With the closure of school campuses in mid-March, access to nutritious snacks was also removed for students in GYPSD schools. We know that nutritious food helps kids learn and research shows that students have trouble learning when they are hungry at school. They are better able to focus and learn if they eat nutritious meals and snacks.

The Division was very grateful to receive the news that the Alberta Government continued to fund the Nutrition Program for Schools for the balance of the school year. Thanks to the generous support from our community partners such as Sobey's in Edson, the Division has arranged for nutritious snack bags for students while they are learning from home. 

There are five designated pick-up locations throughout the Division where the support packages are delivered every two weeks. Grande Yellowhead has also partnered with community agencies to ensure we are enabling families to connect with nutrition support if they are unable to make the pick-up days. 

GYPSD's Learning Services staff member, Mary Andreasson, has been the Division's 'nutrition angel' in coordinating, filling, and working with others, including our Indigenous Manager, Renay Woelfing, distributing the hundreds of packages over the last several weeks - with almost 4,500 students and the fact that the Division covers one of the largest rural areas in Alberta - no small feat!