4 February 2020
St Georges Rd Primary School students will be starting their 2020 school year with a top drop, after making a pledge to drink more water at school.
The school has pledged to become a Water Only school, meaning more than 450 students are committing to only drinking water during school hours
The Water Only program, run by Goulburn Valley Water, encourages people to choose tap water for its health, environmental and financial benefits.
One plastic bottle of water can cost the same as 3000 litres from the tap, and the plastic bottle can take more than 450 years to break down.
St Georges Rd Primary School is the largest school to sign on to the program, which includes more than 70 workplaces, schools, kindergartens and playgroups. The first secondary school signed on last year.
The school celebrated on Tuesday, 4 February, with a day of water-themed activities and games run by Goulburn Valley Water about the low cost of tap water, how much sugar is in popular drinks and what impact bottled drinks can have on the environment.
Goulburn Valley Health, Primary Care Connect, Greater Shepparton City Council and Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project will also be running activities on the day.
St Georges Rd Primary School Principal Dougie Souter said this was a great opportunity to teach students about the benefits of water and build good habits into their routines.
A two per cent drop in your body’s water levels can cause a 13 per cent drop in concentration.
“We want to encourage our students to strive for their best, and encouraging them to drink more water will help them focus more on their learning throughout the day,” she said.
“We think it’s a fantastic program and we’re excited to be on board and see how it benefits our students.”
GVW Education Officer Kristy Elrington said the program aimed to give children the information they needed to help them make smart choices about what they drink every day.
Some drink options, including soft drinks, iced teas and fruit juice, have more than 10 teaspoons of sugar in them – almost double the recommended added sugar intake for an adult.
“We want to help kids understand that these sugary drinks are only sometimes drinks and water is the best thing they can drink to stay healthy. We also hope that they also take that information home and share it with their family and friends,” she said.
“We want to encourage everyone to choose tap water as their drink of choice, because our water is some of the best tasting in Victoria, and it’s so much cheaper than bottled drinks.”
To find out more about becoming a Water Only workplace, school, kindergarten or playgroup, phone (03) 5832 4869 or email education@gvwater.vic.gov.au
