Discussions

These are the two in brandon:  
 
Ecole New Era  
St Augustine  
 
Outside of brandon  
 
Roblin  
Russell  
Grandview  
SRSS Steinbach  
St. James School Division (Winnipeg)  
 
Interlake School Division  
-Stonewell  
-Warren  
-Teulon  
-Rosser  
-Gross Isle  
-Balmoral  
-Stony Mountain  
-Argyle  
 
Now I am missing maybe 1/2 of what the schools in brandon do. Some I have found info for the schools online, through a FB group, on here, from friends/ family that live in other areas of manitoba.  
 
And this was my exact thinking, since others schools are doing it, they have a system in place so why wouldnt the other schools be able to. I needed a list of more schools and what they do rather then just the couple i knew.

Biggest issue with BSD is that there is never any consistency with division wide policies and procedures! Each school has free rein to do what they want. This creates issues as some schools are stricter than others with goody allergy policy, lunch program, supplies fees etc. This is an excellent issue to bring forward to a Brandon school division meeting and should absolutely be brought forth! If enough people complain and push it they’ll have to address it!

Thats just it people make it work because they have to... doesn't mean that they don't need that money for say Food, clothing, rent..$200-300 for the year is a lot for some people. you know that amount can be the difference in what the kid gets for winter gear, school supplies, food in their bellies ect. now thats just one child if you have more children it costs more.  
 
they can start coming back 5 minutes to the bell at least I know thats what a few places do if not all of them. your paying for the 1/2 lunch and 1/2 outside time (1hour) so really why should the people who don't pay get that 1/2 hour free on the school yard. when the rest had to pay for it.

Ya, it’s just so weird to me! Hopefully you can get enough support and bring it up to the BSD.  
 
Also to the one poster, I’m not sure about the others but when I said it was free to stay, i meant everyone stayed at school but we all brought our own lunch. We only had a small canteen for the older kids and one hot dog day a week (or maybe month? I don’t remember over 25 years ago lol)

I think the significant difference from when we were kids and now is that the teachers no longer do noon hour supervision. It is now in their contract that they got as part of their union.  
 
So as EA’s might not fall under the union (not 100 percent on this so don’t quote me) that’s where some schools get EA’s to be outside at recess/cover lunch for those that do.  
 
It is unfortunate and as a parent who would not be able to pick up my child for lunch (luckily she is bussed) it would definitely be hard. I too found it very odd when I heard that kids aren’t allowed to stay for lunch.

I am not concerned with the schools outside of BSD. Let's focus on the 2 schools that apparently provide free lunch program. How are they doing this? Is this being funded from BSD? Someone is required to pay for this service, whether it is the public or the parent. Are you suggesting BSD should be funding this for all schools? Even considering recent cuts to education? Personally I would prefer that this funding goes toward transporting children to shop class / home ec on school buses instead of City Transit.  
 
I feel like there is more to the story of these two schools, and invite you to expand and share the info you have received for those 2 schools.

Is there a parent or teacher from this school that can confirm it is free for all kids to stay?

Agree with you gadget! Not sure where everyone thinks the funding would come from? It would of course have to come from taxpayers. Therefore all of us would be paying for the supervision of these kids. Those parents that don’t want a paying system, will have to pay it in their taxes though, and for all the kids for many years and not just their own for a few years.  
The 2 schools that “have figured it out” are also schools that don’t rely on catchment areas. One being French immersion so they have to i:nclude students from all over the city. And the second being a catholic school, who also have students from all over the city. It’s not feasible to bus students home for lunch all over the city, so their programs would be based for that. Similar to all the small town schools who have students from many areas, farms, and km’s away. It’s not doable to send them home either. Hence why a lot of them have programs in school.  
 
I know I would oppose a tax hike to cover it as I paid for childcare/lunch supervision for my own, shouldn’t have to pay for others too. At what point do people realize they need to be responsible for their own children. And if you use older children to watch other children, I’m sure you’d need to have more insurance in place as well. I couldn’t imagine the fallout if a child choked or went in anaphylactic shock with no adult supervision in place for every classroom. EA’s would need to be paid and more hired... tax hike for that.  
They’ve struggled to find volunteers in the past, so it moved to a paid position. And even paid, they struggle to keep it staffed as it’s hard to find someone to work for just over an hour in the middle of the day.  
 
