Strep A Guidance

We are aware of the concern over the infections that we keep hearing on the news .Please be assured that the school nurse is checking every child who is feeling unwell and will discuss with parents if there are any concerns. This time of year, it is very normal to feel unwell. If your child has a temperature they need to be staying at home until this improves, particularly if it is accompanied by any symptoms, such as a sore throat, earache, cough, headache or tummy ache.

You can access your Gp, A&E or call 111 if you need further support .

Healthy Eating

Breakfast Tips:

Mornings can be busy when you have a family to feed, get them to school and get yourself ready for the day.

But we see lots of children not having breakfast-often because they don’t like breakfast or are not hungry before school.

It is vital for concentration and to prevent morning tiredness-school is a busy place and without food or drink to start their day, they can suffer with headaches, fatigue, tummy aches and lack of concentration.

There are some great breakfast ideas online-

Eggs any way- eggs are a great way to start the day, are quick, cheap and an easy meal. They are full of vitamins and iron, and you can serve them with anything. Heat up some baked beans, put them on toast, scramble them and serve with a bagel or add mushrooms, tomatoes or cheese to an omelette.

Porridge- is a popular choice for children and adults and there are some great quick oats, ready in a few minutes. They are packed full of fibre and nutrients. Ready brek are great introductions to porridge. You can use regular porridge and add natural healthy sweetness with crushed strawberry’s, apple, cinnamon or raisins. Cocoa powder instead of chocolate or honey.   

Fruit- grab a banana, apple, grapes or orange. You can cut it with yogurt. Or use tinned fruit for your 5 a day.  

Bread- Try to choose wholemeal bread, wraps or bagels. 50/50 wholemeal bread is a great middle ground and add healthier toppings. Save sugary spread’s for the weekend only.

Cereals- lots of cereals that children love are high in sugars, opt for cereals such as shredded wheat, wheetabix, bran flakes and whole grain cereals that contain less sugars. If you don’t buy them, they can’t have them. Think about it before you put them in your trolley.

If your children still don’t like any alternative to breakfast, you can make sure they have a glass of milk before school and a healthy snack to have at break time. Or discuss it with the school nurse for more advise about eating concerns.

Lunch box tips

Lunch is a vital midpoint for your child's school day. It gives them the nutrition and energy that can help with concentration and focus, right up until school ends and beyond. 

School lunches give the best healthy variety, but you can also achieve this from healthy lunch boxes. 

It is hard in the mornings to think of healthy ideas, below But are examples of great websites to inspire you.

Tips

• Stay full for longer-Base the main lunchbox item on foods like bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. Choose wholegrain where you can. Mix bread slices, one brown and one white. Use wraps instead of sandwiches, for variety.
• Choosing variety-Dipping food is also a fun and a nice change from a sandwich each day. Use carrot, cucumber, and pepper sticks, tomatoes with hummus or cream cheese. 
• Add salad to sandwiches-This will fill them up and also counts towards their 5 a day.
• Keep crisps and sweet treats to a minimum-try to reduce the number of days they have crisps and sweet treats. use one or the other, try alternatives such as grapes, homemade popcorn, cut up fruit, dried fruit (limit the amount as this can be high in sugar).
• Get them involved-They are more likely to eat what they choose themselves and if they helped make it.

Nut allergies and Sun Creams 

You may have recently seen the news about Nivea sun cream containing almond oil. There are actually lots of cosmetics that contain tree nut oils. Although the risk of a child with nut allergies having a reaction from another child wearing such creams is very low, we would like to prevent the risk of even a mild reaction and ask that alternative creams be bought for use in school.

If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact me to discuss it further. Thanks Mrs Taylor.