18th March 2022
Principal’s Message
By Mrs Simone Cooke
Dear Parents, This week our children have been exploring “Caring for our bodies”. This has involved learning how to make healthy food choices, the importance of hand washing procedures and teeth cleaning. It is never too early to introduce children to good personal hygiene practices, particularly for our little ones who are commencing toilet training and who are living within a pandemic, which necessitates regular hand washing. In addition to the short term benefits, when children are introduced to good routines these practices will stay with them for life. As parents we know only too well the struggles of guiding children to make healthy food choices, but explaining in simple terms that there are foods that our bodies need each day and foods that are “sometimes” foods helps them to establish a healthy relationship with food. We are very fortunate at Reddam to have the wonderful skills of Chef Caleb who makes regular visits to the classroom to discuss healthy eating and provides the children with a varied, well-balanced nutritional meal.
For those with ‘picky eaters’, the NSW Department of Health’s “Munch and Move “ programme, which we follow here at Reddam ,has the following practical suggestions for overcoming the challenge of meal times. Setting the scene • • •
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A predictable routine for meal and snack times helps your child to know when to expect food. This can help children develop good eating habits. Eat together as a family wherever possible. Try to keep meal times relaxed and calm. Remove distractions such as toys, games and television during meal and snack times so your child can focus on the task of eating. REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | ST LEONARDS NEWSLETTER
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