By: Brent Mansfield
Subject: Invitation to action for B.C. teachers and students to ensure the Canada - B.C. School Food Agreement gets signed by March 31 so $7.4 million dollars available for school food programs in BC for this school year isn’t lost
We are very pleased that the Government of Canada agreed – in Federal Budget 2024 – to fund a National School Food Program. Several provinces and territories have already signed agreements with the federal government to receive funds, but B.C. has not yet signed.. According to an interview with the previous Minister of Education and Childcare, “B.C.’s share of the federal money is expected to be $71.4 million over the next five years, beginning with about $7.4 million anticipated for this school year.” The Canada - British Columbia School Food Agreement needs to be signed by March 31 to ensure $7.4 million dollars that is available for this school year won’t be left on the table.
Vancouver teacher Brent Mansfield has been working with his students, along with the Coalition for Healthy School Food and its members and endorsers, over the past two school years to advocate for children’s right to food through public investment in school food programs to support all students to be nourished and ready to learn (see article in current Teacher magazine for more background on the campaigns).
Brent and his students will be running again, this time on Valentine's Day. Alongside that, they are making Valentines for the Premier, thanking him for provincial investment through Feeding Futures funding and asking them to work together with the federal government to accept the additional funds available for students.
There are 2 actions that you are invited to take to call on the provincial government to sign the agreement to continue to increase the funding available to ensure all students are nourished and ready to learn:
1. Sign the letter from the Canadian Teachers’ Federation to call on the provincial government to stop leaving federal money on the table and – instead – to put food on the table.
2. Tired of the same old for Valentine’s Day? Ask your students to make creative Valentines for the Premier thanking him for his government’s support for school food programs and asking them to sign the agreement with the federal government now.
Students at Lord Roberts will be making their Valentines on paper in the shape of various vegetables and will include a food pun or poem, in line with what might be included on a Valentine.
Food puns related to school food
We would like to share some of the food puns that the students from Lord Roberts Elementary came up with for the lunch trays displayed on the B.C. Legislature steps when Brent ran on October 16 for World Food Day (see news coverage of run and trays here) :
Lettuce have school food for all
School food is berry important
School food programs are rad-ish
I bagel you to have school food for all
Peas invest in school food
I’m rooting for school food
School food is what I’m taco-ing about
Nothing beets school food
School food is eggstraordinary
I carrot about school food
I’ll be cherry grape-ful to have a healthy meal at school
Poems:
“Roses are red, violets are blue, students need food to learn, what will you do?”
Feel free to work with your students to come up with your own creative ideas. We would love all Valentines to finish with: “I love it when my governments work together to support school food!”
Valentines can be mailed to me at Lord Roberts Elementary School before February 14 or they can be sent directly to the Premier. We are hoping all Valentines will be received in the month of February.
Feel free to email Brent (brentmansfield@gmail.com) to let him know that your class is making and sending Valentines. Vancouver teachers are welcome to send Valentines to Brent through the VSB blue bag system. Brent will be sharing student Valentines and updates on the run on his campaign Instagram account (@runningforschoolfood) if you want to follow along.
For more information, contact ken@healthyschoolfood.ca.
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