I do however think that bus students should pay the fee too. Any extra money after paying staff, could be put to use on other programs like the one suggested of bussing for home etc/shop! And I do think they need to find a way to have every child have the ability to stay for lunch (paid of course) if needed and not just limited amounts of children.  
Just my opinions!

Bussed students aren't always school-of-choice students, Fishin guy. Take Riverheights for example...kids are bussed from the south end, as that is their catchment school.

That is exactly why those 2 schools can do their lunch that way! Their population comes from all over the city!

Yes teachers get their lunch off now....but people are saying it’s been like this for 30 years in Brandon. I agree with teachers getting their lunches off, just to point out so I don’t get attacked for attacking teachers lmao  
 
Do all schools have a hot lunch program or do all kids have to bring their own food?  
 
I do agree with the OP that if other school divisions have figured out a way to do it, then it’s definitely possible for BSD to at least consider it, isn’t it?  
 
Bring food, eat in your classroom, have EA’s and older kids supervise and then all kids go outside for recess. Do teachers still rotate recess duty? You could assign 2 older kids to eat their lunches in the classrooms and then also have groups of 2 older kids patrolling the playground. That’s what we had. They were called “peer helpers”. Would keep the older kids busy too which seems to be a problem in some of the schools, if the vandalism is any indication.

I understand what you’re saying about the liability of older kids helping supervise .....but those things can also happen while that same older child is babysitting in a home...with no adult at all nearby unlike how an adult would be nearby in the school at least

The students bring their own lunch currently. And usually ( at the school we went too), ate in their classrooms. The older kids you refer would be 13 years old, as by 14 they are usually in high school. Would it be wise to expect 2 13 yr olds to be responsible for 25 plus kids, in each room? I’m sure you know not all kids listen, or can be rowdy, etc. I know many 7-9 year olds who can get quite out of control. I’d also be worried about a child choking or having allergic reaction. Or if child required first aid on a playground? Or stranger approaches child on playground., etc. Would the 13 yr old know what to do?  
The grade 7’s and 8’s also have the ability to leave school grounds (with a single signed letter of consent good for entire year at our school), to go have lunch wherever. So you can’t guarantee that there would always be enough of them to supervise. Mine always headed to little Caesar’s for cheap Pizza, lol. But I was still paying for the lunch program supervision too, even though they weren’t there. The older kids deserve a break at lunch too!  
 
EA’s are good. But that would cost more money, and need more to be hired. That would mean a tax increase for everyone.

It would be really helpful if any of the Brandon School Division Trustees could weigh in on this situation and maybe point out the reasoning and challenges faced by the Division. They must have a spokesperson allocated.

But that’s someone you choose to watch your child. You are paying them to watch your child, in a home not a huge school. These kids wouldn’t be paid. And if someone is hiring a 13 yr old babysitter to watch 13 plus kids at a time alone in their home, they are asking for trouble. This is 2 kids watching 25 plus kids in each classroom. You wouldn’t get to choose which older child you trust with your child either (like a babysitter).

Yes, they deserve a break too...but it’s not like they would be doing it every day. It could be a rotation. They wouldn’t be left alone for long periods with these kids either, there are plenty of adults around.  
 
I’m more of the mindset that this would be a good way for them to learn responsibility, how to care for kids, could be an extension to the babysitting course etc. Could also use it as an incentive for other things. Like for every xx amount of volunteer hours, they get something special? I don’t know... and on the flip side, for the little ones who don’t want to respect the older kids supervising, they could get a consequence! Basically unheard of these days though lol (slightly tongue in cheek haha)  
 
But like I said, I’m used to small town ways of doing things where everyone pitches in to help with what needs to be done. City kids are definitely different than county kids it seems lol.

You can't even have a microwave in most schools now due to liability issues so allowing students to supervise students seems like a stretch. Not saying it is right, just saying we should stick to reality.

That is a good point too lol. I’m so glad my reality growing up was different than today’s version!! Haha  
 
Will be interesting to see if anything changes or gets officially put forward for the BSD to consider.  
 
There have been cutbacks to some staffs shifts and some of them are looking to makeup the hour they’re losing. I know some have looked into filling that hour with a lunch program position.

