Attendance Matters  $100,000

The Surrey School District is the largest school district in BC with over 73,000 students. Each of the schools submitted on this application are designated inner city schools of which there are 36 in the district.

Through quality teaching and learning, the Surrey School District commits to engaging our students in their growth as individuals and in their development of the knowledge, skills and attributes necessary to contribute to a healthy, democratic and diverse society. The Surrey Schools District’s primary mandate is to prepare our students for successful futures by ensuring they meet current learning standards of the BC Ministry of Education. However, we believe our responsibilities extend beyond the 9-3 classroom and are committed to working with community partners, businesses and individuals to give our students every opportunity possible for success. This includes providing breakfast to those who come to school hungry each school day.

Attendance Matters is a program targeted at meeting the basic needs of vulnerable students. The program ensures that identified at risk students arrive at school and then are best prepared for the day of learning ahead.

The breakfast program ensures we meet the basic needs of our most vulnerable students by providing them with a healthy meal to start the day. This program intervenes early in at risk students’ educational careers to address poor attendance, lack of skills, feelings of isolation and hopelessness, lack of food, and support at home.

Administration, Teachers and Support Workers at each inner city site identify the vulnerable students that participate in Attendance Matters. They pay close attention to students with low attendance records, asses their behaviour in class along with their literacy skills and take note of what food (if any) they bring to school.

Currently, the students registered arrive before school shortly before 8:00 am to receive a nutritious meal consisting of cereal, 2% milk, toast and jam, cheese, yogurt, eggs fruit and vegetables. Due to our current climate, breakfast is currently operated in a “grab n’ go” model to ensure health and safety standards are met. This menu paired with a warm welcome each morning from a Community Schools Outreach Worker or Child and Youth Care Worker give students the incentive to get to school and be on time.