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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-07-14 Daily Xml
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HAMPSTEAD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (15:34): I am not going to comment on the member's contribution—but I see a future in another career here. Recently, I had the great pleasure to attend a lunch put on by Hampstead Primary School for Stephanie Alexander's visit to the school. Stephanie was visiting to inspect the progress the school has made to establish a garden and kitchen, which it is able to do as a result of a grant it received from the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program. It is a fantastic program—and the member for Ashford agrees.

When we arrived, two students welcomed Stephanie and me to the school. We were then escorted to the lunch venue where we were met by the school's choir who welcomed us with a fantastic rendition. The students were seated at all these little tables and there was a beautifully prepared smorgasbord of nutritious food supplied by the school community. With the assistance of the children and the principal, Angela Falkenberg, Stephanie toured the site and helped some of the students to plant some vegetables in the new garden beds. We also had a look at the partly renovated classroom that is to become the kitchen area, and progress on that is well underway.

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program is a federal government Healthy Active initiative which is being conducted over four years and which is intended to involve up to 190 government primary schools nationally to develop kitchen and garden facilities. The initiative is focused on primary school students in years 3 to 6 and aims to have children learn how to grow, cook and share fresh food. It is hoped that this approach will provide a better chance of positively influencing children's food choices and also assist in addressing the growing problem of childhood obesity.

Health professionals and educators are increasingly concerned about the growth of childhood obesity. The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program is a wonderful initiative that seeks to influence the food habits of our children both now and for future generations. Hampstead Primary School is an ideal location for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program as the school works proactively to support the needs of students and families, especially those experiencing poverty, unemployment and those with the challenge of settling into a new country or experiencing family crises, such as domestic violence and family illnesses.

The school also undertakes many other programs, such as its walking group and volunteer community mentoring program. I say again that it is a fantastic school. As I have previously raised in this house, the Minister for Early Childhood Development (Hon. Jay Weatherill) announced that the trial preschool at Hampstead had been so successful that the preschool would continue on the site. The school very strongly lobbied the state government, showing a real need for such a service. It is certainly testament to the school community's determination to provide the best outcome for students in its care.

Hampstead Primary School has also been successful in gaining a Community Natural Resources Management Grant which will be used to plant an indigenous garden that will be used to grow native herbs, fruits and vegetables. The school has a significant indigenous population, and this grant is a perfect adjunct to the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden School Grant. I have had first-hand experience of the tremendous contribution that Hampstead provides in the education of our young children. I really do want to congratulate the parents and particularly the staff of Hampstead for their ongoing efforts to provide an excellent educational environment for the students at the school.

Finally, thanks must go to Stephanie Alexander for her patronage of this wonderful initiative being undertaken in our schools. I was absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to meet her. She is a truly committed woman, constantly encouraging children to eat a healthy and balanced diet. The students were absolutely proud to have her visit their school.

Time expired.

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