I know that some students don't have a close catchment area, of course some exceptions would have to be made. Since new school is coming now there is a closer catchment area....no? I am curious does the school budget pay for the supervision of the current two schools offering lunch program? Like I mentioned I never paid for the service. Back when I attended in Alberta two teachers watched on a rotating basis a school of 325 students. During my 7 years of schooling not one child died, went missing, lit the school on fire, etc. Fast forward 30 years later and here we are. Older kids can babysit and such yet cannot walk around watching others. Schools seem to need large liability insurance and only senior positions of watching students.  
 
Would a 13 year old know what to do if someone went into anaphylactic shock. I would bet money 1/2 the adult population in the school divisions wouldn't even know what to do. 80% of parents wouldn't have a clue what to do. But I bet I know what they would all do.....Seek medical aid from a: calling 911 and b: seeking out the help from someone trained in first aid in the teachers lounge or from what I am seeing in some of these schools a medical aid room. I think at this point some are just trying to find an excuse why it shouldn't work vs finding a reason why it could work.

Bingo!  
 
I wish we could like posts... lol

Thank you : thats what I see excuse after excuse not to try and find a solution.  
 
People complaining about tax hikes but they happen any ways its getting our tax money to go where we want it. More EAs would be good for the overall picture for the schools im assuming they could us them desperately at that . Im assuming these are people that currently have no use for their tax money going to the school but don't look at the overall picture for everyone as in we relay on the next generation as we get older. I can sit here and complain I don't want to put my tax money into old age homes as for me right now and may parents we don't currently use them so why waste money there... but no that is not how I feel, places like that need it as well even though I don't currently use it I will most likely in some way or another use them some day.  
 
We never had a teacher present per classroom. there was a teacher I believe per wing of the school about (3 classes) I don't remember there ever being a problem. you can have a trained adult in each room and still a child could choke and unfortunately go unnoticed. Are people sitting at home watching their child every second that they eat something? they can't, you would never get anything done.

I have been told by 2 different people in different towns that children have stuck pencils in them and blew them up, caused fire etc.  
 
Now in that case I would say that child looses the privilege of staying at school. If the schools and staff are concerned about the behaviour of students with a patrol type lunch supervision then there just needs to be a clearly defined set of rules and what the consequences are. Sitting here saying the kids can't handle it is holding them back if you don't give them a chance to be mature they can't learn to be. Its a safe controlled environment for them to be learning independence.

thats just it it wouldnt be just the kids it would be a mix of EAs and the mature older kids that sign up for the program... just like the flag kids at the crosswalk and the youth revolution (see right there you use those kids) and come up with some sort of incentive too as they would deserve it.  
 
also in russell manitoba (mind you the high school and the elementary school are one building separate sides) they use the high school students. so they could have a program for them to get volunteers hours from it. kinda like a co op placement.

I would really hope so maybe it will reach the right ears. I do know someone who said she knows who we could go talk to about it. So I wanted more info on whats happening else were.  
 
wait what there are kids that can get a bus on one side of the street but not the other?!? if thats what your saying WOW is all i have to say, thats sad.

That would be interesting to get the kids take on it.. sometimes they are the wisest and have the best answers.. sometimes you get a chuckle too.

Re the bus side of the street.. new developments were built in the south end and there was no school there. The school division had to decide on catchment areas for the children until the new school could be built. Anyone buying a home in these areas would know from their realtor what catchment they would be in when they purchased.

That reminded me...when I was in HS, the elementary school implemented a “healthy breakfast” program. It was free to all students and consisted of fruit and a muffin usually. It relied on the HS students to run and we were able to use those volunteer hours on our college/university applications. I also think we got to use it as part of a credit for a course but I can’t quite remember... I don’t know if they still offer this though.  
 
There are always ways to make things work but change is hard and often pushed back because people are scared of what the new change will bring.

Shaking my head at people comparing BSD’s lunch programs to lunch at smaller, more rural schools.  
 
Generally speaking, the student population of a school situated in a small town would be a fraction of what the student population would be at any of the schools in Brandon. You can’t compare EA supervision over lunch at a school of 90-120 students, with EA supervision of 200+ students. NOT the same thing - you’re comparing apples to oranges.  
 
Please don’t take a program that works in a school with a small population and assume it can be blanketed over any/all schools - especially schools with large enrolment numbers.

Depends on the school. Mine was and still is around 250. Still smaller than some but even green acres school has less than that for example. I don’t know the population of all the others  
 
Things that work on a smaller scale can and do work on a bigger scale but adjustments are needed.

Plus didn’t I read some Winnipeg schools make it work? Or maybe I read wrong