29 February 2024
Tongala’s youngest children are the newest participants in a program encouraging people to make water their top drop.
Shine Bright Tongala’s two combined 3 and 4-year-old kinder classes have joined Goulburn Valley Water’s Water Only program and are beginning 2024 by choosing tap to stay hydrated.
They join more than 80 other kindergartens, schools, and workplaces in the program, which encourages people to pledge to only drinking water on grounds during school or work hours.
Water Only aims to highlight the health, environmental and financial benefits of choosing water, with one plastic bottle of water costing the same as about 3000 litres from the tap.
Shine Bright Kindergarten teachers Holly Swetman and Melissa D’Angelo-Noonan said Water Only aligned perfectly with other healthy choice education programs, like Smiles4Miles and the kinder’s healthy eating policy.
“As part of our journey to educate the children on healthy habits, it was important for us to ensure they understand all healthy habits, and learning about why water is good for our bodies,” they said.
“The children have loved learning about sugar content in different drinks and then sharing with their parents what they learned about hydration from the incursion.”
Goulburn Valley Water Education Officer Lizzi Lewis said Water Only aimed to give children the information they needed to help them make smart choices about what they drink each day.
“Educating children from a young age about why water is so important for their health and how it can help focus, learn and play is a key part of our Water Only program,” she said.
“We’re also really lucky to have safe, reliable and quality water, so we want to encourage people to choose tap, as it can also help save money compared to bottled drinks and is better for the environment.”
To find out more about becoming a Water Only workplace, school or kindergarten, email education@gvwater.vic.gov.au
