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"The Year 6 students at Footscray Primary School have taken
over the running of the school canteen.
"Three years ago, the lady who ran the canteen decided
that she could no longer make a living from the takings. At
this stage, the canteen offered lunches five days a week as
well as opening each recess and lunch for sales of snacks.
"This left the school with a small canteen complete
with a large fridge, freezers and a pie warmer but with no-one
willing to run the canteen and no parent body willing to take
on the running of the canteen.
"This provided a great opportunity in disguise and Enterprise
Education was initiated.
"All the Year 6 became involved in running the canteen.
"During Term 1, the Year 6 students take part in a safe
food-handling course - Workplace Hygiene for Food Handlers.
An outside provider delivers this course and there is an assessment
at the end of the course. All students receive a certificate,
with the students who pass the test receiving a certificate
that is equivalent to an adult qualification. The students
who don't pass receive a certificate of completion. During
the course, the Year 6 students learn about:
- Food contamination
- Food poisoning
- The two hour / four hour rule
- Potentially hazardous foods
- Food storage and temperature control
- Rules for cooking
- Personal hygiene
- Cleaning and sanitising
"The course is paid for through profits from the canteen.
The students in Year 6 this year must ensure there is enough
money at the end of the year to pay for the course for the
Year 6 students next year.
"As well as learning about how to work safely in the
canteen, the Year 6 students work on an agreement about
the expectations of all the students who will work in
the canteen. The students discuss the attributes and skills
needed and come up with a list of what they consider to be
important and this becomes the agreement. The students sign
the agreement to show that they agree to abide by the list
of expectations.
"Two student canteen managers are elected and
their job is to manage the timetable. Each term, they need
to ensure that two students are rostered to work in the canteen
for a week and they need to make sure that they have back-ups
who will fill in when there are absences.
"The students work in the canteen each recess
and lunch time for a week. The canteen sells mostly packaged
food - noodles, popcorn, cheese and biscuits; but the students
also measure out serves of cereal and milk to go with flavoured
straws.
"Each Tuesday, a hot snack is provided and either steamed
dim sims or corn on the cob is served.
"During terms 2 and 3, Wednesday becomes pie day (Tri-Pies,
a healthier alternative, are sold). The students collect the
lunch orders and collate the orders for each pie variety.
They check the payments and give change and then add up the
money collected and check to make sure the payments balance
against the pie orders.
"As well as paying for the food-handling course, the
profits from the canteen are used to pay for an end of
year excursion for the Year 6 students. The students come
up with a list of suggestions and then vote on where they
would like to go. A donation is also made to a charity of
the students' choosing.
"The benefits of this program are:
- All students have access to a canteen with healthy food
choices and low prices
- The program is sustainable
- The Year 6 children
- Learn about safe food handling
- Learn about personal hygiene and the cleanliness needed
in the area where food is sold
- Learn of the commitment needed to make a project work
- Have practice in adding up money and giving change
- Learn how to write a cheque
- Are actively involved in running a major program in
the school
- Make considered choices regarding what is sold
- Make a choice in how the money is spent through the
choosing of a charity to donate and choosing the end
of year excursion
- Work co-operatively with peers
- Make a contribution towards the sustainability of
the program through ensuring that there is enough money
to pay for the course in food handling for the following
year
- Have fun"
- Maria Silber, Acting Assistant Principal
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