Lunch Program

Policies and rules for the Maple Leaf School lunch supervision program

About the Program

The Maple Leaf School Lunch Program is a user pay lunch supervision program. It is in place to provide a safe environment for the students to have lunch. Only those students registered in the Lunch Program may stay at school for lunch.

Supervisors, hired by the Lunch Program Committee, will monitor the classrooms and hallways while the children eat lunch (K-2/3 eat from 12:15-12:40 p.m. and Grades 3-5 eat from 12:40-1:10 p.m.). Please remind your child that they must eat their lunch within this time period. The playground is then supervised during the lunch recess. Please ensure your child has weather appropriate clothing. During inclement weather, students will remain inside. Students who do not participate in the Lunch Program may not return to school before 1:00 p.m.

Students will provide their own lunches and will eat in their classroom. This program does not provide hot meals. There are no microwaves available for heating lunches. We also do not supply spoons or forks.

The Lunch Program is not a fund raising venture. It is a non-profit organization and all the money collected is used to pay the wages of those hired to supervise during the lunch break, any training required, and for miscellaneous expenses related to the operation of the Lunch Program. All funds from this program are managed in the Maple Leaf School Lunch Program bank account and are separate from any school bank accounts.

Peanut and other food allergies

Maple Leaf School is a peanut and nut safe school. Please be aware that foods or snacks containing peanut or nut products are not permitted in the school or on the playground. These products could have a fatal result for children with this allergy. This includes products that have the label "May contain nuts" and/or "Made in a factory that produces nut products". In some classrooms, there may be children with other serious allergies. Parents will be notified by the School if there is an allergy serious enough to prohibit  that food from entering the classroom.

NOTE: Lunch program personnel are not responsible for monitoring the contents of student lunches.

Registration

Registration forms will be sent home with every student in May of each year for the coming school year. All students who will be staying at school during the lunch break are required to complete a Registration Form. Students may participate in the Lunch Program by returning a completed Registration Form, together with post-dated cheques when applicable, to the Maple Leaf School Office. One Registration Form is required for each student wishing to eat lunch at school.

A new registration form must be completed for each new school year. Students transferring into the school and wishing to register in the Lunch Program may obtain a registration form from the school office. Participation in the Lunch Program may be entered into at any time during the school year by returning a completed Registration Form and applicable payment to the school office.

Registration Options

Even if you think your child will stay at school for lunch only once (i.e. hot lunch, family emergency), please complete a Registration Form for him/her and register as "Part time". If your child's use of the Lunch Program changes at any time during the school year, please let the Treasurer know.

Noon hour activities such as sports activities, music rehearsals, leadership positions and special interest clubs are run throughout the year. Any child wishing to participate in these activities must either register for the lunch program or must eat lunch off of school property and return as 12:35 p.m. You will need to take this into consideration when registering for one of the payment options.

The user fee will continue to be payable on days where a child is involved in any extracurriculare activity, whether that activity is organized by the school or by an outside organization. Basically, if a child remains at school during the lunch break, the user fee is payable.

There will be no exemptions for patrols, field trips, days your child is absent from school due to illness or other reasons, etc.. 

Full-time: The student will be eating lunch at school every day

Part-time: The student will be eating lunch at school on a less than full time basis

All unpaid fees from the previous school year must be paid in full before registration for the 2022/2023 school will be accepted. 

Noon-hour activities are offered throughout the year. They may include: sports activities, music rehearsals, open library, leadership positions, and special interest clubs. Any child wishing to participate in these activities must either register for the lunch program, be superivised by school staff running the activity, or must eat lunch off of school property and return at 12:35. You will need to take this into consideration when registering for one of the above payment options. 

Fees and Method of payment

Please check Lunch Program-  documents and forms for all fee details.

The Maple Leaf School Lunch Program would appreciate your cooperation in having your child follow the Lunch Program Rules listed below. These rules are in place to make the lunch break a safe and friendly place for all children attending the Lunch Program. You will be notified if your child does not follow these expectations. If the behaviour continues, your child may be removed from the Lunch Program. Please see the Behaviour Management Policy.

While you are eating…

• Stay quiet and listen for your name during roll call
• Remain in your desk 
• Talk in a inside voice
• Follow the classroom rules 
• Eat your own lunch
• Ask permission of supervisor to leave the classroom

Before you leave…

• Put all litter in the garbage or recycling
• Clear your desk of lunch items 
• Wash your hands and use the washroom before you leave the building
• Walk in the hallways

While you are outside…

• Ask permission of a supervisor to enter the school 
• Stay on the school grounds 
• No food and drinks are allowed outside

At all times…

• Listen to the lunch supervisors and follow all instructions given by them
• Treat everyone with respect
• Be responsible by following the expectations
• Keep everyone safe

If everyone follows these simple rules, all students will be safe and have fun.

The lunch hour is a parental responsibility. If a student is going out for lunch with friends, a note giving parental permission is required for the student to leave the school grounds during the lunch hour.

Behaviour Management

The River East Transcona School Division adheres to the "Code of Conduct" to promote a healthy School culture. The RETSD believes that all staff, parents and students have a responsibility to maintain a safe, caring and respectful environment where everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Students, parents and staff are to behave in a respectful manner and comply with this code.

Our School's Lunch Program has some basic rules and expectations that students are expected to follow so that we can maintain a safe, orderly and relaxing atmosphere for all lunch break participants. These expectations are reviewed continuously with all students throughout the year.

From time to time, a small number of students find it difficult to follow the rules of acceptable behaviour for the Lunch Program. These students are given reminders and encouragement to behave. When concerning behaviour persists, then you have a right to know about it.

Therefore, when a student is not following classroom/school expectations during the lunch break, the Lunch Program Coordinator, in consultation with School Administration, will implement the following procedure.

1. The Supervisor will speak to the student about the problem. An Incident report will be filled out and be submitted to the Coordinator and to School Administration. A continuum of strategies will be used as a response to lunch break behaviour issues. These could include approaches such as verbal reminders, lunch recess time out or lunch in an alternative location.
2. In the case of ongoing unacceptable behavoiur or in an event of a serious incident, an incident report will be filled out and submitted to the Coordinator and to School Administration. A phone call will also be made to the parent/guardian explaining the incident and requesting that the Expectations for Lunch Time be reviewed with the child. Administration may also contact the parent/guardian to enlist their support.
3. should the unacceptable behaviour continue, the student may lose lunch privileges. Parents would need to make other arrangements for their children during the lunch break. As per divisional policy, any alternate arrangements are exclusively the responsibility of the parents/guardians.

Experience tells us that where a policy like this is in effect, students are careful to conduct themselves in a reasonable manner with very few students losing their privilege to have lunch at school.

NB. If you have any questions or concerns about the information contained in this Registration package, please contact the Maple Leaf School Lunch Program Committee by email to  mapleleaflunchcommittee@hotmail.com

If you have questions regarding payments and/or how to register, please contact the treasurer at mapleleaflunchtreasurer@hotmail.com or the school administration.