Koondrook Primary School Officially Launches 2018 Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School Program

The official launch of the Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program took place at the Koondrook Primary School and Koondrook Preschool last week.

The day started with some fun skipping before children gathered in the outdoor undercover area for a special assembly where Shire Councillor Steven Tasker officially opened the 2018 Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program. Year 6 students; Emma, Emily, Ayala, Bella and Pyper helped to cut the ribbon and will act as Walk to School Champions throughout the month long program that runs from Monday October 8 to Friday November 2. They will encourage other students to walk, ride or scoot to school, or the school bus as often as they can during Walk to School month.

 

Narelle from Gannawarra Shire Council and Emily from Northern District Community Health spoke about the importance of children being active and fitting at least 60 minutes of physical activity into each day. When children are physically active they are healthier, happier and more connected to family and friends. They also learn better at school because activity is great for waking us up and improving our concentration.

Last year 95% of Koondrook students walked, rode or scooted 931 times during the Walk to School program - that’s about 668 kilometres - equivalent to walking from Koondrook to Canberra! What a fantastic effort!

The Walk to School launch also included a fun, and active, Laughter Yoga session with Pia from the Gannawarra Library Service. The students loved pretending to eat a pineapple, starting and pushing their very funny lawn mowers across the school oval and chanting Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha, Ha! The teachers and visitors enjoyed the Laughter Yoga just as much as the students did! We then enjoyed watching Tahni from Gannawarra Shire do a fun Walk to School paste up on the concrete.

All ten primary schools across the Gannawarra Shire are participating in this year’s Walk to School program with students encouraged to ride, walk or scoot to and from school, or the school bus. They will also be encouraged to be as active as they can while at school.

The Walk to School Program is an initiative of VicHealth with more than 760 schools across Victoria registered to take part – that’s more than 140,000 primary school students!

 

We finished off the official launch of the Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program by enjoying a healthy fruit and vegetable snack..watermelon, rockmelon, orange and crunchy carrot and celery provided the children with a colourful and healthy start to the school day.

This is the sixth consecutive year that Gannawarra Shire has coordinated a local Walk to School program and 2018 is shaping up to be the most successful yet!

Last year all local schools across the Gannawarra Shire participated with 95.0% of students (732 students) walking, riding or scooting throughout October. Walks for the month totalled 17,202 and based on the average walking distance that added up to 12,351 kms!

The Walk to School program promotes the importance of children being active and healthy in their communities and fitting at least 60 minutes of physical activity into their daily lives. Getting actively to school, the school bus, or while at school not only helps keep children fit and healthy, it also helps them to stay alert, to concentrate and improves learning outcomes.

The Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program is rolled out across the Gannawarra Shire as a Gannawarra Local Agency Meeting (GLAM) partnership project. This is a partnership between Gannawarra Shire Council, Northern District Community Health, Kerang District Health, Cohuna District Hospital, Mallee District Aboriginal Service, Victoria Police, Mallee Family Care, with support from the Southern Mallee Primary Care Partnership.

 

Walk to School is a VicHealth initiative. For more information go to: www.walktoschool.vic.gov.au.

Follow along with the Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program: www.facebook.com/HealthyGannawarra

Tune into radio station 98.7 MixxFM for Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School messages throughout October.

 

 

2018 Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School Program

Gannawarra Shire Council will encourage children and their families to make a healthy choice next month and scoot, cycle or walk to school, or the school bus, as part of the VicHealth Gannawarra Walk to School program.

This will be the sixth year that Council has successfully applied for a $10,000 Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) grant to run the program that supports the promotion of physical activity as well as improving safe active travel routes to and from school for primary school aged children.

 

All ten local primary schools are registered to participate.

 

Gannawarra Shire Council Mayor Cr. Brian Gibson has been an advocate for the VicHealth Walk to School program since its commencement across Gannawarra Shire communities in 2013.

 

“I am really proud of how strongly this month-long program is supported by all our local primary schools,” said Mayor Gibson. “The school students really get involved in the competition to see who can walk, ride or scoot the most throughout the month.”

