Two Lakes schools lead the way in healthy eating

MEDIA RELEASE 19 October 2007

Two Lakes District schools lead the way in healthy eating and lifestyle practices

Reporoa College and Kaingaroa Forest School have proven themselves to be ahead of the eight ball, leading the way in healthy eating and lifestyle practices. As the nation focuses on Government plans to implement healthy food choices across schools countrywide through the ‘Mission On’ initiative, these two Lakes District schools have been selected and will be visited by Quigley and Watts (public health specialists) on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education to learn how these schools are achieving their health promotion success.

‘Mission-On’ is an initiative that to gives young New Zealanders and their families the tools to improve the well-being of young people, in particular their nutrition and levels of physical activity.

Both schools have been proactive and busy, Reporoa College recently had a visit from Prime Minister Helen Clark when she officially opened the school canteen. Reporoa College has taken a leaf out of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s book – providing $5 hot meals for students five days a week. The first non-boarding school in New Zealand to offer hot meals to its students.

“It is a successful working example of a whole school/community approach to health promotion” said Donna Guy, Toi Te Ora – Public Health, Health Promoting / Fruit In Schools Coordinator.

Kaingaroa Forest School recently became a Health Promoting School and as part of the process the children were asked to complete a survey on what like liked and disliked about their school. Almost all the surveys returned stated that they thought their water was “yuck”. “The honesty and initiative of the students at this school is just awesome” says Ms Guy, “it wasn’t until the students identified that there was an issue with the taste of their water that the staff even realised it was a problem. Water is a key part of their health and wellbeing and they were able to seek a means to ensure the quality of their water supply was suitable, and have since increased their consumption”.

Next week both schools will be visited separately and interviewed by Quigley Watts.

“A great achievement for both schools, and I’m very proud of them” said Ms Guy.

The dates the schools will be visited are:
Reporoa College Tuesday 23 October, 2007
Kaingaroa Forest Wednesday 24 October 2007

ends

© Scoop Media