Jack Kemp Community School in Lloydminster has been given provincial funding for their breakfast program.
The Alberta Nutrition Grant helps schools across the province fund local food programs and for Jack Kemp it has given them the opportunity to create a breakfast program available to all students from Prekindergarten to Grade 6. Wellness for Learning Coordinator at Jack Kemp Sarah Kettle says it allows students to have healthy, nutritious meals daily.
“Everyday we have a menu that includes the four food groups and the pick most often foods, so these are lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and our whole grains”
Jack Kemp has about 389 students and approximately 260 to 300 students access the breakfast meals prepared. Kettle says that the program helps the kids with their readiness to learn, as well as helping them recognize healthier choices for their lunches.
Grade 6 student Leeu Martin is one of the students that deliver the meals to classrooms. He says that the early morning meal helps him not be cranky as he starts his day.
“It helps you focus and it’s healthy for your body.”
All schools in the Lloydminster Public School District have a breakfast program, but Jack Kemp is the only one who received the Alberta grant. Kettle says part of receiving the grant is to offer an educational component.
“We’ve done this through having the students come in and do kids kitchen cooking. So that’s given them an opportunity to get theirs hands in on it, learn recipes that are healthier in nature and use all those food groups when making the meal.”
The program started in September and will continue throughout the 2018 school year.