2017 Registration Now Open
The only step-by-step health and nutrition programmes with genuine life changing success stories from schools throughout New Zealand — and you can be next!
Due to the major success of the programmes we are taking 50 schools per programme only and will fill these spots on a first in first serve basis. Registration for the term 2 programmes closes on the 8th May 2017 or upon filling the 50 available spots.
A proven programme for delivering health and food education to your class or school.
Food is one of the most valuable tools for changing a child’s future health and lifestyle. It relates to every child in your class and school as everybody has to eat. It is the basis of so many other topics and learning opportunities and the best part is, it engages everybody.
‘Food of the week’ is a curriculum-linked program for primary schools with the objective of getting children to eat more vegetables and make healthy choices. The program is open to all New Zealand Primary schools and is easily integrated into your weekly planning and topics. It has been a huge success with pupils cheering for broccoli, taking their knowledge home and cooking with their families.
All resources and planning is done for you
- 8 Weeks 8 Foods covered
- New set of resources delivered to you digitally weekly
- Range of levels to suit different pupils learning
- Curriculum unit plan and weekly planning integration suggestions provided
- Pricing per child making it affordable for all schools
- Empowers your pupils and their families to make healthy food choices
- Interactive stories about New Zealand growers and farmers
- Builds on any existing food education initiatives you already have running like school garden or breakfast club
- Activities and recipes designed to be carried out in the classroom (You don’t need a school kitchen)
8 Weeks – 8 Different Foods
We want all kiwi kids to thrive at everything they set out to achieve in life. With the guidance of our awesome characters, children will be taken on a food adventure, reading interactive stories and completing activities that show where different foods come from, how they are eaten and prepared, why they are good for us and what they taste like.
Every week of the eight week program a new set of food resources will be released; below are the foods that will be covered in each terms resources.
We have tested and proven this programme with many schools throughout New Zealand. Hear what teachers have to say:
“The interactive books, cooking recipes and science investigations were relevant, well researched, well structured and set out in a logical, easy to follow way. It made teaching the programme really easy!”
Meta Beyers - Teacher of Year 2/3 – Kahurangi School
“My children have loved discovering their “Food of The Week” and trying and exploring new foods they have never tasted before. The programme was easy to follow and watching the weekly interactive on our widescreen television set and discussing the questions with each other made them realize how different we all are, which was great for our’ Relating To Others’ terms Key competency.”
Carol Drotschmann – Year 2/3 Teacher – Rewa Rewa School
“Your programme was really well received by our Junior School. Staff and students all thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the way it fitted around our other commitments and we were able to adjust things as necessary. Thank you for that. Your programme introduced a lot of new concepts to the children taking many of them out of their comfort zones.”
Doreen O’Sullivan – Principal at St Anne’s School, Newtown, Wellington
Weekly Resources
We have visited New Zealand growers/farmers and created interactive stories about where each food comes from. Each week you will have access to the new food of the week interactive story, science experiment, cooking recipe and worksheets via our ‘What’s for Lunch?’ platform. We will also allow your pupil’s parents to sign up and access the resources from home so they can see what their child has been learning about and how they can help continue the learning at home. Here is an example of a set of weekly resources.
Access from anywhere and any device
- Interactive whiteboards
- Android and iOS tablets
- Laptops
- Desktop Computers
Covers the Following Topics: Food, Nutrition, Health, Gardening, Sustainability
Level One, Two and Three: Health and Physical Education
Designed for inquiry based learning with endless extension opportunities and research question possibilities. Comprehensive curriculum links including achievement objectives supplied. A complete unit plan and weekly plan suggestions will be supplied upon sign up.
Additional Curriculum Areas: English, Social Sciences, Science, Maths
Food of the Week Programme is for:
- Principals and Teachers of Year 1 to 6 students
- Teachers tired of spending valuable hours creating, planning and finding resources
- Schools looking to improve the diet and foods their communities consume
- Classes aiming to carry out a health or sustainability topic
- Schools aiming to gain the ‘Heart Foundations’ Heart Start Award
Problems and Issues
Children won’t eat their vegetables.
