LAC LA BICHE - There might be some ingredients missing from the full plate of education offered up to the region's students during the COVID pandemic — and while that smell of teen spirit isn't in the school hallways, the smell of good food is.
Schools across the region have been cooking up what they are calling Food for Thought — a program to feed many families struggling with the effects of challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downswing. It's what hundreds of families across the region are calling a nutritious lifeline during some very challenging times.
Funds for the program are coming through existing dollars from the provincial government that would have been used for in-school student meal programs if classes were still in session.
At J.A. Williams High School in Lac La Biche, the school's Home Ec. commercial kitchen has been transformed into a mass production facility run by a talented local chef with the help of staff who volunteer their time. When school classrooms were in session, the high school's kitchen would create the hot meals served up at hot lunch programs in area schools. With no students in classes, school officials are continuing to bring nutrition to families.
"We've made several hundred lasagnas, meatballs-mashed potato-and veggie dinners, breakfasts — hash browns and frittatas or hash browns and samosas — and we're working next on beef stir-fry, turkey and chicken dinners, and cheese omelettes," said JAWS principal Conal Donovan who has been working on the food prep, packaging and delivery of the meals.
The meals are frozen and compliment dry good food hampers that are being organized by a similar army of staff from Aurora Middle School.
Each week, the staff and volunteers create and deliver meal packages to dozens of families around the community.
"We've made weekly deliveries of food to 160 families in the Lac La Biche area each week since we began," said Donovan.
Similar Food for Thought programs are also operating in Bonnyville and Cold Lake-are schools during the pandemic.
"School staff understand that students learn better with full bellies and that there have been significant impacts on families through this pandemic," said Donovan. "We want to support our families in any way we can; learning has looked different for teachers and students, and so continuing the nutrition program in a new way only makes sense."
The message being sent to the families of students has not gone unnoticed. On a Tuesday morning after the first week of the program, JAWS staff walked into the school and saw messages of thanks and encouragement from students written in chalk on the building's school's front sidewalk.
"This speaks to something we might all be forgetting in this challenging time — high school curricular content is important, but it is not as important as the development of good citizenship," said Donovan, who will take over as principal at Aurora Middle School in the coming school year.
He says he's proud of the work the students and staff have done in recent times of challenge.
"I proudly recall the reaction of our students during the Fort McMurray evacuation and their rising to the occasion to volunteer and support those in need, and these few letters in chalk reminded me that this school community has terrifically selfless and passionate students with leadership skills, diligence, and great resilience in the face of adversity, he said.
School officials have seen many positives coming from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Administrators like Donovan hope the situations become learning moments for community members and students.
"We miss our students dearly, and truly hope this health crisis is a crucible that builds their capacity for empathy, understanding, and an awareness of their role in the larger world as a good citizen in their community," he said, adding that conventional school lessons are still a focus alongside the life-lessons. "Curricular learning still continues at JAWS. While ‘classes’ might look different ... graduating students may want to focus on skills their post-secondary course require; students moving into more challenging academic course at JAWS may want to focus on pieces they need to be ready for that, and students who were not passing as of March 13 should contact their teacher to see what they can do to increase their mark to an acceptable standard so that future course placements are not negatively impacted."
Contact schools for help
Donovan said parents and students needing assistance with school work planning, who have questions about this or the next school year, or families in need of assistance from the Food for Thought program, can contact their school.
"Given the current economic circumstances, we realize many families may need assistance - whether that's with learning or nutrition," he said.
