Riverside children get healthy
Children at Riverside Primary School are getting into shape as the school launches into the new term with Healthy Living Week (29th October-2nd November).
On Monday 29th October, the 8-11 year olds will be put through their paces with a fast moving circuits session which involves nine physical activities to music. They'll be rewarded for all their hard work with fruit courtesy of Tescos. At the same time, in a bid to encourage the whole school to get active, there will be playground games organised during breaks.
On Tuesday, the 10 and 11 year olds will be ditching the crisps and sweets and replacing them with fruit, wholemeal bread and yoghurts as they learn to put together healthy lunchboxes. Other children will be involved in circuits training and shared playgroup games throughout the day.
Wednesday is parents' day as Janice Tissington from the Council's healthy eating team will be helping parents come up with exciting ideas for healthy lunch boxes. School lunches will include a salad bar and freshly baked bread every day. The older children will be put through their paces on Whitecross Sports College's Shaper Trailer which has fitness testing equipment on board.
Thursday sees the whole school involved in the Heartstart campaign where children are taught how to look after their hearts and given basic first aid training in resuscitation. To encourage children to try different tastes, they will be asked to bring in some fruit and swap it with a friend.
To finish the week in style, the children will be invited to wear their sports kit for the day on Friday in order to raise money for the Heart Foundation. The whole school will be skipping for joy in a huge skip-out taking place throughout the day which aims to raise money for charity as well as raising cardiovascular fitness levels.
Jim Preston, head teacher at Riverside Primary School, said: "There are always plenty of activities going on in school which aim to promote healthy living, but we thought it would be good to get the whole school involved in a week-long event. We are very much aware that we have a duty to promote the good health of our children and ensure they enjoy healthy lifestyles."
