hEALTHY eATING |
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As you may know, we have a ‘Healthy Eating Policy’ in the school. This policy, introduced in 2008, was drawn up in consultation with teachers, parents, Board of Management and the pupils in the school. SPHE (Social, Personal and Health Education) plays an important role in the Primary Curriculum. One of the strand units of SPHE is ‘Taking care of my body – Food and Nutrition’ and using this as a starting point teachers emphasise the importance of healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. We strive to establish and maintain a healthy pattern of behaviour among our children in relation to food.
You will also be aware of various studies and surveys over the past few years which indicate growing levels of obesity among Irish children. The findings suggest that children are generally far less active than children years ago and that many have developed poor eating habits over the years. In fact illnesses which up to this would have been considered adult conditions are now becoming more and more common among children. Healthy eating also improves concentration and attention which leads to a better school performance.
We are aware that some of our pupils suffer from severe nut allergies.
We therefore ask parents to exclude nuts and nut related products from school lunches. This is paramount to the safety of our children.
An oral hygienist visits the school each year to speak to classes about the positive impact healthy eating has on teeth and gums. The single most important dietary factor in relation to tooth decay is the number of times a child takes sugary foods and drinks.
We always welcome parents’ comments and suggestions. As many of you pointed out it is so much easier to implement the healthy eating policy if school and home are of the one mind and all of the boys will be following the same guidelines.
Parents often request suggestions of approved food and drinks and we have provided some examples on the following page.
You will also be aware of various studies and surveys over the past few years which indicate growing levels of obesity among Irish children. The findings suggest that children are generally far less active than children years ago and that many have developed poor eating habits over the years. In fact illnesses which up to this would have been considered adult conditions are now becoming more and more common among children. Healthy eating also improves concentration and attention which leads to a better school performance.
We are aware that some of our pupils suffer from severe nut allergies.
We therefore ask parents to exclude nuts and nut related products from school lunches. This is paramount to the safety of our children.
An oral hygienist visits the school each year to speak to classes about the positive impact healthy eating has on teeth and gums. The single most important dietary factor in relation to tooth decay is the number of times a child takes sugary foods and drinks.
We always welcome parents’ comments and suggestions. As many of you pointed out it is so much easier to implement the healthy eating policy if school and home are of the one mind and all of the boys will be following the same guidelines.
Parents often request suggestions of approved food and drinks and we have provided some examples on the following page.
