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"The journey of the Ringwood North Primary School (RNPS)
canteen over the past 18 months commenced with a question
at a school council meeting which challenged Item 2.3 of the
RNPS canteen policy guidelines stating that 'The canteen should
aim to promote healthy eating habits and reinforce the nutrition
lessons of the classroom.'
"The summer menu effective from 31st January 2005 revealed
that items such as party pies, jumbo sausage rolls, hot dogs,
chicken nuggets and treats, including confectionery, were
prominently displayed at the top of the page reflecting the
popularity of these items among children. Illustrations showing
a corn cob, fruit bowl and bread belied the general presentation
of the menu.
"A similar menu was released in June, but now with an
expansion of the hot convenience foods under the prominent
'Winter Warmers' section. Even plain water was not good enough,
as sugar-flavoured water had been added to the list. At least
the illustrations were closer to the truth with pictures of
'Gingerbread Teddies' and Choc Chip Cookies!
"Last year a strong media campaign started to gain attention
in the newspapers and on television carrying slogans like
'Victorian Canteens a Disgrace' and 'Childhood Obesity Crisis'.
Health organisations were calling for government action to
combat child obesity and were warning of a potential increase
in the prevalence of health problems such as diabetes and
heart disease later in life.
"Despite earlier resistance and setbacks, the school
council maintained its resolve in the light of current publicity
to improve the canteen services which might reflect more closely
the 'nutrition lessons of the classroom'. The VSCA, Nutrition
Australia and 'Go for your life' websites became favourite
sources of ideas and encouragement for change.
"Added impetus to the journey came when five parents
attended the VSCA Expo and workshops held in July this year.
The school council also invited a contractor to run the canteen
following the retirement of the previously employed canteen
manager, and a committee consisting of five parents, four
teachers (including the principal) and school business manager
determined the direction of the canteen according to council's
earlier resolutions. The committee prepared new guidelines
which refer to the Department of Education Guidelines for
School Canteens (May 2003) as a model for its role in promoting
healthy food choices at RNPS.
"During its short tenure, the committee has kept the
school community informed and held reign on the choices of
foods on the menu. The school is fortunate to have a canteen
manager who supports the new healthier initiative despite
the fact that it potentially weighs on profits. The committee
has nevertheless taken into account the need for sustainability
and provision of a reasonable return for the contractor's
services. Furthermore, the current menu has all the healthier
choices prominently displayed with the 'Irresistible Wraps'
highlighted in the top centre. Some additions to the 'Hot
Foods' section have recently been made to meet requests from
children and to assist profitability. The introduction of
'Slush Puppies' has also been a huge success. The less healthy
options have been relegated to the 'Other Snacks' section
at the bottom of the page, and items deemed to be in the 'amber'
or 'select carefully' category have been restricted to just
one day per week.
"Although the available items are generally 'Low fat',
'97% fat-free', 'Lite', etc, reference to these terms has
been omitted from the menu to protect children from exposure
to reference to obesity.
"The sub-committee also takes the school policy on 'Children
with Life Threatening Illness' seriously and endeavours to
closely monitor the types, preparation and distribution of
foods that have a potential for life-threatening illness in
children at risk of allergies.
"Finally, the sub-committee has introduced the idea
of a fruit platter to classrooms, so we believe we are one
step ahead of the government's recent proposal.
"The sub-committee will now direct its focus on promotion
of the canteen to create more awareness in the school community
for healthy food choices, taking into consideration healthy
food promotion as well as sustained profitability. A summary
of some of the ideas gleaned from the recent VSCA workshops
has been distributed to members of the sub-committee as a
framework for discussion of potential ideas at the next meeting
due on 22 November 2006.
"In summary, the new sub-committee has worked hard to
consult and to consider the feedback of the school community,
and it is most pleasing to report that there are now positive
trends emerging.
"Copies of the last two reports to school council [include]
information related to some of the above initiatives."
- Barry Stewart, School Councillor/Convenor Canteen Sub-Committee
[VSCA comment: The detailed documentation
supplied with this nomination highlights the many challenges
and the work involved in achieving viable and sustainable
improvements in a primary school canteen. It offers a useful
model for other schools wishing to embark on a similar process.
The VSCA Committee of Management commended Ringwood North
Primary School on their efforts and achievements to date,
and looks forward to hearing progress reports as their journey
continues.]
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