Action Plan

Nicol Nguyen - 10102997

University of Calgary
Objective:

This action plan will address the issues of health and well-being of students in regards

to the food that the students eat and bring from home. Specifically, it will suggest a way in

which students can understand more about healthy food and ergo make healthy decisions that

are beneficial to their wellness, as well as create a sense of safety and community in the

school.

The importance of the implementation of this plan is evidenced throughout

observations in which a student consistently threw their lunch in the trash bin. When

prompted about their refusal to eat their lunch, the student replied merely that they “didn’t

like it”. In addition, it was discovered that many of the students did not eat breakfast

everyday, nor did many of them have a predestined family dinner every night. This could be

in relation to the lower socioeconomic demographic of the school community, as many

families may not be able to afford proper and nutritious food. In addition, due to parents or

guardians working full-time, and even taking extra night shifts or other employment

opportunities, some of the students are unable to enjoy or partake in the social aspect that

comes from eating. The social aspect of eating is prominent in many cultures to create a safe

and close home, as feeling connected and being given support, through shared meals and

activities, has been found to affect child development academically (Miller, Waldfogel, &

Han, 2012).

In response, a breakfast club could be organized in which students may bring food

from home, although a healthy breakfast will be provided for them. The inclusion of cultural

and traditional food will open the space to diversity and inclusion. Food prepared will adhere

to different food accommodations, such as allergies and religious determinations. This

breakfast club is created so as to properly engage students in the nutrition that they need and
the energy that is provided through food that we eat. Physically, students will understand that

they fuel their body with food as energy. This will transcend into emotional and social

aspects such as feeling confidence and self-efficacy in taking care of themselves, as well as

developing positive relationships with the other staff and students. Further, having healthy

meals and discussions each morning will provide students with the capability to be

intellectually stimulated in class, creating teachers that are happy with their occupation. In

essence, students have an environment in which they can feel safe in (Alberta Education,

2017).

Opportunities:

With Family Day on the horizon, the school could transition into activities that

families could participate in together. Tying in the upcoming nutrition unit, teachers could

welcome students to talk about their family in terms of the food that they eat. Discussing

similarities and differences could put an emphasis on the school family to build a greater

sense of community. Establishing the idea of a potluck, and thereby a breakfast program for

the students could be made in these health activities.

A few staff meetings must take place in order to effectively implement the breakfast

club. It would be imperative that staff discuss the big idea that they would like to spread

throughout the Family Day/health unit. Most importantly, teachers should provide lessons on

different foods and their nutritional values, as well as research studies that provide valuable

information on the importance of maintaining a healthy balance. It is important to also

discuss the benefits of exercising, and ultimately that the students may have treats, but in

moderation. By tying nutrition into Family Day festivities, students may suggest eating with

their family, as many cultures celebrate and feast together. Cultural diversity is prevalent at

O. S. Geiger and should be celebrated through this program. A staff meeting to list all of the
student ideas for the breakfast club could be organized in order to produce interest with

students and the staff in the club.

From this meeting, it would also be important to gauge which staff members may be

interested in leading the discussions and providing food and facilitating the program each

day. It would be at this meeting that the discussion of costs of implementation of the

breakfast club be acknowledged. Through many different organizations, breakfast clubs in

schools can be funded, and the program need not be expensive to promote health. After the

monetary and staff concerns have been acknowledged, the club may be announced to the

students.

Threats:

Teachers may be reluctant to participate in this program as they already begin their

day in the very early hours of the morning and are sometimes still in their classrooms or in

meetings until the evening. It may be difficult to have teachers volunteer their time for a

breakfast program, especially during report card season. However, it would be beneficial for

the students to receive at least one day per week of nutritious meals, and would be extremely

helpful in classes, so teachers do not have to work on corrective behaviour throughout the day

as the students would have focus and drive as a result from healthy energy consumption.

Further, we can create a rotation system in which teachers are responsible for volunteering

their time just once per month. In addition, the Boys and Girls Club and parents may be able

to provide volunteers for the program.

Additionally, the staff at O. S. Geiger School enjoy Tuesday and Thursday potluck

lunches in the staff room in which meals consist of donuts and pre-packaged meals from the

grocery store, lots of chips and candy, and other food that is not necessarily the healthiest

choice. It may be difficult for staff to have time to prepare food for these potluck lunches in
order to set a good example and model proper nutritional behaviour in front of the students.

Furthermore, costs of implementation may be high. However, the Breakfast Club of

Canada organization provides funding for schools that wish to partake in a breakfast club for

their students. The process of applying to this program is not available online but various

forms of contact are displayed. In addition, the Calgary Board of Education has a program

entitled Fuel for School that aids in the development of breakfast programs in schools. There

are many funding opportunities available for us to peruse in order to provide nutritious and

healthy meals for the students. Alberta Health Services actually has a toolkit on their website

to tackle the difficulties in implementing a breakfast program at school. It lists every step that

the school administration needs to take in order to properly and effectively create a breakfast

club. This is a valuable tool we can use for the develop this program for the school.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

In the provision of a breakfast club program, I am able to bring experience from my

economics background and job experience in filing, therefore able to calculate costs and

finances associated with this program. I am able to reach out to different organizations and

companies to network and contact regarding the provision of funding opportunities.

