St Joseph's School health team (back row, from left) Ashley Pink, Maddie Poole, Rebecca O'Neill, Ilaisipia Tahaafe, Josh Macaulay, Laura Pickles; (middle) Hannah Kennedy, Mathew Cullimore, Karan Ratgali, Max Stewart, Callie Mills, Bede Kovacs, Sarah Dooley, Alannah Mason; (front) Jack Sinclair, Matt Brien, Nicole Louden, Tone Low and Harshaa Prasad with their Heart Start award. Photo by Mel Sloan.
The school's health team was recently awarded the Heart Foundation of New Zealand's Heart Start bronze award for its promotion of healthy living, eating and physical activity.
The team, comprising 19 year 7 and 8 pupils, is run by teacher Mel Sloan and year 8 pupil Nicole Louden, and works in three groups - promotion, canteen and financial - and each is responsible for the running, ordering and finances of its activities.
The school canteen supplies "heart tick" food twice a week and the team promotes spot prizes for healthy lunch boxes, and displays around the school, and notes in the school newsletter.