‘Almost three quarters of New Zealanders don’t eat the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables’
New Zealand Herald –Feb 2014
Diet related diseases are rising.
‘Around 85,000 New Zealand children are obese.’
New Zealand Health Survey – The Ministry of Health 2012/13
Create a new healthy movement in your classroom around whole foods and nutritious lunchboxes.
Who is behind the creation this programme?
Amy Burrell B.Des.(Hons.)
Creator and founder
Amy Burrell is the driving force behind the ‘What’s for Lunch?’ food education program. As an established published author, illustrator and graphic designer Amy is using her creativity to change the future of young kiwis through the food they eat. Her love of healthy food started as a thirteen year old cooking for her family of six while both her parents milked cows on their dairy farm. Amy has developed a sound collection of cooking and nutrition knowledge which she practices personally daily. Working as a chef at an Early Childcare Centre she realised she could share her knowledge to shape children’s future health and fill a missing gap in their education. This has developed into a collection of programmes for primary schools.
Carole Gibb NZRD, Dip.H.Sc, PG Dip.Sc. (Com.Nut)
Dietitian
With 35 years experience as a dietitian and nutritionist Carole is the main nutrition adviser for ‘What’s for Lunch?’ Carole uses her extensive food and diet knowledge to guide the development of the program. She gives factual, current information on each of our foods and themes. Carole’s energy and enthusiasm for healthy lifestyle promotion is both motivating and catchy. When not teaching the world about healthy eating she is off on biking adventures throughout the world.
Janette Keown
Editor and Researcher
As a published contributor of North and South Magazine as well as having thirty years experience in the business arena under her belt Janette is a grammar and word wiz bringing perfection to the ‘What’s for Lunch?’ team. Janette is passionate about food and nutrition due to her own health journey as a sufferer of MS. Her knowledge and research of nutrition has allowed her to make positive steps in slowing the progression of her illness. When not editing ‘food of the week’ resources or researching Janette goes on breathtaking cruises around the world.
Case Study
St Anne’s School – Newtown, Wellington
A class of fresh six year olds were full of energy and ready to take on the new school year. Little did they know what their teacher Mrs Bruce had in store for them this year. The children like most six year olds were oblivious to the fact that the food they eat could be the theme for an entire school year and take them all over the country and world. Most lacked any understanding of the connection between what they eat and their growing bodies and many had a limited palette and repertoire. To them food was just food and they would eat familiar safe foods day in day out. A lot of the time children have no say in what they and their families eat.
The first term of the year majority of the children were trying the new food of the week but there were a few who were unsure and holding back. As the year progressed the children’s appetites and curiosity for new foods and flavours grew. By the end of the year every child in the class was trying each new food with ease and able to talk and discuss the new flavours and textures. They became confident food connoisseur.
Food and their lunchboxes became a great topic of conversation that was also taken home. Children started to tell their parents what they should be eating. Many logged onto the website and made the recipes at home with their families.
As the planning and material is done for her Mrs Bruce found she didn’t have to worry about anything. She was able to integrate the program into all curriculum areas and the children always had something fresh and new to focus of every week. She said “it makes my job so easy.”
Throughout the year the pupils learnt about a total of thirty two different healthy foods through the interactive stories. They carried out science experiments on each food, made a recipe with each food and did various other activities such as worksheets, story writing, art work and reading. Everything tied nicely into the curriculum and gave opportunity for further inquiry.
The transformation in the pupils is amazing, knowledge is power. These pupils are now equipped with practical knowledge about how to live a healthy lifestyle and feed themselves nutritious food. The simple act of learning about foods has given them the power to shape their future health and well being.
Where to next
Because of the success and love of their year learning about food St Anne’s School is now in the process of starting the Garden to Table programme. With the foundations achieved from the ‘Food of the Week’ programme they are in a perfect position to take things to the next level.
