The music was pumping and students were grooving at Howard Robertson Public School in Kitchener on Thursday, March 7, 2019, for their Dance-A-Thon fundraiser in support of Nutrition for Learning.

Their initial goal of $1000 has been quickly surpassed, explained Rachel Willms, a special ed resource teacher at Howard Robertson. Vice-Principal Taryn Dowsling echoes her sentiment and explains the strength of the response from parents and the wider community shows the importance of the program. “It’s unbelievable,” says Dowsling.

Instead of toys or trinkets as rewards for fundraising, Willms explains they decided to take a different approach with the Dance-A-Thon. “We wanted it to be environmentally friendly, we wanted it to be active,” she says. The class that raises the most money will earn an extra gym class and the student from each division that raises the most money will get to be principal for a day – something no student would want to miss out on.

Staff members Michelle Bart and Ainsley Neureuther donated their time to lead the dancing sessions in the school gym throughout the day, with each grade getting 30 uninterrupted minutes to get down and boogie.

The decision to support Nutrition for Learning was an easy one. Howard Robertson has been supported by the program for a number of years and it helps ensure children with food security and accessibility issues get the nutrition they need to be successful in school. “Our Core business is learning,” Willms explains, and making sure each and every student is ready to learn is a crucial component of that.

“Trying to learn while being hungry is an awful feeling,” says Dowsling. Nutrition for Learning allows for that roadblock to education to be removed, offering students the opportunity to reach their full potential in the classroom every day.

The students aren’t just on the receiving end of Nutrition for Learning – they play a crucial role in making the program happen. Thirty students from the school arrive each day at 8:00 am, an hour before school starts, to help pack and organize the food for the classrooms. Playing a role in providing this resource for their fellow students helps to give them a “sense of authentic belonging and purpose,” says Willms.

Their involvement also presents a learning opportunity. The packing, pickup and ordering process involves a lot of counting, tracking and mental math, allowing students to apply their classroom skills to a real-world environment. For some, it offers a chance to open up. Willms explains a student who was reluctant to do math in the classroom was counting and multiplying with ease during the Nutrition for Learning preparations.

The Dance-A-Thon fundraiser and Nutrition for Learning program both provide a simple, but vital life lesson for the students of Howard Robertson Public School: it’s rewarding to give back.

“I think that is an important lesson for our children,” says Dowsling, as it helps them to feel a part of the community by both giving and receiving support. “We’re building citizens here.”

About Nutrition for Learning:

Nutrition for Learning has been a registered charitable organization since 1997. They support community-based nutrition programs committed to improving the learning capacity, health and well being of children and youth in Waterloo Region.

Research has proven that students coming to school hungry don’t perform well in the classroom, have difficulty concentrating, display behavioural problems, are less alert and are often lethargic. Their programs impact the physical, cognitive, behavioural and academic needs of children and youth in Waterloo Region.

Read more or donate to Nutrition for Learning