The first semester to include new federal and provincial nutrition and food programs has come to a close, and schools in Winnipeg are already seeing a difference.
Erin Harris, a teacher at École Salisbury Morse Place School, says the delivery of this program has removed any judgment or stigma, with the over 800 students able to participate.
“If a student wants to eat, they just go out and grab it. That is huge because it tells me we’ve created a community in this building that’s really authentic.”
The federal and provincial food programs are expanding to the existing nutrition programs across the 42 schools in the River East Transcona School Division (RETSD) and create a sense of consistency. Thirty-three schools and six high schools across the division have received enhanced snack carts, with three community schools receiving breakfast, lunch, and snack programming.
This food augments what students are already bringing, and Harris says it is a game changer for those who can go through the school day and not be hungry.
“I think about the difference between coming to school hungry and not having enough food to get through the day and coming to school with a full stomach, a lunch, and snacks. And how can we expect those two students to be on a level playing field?”
Neil Strain, in grade 7, and Damilola Bakare, in grade 8, have not only experienced this difference themselves but have seen how it’s positively affected their classmates.
“It’s a really great way if you’ve needed a snack during the day and you’ve forgotten something,” says Bakare. “It’s a really great thing to have there for everyone in general.”
“I feel like everyone is grabbing from the cart,” adds Strain, “It helps me focus a little bit better and pay attention.”
Srishti Soni, the Nutrition Program School Coordinator, develops meals and snacks chosen based on Canadian nutritional food standards while including culturally diverse options and options for those with dietary or religious restrictions. Foods range from milk, muffins, sandwiches, hummus, and a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Impacts aren’t only felt in the schools. According to École Salisbury Morse Place School’s principal, Tanis Ziprick, for many parents and families, the meals make a huge difference in their children’s lives.
“We know as families, as teachers, and as students, we know groceries are getting more and more expensive. Having a place where kids can have access to nutritious foods to support our families is huge. We have families that thank us all the time. They are very aware of the benefits of this program.”
Jason Drysdale, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services and Planning at RETSD, says it’s still too early to see how these programs will affect student academics. However, in terms of engagement, they’ve already seen significant change.
“What we’re seeing is that when kids are well and are being fed, they are positioned better to learn,” explains Drysdale. “There is no doubt this has had a positive impact across our whole system.”
As the division looks ahead to the next semester, Drysdale explains they’ll be keeping a close eye on a year-over-year comparative analysis around report card data and the grade three provincial assessment to better assess the correlative effects of implementing this universal nutritional school program and student academics.
– Ryan Funk, U Multicultural
