Team Aldergrove test

Our Eco Team leads “You’re The Chef” which is an after-school cooking program for students in grades 5 – 8. We will also be presenting at the York Region Building Nature Connection event later in the Spring to showcase the environmental and ecological benefits of a vegetarian diet.

We have a student nutrition program that runs throughout the school day, which allows students to go down to the office to get a nutritious snack if they are hungry. There is also a breakfast program that runs before school hours twice a week. Both programs involve parent and community volunteers.
As a result of this program, our students always know that don’t ever have to go hungry while they are at school.

Our school has a growing tower in the lobby which currently houses several edible greens such as lettuce, arugula, swiss chard and basil.

In the past, we have tried to grow other fruits and vegetables (tomatoes and peppers etc.), however, we found it difficult to cross pollinate the plants ourselves. After having some discussions, it looks like greens are the way to go!!

We have negotiated a deal with our catered lunch programs to only provide whole wheat crusts for our pizza lunches. We also have subway sandwich lunches and a sushi lunch option. All of these menus include items made with whole grains, vegetables, protein and dairy.

Our Eco Team runs a “You’re The Chef” program for students in Grades 5, 6, 7, and 8. All the items that are prepared by students are vegetarian, fresh, healthy and cost-effective. Students have the opportunity to learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet while also gaining valuable life skills in a fun and safe environment, all free of cost to them. Since a large majority of our students are English Language Learners, a cooking program gives them a chance to practice and learn new vocabulary in a non-formal academic setting.

We are currently running our second round of You’re The Chef!
Ms. Luk @MsHeidiLuk and Ms. Kaul @KaulItADay run the program with support from Ms. Lo! Thank you!!