From healthy feet to healthy teeth – students around the Island are being encouraged to take care of their bodies through a weekly initiative started by Healthy Schools’ coordinator Marie Beach.
Every Wednesday has a theme. So far, schools have observed Fruit Day, Trash-Free Lunch Day, Drink Water Day, Move More Day and Healthy Smile Day.
Ms Beach sent the schedule to the schools earlier this year with instructions on how it could be implemented.
From healthy feet to healthy teeth – students around the Island are being encouraged to take care of their bodies through a weekly initiative started by Healthy Schools’ coordinator Marie Beach.
Every Wednesday has a theme. So far, schools have observed Fruit Day, Trash-Free Lunch Day, Drink Water Day, Move More Day and Healthy Smile Day.
Ms Beach sent the schedule to the schools earlier this year with instructions on how it could be implemented.
She also identified a health champion — a teacher in every school — to assist, leaving it up to them to come up with ideas targeting each grade.
It is up to the schools and teachers how the schedule is put into play, but the idea is that it should specifically target each age group involved.
Yesterday Ms Beach visited Valerie Martins’ primary two class at Mount Saint Agnes to talk to the children about keeping their teeth healthy.
Every child eagerly raised their hands when asked who brushed their teeth, and the resounding reply to how long was: “Two minutes.”
Ms Beach, however, was asked to explain why every child needed to take the fluoride even if they did not like the taste.
“In some countries the government puts the fluoride in the water so when they drink the water every day they get the fluoride,” she said.
“But we catch our water off our roofs so we don’t get fluoride in our water. When we take fluoride early in our life it will stop your teeth from hurting later in life.”
The boys who complained about the fluoride taste were still not sold on the idea, but Ms Martins said the initiative has been a success in the classroom and they are trying to practise these ideas every day.
She said: “They are really good. Before the Wednesdays we always talk about what the next day’s theme is going to be.
“We are good about the water, but we are trying to work on the Trash-Free Day. We are also going to try to do these things not just Wednesday but every day.”
Starting next month, the same days will be reinforced every Wednesday, though Healthy Smile day will not be revisited until next March because it requires a five-week month.
Ms Beach says she is encouraged by the excitement in the schools and the enthusiasm with which they have taken on these ideas. “We wanted to encourage schools with some very low-teaching activities. There is no instruction needed unless they want to include it in the lessons.
“Also it connects the families to supporting their health habits. They will have to make sure they pack a trash-free lunch for example or make sure that their child has money to buy water or has a water bottle for school.
“All the health habits when we do them regularly will help the children’s health. The schools have really taken it up, even the schools that were not historically very health conscious.
“This school, in particular, has decided to make it a huge thrust in improving the children’s health as well as the staff’s health.
“It’s easy and it’s a natural part of the day. It’s also helping the schools fight back against unhealthy snacks sneaking back into lunches.
“The kids are telling them (their parents) they have to take good food which means it gets reinforced with the kids.”
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