Junior School, South Plympton

On this page: Upcoming Events | From the Head of Junior School | Mother's Day RSVP |  Healthy Lunchbox Tips | Recipe Share

Upcoming Events

Term 2

From Head of Junior School

Welcome to Term 2. We trust that you had an enjoyable time over the two week break and were able to include some family time.

This term we look forward to building on the great learning that happened during Term 1 and take advantage of the strong learning culture that is developing. We also look forward to opportunities to excel beyond the classroom with SACSA Athletics (Week 1), Mothers’ Day (Week 2) Year 6 Camp (Week 3), and SACSA Soccer and 5/6 Battle of the Bands (Week 8). 

Mothers’ Day Celebrations on Thursday 8 May.

On behalf of our students, we warmly invite you to join us for morning tea and cherished moments with your children.

This year, we hope that many of our Secondary mums will come in for a coffee, snack and photo booth on their way to work. For our Junior School mums, there is an opportunity to visit your child in their classroom and linger over morning tea. 

• 8:00am – 9:00am Coffee and Snack in EPAC for Secondary mums and mums unable to stay for classroom visits 
• 9:00am Classroom Visits Foundation, Year 3 and Year 5.
• 9:20am Classroom Visits Year 1 and Year 4
• 9:40am Classroom Visits Year 2 and Year 6

Between 9:30 and 11:00 am, after you have visited your child's classrooms, Morning Tea in the new undercover courtyard area.

Building strong minds and bodies: Why healthy eating habits matter for our hildren

We are passionate about nurturing not just bright minds, but healthy bodies too. One of the most important ways we can help our students thrive is by having our families supporting healthy eating habits, at home and at school.

Research shows the connection between nutrition and learning is clear. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that students who eat well are more alert, have better memory, and perform better academically. A 2020 study in Nutrients also linked balanced diets with improved emotional wellbeing, noting that children who eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole foods are less likely to experience anxiety and low mood. Unfortunately, we notice however that many of the foods coming to school in lunch boxes are processed, prepackaged and full of sugar.

Starting the day with a nutritious breakfast helps children focus, solve problems, and retain information. Skipping breakfast can result in tiredness, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. Likewise, a healthy lunch (which some will choose to eat at recess time) fuels them for the second half of their day, supports consistent energy and emotional levels.

At school, in our Health lessons, we teach about healthy food choices and provide nutrition education where possible. However we also rely on our strong partnership with families. We want to work together to build lifelong habits that will benefit our children for years to come.

Some healthy lunchbox tips

Packing a healthy lunchbox doesn’t have to be time-consuming! It can be prepared in many instances, the night before, and is a great task to do with your child. This is a perfect time to educate them about the foods you are including and why. 

Here are some practical tips and ideas to keep things simple, nutritious, and lunchbox-friendly:

• Fresh fruit – Easy options like apples, banana, grapes, or strawberries.
• Veggie sticks – Carrot, cucumber, capsicum, and cherry tomatoes. You could also include a small dip of hummus or tzatziki for added flavour. 
• Wholegrains – Wholemeal sandwiches, wraps, rice cakes, pasta, roti, sushi rice, or brown rice or grainy crackers.
• Lean protein – Boiled eggs, leftover roast chicken, tuna, or leg ham (low salt), Falafel balls, Mini beef koftas.
• Dairy – A slice of cheese, yoghurt tub (low sugar) or a small milk drink (although check the sugar content)
• Smart snacks – Homemade muffins (sweet or savoury), rice paper rolls with vegetables and protein, mini dosa with chutney, corn on the cob, popcorn (plain) or roasted chickpeas. There is no need to include a chocolate, sweets or savoury treats. These are best kept for special occasions and are not necessary in a school box.
• Water only – plain water is best!

Let’s celebrate our cultures through sharing recipes!

We’re proud of the rich cultural diversity in our Emmaus community and we’d love to celebrate that through the food we share. 

If you have a favourite healthy recipe or lunchbox idea from your culture, we’d love you to share it!

Please email me your recipe and I can share it in subsequent newsletters.

This will not only add variety to our lunchboxes but will also help all of us learn, connect, and appreciate the wonderful variety of healthy, delicious food that fuels our children.

Let’s make our lunchboxes not just nutritious, but a reflection of the incredible community we belong to.

Thank you for helping us promote healthy habits in our school community. Together, we can support our children in growing strong, staying energised, and reaching their full potential every single day.

Liz Hinrichsen

Head of Junior School, South Plympton