Food For Thought Program 2009

Food For Thought Program 2009 Hello Everyone, I would very much like to meet with all members of our committee and new prospects. Our second "Food For Thought" meeting will be held on Friday, October 2' 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in room 109 (one room down from my room). This room is now used as a resource room. The meeting will be approximately be one hour in length. I would love to see some new faces come as well and children are welcome to come with you. A quick Introduction about the program: Mission Statement: To provide a nutritious snack and/or lunch for our students to promote better learning, decrease hunger and maintain anonymity and respect without judgement, bias, prejudice or stigma. Program Principles: 1. Our school and Community have a collective responsibility towards our children. 2. Nutrition is a fundamental key to a child’s development. 3. Good nutrition affects a child's ability to learn & perform positively. 4. Our school environment can play a key role in supporting healthy eating choices. Goal: To provide a nutrition program that is accessible to all of the students at Dundas Central Public School. Method: 1. Maintain a supply of nutritious foods. 2. Develop volunteers to acquire and maintain the program’s supplies, 3. Develop a list of donors/suppliers for the program, 4. Develop a communications strategy to inform the school community about the program Existing Program: The program provides snacks to students who need them on an as needed basis, by which the student(s) tell the teacher and/or lunch room monitor. Staff will then provide that student with a snack found in the staffroom refrigerator. This program structure is endorsed by the School’s administration and by the Home & School Association. The program will be administered through a committee, which will be accountable to the Home & School Association. The Committee Chair will assume responsibility for coordinating volunteers, maintaining an inventory of supplies, and advising the School Community through the Home & School Association of the status of the Committee’s work. The funding for this program is provided by The Home & School Association which is providing $1000 per year for the program from the proceeds of the December Holiday Baskets

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Event, and actively support the program with volunteers. The program’s needs will be provided for from funds raised through the School Food Days Program. Outside funding resources such as corporate sponsors and grants will be researched and considered. Extension of the Program: To extend the existing program to provide a morning snack to all students. The program will present plans to the Home and School Council as it’s capacity to meet increased needs becomes evident. Funding for this program will be through corporate sponsors, small in-town business donations and/or price cuts, profits from sub and pizza days, whole wheat sub buns donated from Super Subs.

Agenda for this Meeting: * fruit to be offered * Meyers Apple Orchard offering to donate? * Metro offering better fruit pricing? * pick up of food * washing of fruit and/or preparation * storage bins * storage location * letters to parents, staff and local businesses and community groups * possible cart service (several carts of food placed on either floor and in each hall wing ) ,offering more than fruit such as granola bars, packages of crackers, etc. * sub bun storage and profit * help with sub days (photocopying forms for school and possibly adding up monies for school) Last Meeting: Was held April 14/2009 Attending: Caroline Sears CS, Dorothy Crowe DC, Leanne McArthur LM, Cassandra Wallace CW, Patricia McCaffery PM, Mary Gillis MG, Sara Croke SC, Jenny Pepper JP, Michelle Chin MC Regrets: Kim Dichazi Minutes from Previous Meeting: -stay with the program we have now (fruit cups, fruit juice, granola bars, whole wheat buns, white and whole wheat buns). -for next school year, provide each class with a closed bin of apples and/or pears -change produce weekly -Leanne M to wash produce at the beginning of each week at daycare -Jenny P and Cassandra to obtain bins through “Free Cycle” and through donations (approximately 22-25 bins) freecycle.org or yahoo, free cycle and input Dundas or Ancaster. -Mary to write all classroom numbers on each bin and distribute to each teacher. -Mary G to empty all class bins and give to Leanne at the end of the week for washing -Sara C to write up parent letter explaining the program – description of program - requests for food donations (specify exactly what type and brand of food items, ex: Five Alive or 100% fruit juice)

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- parents can get a cash receipt for a minimum of $25.00 donated through the H & S. -Patricia M to keep inventory of food supplies in school -Jenny P to ask Meyers Apple Farm for price cut on apples to supply school for 1 term -Mary G to ask Metro (old A&P) for price reduction in produce to supply school for another term. -Crystal to ask Picone’s Market for price reduction in produce to supply school for third term. -Jenny P to ask Fiddles Wholesale Produce Co. to see if we can get a reduction in produce as well and incorporate them with the others. -Leanne M to contact Palmer fruit (her distributor for the daycare) to see if they can supply a cut in produce for us. -Oak run Bakery in Ancaster also will give out a bag of day old bagels for $5.00 - just call ahead to see if they have any. This is if we are looking for more grains to offer the children. -Mary G to call Jeanne-Beth Michamk at Knox Church to inquire about their conversation with Dave Gallagher about starting a breakfast program for our school two years ago.

I hope you can all come and share your ideas and knowledge so we can get started! Thank you for your support. Mary Gillis JK/SK Teacher Dundas Central

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