Community Partners Help Fuel Student Learning at Graham-Bell Victoria Public School

This school year, Graham Bell-Victoria continues to focus on healthy eating and living. Thanks to the support of Brant Food For Thought, Child Hunger Brantford, and the Swanson family, students are being supported with healthy food choices throughout the school day.

“With the help of our wonderful volunteers, all students have the opportunity to socialize and eat a healthy early-morning meal during the week,” said John Poulimenos, Principal at Graham-Bell Victoria. “We’re fortunate to have this kind of support from our wider school community.”

The early morning meals take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Student meals always include three of the four food groups, with fruits, vegetables, dairy and proteins on the menu.

On Wednesdays, Brant Food for Thought hosts a community breakfast. This effort involves an army of community volunteers who start their day preparing a fabulous breakfast for students. These breakfasts include delicious items such as grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza buns, fruit salads, and many other nutritious foods.

The school also receives a minimum of 15 packed lunches a day from Child Hunger Brantford, a non-profit organization that promotes healthy food choices and supports the promotion of nutrition in the school. These lunches never go to waste as students are quick to take what they need, and the nutritious meals allow them to focus on school and learning.

A staple at the school for the last 25 years has been the milk program for all students. Thanks to a sizeable donation of $30,000 from the estate of the late Ralph Peter Swanson, a former student at Graham Bell-Victoria, students have enjoyed the nutritional boost milk provides for many years.

Community is an important part of Grand Erie’s Multi-Year Plan, with a priority on recognizing and celebrating the partners whose contributions enhance the learning experiences of all students.

“Graham Bell-Victoria follows the motto: Dream to believe, believe to achieve, and achieve to succeed.” Said Poulimenos. “The overall objective is for students to start their day on a good note. And, thanks to our community partners, they’re doing just that.”

Healthy Bites Success for Graham Bell-Victoria Students

Graham Bell-Victoria School has been presented with a GOLD award of recognition and achievement in the Healthy Bites Program. The staff and students have worked hard and enjoyed the “fruits” of their labour as they have now been recognized with GOLD!

Throughout the year, Sonia Martin, school health nurse with the Brant County Health Unit, has lead our staff and students in a variety of healthy eating awareness activities. These included a Mystery Fruit and Vegetable contest, a trivia question in the monthly newsletter, and healthy fruit and vegetable snacks every Friday. These tasty treats, prepared by the grade 4-5 class were a big hit and helped us learn about the benefits of eating healthy.

Next year the program will be expanded to Healthy Steps and Healthy Bites, a program in which we will learn about and practice healthy eating and healthy activity. Congratulations, Graham Bell!

Voluntary Aboriginal Self-Identification

The Grand Erie District School Board recognizes the importance of school success for Aboriginal students. Our dedicated staff members are committed to improving services and programs for Aboriginal students attending school in the Board.

With a goal to improve the school experience for all Aboriginal students, the Board encourages the development of strong partnerships with Aboriginal families, communities and organizations, both on and off the reserve.

Through the Voluntary Aboriginal Self-Identification process, Aboriginal parents and students will have access to additional support services, including educational, social, and emotional supports that focus and foster Aboriginal identity, culture and values.

There are three categories of Voluntary Aboriginal Self-Identification – First Nation, Métis, or Inuit.

Your child may bring a GEDSB Voluntary Aboriginal Self-Identification form home or if not, you can contact your child’s school to receive a form. You can also, visit the Aboriginal Education section under the Program tab at www.granderie.ca for more information and a copy of the Voluntary Self-Identification form.