With winter approaching us, please ensure your child is dressed appropriately every day. Our “Blue Days”, which are cold weather days, are when the students do not go outside when the temperature reads -20 with the windchill. When the weather is warmer than this temperature, the students will go outside during the lunch supervision. Weather temperatures can change throughout the day. Please send your child prepared for weather changes.
All students attending the Lunch Supervision Program were required to register and pay the Lunch Supervision fee by Sept. 30.
Lunch Supervision
All lunchroom students must register for the lunch supervision program. Register through MyCBE or in the School office. More information on our Lunch Supervision page.
Food In School
Auburn Bay School is an “Allergy Aware” School. Please let us know if your child has food allergies and requires support. For more information on how to deal with allergies, please see our Illness & Medical page.
Please avoid sending food to school for your child to share with others. Should teachers anticipate having food in the classroom for celebrations etc, parents will be notified.
Snacks and lunches should be easy for children to manage. Hot water and microwaves are not accessible for students.
Fun Lunches
For the Fun Lunches/Snacks program this year, we will be using with a program called Healthy Hunger, which delivers healthy meals/snacks from popular restaurants and lets you make the choices! This means no more searching pockets for change the week before a fun lunch, and no more hoping that money makes it to the right place in-between your house and the school.
Please note:
- Kindergarten students are only involved for fun snack days, as we cannot send the fun lunch on the bus or keep it at the school for the afternoon, due to school policy. Fun lunches are for grade 1-5 only due to this policy.
- The cost will be flexible, get as little or as much as you think your child will need for lunch/snack that day, with various options
- Please click on https://www.healthyhunger.ca/ and follow the instructions to register, so that you can register and order your child’s fun lunches/snacks online.
- There will not be any cash taken for these lunches, so please do not send in money to the school with your child. We will only be accepting payment online (they accept Mastercard, Visa and even Interac online!)
- Lunch will be delivered by lunchroom supervisors to your child’s lunchroom area.
Upcoming Fun Lunches/Snacks
Once you are registered, you will receive a reminder a couple of days before the event so that you don’t miss out! There will be no opportunity to order on the day of fun lunch and cut off for ordering is 5 days before the fun lunch/snack. Unfortunately we cannot add to an order after that time, and cannot change an order once placed. Also no refunds will be given if your child is away on the day. If your child is away, please email auburnbay@cbe.ab.ca by 11:00 am the day of the lunch/snack to make arrangements for pickup. If we do not hear from you by this time, it will be disposed of or given away. You can cancel future orders as long as it is before the 5 business day cut-off.
If you have any questions, go on to your Healthy Hunger account. Thank you.
Home-Packed Lunch Tips for Parents
Lunch is an important part of your child’s day at school. Here are some tips to help you provide a lunch that is safe and nutritious with less waste.
Food Safety
- Keep cold food cold by using an insulated lunch bag and 1-2 ice packs.
- Keep hot food hot by using an insulated container. Preheat your container with boiling water before adding hot food. Microwave ovens are not available for elementary students.
- Pack non-perishables, such as granola bars and whole fruit, that can be kept at room temperature.
- Most CBE schools are nut-aware, please check with your child’s teacher for more information on nut allergies and other allergies in your child’s classroom.
Help Reduce Waste
- Bring a reusable water bottle.
- Pack just enough for a child to eat during lunch.
- Many schools participate in “boomerang lunches” (pack in/pack out), where all leftover items are returned home.
Tip: Pack a sealable bag or container labeled ‘garbage’ for uneaten food or open containers to avoid mess in the lunch bag.
In 2024, ten CBE schools participated in a waste audit conducted by Green Calgary. Here are a few suggestions from the audit to help minimize waste produced by packed lunches:
- Send less selections of food. Younger children have difficulty deciding what to eat when there is a lot of choice and sometimes end up not eating.
- When possible, use reusable containers for foods such as crackers and cut up fruits or vegetables.
Other Tips
- Make sure your child can open all packages by themselves.
- Involve your child in packing their lunch. Children involved in food preparation may be more likely to try new foods and eat what is packed, minimizing food waste.
- Aim to include a food from each food group – lean proteins, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables should be eaten daily (as per Canada’s Food Guide 2019).
- Some items, such as sandwiches, can be made ahead and frozen to save time. Note that some fillings such as fresh vegetables do not freeze well.
- Designate a shelf in the fridge/pantry at home for lunch items. This may help make packing lunches quicker and encourage independence for children packing their own lunches.
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