Director of the Braidwood Preschool, Kathy Toirkens, was presented with a trophy by NSW Health last week to celebrate 10 years of the preschool's involvement in the Munch and Move program.
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Ms Toirkens attended the first training session of the program in 2008 in Queanbeyan and the preschool has maintained its commitment to the program ever since. The award was a celebration of her commitment to early childhood education and healthy children.
The Munch and Move Program is funded through the NSW Health Healthy Canteen Strategy and focuses on healthy eating and exercise in early childhood.
Emma Woolley, Health Promotion Coordinator for Southern NSW Local Health District, said that the priorities of the Munch and Move program differ from city to country schools. "In the city, the concern is to restrict kids' access to fast food, while in the country where childhood obesity is less of an issue, the priority is ensuring that kids have access to a range of fresh fruit and vegetables. Kids in country areas tend to be more active than city kids, but they often don't have the same range of fresh food available in the cities."
Ms Woolley said that the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program has been a huge step in promoting healthy eating education for children and a lot of schools in the district had used their NSW Health funding to implement the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program.
Ms Toirkens said that being adjacent to Wynlen House urban farm has been an advantage. "We're able to watch the chickens over the fence and Bronwyn and Helen are happy for us to take groups of children around to see what they're doing in the garden," she said.
SNSW Health District CEO Andrew Newton was on hand to present Ms Toirkens with the 10-year trophy after the children had a lot of fun making - and eating - fresh fruit kebabs.