ABC's of healthy living
Louie Norwegian School hosts fourth annual
nutrition fair
Andrew Livingstone
Northern News Services
Thursday, April 2, 2015
TTHEK'EHDELI/JEAN MARIE RIVER
Kent Bratton was once again impressed with community attendance at the annual nutrition fair at Louie Norwegian School in Jean Marie River.
Carla Norwegian makes sushi during the Louie Norwegian School nutrition fair on March 26 in Jean Marie River. It was the fourth year the school has organized the fair with students doing the majority of the work. - photo courtesy of Kent Bratton
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Students took the helm at the fourth annual fair March 26, manning a variety of stations in the gymnasium focused on different aspects of healthy eating.
Bratton brought the concept to Jean Marie River in 2012 when he became principal of the school after two years in Wrigley, where he successfully organized a similar event for students and community members to help celebrate and engage students in Nutrition Month, held every year in March.
Bratton said funding was secured through the GNWT Drop the Pop initiative and the fair was born out of an idea in the program's planning guide.
Nutrition and healthy lifestyles is an integral part of the message and life skills the school is trying to pass on to its students, said Bratton.
"It gives them a chance to publicly show the work they are doing at school and the larger picture. It's about raising awareness of the importance of healthy eating and community," he said.
By teaching students about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables and limiting junk food consumption, drinking water instead of pop and juice, and exercising regularly, Bratton said these lessons leave the classroom and go through the front doors of not only the homes of the seven students at the school, but other homes in the community.
"It raises awareness of the healthy living idea, but it also brings the community together," he said. "It's a gathering where everyone is having fun."
Indeed, fun was had.
The fair consisted of a number of stations focusing on areas of nutrition and health. Bratton said they had a dental health station, a fitness course, nutrition jeopardy, traditional foods and a dairy station. The school also held a community feast prior to the start of the fair.
"Out of all the events we host, this is always the most successful in terms of turnout," he said. "We gave every person a passport and it has all the station numbers on it and they had to go to each station and visited and learn about the topic. Once they did that they got an initial on the passport and when it was full they got to put their name on a medallion."
