Student Wellbeing 

Student Wellbeing News

Mousa Babawi – Edmund Rice Camp Article.

My name is Mousa Babawi, I am 13 years old and I am from Iraq. I moved to Australia at the end of 2013 and I have thoroughly enjoyed living in Australia.

Some of my favourite hobbies include playing video games, playing sport and spending time with my friends.  In January 2019 I participated in an Edmund Rice Camp with another student from Brookside College.

Before Camp:

I decided to go on the Edmund Rice Camp because I wanted to experience something different. This camp went for one week and at first I was a bit overwhelmed at first because I had never been away from home for that long.

There was a range of things I did to prepare for this camp. I organised all the practical things I would need like what to wear, the appropriate footwear and the equipment I would need during the camp. I also had to prepare emotionally and mentally because before leaving I felt a bit anxious and nervous because this was the first time I would be away from my family for so long. I thought about the people I would meet there and wondered if they would like me or not.  I was bit worried about what they were going to think about me. In the preparation process I felt mum get a bit nervous because I was going away but my dad really wanted me to go because he felt it would be great for me to meet new people, make new friends and build my confidence.

On camp:

I participated in activities like fishing which was my favourite, canoeing, star gazing, playing board games, playing pool and table tennis and everyday we went to the beach. I won connect four which made me feel really good. On camp I learnt how to make friends which was great because I am quite shy.  I learnt the importance of respecting people and treating them the way I want to be treated.  I learnt a lot about myself like how proactive I am, how accepting I am and how much I enjoy listening to others.  I really appreciated working with my camp buddy because he was really friendly and I felt comfortable talking to him about a lot of things. For me personally, the camp has allowed me to control my temper and reflect on my actions.  I achieved this by sitting down and talking about my feelings, walking around the campsite and getting to know others.

My recommendation:

I highly recommend going to the Edmund Rice Camp because I had the best experience. I learnt a lot about myself and lot about others.  I advise people to go because it will allow you to understand how to treat and work with others. It’s a great place to relax but at the same time it allows you to get to know the people around you. My advice to anyone going on this camp is to enjoy the activities because they are really fun but also understand that everything at the camp is intentionally designed to help you become a better person.

Healthy Eating

From Prep to Year 9 school staff have noticed some amazing lunches being brought to school! However there are also many many lunches made up of mainly packaged foods like chips, biscuits, fruit wraps and bars. These should not be considered to be healthy lunch items, as they have a lot more sugar, or fat, or salt in them, and no vitamins or healthy ingredients.  The energy they give is short lived, and the child ends up feeling tired and grumpy or over active. Processed foods in general are less healthy and often more expensive than fresh food.

Below are some great ideas to consider for your child’s lunch:

• Tuna with lettuce and cucumber with tzatziki
• Greek salad or any other salad with some ham or cheese on the side
• Meatball filled rolls with lettuce and grated low fat cheese
• Couscous salad
• Cereal and yoghurt (check the food label to see how much sugar is in the cereal and yoghurt)
• Pita bread quarters (so quarters can be filled) with leftovers, lettuce and cucumber
• Toasted ham and cheese sandwich cut in to quarters
• Egg salad sandwich with light mayo
• Vegetable and cheese muffins with carrot sticks and fruit
• Light cream cheese, grated carrot and ham wrap
• Feta corn and zucchini muffins
• Fruit salad

Kids love their fruit cut up, so remember, lemon juice helps stop fruit going brown.

Squeeze some over and wrap tightly in cling wrap.

To stop an apple going brown, cut into eighths, put back together and secure with a rubber band.

Use a frozen water bottle packed in the lunch box with food to keep it cool.

Healthy Lunch Ideas from Josie Mitchell, Secondary School Nurse.