Students gather in the library to share a nutritious breakfast to start their day

Most of us remember the library at school as the place where you could not bring food or drinks and needed to be quiet at all times. At Our Lady of Victory, thanks to the support of their librarian, they are taking an updated approach to how students can use the library to create a welcoming environment for the school’s breakfast program.  

Each morning before students arrive, the program lead and teacher at the school, Catherine, prepares a nutritious meal for the students which can consist of yogurt parfaits with fruit, muffins or scones made from whole grains. These options are presented on tables in the library for students to choose from before they pick a spot at a nearby table or on the carpet with friends to enjoy before they head off to class.  

The community that has been built through students sharing these meals together while entering and filling the room with conversation and warm voices as groups connect over a meal and teachers check in before the day starts. All these positive actions are centered around students accessing nourishing food to support their health and well-being at school to start their day.  

“Having a central place for students to gather helps strengthen the community connections at school, and Our Lady of Victory is a great example of how this can positively impact student relationships with each other and their teachers,” acknowledged Aliya Khawari, Executive Director of Halton Food for Thought. “Having a supportive community at school makes you want to go to school each day, you look forward to the connections and in turn students can perform better, we are so proud of programs like this.”

Serving over 100 students each day, the library becomes a bustling room in the school, filled with cheers, laughter, and students enjoying a nourishing meal before heading to class each day.  

The positive impacts of Student Nutrition Programs go beyond nourishing food, supporting the well-being of students through community connections as well. We are grateful to everyone at Our Lady of Victory who supports the running of this program which creates such a safe and welcoming environment for students each day and are proud to welcome guests from the community to see this impact firsthand during Feeduary.

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