Request for Support ‐ 2017 With food and housing costs on the rise, families are making tough decisions every day about what to go without: food for their children should never be on that list. The Feeding Hungry Minds Program helps ensure that children get the good food they need. Over the past four years, the program has helped provide healthy breakfasts at school for children in 60 schools! The year, exciting things are going on in student nutrition in Ontario. The Provincial government is investing in a sizeable expansion of the student nutrition program. The challenge is that they only fund a small fraction of what a program needs to operate. The students at these schools are from families who are working but really struggling to make ends meet. They are doing everything right – working hard and raising their children – but with income at or close to minimum wage, their hard earned money does not go very far. The schools we are recommending for the Feeding Hungry Minds program are all part of this expansion. They have all recently started but they are finding it really tough to serve enough healthy food every day and the staff are nervous and worried about being able to keep the programs going. We are really excited to work with them and help them achieve sustainability over the next three years . We hope you are too. Request for Support Bloordale Middle School Briarcrest Junior Public School Number of students: 286 Number of Students: 300 Bloordale M.S., founded in 1960, is "Living and Learning Together" nestled geographically in the middle of BriarcrestJr.P.S.islocatedinthevicinityofCentennial Park (Renforth and Eglinton). Founded four feeder schools. The Grade 6, 7, and in 1958, it has educated the neighbourhood’s children for over half a century. Along with their 8 students who attend this school standard classes, they offer special education classes for children with autism and behavioural represent diverse socio‐economic and challengesandanextendedFrenchprogram.They pride themselves on having a high level of ethnic backgrounds. The school's credo, academics, extra‐curricular activities, and community involvement. With a childcare centre on "Together Everyone Achieves More" site, they look to support children and families during the formative years. A nutrition program and the school's behaviour code will help them to better serve these same children. From experience, they know that good reinforce Bloordale Middle School's food makes a very noticeable difference in the special education classrooms and they want to dedication towards maintaining a safe, ensure that all their students get this same good start to the learning day. respectful and positive learning environment. Bloordale Middle School is excited to be starting a student nutrition program. Students at this age have more freedom and tend to make poor food choices right when their bodies need good food most! This program will help give them the nutrition they need while providing a platform for solid nutrition education. The program began providing snacks two days per week in January. Their goal is to be serving three full food groups, five days/week to all their growing students. We think they can get there. Request for Support Dublin Heights Elementary and Middle School George P Mackie Junior Public School Number of Students: 700 Number of Students: 140 Dublin Heights has a proud tradition, going back to 1823, of The school is located in a residential neighbourhood southeast of educating young people in the Bathurst and Sheppard community. Markham and Kingston Roads, just north of the Scarborough Bluffs. They Their school includes over 700 students representing over 20 serve 140 students from kindergarten to grade six in a mixed income language groups. Almost one‐half of their students speak English community. The teachers at George P Mackie work to really integrate the as a second language with Russian the predominant first students and use sports and leadership opportunities to build ties. This language among ESL students. Dublin Heights hosts special small school has banners in their gym for success on the rugby pitch, the education programs, including Grades 7 and 8 Gifted programs, a trackandthesoccerfield!Theystarted serving a snack twice a week Physical Needs program, and Grades 5‐8 Deaf and Hard of nearly two years ago and they are really excited to expand to five days. A Hearing District‐wide programs. Students are integrated into regular classes and resource support is provided as required by dedicated lunch room supervisor doubles as the student nutrition available support staff. They look for ways to integrate the school coordinator. Her familiarity with the school staff, parents and the and build the community. This spring they installed a Buddy students will help her get the volunteers and parent contributions that Bench where a student can go if they need a friend. When others will be required to make this program strong. see someone sitting on the Buddy Bench they go over and hang out. They also bring students from all the programs to regularly cheer on their school team (the Tigers!) as they compete with other schools. The staff at Dublin Heights feel strongly that a nutrition program will add to the school community and impact learning for all. They started their program in September and are able to feed many of the special needs students and the younger grades. Their goal is to expand and feed every student in their large and very special school. Request for Support Hilltop Middle School Number of Students: 506 Hilltop Middle School, founded in 1958, is located in a residential neighbourhood in the Royal York and Westway area. It is a dual‐track school, offering both English and French Immersion instruction. Lynnwood Heights Public School Approximately 500 students, rich in cultural and socio‐economic Number of Students: 158 diversity, attend Hilltop. The French Immersion program draws Lynnwood Heights is located in the Agincourt students from the entire West End of Toronto. Nearly a quarter of the community on the north side of Southlawn Drive. The families are led by single mothers and many more live at or near the school serves approximately 160 students representing poverty line. They started a snack program in January and were many different cultures. About 80% of their students excited to see the immediate success. Their dedicated principal have a primary language other than English. Lynnwood requested parental contributions and volunteers and the response was Heights is committed to promoting an effective solid. They are only serving three days a week but they are confident partnership where open communication and that they can expand to five days per week in September. They need collaboration are valued. They strive to maintain this help to purchase more equipment and help them to provide food while team approach, as it enables their students to become they expand their fundraising efforts. productive, contributing members of our Canadian society. Students have the right to a safe and secure environment. They are taught safe practices and respect for themselves, others and the environment. The staff at Lynnwood Heights started a small student nutrition program to help improve behavioural issues and give them another way to involve students on the road to success. They were very pleased with the results and are now ready to commit to a full five day per week program for all the students. They will need some help from TFSS to improve their food delivery processes and they will need some financial support from the Feeding Hungry Minds program. Request for Support Mary Shadd Public School Number of Students: 60 Students at Mary Shadd P.S. represent 18 nationalities and speak many languages. They piloted a Breakfast Program this year but were not yet ready to launch. Their goal is to start serving approximately 60 children every morning before school. The program aims to promote healthy eating, prepare healthy food, respect diversity and individual needs, contribute to social development, choose Ontario food first and be environmentally conscious. They have built the foundation first and are ready to start! A limited amount of support from the Feeding Hungry Minds program will help them through the early days and any learning curves. It will help them purchase storage bins, small equipment they don’t yet have (commercial toaster, blender, cooking utensils) without having to cut back on food. Muirhead Public School Number of Students: 185 Muirhead is a Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 elementary school located in the Pleasantview community. Over 70% of the students at Muirhead PS were born outside Canada and 62% are learning English as a second language at school. It is a busy school with specialeducationandmainstream programs. They started a student nutrition program in March and have successfully provided a three‐food‐group snack three days per week. Parental contributions have started to come in and they are confident that more will come when they ask in the beginning of September. TFSS is helping them improve their food logistics/ordering and providing budgeting support. With support from the Feeding Hungry Minds program, this group of committed staff and volunteers will be able to develop a truly sustainable program for years to come. Request for Support Northview Heights Secondary School Sir Ernest MacMillan Senior Public School Number of Students: 100 Number of Students: 120 According to the TDSB Student Census, fewer than half of Sir Ernest MacMillan Senior P.S. is a triple track school, providing academic the students at Northview Heights eat breakfast every day. excellence in the regular program as well as extended French and French With over 1500 students enrolled, that is a lot of hungry Immersion programs. They are committed to promoting academic excellence for the adolescent learner and fostering socially responsible citizens in a safe and teens.