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Principal of Presentation Primary School, John Hickey (right), with TJ Boland of the School Food Company and Siobhan Murphy in the new kitchen at the school. Photo by Dermot Crean
HOT lunches will be provided for pupils in Presentation Primary School from this week.
In order to deliver healthy, freshly prepared food, the school has installed a kitchen which will be staffed by the School Food Company.
In March it was revealed Presentation Primary School had been added to the Government’s Hot School Meals Programme where hot meals will be available to all pupils enrolled in the school.
TJ Boland, operations manager for the School Food Company said; “We are delighted to be working with Presentation Primary. The feedback has been very positive from both staff and pupils so far.”
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The school principal, Mr. John Hickey, said; “We were delighted when our application for hot lunch funding was successful. These hot lunches contain plenty of veg, and with freshly prepared sauces, we avoid hidden sugars and salt. The menu options are great and by providing good food, we are sure to see improved concentration and application to schoolwork. ‘You are what you eat’ as they say!”
The school is incorporating the new hot lunches into a larger programme focusing on healthy eating and healthy lifestyle.
The school recently built a school garden, funded by the Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership and children have planted the garden with herbs and vegetables, under the guidance of Cathy Eastman from the Kerry Earth Education Project.
Ken Boland, CEO of the School Food Company, has extensive experience in educating children and teenagers on health and wellbeing, having set up the company Red Branch for this purpose. Ken will be assisting the school in delivering a programme on nutrition and staying fit and healthy.
“Given the rise in obesity nationally, it is more important than ever to educate the children about making good diet choices from a young age,” said Principal Hickey.
“As we provide lunches to the children, we have a responsibility to ensure the food is healthy while also engendering good habits and attitudes in our pupils. And it’s free to the children, which takes the pressure off families!”
