Koondrook Primary School

It really is Cool to Walk to School! That’s the message children at the Koondrook Primary School took away from their participation in the Gannawarra Walk to School and Healthy Breakfast program held on Thursday 28 November.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The back verandah of the new Koondrook school building became an outdoor café as children from both the primary school and kindergarten enjoyed a healthy breakfast. Tummies were filled with a healthy range of cereals, milk, orange juice, yoghurt and toast. Sharing breakfast with friends is a fantastic way to start the school day and prepare the body and mind for the day ahead. It was great to have lots of mums turn up to support the event and to assist with the breakfast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following breakfast a special viewing of the Gannawarra Walk to School media clip occurred. Children from Koondrook Primary played a big role in putting together the media clip and were acknowledged for sharing their Walk to School stories and encouraging other children living in the Gannawarra Shire to be active and healthy.

 

Cr. Keith den Houting represented the Gannawarra Shire Council and told the children how important it was to make healthy choices now so that they grow up to be healthy adults. He said practicing a healthy lifestyle in primary school is so important to enjoying good health throughout the teenage years and into adulthood. Cr. den Houting’s twin granddaughters attend the Koondrook Pre-School and enjoyed having their Pa at the event.

 

Amy, an Occupational Therapist with Northern District Community Health, spoke to the children about the importance of being physically active for at least 60 minutes every day and to incorporate a range of healthy food choices into their diets. Her role as an Occupational Therapist is to help people gain strength and balance, perhaps after they have suffered from a fall or an illness. Amy told the children that being active and eating healthy foods helps control body weight and prevent illnesses later in life like heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Strong muscles and bones are important so that our bodies aren’t injured so easily when we lose our balance and fall.

Three prizes were awarded to students for their commitment to walking to school or the school bus and these students are sure to enjoy spending their $10 vouchers at local businesses in the lead up to Christmas.

Most days of the week the school children walk or run a 750 metre circuit around the school grounds with older students doing three laps and younger students two laps. This helps to keep the children fit and strong for when they compete in interschool and cross country events. Today the kindergarten children, teachers, parents and visitors joined in the walk taking in the views of the Murray River which meanders around the school grounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The event finished with the children participating in a ‘community circle’ where each child told the group the most important message they had taken from today’s event and an action that they would do as a result – some said that they wanted to  increase their fitness to at least 1 hour each day, others wanted to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, limit processed foods, eat a healthy breakfast before school, reduce foods that contained additives and to walk to school more often.  
 

The Koondrook event was the eleventh planned activity across the Gannawarra Shire as part of the Walk to School and Healthy Breakfast program. The final event will be held at the Cohuna Pre-School on Friday 29 November commencing at 9am.