From the
Principal
Dear Parents / Carers,
Rowville Primary School's Foundation students celebrated the milestone of 100 Days of school on Monday 31 July. It was a very exciting day, marked with a special ceremony that was attended by parents of our Foundation students. It was wonderful to be able to have families present onsite.
We are about to commence several facilities projects at Rowville Primary School. The first involves the replacement of all concrete around the school that has been identified as being a potential trip hazard, and the conversion of the entrance to better assist with inclusion. The second is the building of the sensory playground which will commence at the start of September. Finally, in line with our health promotion policy we will be replacing all drinking troughs around the school so that they are more hygienic, easier to use and include water filters. These projects will all enhance the learning environment for our students.
Commencing in 2019 Rowville Primary School partnered with EACH Community Health for a project based on the smarter lunchroom movement. The following is a summary: Nutritious foods support student learning, mental wellbeing, and physical energy. To help students reach their full potential, Rowville Primary School partnered with EACH Prevention and Population Health Team in a project that aimed to increase vegetable consumption amongst students.
Students, staff, and parents were actively involved in many projects and activities throughout the three years. This included renovating the canteen for fresh food cooking, introducing nutritious, freshly made canteen menu items, promoting healthier food options, eliminating unhealthy food advertisements, engaging students in healthy eating projects and competitions, parent participation in the Cooking Collective to support fresh cooking in the canteen, and updating the School Health Promotion Policy to sustain a positive and supportive environment for healthy eating throughout the school.
Amongst many of the beneficial outcomes:
There was a significant 240% increase in nutritious lunch orders from the canteen. Seven new practices were introduced that enabled access to healthy foods and promoted a healthy food culture across the whole school environment. Five new nutritious, freshly made canteen menu items have remained on the menu as a popular item amongst students. More students started packing vegetables in their lunchbox to eat at school.
This project demonstrated that a school that prioritises healthy eating and takes any amount of action will produce positive health outcomes for students. The improvements made to our school will continue beyond the project, to benefit our students for years to come. We encourage parents to get involved through the Cooking Collective or our Health and Wellbeing Team. Please express interest by contacting our chef Kari by email kari.haddon@education.vic.gov.au
We are getting excited by our forthcoming 50th birthday party. Please save the date. Further details are enclosed on the attached flyer.
Kind regards,
Anne Babich
Principal