The Big Day …!!!

Coming in…

When you arrive at the classroom, be as casual as you can. He will meet the teacher and the other children and will be shown his chair.

Hopefully he will be absorbed in his new surroundings. So having assured him you will be back to collect him, wish him goodbye and make your getaway without delay.

Packed Lunchches....

Lunch is an important meal for school going children. It should provide one third of their recommended daily allowance of nutrients without being high in fat, sugar or salt. It should also provide dietary fibre (roughage).

The traditional packed lunch of milk and sandwiches is under attack from a range of convenience foods like crisps, sweets, biscuits, chocolate and soft drinks. Parents and teachers are concerned about this trend but some find it difficult to come up with popular healthy alternatives. We will ask you to encourage a healthy lunch right from the start. Also, please, only give your child something you feel he/she can easily manage to eat. Children are not normally very hungry at school, so a little snack will do.

The following guide is designed to help you provide quick, appetising, and nutritious lunches for your children.

Bread & Alternatives

Bread or rolls, preferably wholemeal.

Rice – wholegrain.

 Pasta – wholegrain.

Potato Salad.

Wholemeal Scones.

Savouries

Lean Meat.

Chicken/Turkey.

 Tinned Fish e.g. tuna/sardines.

Cheese, including Edam, blarney, cottage.

Quiche.

Pizza.

Fruit & Vegetables

Apples, Banana, Peach, Plum, Pineapple cubes, Mandarins, Orange segments, Grapes, Fruit Salad, Dried fruit, Tomato, Cucumber, Sweetcorn, Coleslaw, Celery.

Drinks

Milk, including low fat.

Fruit juices.

High juice Squashes, i.e. low sugar content.

Homemade soup (use Bovril occasionally as it is salty).

Yoghurt.

 Start with the Basics

A healthy packed lunch should contain bread or an alternative, a savoury filling which provides protein, a suitable drink and some fruit and/or vegetables.

A Word about Milk

Growing children should get approximately one pint of milk a day, or its equivalent as cheese, yoghurt or milk pudding. This ensures that they get enough calcium, which is essential for healthy bones and teeth. If a child does not drink a glass of milk at lunch, encourage him or her to have a carton of yoghurt or a small helping of cheese instead.

Going Home

Be sure to collect him on time. Children can become very upset if they feel they are forgotten.

Keep out of view until the children are released.

If at any time the collecting routine has to be changed ensure you tell the child and the teacher.