Four Primary Schools in the Polwarth electorate will benefit from a Brumby Government boost through the ‘Go for you life’ Healthy Start in Schools Grants for 2009, Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney said today.
These Primary Schools were a number of the schools who had responded with an outstanding application for the ‘Go for your life’ program,” Ms Tierney said.
“It’s great to see that these Primary Schools are committed to encouraging their students adopt healthy eating habits and exercise regularly.”
The five Primary Schools receiving the ‘Go for you life’ Healthy Start in Schools Grants for 2009 are:
– Alvie Consolidated School which will receive $6,000 for outdoor seating and four large eskies
– Bannockburn Primary School which will receive $5,000 for an upgrade of PE resources
– Birregurra Primary School which will receive $6,000 for storage containers and shelving, gardening tools, kitchen garden / canteen equipment, outdoor physical fitness circuit.
– Cobden Primary School which will receive $6,000 to carpet the school hall
– Lismore Primary School which will receive $6,000 for items supporting PE & health, Active After School Community and Greenhouse Environmental programs.
Ms Tierney said that the initiative aims to promote healthy eating and physical activity which in turn will help individual students develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
“The good news about this ‘Go for your life’ funding is that it can be used immediately to improve or expand existing resources enabling students themselves to obtain immediate benefits to both eat well and keep fit,” Ms Tierney said.
Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said the funding formed part of a four year $6 million Brumby Government program, with this third round of grants totalling just over $800,000 for 2009.
“The funding will be used in individual schools for a variety of purposes such as upgrading existing canteen facilities, bike sheds, all-weather protection of outdoor play areas and kitchen gardens,” Ms Pike said.
“Education is the Brumby Labor Government’s number one priority and our government is taking action so every child has every opportunity to shine no matter where they live.”
The ‘Go for you life’ Healthy Start initiative is linked to the Brumby Government’s Healthy Canteen Kit and Kids – “Go for you life’ program.
Both initiatives show the Brumby Government’s commitment to assisting individual schools implement effective programs in health and physical education as outlined in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS).