Personal Development, Health & Wellbeing

Feeling well, eating well and being well make it possible for children being able to participate fully in daily life at Highfields. We see children as holistic beings with emotional, physical, psychological, cognitive and social needs. We place a great deal of emphasis on building strong, healthy and safe relationships with children and their families. This is reflected in programming, our language, and time given to get to know the children and celebrate their individuality.

Understanding themselves and others, and building a repertoire of skills for connecting and flourishing in community, positively supports Highfielders in every other area of their learning. Our whole school approach to building wellbeing and resilience includes but is not limited to:

Providing a school culture that prioritises relationships and supports children in positively interacting with others.
Creating an environment where children feel connected to their peers, teachers, school and the environment.
Facilitating daily opportunities for children to learn about learning.
Encouraging children to step out of their comfort zones and into the ‘stretch’ zone for learning, discovering how their brain works, and how to recognise different emotions and self regulate their behaviour.
Teaching about the importance of diet and sleep, and modeling practices to calm the mind and body.
Celebrating individual and shared successes, as well as supporting children in embracing and ‘leaning into’ challenges and managing disappointments as part of life’s ups and downs.
Strengthening networks and the sharing of information through parent and staff learning opportunities related to health and wellbeing.

Working with families in close partnership is key to our commitments as we recognise their primary and influential role supporting and sustaining the health and wellbeing of their children.

Crunch & Sip, Morning Tea and Lunch

Crunch&Sip® is a set time for children to ‘refuel’ on vegetables and fruit and ‘rehydrate’ with water. At Highfields class teachers choose a morning time for children to have their Crunch&Sip while a story is read or instructions for an upcoming activity are given. We have found that children who are not hungry and are well hydrated perform better in the classroom, and show increased concentration.

We teach children about good nutrition and families can assist by ensuring healthy foods are packed for morning tea and lunch daily. A water bottle should also be provided. During morning tea and lunch times, children are required to sit until they have finished their refreshments before playing.

Reminder: Highfields is a nut and egg free zone

We aim to minimise the exposure of children at risk of an allergic reaction to known allergens within the school environment. We do have some children allergic to nuts and egg. For this reason we ask that no food products containing nuts be brought to school. These include peanut butter, Nutella, some muesli bars and loose nuts. We also ask that following items containing egg not be brought to school – egg sandwiches, boiled eggs, mayonnaise, meringue, quiche and frittata. Thank you for your support in this matter.