project, the evaluation and all the resources are available on our Tooty Fruity Vegie website.
Fresh Tastes
Fresh Tastes, the new NSW Health - Healthy School Canteen Strategy is a positive step for the future health of our children and young people. It is a partnership between NSW Health, NSW Department of Education and Training, Catholic Education Commission and Association of Independent Schools'. From 2005, food sold in Government school canteens must be healthy and nutritious and consistent with the national dietary guidelines. Foods with few nutrients and more saturated fat, refined carbohydrate, energy and/or salt must not be sold on a regular basis (no more than twice per term).
Crunch and Sip - Tooty Fruity Vegie Breaks at School
Schools can create an environment that supports good nutrition and health by promoting daily vegetable, fruit and water consumption in the classroom. Most children are not eating the recommended 2 fruits and 5 vegetables per day. The Crunch and Sip and Tooty Fruity Vegie program promote scheduling fruit and vegie breaks into school time to assist children reach their nutritional requirements. Crunch and Sip is supported by the NSW Ministers for Health and Education.
Live Life Well @ School
Live Life Well@School is a coordinated physical activity and healthy eating program in NSW government primary schools targeting students 5 to 12 years of age. The goal of Live Life Well@School is to increase physical activity and healthy eating and decrease sedentary activity amongst NSW primary school students and their families, through school based activities.
This initiative is a joint initiative between the Department of Health and the Department of Education and Training Curriculum K-12 Directorate.
Healthy Fundraisers
Healthy Fundraising is an integral part of Primary School activities in Public, Catholic and Independent schools. Traditional fundraisers such as sausage sizzles, cake stalls and lamington and chocolate drives do not support the health messages promoted at school and do little to promote healthy eating messages to children and their families. Alternative fundraisers that use healthy foods which promote healthy lifestyle choices achieve comparable results.
Walk Safe to School Day
The Walk Safely to School Day is an opportunity for parents and carers of primary school aged children to promote safe pedestrian behaviour and inform parents and carers that they need to closely supervise their young children, particularly those under 10 years of age, in all road environments, holding hands when near or crossing the road. It is an annual community event encouraging all primary school children to walk safely to school. It also seeks to promote road safety, health, public transport and the environment.
Active Play Guides
Children love to be active and making physical activity a part of their daily routine, it is not only fun but also healthy. Encouraging children to be active when they are young also establishes a routine that could stay with them throughout their lives. To view current activities on the north coast see our Physical Activity section of this website.
ASK (Active School Kids) Project
The ASK - Active School Kids project will provide all primary schools on the north coast (Tweed Heads to Camden Haven).
Good Food in Child Care Centres
The early years in childhood are critical stages of physical and mental development and nutrition plays an important role in this development. Given that many children spend a large portion of their time in childcare centres during these early years it is important that childcare centres have access to guidelines for providing children with their nutritional requirements. The National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC) provides national guidelines for childcare, which cover all areas of care including nutrition. The NCAC stipulates that childcare centres should attempt to provide children with 50% of their nutritional requirements and that this should be done in a way that is nutritious, culturally appropriate and safe.
Munch and Move
Munch and Move is a healthy eating and physical activity program which will over the next four years be delivered to registered centre-based services across NSW, with a focus on preschools and long day care centres (LDCCs). The program was developed on the North Coast of NSW.
Early childhood workers will be provided with training, information, resources and ongoing support to develop and implement policies and practices to promote healthy eating and physical activity as well as limiting small screen time. Munch and Move will also support centres in providing information and healthy lifestyle strategies to parents. For more information on Munch and Move, see the Healthy Kids website.