Lunch Hour Schedule
Grades 1 and 2 : 11:45 am - 12:30 pm
Grades 3, 4, & 5: 12:40 pm - 1:25 pm
Lunch Supervision
Please visit our Lunch Supervision page for more information.
Students who have paid lunchroom fees will eat lunch at school in designated areas under the supervision of our lunchroom staff. Our students play outside at the beginning of the noon break and eat during the second half of the lunch break.
We ask that you send any utensils your child needs in their lunch kits.
There are no facilities for heating lunches.
- Please ensure children are bringing cutlery (spoons and forks) and water bottles to school.
- We are a nut aware school and have many students with severe allergies. Please do not send any foods which contain nuts to school for example Nutella.
- We try and compost as much as we can. We encourage students to take home most of their dry waste or uneaten lunch so parents are aware.
- Proper clothing is essential – We go outside despite the weather conditions. Jackets, hats, mitts . . . we still go out up to -20 C.
Healthy Hunger – Fun Lunch
We are excited to announce that we will be offering a monthly Fun Lunch or Fun Snack this year! Our Healthy Hunger vendors are committed to complying with ongoing COVID health regulations with respect to the safe preparation and delivery of food items. All lunches will be individually packaged with limited handling and will be delivered to the students’ classrooms.
To join in the fun, enter into the Healthy Hunger website using your account information and add your student to their new teacher/grade. If you are new to Healthy Hunger, you will need to register your student(s) through the homepage. See Resources for sign-up instructions.
Allergies
We are Allergy Aware and students with allergies have the opportunity to eat at a separate table inside each lunchroom. Parents must indicate any special health concerns on the school registration for their child and are encouraged to ensure classroom teachers are also aware of health issues. For more information about this and other health concerns visit our Illness & Medical page.
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.
References