School meals are prepared by our kitchen coordinator, Mrs Aileen Choo with the assistance of parent volunteers. The help of parents in the kitchen is an essential area of support and help from parents in this way is very welcome. Please contact the School Office for more information.

The school recognises the importance of good food for the overall and long-term health of the children as well as the beneficial effect of a healthy diet on students’ learning abilities. We are committed to providing nourishing food from a range of cultures for our students. Menus are based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines (www.eatforhealth.gov.au). They provide up-to-date advice about the amount and kinds of foods that children need to eat for health and wellbeing. Meals include foods from the recommended Five Food Groups. Foods on our menus are vegetarian, low sugar and peanut free. Peanuts and peanut-based products (e.g.peanut oil), are excluded from all meals and snacks as we may have children attending the school who have an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts.

 A healthy snack is provided for morning tea and a main dish, fruit and water is provided for lunch. Fruit and water is available at other times as requested. Menus will be available from Reception.

Children should not bring a separate lunch box of their own to eat. The exception is where there is a medically diagnosed issue which requires a special diet. If this is the case the school needs to be advised in advance. If there are particular foods on the menu that your child is either allergic to, or has a particular aversion to, please advise their teacher and the Office with a written note. Likewise, if illness changes their normal diet, please pass this on. It is not possible to cater for all individual tastes, but where there are genuine reasons, the school will try to help.

The children sit down at the table for the meal with their class and teacher and encouragement is given in learning table manners and broadening the children’s tastes. Eating together on a regular basis is a way to promote greater physical wellbeing and acts to serve our emotional wellbeing. The students say a prayer or blessing before the meal.

Using cutlery, serving tongs etc, is a good exercise in fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination. After the meal the students are encouraged to help clear and tidy the eating area.