Nourishing breakfast helps the Eagles soar throughout the day

As the school year started, Eastview’s Principal Michaluk took some time to evaluate the school’s Student Nutrition Program and found some ways to improve the offerings to students thanks to support from Halton Food for Thought (HFFT) and parent volunteers.  

Eastview took their program from offering students a snack before school to a full meal which includes fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grain items and dairy products for protein. The change may seem small, but the impact has been huge. Almost immediately Principal Michaluk and her teaching staff noticed a positive change in student behaviour.  

The addition of access to more nutritious food for students, offered five days a week, has given students increased access to the fuel their bodies need to help them regulate their behaviour, have more energy throughout the day and improve the school community.  

Carrie Baillie, HFFT Community Development Manager, discussed how the improvements were made possible, “When Principal Michaluk approached me at the start of the year looking to add more offerings to her students, we started to brainstorm ideas of how to add more within the program budget. Thanks to some dedicated parent volunteers who come in daily to prepare a lot of the food it has helped to maintain costs where possible and increase the variety offered to students.”

When asked about the impact of these program changes Principal Michaluk let us know, “This program has been transformative for our school. Providing nutritious food five days a week has helped our students feel cared for, supported, and ready to learn. We’ve seen positive changes in behaviour, engagement, and overall well-being, and we are incredibly grateful to Halton Food for Thought and our parent volunteers for helping make this possible.”

We are so proud to be able to showcase this program and share its positive impacts on the Eastview students during Feeduary through a visit to the school.  Thank you to Principal Michaluk and the parent volunteers for all the work they did to elevate their Student Nutrition Program for their students.  

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