Bring your Parents/Grandparents to Breakfast

Caption: Omagh County PS Dinner ladies (l-r) Valerie Moore, Ruth McElroy and Iris Copley pictured with Christina Faulkner and daughter Ericka at the WELB's 'Bring Your Parents/Grandparents to breakfast' week.

The Western Education and Library Board’s (WELB) Catering Services section are organising a ‘Bring Your Parents/Grandparents to Breakfast’ in several local schools.

Parents/Grandparents will have the opportunity to have a breakfast with their child at school and speak with representatives of WELB’s Catering Services who will be available to answer questions and have a look at menus.

‘Bring your Parents/Grandparents to Breakfast’ will run in the following schools during the week commencing Monday 23 March: Gibson PS, Omagh County Primary PS, Cooley PS, Sixmilecross, St Mary’s Girls PS Strabane, St Anne’s PS, Strabane, Kesh PS and St Joseph’s PS, Ederney.

Carmel Campbell, WELB Area Catering Manager explained “With the introduction of Nutritional Standards and the associated changes in menus, many parents are unsure of what is available for their child to eat at lunchtime. We hope to explain how the School Meals Service is committed to providing a healthy meal for their children and how we want to work in a partnership with parents”

Nutritional Standards have resulted in changes such as limiting fried foods to twice per week, reducing fat and salt in recipes, having a variety of bread, fruit and salad freely available daily as well as milk and encouraging pupils to choose wisely.  Many of the staff who work in School meals have achieved their Level 1 certificate in “Providing a Healthier School Meal”.

Several Principals have remarked that since the introduction of Nutritional Standards, pupils concentration appears to have increased especially in the afternoon.  This reflects the findings of a study carried out by ISER after Jamie Oliver changed menus in schools in Greenwich.

Caption: WELB's 'Bring Your Parents/Grandparents to breakfast' week, was held in Omagh County Primary School last week.