Kerang South Primary School

Children from Kerang South Primary School burst into the school yard early this morning after walking to school, or the bus stop, eager to enjoy a healthy breakfast set up in their undercover outdoor area. The healthy breakfast was part of the school’s involvement in the Gannawarra Walk to School/Healthy Breakfast program running at 12 locations across the Gannawarra Shire throughout November. Over 200 children plus parents, teaching staff and community supporters ate their way through a range of healthy food options including cereal, milk, yoghurt, orange juice and toast amid lots of before school chatter and laughter. Seven students from Kerang Technical High School assisted Council staff to serve the breakfast.

 

Year 6 students then lead Friday morning assembly with a welcome, singing of the National Anthem, and weekly award presentations based on good learning outcomes and positive behaviour. The Principal  then went on to highlight the school’s involvement in Walk to School and how important it was for all children and their families to make walking part of their everyday routine. Being physically active is encouraged at school by walking/running around the oval each morning and this helps students to not only learn better, but also to develop friendships, confidence and healthy habits that will hopefully last a lifetime.

Cr. Brian Gibson represented the Gannawarra Shire at the event and just about all students raised their hands when asked if they had walked, cycled or scooted to school, or the school bus, this morning. Cr. Gibson said how pleased Council was to be working with primary schools and kinders across the Shire on such a great project. He acknowledged students from the Kerang South Primary School involved in the development of the new Gannawarra Walk to School media clip and highlighted how their Walk to School stories will encourage all school students across the Shire to be physically active, either by walking to and from school, the school bus, or while at school.

 

Tanya, a Community Health Nurse with Northern District Community Health, lead the students on a interactive session based around the importance of being physically active and selecting healthy food options.  She highlighted that her role as a Nurse isn’t just about trying to make people better after they are sick, but in preventing people from becoming sick in the first place. She encouraged the children to be active every day and to eat healthy foods so that they reduce their chances of getting diseases such as diabetes and heart disease later in life.

The morning event ended with a walk around the school oval before students headed into the classroom to view the Gannawarra Walk to School media clip and to enjoy Fresh Fruit Friday.

Walk to School is part of the Gannawarra Shire Council’s commitment to encouraging healthy lifestyles and building on local partnerships to support health and wellbeing outcomes for Gannawarra Shire communities. The next Gannawarra Walk to School/Healthy Breakfast event will be held at St. Joseph’s Primary School in Kerang on Monday 11 November commencing at 9am.

Until then, keep on walking…..