However, my weaknesses include my lack of experience in event planning and management,

though I am hopeful that school administrators are experienced in planning, evident through

weekly Friday professional development seminars, often with experts. Additionally, I am not

the best at cooking, which is precisely why I believe that potlucks will both provide diverse

meal options and also disperse the need for amazing food. In helping to facilitate this

breakfast program, the students of the Werklund School of Education spend lots of time
discussing and having conversations over topics ranging from mental health to the law

surrounding educational institutions.

Research:

Alberta Health Services (2015) has pushed for health and wellness to be taught in

schools, through health units in elementary, life skills in middle school, and career and life

management in high school. In the 2016/17 Pilot summary, Alberta Education states that they

allot $250,000 to each school authority to provide students from Kindergarten to grade 6 with

meals, whether breakfast or lunch. As a result of this pilot, “more than 5000 students received

a daily nutritious meal”. Through observations of the 14 schools, the pilot found 12 of 14

noted increased attendance, 10 of 14 noted less behavioural issues with the students, and 13

of 14 found that there was an increased sense of community.

Specifically within Calgary, the Calgary Board of Education funds a program entitled

Fuel for School (n.d.) that supports 20 elementary schools across the city. They receive many

donations and are sponsored by a plethora of organizations, yet there are still many schools

on the waitlist for this program. The provision of over 110,000 nutritious breakfast per year

contribute to the reduction of emotional stress, health risks, and negative academic effects. At

other schools, the Boys and Girls Club of Canada run the Food and Nutrition at School

program which provides hot breakfast items for students before classes (Myles, 2014). The

program is often staffed by teachers and administration, though volunteers and parents are

also available to help.

Even in post-secondary institutions such as the University of Calgary, the Werklund

School of Education (2016), through the Education Students Association, makes breakfast

accessible to staff and students every Friday, although not necessarily healthy in nature. They

primarily offer packaged items from the grocery store for free, though they accept donations
in which all proceeds contribute to Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids. The club space is

open for members to sit together, chat, and eat.

Finally, on a larger scale, the Breakfast Club of Canada (2016) aids hungry children

across Canada. They have recognized the impact that a nationwide breakfast program has on

student performance, so they have built their organization to help feed 203,852 students

across the country every day, translating to 33 million breakfasts per year. However, 492

clubs are on the waitlist.

In summary, there are many organizations across the city and Canada that help to

provide breakfast for students in schools, however there are not enough organizations able to

help all of the students, especially in reserves. The Government of Canada has not yet

implemented a nation-wide food program for schools, and as is evident through research and

statistics, students need the accommodation to learn better and reach their full potential.

Curricular Connections:

The breakfast program builds upon student understanding of making effective

decisions for their future and enables students to think about healthy daily living. In regards

to the Comprehensive School Health program, students have the opportunity to engage in a

physical eating environment to help increase student engagement and attentiveness in the

classroom (Wellness Fund, 2014). This breakfast program may help to build positive

relationships and a safe zone, help to facilitate healthy eating, and “encourage healthy

choices” (Joint Consortium for School Health, n.d.). As per the Program of Study (2016),

environments that promote and support behaviours to enhance the health of students is a

critical element in aiding health and wellness education. Rather than learning solely in the

classroom, students will be able to feel and embrace the healthy choices that they make.
References

Alberta Education. (2002). Program of Study: Health & Life Skills K-Grade 9. Retrieved
from: http://www.learnalberta.ca/ProgramOfStudy.aspx?lang=en&ProgramId=317413#

Alberta Education. (2017). ​What is Mental Health?​ Retrieved from:

https://education.alberta.ca/mental-health/what-is-mental-health/
Alberta Health Services. (2015). School Breakfast Program Toolkit. Retrieved from:
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/nutrition/if-nfs-school-breakfast-progra
m-toolkit.pdf

Breakfast Club of Canada. (2016). The Cause. Retrieved from:

http://www.breakfastclubcanada.org/

Calgary Board of Education. (n.d.). Fuel for School: Feeding Kids Fuels Learning. Retrieved
from: ​http://www.cbe.ab.ca/get-involved/partners/Pages/Fuel-for-School.aspx

Joint Consortium for School Health. (n.d.) ​What is comprehensive school health? ​Retrieved
from:
http://www.jcsh-cces.ca/images/What_is_Comprehensive_School_Health_-_2-pager_-_
July_2016.pdf

Miller, D., Waldfogel, J., & Han, W. (2012). Family Meals and Child Academic and
Behavioural Outcomes. Retrieved from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3498594/#R15
Myles, R. (2014 Dec 16). Breakfast program quiets rumbling stomach. ​Calgary Herald.
Retrieved from:
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/christmas-fund-boysgirls-club

Wellness Fund. (2014). ​Developing Healthy School Communities Handbook.​ Retrieved from:
http://www.wellnessfund.ualberta.ca/~/media/abhealthyschools/Wellness_Fund_Handb
ook_2015-English.pdf

Werklund School of Education. (2016 Mar 4). Friday Breakfast Club. Retrieved from:
https://werklund.ucalgary.ca/media-room/out-about/friday-breakfast-club