 

The VicHealth Walk to School program commences on Monday October 8 and concludes on Friday November 2, 2018. The program encourages primary school aged students to walk, ride or scoot to school, or the school bus, and home again as many times as they can. The students record their walking history on Walk to School calendars that are tallied up at the end of the program.

 

“Council works in partnership with a range of other agencies to deliver this exciting program across our communities,” said Mayor Gibson. “It is great to see the pre-schools also involved in promoting the importance of children being active and healthy from a younger age.”

 

This year Council will focus on installing another two Drop Park Walk active travel routes to school that include Stop, Look, Listen, Think pedestrian safety messages at key crossing points.

 

Mayor Gibson said that the Drop, Park, Walk Active Travel routes make walking, riding and scooting to school an exciting part of the day for children and their families.

 

“The children get really excited about the stencils on the footpaths,” said Mayor Gibson. “The active travel routes also provide the opportunity for parents to drop their children off at a safe drop off point part way to school allowing more students to enjoy the benefits of walking to school.”

 

The Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program is a partnership project between Gannawarra Shire Council, Northern District Community Health, Kerang District Health, Cohuna District Hospital, Mallee District Aboriginal Service, Victoria Police, Mallee Family Care, with support from the Southern Mallee Primary Care Partnership.

 

The official launch of the VicHealth Gannawarra Walk to School program will take place at the Koondrook Primary School on Thursday September 13, 2018. 
 

Walk to School is a VicHealth initiative. For more information go to: www.walktoschool.vic.gov.au

 

Follow along with the Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program: www.facebook.com/HealthyGannawarra

 

Tune into radio station 98.7 MixxFM  for Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School messages throughout October.

Kerang Primary School Walk to School Celebrations

Year 4/5/6 have been crowned 'Walk to School Champions' at Kerang Primary School after winning the Gannawarra Golden Shoe Trophy. In second place was Year 2/3 with 54% participation and third place was Prep/1/2 with 50% participation.

This was Kerang Primary School’s fifth year participating in the VicHealth Walk to School program with 98% of students walking, riding or scooting to school 1322 times during the month - that’s about 949 kilometres (134 kilometres more than last year!). So last year the students almost got to Sydney, and this year they got all the way to Sydney!

As part of the Walk to School program, a Drop, Park and Walk Active Travel route to school has been trialled to encourage parents to drop off children at designated points so that students can walk part way to school. Parents are encouraged to continue to use the routes. Activities have been held at the school throughout the month to encourage students to be active, healthy and motivated.

 

There was even be a decorated shoe, bike and scooter competition that made Walk to School even more fun!  Four Super Star Walker Certificates were also presented. These certificates are for children who walked at least 35 times out of the possible 40 times for the whole month: Xander 35/40, Cruz 36/40, Kate 37/40 and Bridie 37/40. Well done for this Super Star effort!

All ten primary schools across the Gannawarra Shire have participated in this year’s Walk to
School program with students encouraged to ride, walk or scoot to and from school, the school bus or while at school, throughout October.

 

The Walk to School program promotes the importance of children being Active and Healthy in their communities and fitting at least 60 minutes of physical activity into their daily lives. Getting actively to school, the school bus, or while at school not only helps keep children fit and healthy, it also helps them to stay alert, to concentrate and improves learning outcomes.

The Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program is rolled out across the Gannawarra Shire as a Gannawarra Local Agency Meeting (GLAM) partnership project. This is a partnership between Gannawarra Shire Council, Northern District Community Health, Kerang District Health, Cohuna District Hospital, Mallee District Aboriginal Service, Victoria Police, with support from the Southern Mallee Primary Care Partnership.

Walk to School is a VicHealth initiative. For more information go to: https://www.walktoschool.vic.gov.au/.

 

Follow along with the Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program: https://www.facebook.com/HealthyGannawarra/ and our Gannawarra Walk to School BLOG: http://gannawarrawalkstoschool.blogspot.com.au

Kerang South Primary School decorate their shoes to Get Active for Walk to School month

Throughout Walk to School month VicHealth are encouraging kids to put their creativity on show to make the journey to school even more exciting.

Kerang South Primary School teachers and students did just that on Friday 20 October 2017. There were some fantastic decorated shoes on display with the winner from each class receiving a toothbrush and toothpaste pack!

