Research shows conclusively that healthy eating patterns in childhood and adolescence promote optimal childhood health, growth, and intellectual development; prevent immediate health problems, such as iron deficiency anaemia, obesity, eating disorders, and dental cavities; and may prevent long-term health problems, such as coronary heart disease, cancer and strokes.

In other words, healthy eating is a great foundation for children’s learning and future health which is why we are working to develop our students’ awareness and understanding of the principles of good nutrition and

healthy eating. You can support us by sending your children to school with nutritious food instead of chocolate, high fat processed foods or sugar/ caffeine based fizzy drinks.

Research has also demonstrated that children who regularly eat a healthy breakfast have better standardized test scores, better behaviour and are less hyperactive than children who skip breakfast. Try to avoid giving your child sugary breakfast cereals, white-flour pancakes and syrup, all of which will leave your child hungry and tired halfway through the morning. Eating a nutritious lunch will help keep your child’s mind sharp and ready to learn all afternoon. We encourage children to drink plenty of water during the day.

The cafeteria sells a variety of food and drinks which are available all day from breakfast until after school.

Students in Juniors and Seniors are able to purchase food there at break and lunchtimes. It does not sell caffeine-based fizzy drinks or chocolates and we work with the cafeteria manager to provide nutritious and healthy meals that students like.

Of course, students have the option to bring their own food to school and chilled drinking water is available throughout the site. We ask students to bring a water bottle to school which they can fill from our chilled water dispensers. Children in Infants, from Nursery to Year 2, bring a snack from home each day.

The school runs a juice bar which serves a variety of fresh fruit drinks which is proving very popular and helping

students and staff to consume their “5 a day” of fruit and vegetables.

In Infants and Juniors, Ms. Kathy Guyon provides counselling support should students need extra pastoral help. In Seniors, Ms. Doreen Mills provides counselling support. Both work closely with Head of Years and teachers to ensure support is provided where it is needed.

We have a qualified school nurse on duty in both the Infants and Juniors and Seniors throughout the day. Many of our teachers and support staff are also qualified first-aiders.

Parents are required to complete a medical form for their child as part of the Admissions process. This is a Ministry of Health requirement and we have the right to exclude any students from school for whom we do not have a complete medical form. Each student has a medical record at school that contains information regarding the student’s individual health needs, immunisations and allergies. The school nurses manage the medical records of all of our students, and inform parents of any vaccination programmes provided by the Ministry of Health. These records are updated on a regular basis.

Please make sure the school nurse is aware of any conditions or situations which may prohibit your child from participating in normal school activities. Furthermore, if your child’s medical condition changes, please inform the school nurses so that his or her record can be updated and the appropriate members of staff informed.

The information contained in each student’s medical record is considered confidential and is treated as such.

However, if your child needs specific accommodations for conditions such as asthma (inhaler use), diabetes (frequent trips to the nurse) or other chronic illnesses, your child will benefit if the teachers and selected staff know of the student’s condition.

Medical Facilities and Provision

You can contact our school nurses at:

The Bahrain Ministry of Health requires each student to be immunised against certain diseases prior to school attendance. The school nurse communicates with parents and guardians regarding missing immunisations. It is very important that parents follow up on letters and messages from the school.

Students must be fully immunised before they join the school. Students who are not fully immunised will not be admitted to the school.

1. If your child requires regular medication you should inform the nurse.

2. Your child will not be given any medication in school except by prior arrangement. Parents must sign a medical request form before any medicines are given at school. These forms are available from the school nurse who will review each request and will work with parents if there are any questions about the medicine.

3. Prescription medicines must be received in the original container from the pharmacy with the physician’s name, the student’s name, name of the medicine, dosage and the times to be given. For your child’s safety, medicines received in plastic bags or other non-pharmacy containers will not be given to students.

4. Send only the amount of medicine that is to be taken at school.

5. For the student’s safety, medications must be kept in the nurse’s office. Students may carry their inhalers

provided that the school nurse has been informed previously by letter.

6. Students are responsible for coming to the nurse’s office at the designated times for medications.

7. If a medication is ordered by the doctor as “three times a day,” it should be taken before school, after school and before bedtime. Talk to the school nurse if you have question

8. If a medication is ordered by the doctor as “four times a day,” it should be taken before school, after lunch, after school and before bedtime.

9. Administration of insulin, inhalers and other emergency medications are an exception and are available as needed.

Please notify the school nurse if your child has been in hospital, has had surgery or has a cast and is using crutches. The school nurse will work with you and your child to arrange the necessary accommodations.

School Attendance and Illness

When an illness prevents your child from going to school, please notify the school of your child’s absence. Keep in mind that your child could cause entire classrooms and school staff to become sick if sent to school when ill. Students with fever, vomiting, nausea, chills, repeated diarrhoea, severe cough, earache, severe sore throat, skin rash or draining sores need to stay home until 24 hours after the symptoms subsist. If you have questions, call the school nurse for guidance. If these symptoms remain for longer than a day, contact your healthcare provider to see if your child needs to be evaluated. In cases of certain communicable diseases (example: strep throat, pink eye) students can be re-admitted to school after the school nurse reviews a note from the doctor and sees the student. It is extremely important that all medicines prescribed by the doctor are completed.

Illnesses and Accidents at School

Parents will be notified by telephone by one of the school nurses if a student becomes too sick to remain at school and you will need to make arrangements for your child to be collected and taken home as soon as possible. Students leaving school for reasons of illness are required to sign out at reception before leaving and will be issued with a “Permission to leave school” pass which must be handed to the security guard at the gate.

A student will only be permitted to leave school if accompanied by a teacher, parent or guardian.

First Aid treatment is available at school for minor accidents or injuries. A member of staff or one of the school nurses will notify parents if they need to follow up on an injury or illness. If your child is hurt at school, they should tell an adult immediately. In the case of serious injuries or illnesses, parents will be notified as soon as possible.

If parents cannot be reached, the emergency numbers listed by parents will be contacted. If necessary, your child will be taken to hospital by ambulance and, if you are not available, will be accompanied by a member of staff.

Please make sure all your phone numbers on our school records are current and that the school knows your back-up plans if you are out of Bahrain.

1. Only 1 “treat” per day
2. Limit biscuits to a small packet or 3 to 4 small ones in a pot, avoid large packets or filling a big container
3. Put many different little pieces of food rather than one or two large ones. Variety is good for all of us
4. Have a theme for different days of the week. For example, pizza day every Tuesday, quiche on Wednesdays
5. Try one new food each week, maybe a new fruit or something different in a sandwich
6. Provide food items that they can assemble, e.g. pizza base, tomato slices, pineapple chunks, chicken pieces
7. Make the food interesting so that the children will want to taste things
8. Avoid large doughnuts as they are very unhealthy and difficult to eat/ handle. A mini doughnut is ok as an infrequent treat.