This week is Fruit and Veg week and we are asking all children and parents to participate. Research shows that fruit and vegetable consumption is lower in primary aged children than any other group.
At our school we will be:
increasing awareness of the need to eat more fruit and vegetables
increase positive perceptions of fruit and vegetables
incorporating fruit and vegetable themes into cross curriculum plans and school activities
Marks point PS have joined with Freshpoint Fruit Markets Swansea toward ensuring all students have the opportunity to eat FRESH FRUIT and VEGETABLES at school. Freshpoint in conjunction with the Sydney Regional Markets have been supplying 3 boxes of fruit each week for the children to eat.
This week some families have taken up the offer to purchase fruit baskets at cost price from Freshpoint.
Today our Education Week Open Day kicked off with a visit from the NSW Cancer Council featuring guest speaker, Robbie O’Davis, who spoke to the children about the importance of eating 2 fruits and 5 vegetables each day.
Mrs Higginbottom hosted “The Biggest Morning Tea” in the staffroom for staff and parents. This was followed by a Math-a-Thon. Students enjoyed a tabloid of 20 Maths activities organised by Ms McDonnell and Mrs Lowe. The activities were ‘captained’ by team leaders from Stage 3.
The days actvities concluded with a BBQ lunch thanks to our parent helpers.
Walk Safely to School Day (WSTSD) is an annual, national event when all Primary School children are encouraged to walk and commute safely to school. It is a Community Event seeking to promote Road Safety, Health, Public Transport and the Environment.
It is held throughout Australia on Friday 15 May 2009
The objectives of WSTSD are:
To encourage parents and carers to walk to school with primary school age children and reinforce safe pedestrian behaviour.
To promote the health benefits of walking and help create regular walking habits at an early age.
To ensure that children up to 10 years old hold an adult’s hand when crossing the road.
To help children develop the vital road-crossing skills they will need as they become mature pedestrians.
To reduce the car dependency habits that are being created at an early age and which will be difficult to change as children become adults.
To promote the use of Public Transport.
To reduce the level of air pollution created by motor vehicles.
To reduce the level of traffic congestion.
Thank you to Mrs Langford for organising fresh fruit and water for all the children who walked to school today.
As mentioned in previous posts our school is participating in the Active After-School Communities program again this year.
The Active After-school Communities program is a national initiative that provides primary school-aged children with access to free, structured physical activity programs in the after-school timeslot of 3.00pm to 5.30pm.
The program aims to engage children in structured physical activities and to build pathways with local community organisations, including sporting clubs.
In this term’s AASC State Newsletter our school blog has received the following mention under the title:
Marks Point Public School’s surfing program gets rave reviews on their blog.
“Children at Marks Point School, in the Lake Maquarie region south of Newcastle, have used their school’s blog to document the fun they have in the AASC surfing sessions. Their slideshow says it all - the anticipation during their on-the-beach warm up, paddling out for a wave, and the extreme excitement of standing up on a wave. Students described their AASC program as ‘one of the many opportunities offered to students to engage in healthy living and active lifestyles at our school.’
To read the full newsletter click on the picture below:
Ride2School is Bicycle NSW’s initiative to get more students choosing to walk, ride, skate or scooter to and from school safely and responsibly. As many children have developed less active lifestyles over the past 20 years, Ride2School aims to improve the health of students by increasing physical activity and changing attitudes to active travel. These healthy lifestyle choices made now will help shape good health in years to come. Choosing to walk or ride is also a healthy choice for the environment. In our society today it is important that we take every opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint.
Mr Gleeson organised an afternoon of fun and educational activities to raise the awareness of bike and pedestrian safety. All chidren who rode to school partcipated in a full bike safety check. Students also rode around a bike safety course and participated in a slow riding race. Thank you to the parents who helped out with the safety checks and repairs.
Below are some student interviews. Hosted by Kayley M and filmed by Ella H from the website team. Click on the play button to play the video.
A Federal Government initiative is ensuring that 54 students at Marks Point have the opportunity to engage in fun physical activities after school. Student numbers have increased from 32 to the current enrolments due to the children seeing others having so much fun. Children range in age from 8 to 11 years. Presenters coordinate programs from surfing to sailing, athletics to boomerang throwing. This program is only one of the many opportunities offered to students to engage in Healthy Living and Active Lifestyles at our school.
Check out the new Slideshow I just added to our slideshow page. Our students who participate in the Active After Schools program have been learning to surf this term at Backsmiths Beach. It looks like a lot of fun!
You can make your own slideshows at: http://www.slide.com/
