National Dairy Council launches new Home-Schooling Resource

The National Dairy Council (NDC) is pleased to announce a new initiative for children and parents who are Home Schooling during the Covid-19 crisis. The Moo Crew programme was developed in consultation with primary teachers and the popular initiative is a fun and engaging way for children to learn the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet and the importance of exercise. The School Milk Scheme is managed by The National Dairy Council and funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with the financial support of the European Union.

The NDC is delighted to launch a suite of Moo Crew lesson plan videos which are ideal for teachers and parents who are creating a structured homeschooling environment for primary school children. The videos are delivered by teacher and presenter, Micheál Ó Ciaraidh from CúlaTG4 and Operation Transformation’s 10@10 in his own virtual classroom. All lesson plan videos are available in English and Irish with accompanying activities. Through the lesson plans’ ‘Extension activities’ and ‘Bring It Home’ section, pupils will have the opportunity to learn about the Food Pyramid, healthy eating, the importance of partaking in regular physical exercise, dental hygiene, dairy and the environment, and the story of milk ‘from grass to your glass’.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD, welcomed this Resource, saying:

“I very much appreciate this positive initiative by the National Dairy Council while our schools remain closed. In this way, our School Children can still learn about the valuable role dairy consumption plays in their diet and its support in their general health.

Additionally, they will become familiar with the wider links between the milk they consume and the valuable work our dairy farmers are doing on the farms while hopefully continuing to drink milk at home. The connection of the school children of Ireland both urban and rural, with the countryside, agriculture and all its activities via this educational resource is to be welcomed.

The Minister went on to say “never has it been more important for us to look after our own health and our children’s health and I would encourage the parents of all primary school going children to avail of this resource. The story of milk from grass to your glass has never been more important” he concluded.

The lesson plans have been developed in line with the Irish Primary School Curriculum, registered nutritionists and the Dental Health Foundation and can be carried out in conjunction with subjects, or they can be undertaken as stand-alone topics. The lesson plans are linked to the SPHE and Geography Curriculum in particular. However, there are opportunities for cross-curricular integration across a range of subject areas including Primary Language, Visual Arts and Mathematics.

All lesson plans are available at three levels, (Infant, Junior and Senior) and are also available in Irish. A range of additional resources to support the lesson plans such as puzzles, wordsearches, mazes etc and videos are available at www.moocrew.ie/homeschool

For futher information contact:
Cathy Currran, Communications Manager, National Dairy Council
+353 1 290 2518 | pr@ndc.ie