“At the beginning of the year the students were not aware and had no understanding of the different types of food. Now they can identify healthy foods from unhealthy foods and feel very proud when they open their lunchbox.”
Peggy Bruce – Teacher Year 2 pupils (Assistant Principal)
“Your programme was really well received by our Junior School. Staff and students all thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the way it fitted around our other commitments and we were able to adjust things as necessary. Thank you for that. Your programme introduced a lot of new concepts to the children taking many of them out of their comfort zones.”
Doreen O’Sullivan – Principal
“What’s for Lunch? has opened the children up to trying and working with different foods.
Being fully involved with the whole process (story to cooking) creates interest and a desire to replicate the recipe at home.
The science experiments are great and aspects lend themselves well to both literacy and numeracy.
All children look forward to finding out our new ‘food of the week’ and are now working with their parents to create delicious and healthy meals at home.
This is a great program that benefits all.”
Lisa Preston – Teacher (new entrants)
Parent feedback
Pupil: James Madden
“He is trying so many new foods at home now, there is no struggle to get him to try something new. We make all the recipes at home. I think the program is so valuable and it should be in all schools.”
Father: Jimmy Madden
Pupil: Bethanya Zergabachew
“Bethanya logs onto the website at home and loves to re read the stories and recipes. She loves the program.”
Aunty: Rahel Zergabachew
Pupil: Klareen Hawil
“Klareen is learning lots of new foods and skills. She loves the cooking and activities in class.”
Father: Evan Hawil
Pupil: Natasha Abraham
“Natasha talks about the program a lot and the new food she has learnt about. She reads the stories on our computer at home.”
Father: Albert Abraham
Pupil: Abhinav Parampil
“Abhi loves cooking and we are sure he will be a chef one day. He loves the program and is getting so much out of it.”
Father: John Parampil
Term 2 Registration Now Open
The only step-by-step sustainability programme with genuine life changing success stories from schools throughout New Zealand — and you can be next!
Due to the major success of the programmes we are taking 50 schools per programme only and will fill these spots on a first in first serve basis. Registration for the term 2 programmes closes on the 8th May 2017 or upon filling the 50 available spots.
A proven programme for delivering sustainability education to your class or school.
We want all kiwi kids to thrive at everything they set out to achieve in life. With the guidance of our awesome characters, children will be taken on a sustainability journey,
reading interactive stories and completing activities that feature real New Zealanders doing great things to reduce, reuse and recycle. With this knowledge children will be empowered to make changes in their school and home life to help minimise their environmental footprint.
All resources and planning is done for you
- 8 Weeks 8 garden topics covered
- New set of resources delivered to you digitally weekly
- Range of levels to suit different pupils learning
- Curriculum unit plan and weekly planning integration suggestions provided
- Pricing per child making it affordable for all schools
- Empowers your pupils and their families to practice sustainability
- Interactive stories about New Zealand based sustainability processes and projects
- Builds on any existing sustainability you already have running
- Activities and experiments designed to be carried out in the classroom and school grounds
8 Weeks – 8 Different Garden Topics
Every week of the eight week programme a sustainability module will be released and you will receive a new set of resources. Over the eight week period you will cover the following eight Reduce, Reuse, Recycle modules which will help your pupils create sustainable habits and behaviors at school and home.
Covers the Following Topics: Environment, Zero Waste, Sustainability, Recycling
Level One, Two and Three: Science, English
Designed for inquiry based learning with endless extension opportunities and research question possibilities. Comprehensive curriculum links including achievement objectives supplied. A complete unit plan and weekly plan suggestions will be supplied upon sign up.
Additional Curriculum Areas: Social Science, Maths, Art, Technology
Garden Programme – 8 weeks
The programme covers eight weeks and eight different ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ modules.
Testimonial:
“The science experiments are great and aspects lend themselves well to both literacy and numeracy.”
Lisa Preston – Teacher at St Anne’s Primary School