The school also went on a community walk to check out the Drop, Park, Walk Active Travel to School Route being trialled as part of the school’s participation in the VicHealth Walk to School program.

The Drop, Park, Walk concept is supported by VicHealth and is designed to encourage walking and riding to school throughout the year.

The route has been mapped out with footpath stencilling along the way. Families are being encouraged to drop their children off at the mapped out starting points so that they can walk to school with their friends. Better still, parents could get active and walk with their children to help achieve their own physical activity goals.

All ten primary schools across the Gannawarra Shire are participating in this year’s Walk to School program with students encouraged to ride, walk or scoot to and from school, the school bus or while at school, throughout October.

The Walk to School program promotes the importance of children being Active and Healthy in their communities and fitting at least 60 minutes of physical activity into their daily lives. Getting actively to school, the school bus, or while at school not only helps keep children fit and healthy, it also helps them to stay alert, to concentrate and improves learning outcomes.

The Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program is rolled out across the Gannawarra Shire as a Gannawarra Local Agency Meeting (GLAM) partnership project. This is a partnership between Gannawarra Shire Council, Northern District Community Health, Kerang District Health, Cohuna District Hospital, Mallee District Aboriginal Service, Mallee Family Care, Victoria Police and the Southern Mallee Primary Care Partnership.

Walk to School is a VicHealth initiative. For more information go to: https://www.walktoschool.vic.gov.au/, https://www.facebook.com/HealthyGannawarra/ or our BLOG: http://gannawarrawalkstoschool.blogspot.com.au.

Murrabit Group School Walks to School

Murrabit Group School is trialling a Drop, Park, Walk Active Travel to School Route as part of the school’s participation in the 2017 VicHealth Walk to School program.

The Drop Park Walk concept is supported by VicHealth and is designed to encourage walking and riding to school throughout the year.

The route has been mapped out with signage along the way. This is an interesting trial of a statewide concept to see how it works in a small rural community.

Each Wednesday and Friday, children meet at the start of the Drop, Park, Walk route. Some ride their bikes, others walk from the school and the majority are dropped off by the school bus. They then walk or ride to school together, checking out what’s going on around them and chatting about the day ahead.

Back at the school, the children enjoy some cut up apple before starting their day in the classroom.

All ten primary schools across the Gannawarra Shire are participating in this year’s Walk to School program with students encouraged to ride, walk or scoot to and from school, the school bus or while at school, throughout October.

The Walk to School program promotes the importance of children being Active and Healthy in their communities and fitting at least 60 minutes of physical activity into their daily lives. Getting actively to school, the school bus, or while at school not only helps keep children fit and healthy, it also helps them to stay alert, to concentrate and improves learning outcomes.

The Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program is rolled out across the Gannawarra Shire as a Gannawarra Local Agency Meeting (GLAM) partnership project. This is a partnership between Gannawarra Shire Council, Northern District Community Health, Kerang District Health, Cohuna District Hospital, Mallee District Aboriginal Service, Mallee Family Care, Victoria Police and the Southern Mallee Primary Care Partnership.

Walk to School is a VicHealth initiative. For more information go to: https://www.walktoschool.vic.gov.au/, https://www.facebook.com/HealthyGannawarra/ or our BLOG: http://gannawarrawalkstoschool.blogspot.com.au.

Koondrook Primary School Steps Out to Celebrate Walking to School

 

Students at the Koondrook Primary School went on a community walk on Thursday 19 October 2017 as part of the school’s involvement in the VicHealth Walk to School program.

 

 

Following the walking track from the school to the new Koondrook Wharf, the children checked out what was going on in their community and enjoyed spending time chit-chatting along the way.

Koondrook is located on the banks of the Murray River. Squeezing lots of activity into the school day is something that Koondrook Primary School students love doing and as part of the community walk, the children got the chance to play at the park and have some fun on the exercise equipment.

 

After using lots of energy walking and playing, they got to enjoy some healthy fruit and a glass of milk before heading into the classroom for a big day of learning.

All ten primary schools across the Gannawarra Shire are participating in this year’s Walk to School program with students encouraged to ride, walk or scoot to and from school, the school bus or while at school, throughout October.

