Well-fed kids a highlight for principal

Well-fed kids a highlight for principal

Of all the things departing Shannon School principal Nick Julian can be justly proud of, having students eat a freshly cooked lunch made lovingly in the school kitchen from local produce is right near the top of the list.

Nick says having meals prepared at the school is “absolutely” the best model for providing school lunches. Aside from keeping meals below $4 a serve, the students and community are involved in all aspects or preparation, from paddock to plate.

Full-time lunches staff Susan Conway and Amy Bairstow can use eggs laid by the school chickens, pick fruit from trees in the school orchard, and harvest vegetables from the school garden, while local businesses often donate produce, too.

At the other end, they wash and dry all plates and cutlery. What the chooks don’t eat goes into the compost bin or the worm farm, which in turn creates manure for the garden.

There are few leftovers as the kitchen can pivot to daily needs working to a whiteboard with a list of personal requirements. The waste is so minimal, the entire school accounts for one wheelie bin a fortnight.

The roll at Shannon has grown from 80 to 120 in the past four years. It now also supplies lunches to Tokomaru School down the road, with a roll of 80. The meals are taken there in bulk, to avoid creating extra packaging.

Having students involved in the entire food production cycle only underlines the benefits of the “inhouse” model. They then all sit down at the same table and eat together, too. 

“The students have a hand in what we grow. They plants the seeds. We weed the orchard. We pick the fruit,” Nick says. “The result is amazing lunches that the kids really enjoy. We are constantly reviewing what they like and don’t like and they’re very much into hot and healthy and fresh.

“We have complete control and can pivot on the wants and needs of the children. It’s very cost-effective, and we’re using locally grown food and employing local staff. ”

Local businesses often donate food, or people drop in extra produce, like feijoas, potatoes or apples.

Nick says the school can be proud of some recent achievements, including Te Wharenui providing te ao Māori immersion, and the new Toi Mahi Rakau class. Local iwi Ngāti Whakatere is involved in leading the Te Kauta Manaaki class, ensuring local stories are told.

Other recent developments are a heated swimming pool and a basketball court.

Students also fundraised to enable a contingent to go on a camping trip to the South Island.

Nick, who started at Shannon in early 2021, is leaving to take a post as principal of Plimmerton School, effective this term. He says he will miss the town of Shannon and is grateful for the time he’s spent at Shannon School.