News
Over 40 Countries Celebrate World School Milk Day
A Class Prize for a Class Match – NDC & FAI Send 2 Primary School Classes to Republic of Ireland vs. Italy
World School Milk Day on Wednesday 30th September is celebrated in over 40 countries - including Ireland - where the National Dairy Council & FAI have today announced the winners of a School Milk competition which will see two primary school classes - one from Mayo and one Limerick - attend the Republic of Ireland v. Italy World Cup qualifier soccer match on Saturday 10th October in Croke Park.
An initiative of the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World School Milk Day is in its 10th year and is celebrated across the globe, from Australia to America. It aims to raise public awareness about the importance of drinking milk daily, the importance of School Milk Programmes and the health benefits they provide to growing children. In the Republic of Ireland, the National Dairy Council manages the School Milk & Dairy Programme and is encouraging celebrations of milk, but particularly in schools.
Helping to Combat the Nutritional Gap
Irish research shows that a significant proportion of teenagers do not have adequate calcium intake and that nearly one third of Irish adults (29%) do not consume the basic “three servings of dairy a day” recommended by the Irish Department of Health & Children for health and wellbeing (refs 1 & 2).
“Milk remains a delicious and nutritious drink that not only tastes great, but is good for you too. Children and teenagers need all the encouragement they can get to switch to healthier snacking habits and to get back to the basics of the Food Pyramid with more regularly balanced diets,” says Dr Catherine Logan, Nutrition Manager with the National Dairy Council.
The School Milk & Dairy Programme is a convenient and cost effective way for parents to ensure that their child regularly consumes at least one portion per day, of the “three servings of dairy a day” recommended for health and wellbeing by the Irish Department of Health & Children.
World School Milk Day – NDC Competition Winners
To celebrate World School Milk Day – the NDC offered primary schoolchildren the opportunity to enter a competition with a chance to win a trip for their entire class to the Republic of Ireland vs. Italy soccer international, to take place in Croke Park on Saturday 10th October, 2009. Entries were judged in 2 categories, with one national winner from each category receiving a total of 50 coveted tickets for their classmates and supervisors to the Republic of Ireland vs. Italy match.
Category 1 Open to 5th & 6th class pupils – Winner is Karl Tierney (Age 12) - 6th class
Cloghans Hill National School, Cloghans Hill, Co Mayo
(Principal & Teacher: Iseult Mangan)
Who Likes Milk ? (Music: rap beat)
Who likes milk milk milk milk milk ?
Who likes milk milk milk milk milk ?
I love milk
It is good for me
Cures me when I am thirsty
It is very healthy; you can drink it in your class
Three a day is easy to get
Helps Traps men put the ball in the net
Category 2 Open to 3rd & 4th class pupils - Winner is Jack O’Neill (Age 9) – 4th class
Donoughmore National School, Old Cork Road, Co. Limerick
(Principal: Ms. Kathleen O’Donnell, Teacher: Mrs. Emer Clifford)
Calcium
Milk is very good for you
And don’t forget to have cheese too
Another thing that’s good for you
Is calcium, now you’ll have to have that tooCalcium is good for your bones
So drink some milk without any moans
Don’t forget to have 3-a-day
Of dairy, do so if you mayHere are just some of the things
That have calcium inside ‘em:
Milk, cheese and butter
And yoghurts right beside ‘em!
So have your 3 everyday
And you’ll be very tall I’d say
Soon you’ll be very tall.
Taller than a ten foot wall!
The National Dairy Council is investing €600,000 in 2009 in a major initiative to expand the participation of Irish schools and Irish children in the School Milk & Dairy Programme, with a strong focus on dairy foods as part of a balanced diet and balanced lifestyle. As part of this, the NDC have been working closely with the FAI to support the promotion of the School Milk & Dairy Programme – providing a combined focus on nutrition and the role of milk as part of a balanced diet; and on exercise as part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
For further information contact:
- NDC: Antonina Ni Dhuinn, Progress Communications - 01-2766117 - nina@progresspr.ie
- FAI: Eoghan Rice - 01-899 9557 - eoghan.rice@fai.ie