Local schools net $4,200 from province

Ken Johnston
Editor

It has been proven that good nutrition greatly improves childrens’ abilities to learn.
Two area schools received word last week that they have been approved for provincial funding to help provide Student Nourishment Programs for all their students regardless of ability to pay.
Heidi Ivall of the Rainy River Northwestern Health Unit presented Riverview and McCrosson Principal Kendal Olson and Vice-principal Anne Caradice with cheques for $2,850 and $1,396.
At Riverview the money will be used to provide the second year of a hot lunch program and at McCrosson a morning snack time and hot lunch program will benefit from the funding.
While there is some nominal charge, kept low by the funding, students who do not have the ability to pay are still allowed to participate. “The program has to be universal to meet provincial requirements,” said Ivall. So some of the funding is used to help those in need and that fact is kept confidential to protect against stigmatizing.
The programs are primarily operated by volunteers (i.e. parents, grand parents or community members). Anyone wanting to help out can call either school to volunteer.
NWHU welcomes the opportunity to promote healthy eating in the schools.
Vice-Principal Caradice said that last year 50-80 kids per day used the program at Riverview and about 30 per day at McCrosson.
This program compliments efforts already in place at the schools which include Breakfast for Learning and Books and Bites, which both promote nutrition and learning.
Ivall gave the school staff a lot of credit for putting together a good application and noted that the funding is for six months. “I encourage them to apply again for the next six months of funding as well.”