THE excitement was contagious at Branxholme-Wallacedale Community School last Friday when they held a jampacked Family Fun Day in celebration of the launch of their school canteen.
Called Camp Kitchen, the school canteen was created as part of the school’s involvement with Vic Kids Eat Well, which worked in partnership with Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program.
Offering healthy drinks and snacks such as fruit salad, popcorn, and yoghurt, the Camp Kitchen is run by the senior students which helps to develop their leadership and maths skills.
The treats on offer were enjoyed by students, family, friends, and members of the community, with all money raised going towards the school’s end of year camp.
Grade 6 student, Lydia Sanderson, said the senior students also cooked the lunch foods with guidance from staff, which opened her eyes to a broader selection of easy and healthy recipes.
“We made the sausage rolls and then some of the staff have made soup and wraps,” she said.
“We’re doing the canteen each Friday while we raise money for camp.
“The snack menu is the same, but the lunch menu is different each week because we make it ourselves.”
The students learnt about positive food and drink choices in sessions with Vic Kids Eat Well healthy kids advisor, Monique Sobey, who works with schools, Outside School Hours Care (OSHC), and community organisations in the Southern Grampians Shire and the north section of the Glenelg Shire.
Ms Sobey said all students at Branxholme-Wallacedale engaged well with the healthy eating program and showed enthusiasm when learning how to cook nutritious meals.
“We ran workshops called ‘Eat the rainbow’ where we talked about the superpowers and benefits of each colour vegetable,” she said.
“As part of this, we made fruit salad and sandwich sushi.
“The goal is to - in our setting - increase availability of fresh food and drink options to young people.
“I also linked (Branxholme-Wallacedale Community School) with the Second Bite program which will provide fruit for the kids.”
Branxholme-Wallacedale Community School principal, Natalie Bennett, said the staffroom had been transformed into the Camp Kitchen, with high tables and stools purchased to make cooking in the space more comfortable, while the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation helped to upgrade their cooking equipment.
Ms Bennett said it was extremely helpful to have Ms Sobey working with the kids and coming up with healthy recipes that could be made by the senior students to sell at the Camp Kitchen.
“I’ve wanted a canteen for a long time but wasn’t sure of what food to include,” she said.
“Monique has been a blessing - getting the kids excited brainstorming choices, organising donations and keeping me moving forward.
“In small schools, sometimes things get dropped because it becomes another add-on, but she kept me on track.
“Monique encouraged healthy choices and was a big help with creating an ingredient list and recipe ideas.”
The Family Fun Day also saw students and their loved ones compete head-to-head in a series of classic games including sack races, hurdles, tug of war, a three-legged race, and wheelbarrow races held in wheelbarrows donated by Bunnings.
Vic Kids Eat Well is a new state-wide movement supported by the State Government and delivered by Cancer Council Victoria’s Achievement Program, in partnership with Nutrition Australia’s Healthy Eating Advisory Service.
Targeting schools, OSHC, and community organisations including sporting clubs, the program concentrates on four key actions - refresh the fridge, switch up the snack, change up the menu, and put the fun into fundraising - to make healthy food and drink options available for kids.
For more information about Vic Kids Eat Well, visit vickidseatwell.health.vic.gov.au