The Walk to School program promotes the importance of children being Active and Healthy in their communities and fitting at least 60 minutes of physical activity into their daily lives. Getting actively to school, the school bus, or while at school not only helps keep children fit and healthy, it also helps them to stay alert, to concentrate and improves learning outcomes.

The Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program is rolled out across the Gannawarra Shire as a Gannawarra Local Agency Meeting (GLAM) partnership project. This is a partnership between Gannawarra Shire Council, Northern District Community Health, Kerang District Health, Cohuna District Hospital, Mallee District Aboriginal Service, Mallee Family Care, Victoria Police and the Southern Mallee Primary Care Partnership.

Walk to School is a VicHealth initiative. For more information go to: https://www.walktoschool.vic.gov.au/, https://www.facebook.com/HealthyGannawarra/ or our BLOG: http://gannawarrawalkstoschool.blogspot.com.au.

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Inspiring art work with Kerang Primary and Kerang South

Walk to School month has just begun, and students at Kerang Primary School and Kerang South Primary School are using a new and innovative way to encourage to walk, ride or scoot to school this October. 

On Monday, students installed Walk to School 'Paste Ups' at prominent areas of their schools. The paste ups included messages like 'It's Cool to Walk to School' and the 5 Ways to Wellbeing. 

The colourful artwork can be found at Kerang Primary School on a large brick wall facing Victoria Street, and Kerang South Primary School's paste up's are located at the entry gate on Mitchell Street. 

The paste ups are easy to install and can be removed with soap and water, making them the perfect way to promote and display temporary art fixtures or promotions. No special paper or ink is needed, so you can easily replicate our Walk to School paste ups with your own designs at home. 

To create paste ups at your home or school, see the instructions below! 

Kerang Primary School

Kerang Primary School

Kerang South Primary School

Kerang South Primary School

How to make your own Paste Ups 

Making the Glue
Bring 3 cups of water to the boil
Mix 1/4 cup of flour with 3/4 cup of cold water to make a runny paste.
Add the paste to the boiling water and STIR. This is important - if you don't stir, the glue will burn on the bottom of the saucepan. 
Turn off the heat, add 1/2 cup of white sugar. Stir sugar in and allow to cool. 
Add PVA or Craft glue for extra durability (we highly recommend this step!). 

Installing your paste up artwork
Choose your surface. Smooth surfaces like bricks work best, however concrete can work too. 
Stir the glue really well. 
Paint a layer of glue on the surface where you will apply your artwork.
Lay your artwork on top of the glue, then paint layer of glue over the top of your artwork. 
Make sure that you pay particular attention to the edges of your artwork to ensure that it sticks. 
Wipe off any excess glue with your brush and allow to dry. 

The paste ups should last anywhere up to 4 weeks. They will survive the rain, however last best where they have some protection from the elements. 

You can paste up almost any matte paper. You can create something on the computer to print and paste up, or you can draw your own creation on white paper or colour paper. Normal paper sticks better than cardboard, particularly on walls, due to the weight and thickness. 

Do you think you will try the paste ups? Leave us a comment below!

We would love to see any of the paste up creations you make! 😊 Please post them to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/healthygannawarra.  

The Walk to School program promotes the importance of children being Active and Health in their communities and fitting at least 60 minutes of physical activity into their daily lives. Getting actively to school, the school bus, or while at school not only helps keep children fit and healthy, it also helps them to stay alert, to concentrate and improves learning outcomes. 

The Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program is rolled out across the Gannawarra Shire as a Gannawarra Local Agency Meeting (GLAM) partnership project. This is a partnership between Gannawarra Shire Council, Northern District Community Health, Kerang District Health, Cohuna District Hospital, Mallee District Aboriginal Service, Victoria Police, and Mallee Family Care, with support from the Southern Mallee Primary Care Partnership. 

Walk to School is a VicHealth initiative. For more information go to www.walktoschool.vic.gov.au. 

Follow along with the Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program www.facebook.com/HealthyGannawarra and our Gannawarra Walk to School Blog: www.gannawarrawalkstoschool.blogspot.com.au.