Chief Sunrise Education Centre students were unable to access the schoolSA国际影视传媒檚 healthy food and breakfast program during containment and closure, but by the end of last week many were showing off their own delicacies as they cooked at home.
Principal Deborah Reid came up with the idea to provide recipes and ingredients for the JK to Grade 9 students on the K谩t艂SA国际影视传媒檕deeche First Nation Reserve to keep them busy, engaged and useful in their own households.
She explained that the school has a responsibility to go beyond just providing academics for the kids and does regularly provide breakfast and snack programs during regular school time.
SA国际影视传媒淔or this week, I thought well, why donSA国际影视传媒檛 we do a healthy food challenge and I put together five recipes and ingredients for 33 families,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Approximately 65 kids took part and had all of the items dropped off at all of the homes on Monday.
SA国际影视传媒淲e said SA国际影视传媒楬ere is your box of food, here are your recipes. LetSA国际影视传媒檚 see if you can take them and make something of them.SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒�
The recipes were manageable for the youngest ages and were based on foods that kids were already familiar with including pizza buns, people figures made of raw vegetables, muffin tops, yogurt parfaits and eggs.
SA国际影视传媒淚 really wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 really sure what I would get but ISA国际影视传媒檝e had a lot of parents sending me pictures of their kids in the kitchen and they are all really happy to have the extra food and everybody enjoys the pizza buns,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Reid said that the activity had multiple benefits including that kids and families are problem solving together, are contributing to the overall home food supply and are generally more comfortable around food and food-making.
SA国际影视传媒淭he idea was really if kids later go to the grocery store and see a green pepper or some celery they can think to themselves, SA国际影视传媒業 know how to prepare these things or how cut up celery or make carrot sticks,SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒� she explained.
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Return to class
Students were expected to arrive back to regular class hours on Nov. 8 as the chief public health officer began easing restrictions.
Reid said students do come to rely on the schoolSA国际影视传媒檚 food offerings and anytime they are away from class she does worry about their access to plentiful, healthy food.
SA国际影视传媒淚t is a big concern and we even worry about the summer as well because that is a long period of time as are holidays,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淪o those periods of time are tough, but in this case, the time away was unexpected because it was a shutdown.SA国际影视传媒�
The containment period meant each household could only have one person shopping for groceries and often families were lacking income due to the need to isolate.
SA国际影视传媒淪o I think that thereSA国际影视传媒檚 definitely a burden on the family to support their kids when the supplements that the school can provide arenSA国际影视传媒檛 available,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
