Empowering Our Children to Design Their Very Own New & Improved Healthy School Menus
Oftentimes, we hear the phrase of “empowering the children” and it has been one of the cornerstones of the early childhood education sector. Having said that, the word ‘empowerment’ may appear intimidating due to the terminology used. Perhaps some of us may be in a dilemma about the readiness of children to handle the power entrusted to them and wonder if such expectations may be too heavy for our children during their early years.
In actuality, the power of empowerment is boundless to all ages! At Agape Little Uni, we prioritise empowerment as one of our core values and specialise in specifically curating activities to nurture our children to carry out their decision making.
Believing in the importance of eliciting character-building opportunities in all our children’s experiences, Agape Little Uni. @ Gambas pioneered a very special home-school partnership initiative this year that would enable our children to foster their sense of empowerment and decision-making confidence while learning about the importance of healthy balanced meals.
As part of our continuous collaboration with Health Promotion Board (HPB) to educate our children on the importance of healthy eating, habits, and lifestyles, our school team decided to innovate a special mission for our children to take the lead in planning a new and improved school menu!
As our children carried out this mission, they were encouraged and guided by teachers to plan a healthy diet that includes whole grain, fruits, vegetables and calcium-rich food. Based on these categories, our children were empowered to decide their selection of ingredients. They learned to recognise the Healthier Choice logo from the food packaging and make informed decisions to pick the healthier option. Through their class discussions with one another about their ingredient selections and menu recommendations, they also learned to evaluate their decisions.
Making decisions to classify and differentiate between healthy and unhealthy food
We were also very thankful and heartened by the enthusiastic participation from our parents as they gave their fullest support to partner with us in creating authentic learning experiences. Our parents would bring the children to their nearby supermarket to source for ingredients and take snapshots of food packaging with the Healthier Choice logo. After purchasing the ingredients, our parents would then involve the children in the actual preparation and cooking of their proposed menus. We were also pleased to see how the initiative has also helped to promote fun family bonding time for our parents and children!
Through this entire process, our children were given an opportunity to take the lead in designing and deciding their new and improved menus. As their choices were respected and reciprocated, it was heartwarming to see our children gaining confidence and a sense of empowerment as they were able to see their creations come to life from their decisions.
Identifying the Healthier Choice logo from food packaging in the supermarket
Our children’s planning process to design a new and improved healthier menu for the school
Parental involvement through healthy meals cookery
To learn more about the centre’s curriculum and environment, fill up the registration form to schedule a visit to Agape Little Uni.!
By Teacher Saw En Shin & Teacher Joy Yip of Agape Little Uni. @ Gambas
Agape Little Uni @ Gambas, 2 Gambas Crescent , #01-15 Nordcom II, Singapore 757044
gambas@agapelittleuni.com, +65 6353 0115
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