The students of Rawai Park School arrived eager and excited for their first day back this past Monday. The return to school coincided perfectly with International Nutrition Month - a month dedicated to raising the awareness of making healthy food choices as well as the importance of developing and maintaining a good physical routine.
To bring these important topics to the attention of our students, Rawai Park School hosted a Picnic day for students and teachers alike to enjoy and learn together! The day was split into two halves. In the morning teachers had planned fun and exciting lessons and classroom activities revolving around the topic of picnics. After lunchtime our picnic day officially began with a lecture about the importance of health and nutrition given by Nikita, this lecture focused on:
The importance of maintaining a healthy diet which consists of a mixed variety of the different food groups which allows for an active mind and body but most importantly a healthy immune system.
The importance of Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner with the allowance of healthy snacks between these very important meals. By ensuring that we have eaten enough throughout the day we are able to maintain high levels of energy needed for learning and ensure that the growling of a hungry stomach does not distract us from our daily activities.
Drinking the right amount of water to avoid dehydration. In a hot and humid climate like ours, it can be difficult to know exactly how much water we need to drink per day. Nikita taught the students an easy formula to remember how much water to drink.
→ Your weight (in kg) is multiplied by 0.033.
→ A student weighing 30kg should drink a minimum of 1 liter of water per day.
The importance of self-control and avoiding unhealthy foods and snacks. This includes avoiding the intake of salts, sugars, and fatty or oily foods in one's diet.
Healthy snacks can be just as tasty and enjoyable as their unhealthy alternatives!
Finally, Nikita spoke of the importance of students maintaining a healthy sleep cycle. He explained that staying up late and into the early hours of the morning isn’t only disadvantageous to the students' academics the next day, but is also unhealthy for both the mental and physical aspects of the body. If we are tired our bodies cannot function nor regulate normally throughout the day which can have long-term negative effects on students' mental and physical development
After Nikita’s lecture, the students were welcomed into the park to officially begin their picnic experience. A variety of healthy snacks and drinks were present for all to enjoy, outdoor activities were set up by the teachers in which the students could test out their skills and compete against one another in the wonderful sunny weather. The main event of the day was a drum circle facilitated by a man named Marco who is experienced and extremely talented in conducting these exciting performances.
Students were split into two groups and each group was arranged in a large circle with every student and teacher having either a drum or another interesting instrument to participate with. The experience offered by Marco needs no prior experience or knowledge with music, just the will, and enthusiasm of all involved to allow the rhythm to flow freely and spiritually from the body into the instrument.
Students were invited to release and take in the positive energy released from such an experience and to fill their souls with the happiness contained in the beautiful music which was created. All were invited to make a wish they hoped to come true within the following year and play their instruments in the hope that that wish comes true! Smiles laughs, and joy was shared by all participants to this magnificent event.
