Section Links
Get Involved in National School Meals Week on YouTube
We are busy doing our tweets, get the latest news
> NSMW: Luton Borough Council and Redbridge Council have both signed up today...with only 68 days till the start of NSMW will you be taking part? > NSMW: It's time to start planning for the kids going back to school! Book in National School Meals Week 8-12th Nov 2010 http://bit.ly/aHvFf > NSMW: A big shout out for Caerphilly, Cambridgeshire, Havering and Argyll-Bute Council who have all signed up for NSMW in the last few days.
Read about National School Meals Week on Wikipedia
What's going on
What is happening during National School Meals Week (NSMW)?
Each day there is something different taking place but the key message of the week is "Get involved". This year the daily themes will work in both Primary and Secondary Schools. Each activity fits into a whole school approach to promoting healthy lifestyles to enable school caterers to get their messages across to teachers. This is what is going on.
Celebrities, MPs and local dignitaries will be invited to visit schools across the country as we have Britain's Biggest School Lunch. The purpose is to add extra interest at lunchtime and for the visitors to talk to young people about why a healthy lifestyle is so important and is a skill that needs to be learnt early in life. Today is supported by Dolmio Pasta Sauces from Mars Foodservice Ltd. Schools can get free samples to make a delicious and healthy spaghetti bolognaise to serve to their invited guests.
Today is supported by the Caterer and Hotelkeeper magazine. The plan is to encourage the hotel and catering industry to support their local schools and work with school caterers to promote healthy eating. We are looking for: chefs to go into schools to do a cooking demonstration or have a job swap with local school caterers; bar staff demonstrating how to make fruit smoothies; restaurant staff showing how you lay up a table and use a knife and fork; and inviting pupils to visit a hotel or restaurant.
Exercise is very important to everyone and dancing is a great way to do it. There are so many styles and beats to choose from. It could be a ballroom quickstep to the latest hip hop or street dance. Watch the dancing video on here and see how professional dance teacher, Hannah Bayston, encourages and promotes a love of dancing.
So let's turn on the music, get dancing and build up an appetite for lunchtime.
It is 11th November today and a two minute silence will be observed across the country at 11am. During the 1940s children were suffering with malnutrition so good quality and nutritrious school meals for all were introduced. A lot has happened since then but the role of a school meal is still to ensure a child has a good quality school meal during the day. Pupils can try the food from years gone by, dress up in clothes of the time and do other activities that link in to the National Curriculum.
Many schools have Fun Fridays and Get Giggling Day is another way of putting fun and laughter into healthy school meals. Schools caterers will be dressing up, running special theme days and competitions as part of the week. Stephanie Davies from Laughology will be talking online about the importance of laughter and how it helps reduce anxiety and stress in the workplace. Laughter can also help us be more creative so get those thinking caps on and decide how you will "Get involved" with NSMW.
