Healthy food for P.EI. schools
The P.E.I. Home and School Federation is proud to continue advocating for healthy, affordable food being served in schools.
School food now has a new menu and easier ordering system.
P.E.I.’s school food team worked hard to launch the lunch program province-wide in September 2020. Throughout the fall, they received feedback about the meals from parents and students and have adapted the menu, adding thirteen new items. The scalability of items has been improved to increase consistency for all schools and appeal to students.
The online ordering platform has been streamlined making it easier to order meals for your family and others.
Did you know you can gift a lunch to a student now? This program will continue to grow and improve as parents, students, teachers, vendors and other stakeholders participate and provide feedback.
From day one, the healthy school lunch program has made a difference for all students including those who may not have a daily healthy lunch. One in five children in Prince Edward Island live in households affected by some level of food insecurity and 79% of food insecure households were reliant on wages or salaries from employment. This is the highest rate in Canada. Review Household Food Insecurity in Canada report at: http://nutritionalsciences.lamp.utoronto.ca/
The federation passed a resolution supporting elected school boards in 2018 requesting the Ministry of Education and Cabinet to review the Education Act and designate decision-making authority regarding education matters to an elected board of school trustees, one for each family of schools, with school board elections coinciding with provincial government elections.
Elected school board models consultation is open. Islanders are invited to take part in consultations and provide input on the best elected school board model for English language schools in Prince Edward Island. The province is committed to reinstating school boards that have elected representatives, which will encourage further collaboration and communication between school boards, government and community stakeholders. Submit your ideas online through the Elected School Board Model Consultations webpage.
Starting Jan. 11, Islanders will have the added option to complete an online survey. Online consultations will be open until March 11, 2021.
Moving to an elected school board model and implementing a school food program for all children are federation policies and the government’s campaign promises.
To address gaps in the education system, resolutions are developed about issues that will affect positive change for all students’ benefit. Parents and teachers are asked to discuss school system issues around the local Home and School meeting table for the purpose of teaming up to write resolutions. Ask yourselves – what are the issues impacting student learning, student wellness and safety? Review resolutions at peihsf.ca. Ask the federation for help with writing resolutions. Use the NEW Fillable Resolution Form. Deadline to submit resolutions is Jan. 31.
Appreciating teachers and school staff who change the lives of hundreds of children every day, is important. It’s during these challenging times that we recognize how they inspire and make a difference in students’ well-being and life-long success. Home and Schools are encouraged to thank educators, custodians, school admin assistants, etc. during School Staff Appreciation Week, Feb. 14-21. Remember to keep plans simple!