Health & Safety

Healthy Eating

If you want to look and feel your best, think about having a balanced, nutritious diet based on fruit, vegetables, protein and carbohydrates. Snacking on crisps and chocolate bars is great but if that's all your system is getting, you'll feel sluggish. Take a look at the list of nutritious foods below. These are divided into the different food groups. You should mix n' match items from each group to make your diet as balanced as possible.

BREADS:

Bread roll; Pita Bread; Bap or Bagel; Scone; Fruit Brack; Sliced Bread; Soda Bread; Pasta salad; Rice salad; Cream Crackers; Crisp bread.

MEAT/FISH:

Breast of chicken/turkey; Slices of cooked meat, e.g. beef, ham, lamb; Frankfurter sausages; Salami; Portion of tuna or salmon.

FRUIT:

Fresh fruit: Apple, banana, satsuma, pear, plum, kiwi, strawberries, slice of melon, nectarine, peach, small bunch of seedless grapes. Dried Fruit: raisins, prunes, apricots.

Juice: Carton of unsweetened juice.

VEGETABLES:

Sandwiches: Lettuce, cucumber, tomato, coleslaw, sweet corn.

On the side: Sticks of raw vegetables: carrots, peppers, broccoli, cucumber; Cherry tomatoes; Potato salad; Vegetable soup.

MILK/CHEESE:

Fromage frais; Yoghurt; Cheese - triangles, sticks or slices; Yoghurt drink; Small carton of milk.

TREATS:
Muffins; Cereal bars; Rice crispie buns; Slice of cake/fruit brack; Popcorn.

Heavy Schoolbags

In secondary school you work from several different textbooks, and have to carry several note books / folders around with you. You should realise that these books are heavy and when you are walking to, from and around school you may be doing damage to your back with all this extra weight.

A survey conducted by the National Back Pain Association in Britain suggests that 80 per cent of school children surveyed carry badly designed bags or are wearing them incorrectly, proving that the correct design of school bag is important. There are three common school bag designs, namely the rucksack, shoulder strap bag and the sports bag. The rucksack design is the most efficient when it is worn correctly on the back and not over one shoulder. It is important that the straps are a good fit.

Lockers are provided and you should aim to make maximum use of it. Remember, it is not necessary to bring all books for all subjects every day.

When carrying a schoolbag you should remember to:

  1. Strap both handles of the bag on your shoulders if possible.
  2. Stand and walk with a straight back.
  3. If your back is not straight, your school bag is too heavy and you could be doing damage to your back.
  4. Take care when removing your school bag from your back.
  5. Don’t stand for long periods with your school bag on your back.

Adult back pain and spinal disorders can stem from childhood activities including carrying a heavily overloaded school bag for 12 years or more of schooling, so it is important to carry your schoolbag correctly.

Safe Travel

Going to and coming from school can be a dangerous venture and accidents do happen. Everyone wants you to stay safe so stay alert –even when you are having fun with your friends. You need to remember the rules of the road at all times. Always remember to be safe on the road.

If you travel to school on a bus you should remember the rules of the bus:

It is critical that you know how to behave on the road, for your safety and the safety of others.