14 May 2024
Staff at the newest kindergarten to sign on to Goulburn Valley Water’s Water Only program are leading by example through a commitment to only consume water during their working day.
Goodstart Early Learning Centre at Euroa is the 71st kindergarten to sign up to the program, which means neither staff nor students at the pre-school will drink anything other than water from the time they walk into the building until the final wave goodbye.
GVW Education Officer Kristy Elrington said the decision by the early learning centre to go “Water Only” while at work was a big reason she expected the program to be embraced by the entire pre-school community.
“If teachers drink coffee and sugary soft drinks around students, it normalises the behaviour.
“Staff play an important role in reinforcing the message and understanding the benefits of water, which can contribute to improved learning outcomes for children,” she said.
Water also plays a role in preventing tooth decay and there are a raft of other mental and physical benefits –drinking more water helps prevent mild dehydration, headaches, lethargy and irritability, even Type 2 diabetes.
Goodstart Euroa educator, Alana Morrison, said the Water Only presentation was really age appropriate and explained things in children’s terms.
“The visual aids of the sugar in drinks helped children to understand why they are ‘sometimes’ drinks and it was also a good reminder for the staff about how much sugar is in drinks.
“We learnt a lot about the signs of dehydration and I have found children talking about that a lot since the presentation.
“Lots of them are using their new water bottles and they talk about needing a drink of water to make themselves feel better,” Alana said.
A recent Harvard study warned that children were simply not drinking enough water and advocated for schools to come up with ways to keep kids drink plain water throughout the day – enter Water Only.
Almost 100 kindergartens, primary schools and businesses across the Goulburn Valley have signed up to Water Only since the program was launched in 2015.
To inquire about the Water Only program or become a participant, phone Kristy on 5832 4869 or email education@gvwater.vic.gov.au