Teacher says student coming to school without breakfast lethargic, lacked motivation to learn
For two years, Matthew Vatta ran a-breakfast-on-a-shoestring program for his students at Vancouver’s Eric Hamber secondary.
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The teacher had nagging concerns that some of them were arriving at school hungry because they might not have food at home. They appeared at times “lethargic, not motivated and had low energy.”
Chronic late attendance was also a problem.
So using school funds that were then available, he began his own breakfast program.
Off he went to the Salvation Army store to buy a set of bowls and each week he would shop for fruit, oatmeal and yogurt.
The breakfast he provided was modest. It had to be, considering he had little money and no equipment except for a kettle to boil water to make porridge.
“But it was amazing the number of students who were just so pleased to have something to eat here,” said Vatta. “It made a huge difference.”
Some of the chronic late arrivals began arriving on time because there was food available.
“It was wonderful for me to have the opportunity to provide that and see them come in and be happy to be here and having conversations (with each other) about whatever,” said Vatta.
Eventually the porridge option was exhausted, so he switched the menu to bagels and cream cheese and rice cakes with peanut butter and jam.
That was how he got through the school years of 2022 and 2023.
However, in September last year, the new $80 million Eric Hamber secondary opened and with it vanished not only the old school but any funding for Vatta’s simple breakfast program.
So he is asking The Vancouver Sun’s Adopt-A-School campaign for $4,000 so he can restart making breakfast and perhaps buy a few pieces of equipment to go along with his kettle — a toaster, and toaster oven, another kettle, and a small bar fridge he can move between the two classrooms he currently uses and some more bowls and utensils to replace those that didn’t make the move from the old school.
“A bar fridge would definitely help with perishables. That way I could keep milk and other things in it,” he said.
There is a free lunch program at school courtesy of the provincial government’s Feeding Futures program for students whose families ask for it.
But that’s only one meal a day for students who might not be getting sufficient food at home, he said.
So does he want to make it at least two meals a day?
“Exactly. Maybe they’ve eaten dinner or not (the night before), I don’t know. But this is something that will at least get them through the beginning of the day. It certainly makes them more awake and alert for learning, that’s for sure.”
More than 100 schools across the province have asked AAS for almost $2.9 million this year, the majority of requests are for food to feed students from kindergarten to Grade 12 who arrive at school hungry, or in need of clothes and other support.
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