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w w w .insideH A LT O N .com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, F ebruary 1 0 , 2 0 1 7 | 16 Every week we showcase youtns in our community SEND US YOUR NEWS: If you are a youth and you have a story or photo to share, we'll do our best to publish it on this page. Email it to ab lack b u rn @ o ak v illeb eav er. com, along with your nam e and a brief paragraph about why you want to share it with our readers. St Dominic students dig in to healthy lunch options by M arta Marychuk Oakville Beaver Staff akville' s St. Dominic Catholic Elementary School is one of 23 in Ontario selected to participate in the Farm to Cafeteria Canada and Sustain Ontario Salad Bar Lunch Program. The lunch program runs once a week, offering students a wide selection of items including: vegetables, fruits, protein and a grain option, including a gluten-free option. "It' s so important for children to learn the benehts of healthy eating," said the Rebecca Street school' s Vice-Principal Nelson Costa, during the launch of the salad bar lunch initiative Tuesday, Feb. 7. Farm to Cafeteria Canada and Whole Kids Foundation (a non-proht organization founded by Whole Foods Market) gave St. Dominic a grant, valued at approximately $10,000, to purchase a salad bar cart and all the supplies and equipment to offer healthy food to more than 120 students, once a week. The program receives support from Halton Food for Thought. Students pay $5 per week for the salad, similar to a pizza day or a hot dog day. For those who can't afford O We are ready to build children's food literacy. I have no doubt this salad bar program will be a success for years to come.j p Nelson Costa vice-principal, St. D om inic C atholic Elem entarySchool At top of page - Sophie Amos, Grade 1, and Mila Ficzere Grade 1 dig into healthy choices at lunch time. Above, St. Dominic Catholic El ementary School launched Halton's first innovation school salad bar program Feb. 7. Here, from left, volunteer Stacey Bean, student Daniela Stewart, St. Dominic Vice-Principal Nelson Costa, student Sarah Figueiredo, and volunteer Jill O'Reilley, show off the new salad bar. | Riziero Vertolli/Metroland this, Halton Food for Thought will support the children so they can participate, too. Parent volunteers prepare the food for the salad bar. Halton Food for Thought partners with Halton' s public and Catholic school boards, and the community, to build student nutrition programs in Halton schools. The volunteer-led meal and snack programs feed more than 25,000 Halton students a week. Farm to Cafeteria Canada is a crossCanada organization that works with partners across the country to educate, build capacity, strengthen partnerships, and influence policy to bring local, healthy, and sustainable foods into all public institutions. The Farm to Cafeteria Program aims to get more healthy local foods on the minds, on the plates, and in the mouths of students by engaging them in gardening, cooking preserving and purchasing healthy local foods in their schools. "We are ready to build children' s food literacy," Costa added. St. Dominic Elementary School is the only school in the Halton Catholic District School Board to offer the Salad Bar Lunch Program. Meanwhile, Oakwood Public School, in the Halton District School Board, also received funding for the Salad Bar Lunch Program. "I have no doubt this salad bar program will be a success for years to come," Costa added. IJp I JO H N P A L A D IN O ______________________ L A W O F F IC E ______________________ · REAL ESTATE * WILLS & ESTATES · COMMERCIAL LEASING · CORPORATE 447 Speers Road,Suite 200B,Oakville,ON L6K 3S7 get s o m e t h in g fra m e d . Find us on r a 310 K err Street O akville, On (905) 849-0300 seaandcraftframing @gmail.com I PHONE: 905-842-3311 TM] FAX: 905-842-7433 Sea & Craft Framing illage since `91