A ‘Healthy Kids Pitch’ has kick-started a renewed wellbeing and fitness focus at St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School – and their passion for health has not gone unnoticed.
Cumberland Council awarded the Regents Park primary school a $5000 grant to buy equipment for its Friday morning boot camp program, which will soon be extended to offer an additional two boot camps a week.
The school’s equipment wish-list includes agility ladders, drill equipment, and an in-ground trampoline to promote active play at recess and lunch too.
Student leaders consulted with every class from Kindy to Year 6 for their input before they submitted their pitch to the council.
Seeds of wellbeing grow
This is the second time the school has received a Healthy Kids Pitch grant from Cumberland Council. It built a veggie garden with the first grant in 2020.
Produce from the garden is used in the school’s breakfast club, along with cereal donations from parents and eggs laid by the school’s chickens.
“We now have ‘brain breaks’ where the kids go outside after each hour of learning” – Assistant Principal, Amanda Gahan
Co-curricular clubs are flourishing
The boot camp and breakfast club are just two of the school’s thriving co-curricular clubs.
“About six to eight months before COVID hit we did a wellbeing survey of the school and put together whole programs to support students,” said Assistant Principal, Amanda Gahan.
“We introduced a breakfast club and teachers reported students having better concentration.
“A lot of the kids may have breakfast at home, but they come to school because they want to chat to the teachers serving the breakfast.
“During the brain breaks they’re talking to the teacher about their weekend. They feel supported.”
