Rotorua Primary School pupils were full of excitement to be part of the appeal's Fill the Bus last year. Photo / File
Rotorua Primary School pupils were full of excitement to be part of the appeal's Fill the Bus last year. Photo / File
The Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal aims to bring light and festive cheer to families this Christmas, including our community's treasured children.
Local principals say not being able to have enough food or nutrition can affect tamariki's learning and wellbeing.
The Rotorua Daily Post, with the Rotorua Weekender and The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM, has launched its annual Christmas appeal to raise food and money for the local Salvation Army foodbank.
From now until December 18, the team will be seeking non-perishable food donations to help the Salvation Army Foodbank continue its work throughout the Christmas period and into 2022.
Otonga Primary School principal Gareth Cunliffe said there were many studies in New Zealand and overseas which suggested that not having enough food, or the right types of food, had a huge impact on children's wellbeing and learning.
"It affects their behaviour and health. Nobody can function with too little food, and when this happens to our children it affects their growth and development at every stage."
He said they were providing more children with food for morning tea and lunch, and in the past this was not the case.
"I will encourage all of our people to get behind this initiative as it encourages our children to share.
"It also teaches our students and families to have empathy by helping out where we can. It builds a sense of community and an awareness that there are people in our community who we need to be reaching out to.
He said, "As we need to encourage and help parents and children to make healthy food choices, good donation options would be longlife milk, nuts, dried fruit, peanut butter, rice puddings, fruit, Weetbix, pasta, jam, tinned tuna, spaghetti, beans, tinned fruit salad, as well as some lollies for treat food."
Cunliffe said Christmas could be a tough time for families because holidays were expensive with regards to looking after children or finding and paying somebody else to do so.
"Not having enough money to buy food creates huge stress for parents, especially when children do not have access to food at school.
"Our student leaders and teachers get behind various causes throughout the year and we are hoping that we can make a difference."
Aorangi School assistant principal Clayton Lund said what he found was that many of their students were lacking in nutritional food.
"Many students are eating highly processed foods as these are often a cheaper alternative than traditional foods such as fruit and vegetables."
Lund said many of the whānau of tamariki at their school worked hard and yet were unable to afford many of the food items that should be included in a normal diet.
"Food prices have risen sharply and wages have not kept up.
"Donations to foodbanks are urgently needed as demand exceeds availability and our children are the ones who struggle as they have no way of accessing food without adults providing it."
He said, "Children who come to school without enough good food in the morning often struggle to settle into work and are unable to concentrate".
He said hunger in young children was a factor in controlling emotions such as anger and sadness.
"Teachers struggle to teach students when they are in a state of anger or emotional turmoil.
"When this is noticed or known to us, we will assist them to make something at school. This is usually donated items such as cereal, Milo and bread.
"The time is also taken to sit with the students to ensure that they are now in a better frame of mind to begin the school day."
Teacher Kelly Anaru, who will be Rotorua Primary School's new deputy principal in 2022, said insufficient diets for tamariki could cause health and neural issues, which could affect their learning, as well as other medical problems.
"We have a lot of tamariki who go without breakfast. We have a breakfast club that allows our tamariki to come in each morning to have a good, nutritious breakfast before the start of their day."
She said they were a kura that was fortunate enough to have lunch in schools, so all their tamariki were given a healthy, nutritious lunch every day, as well as fruit in schools.
"However, we see many of our whānau struggling to make ends meet with kai outside of kura."
They provided an environment at their kura where they encouraged their whānau to take extra school lunches and fruit home to their whānau, she said.
She encouraged people to get behind the appeal because "we have a very high rate of emergency housing in our community. Supporting this appeal will help clothe and feed our emergency housing whānau".
"Christmas is always a tough and stressful time for not only our vulnerable whānau but for everyone.
"Covid has now played a huge role in job losses amongst our community and Aotearoa.
"This has a huge impact on taking the fun and joy out of Christmas for all our tamariki."
Ngongotahā Primary School principal Craig McFadyen said their school always liked to get in behind this initiative.
"We have an extremely supportive community who appreciate that there are many whānau in need, especially at this time of the year."
He said they were very fortunate to be a part of the Kai Ora, Kai Ako health lunches programme run by the Ministry of Education, but during the school holidays, some of their whānau didn't have this luxury.
Christmas could be a tough time for many families, however, we had to remember the real gifts were spending time with whānau, he said.
Ngongotahā Primary School principal Craig McFadyen. Photo / File
John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh said we had all done it tough this year with Covid-19.
"Children of struggling whānau have done it tougher than most.
"Many have arrived at school with empty stomachs, ill-fitting uniforms and no device to learn from. They have had the joy sucked out of their lives.
"Christmas is a time of goodwill and cheer. It would be fantastic if the people of Rotorua could get behind the Salvation Army Appeal to restore some happiness in the lives of our tamariki."
