Students at Holy Eucharist Primary School in St Albans planted a mandarin tree during a ceremony on September 9 to celebrate their first milestone in the Vic Kids Eat Well (VKEW) program.
The VKEW initiative, supported locally by IPC Health, is a statewide program that helps schools and community groups create healthier food environments.
The school earned the tree after its ‘refreshing the fridge’ project which replaced sugary, red-coded food and drinks with healthier, green-coded options.
IPC Health chief executive Jayne Nelson congratulated the school community on its achievement.
“This milestone shows what can be achieved when schools, families, and community partners work together,” Ms Nelson said.
“Planting fruit trees not only rewards healthy choices but also provides free fresh fruit, shade, and greener schoolyards. It also reflects our Well for Life strategy, which is about creating healthier environments where people can live well at every stage of life.
“Programs like this are so important as we know children in Melbourne’s west face much higher rates of dental decay than the state average, while sugary drinks remain a major source of added sugar in children’s diets.”
According to Dental Health Services Victoria, over half of children in Brimbank aged zero to eight who attend public dental services have at least one decayed, missing, or filled tooth.
IPC Health said promoting healthier eating can help mitigate the factors driving poor health outcomes and that equitable access to community health services significantly reduces both the human and financial toll of poor health.
