Lunch Supervision
The CBE Lunch Program is a user-pay service for students. Students must register to participate. The Noon Supervision Fee can be paid conveniently online through your child's MyCBE account. This fee covers supervision by trained staff employed by the Calgary Board of Education but does not include food.
If your child will be leaving the school at lunch with a legal guardian or a designated adult, please notify the office in advance and ensure the student is signed out. Students enrolled in the lunch program must remain on school grounds during the lunch break.
Families are encouraged to send healthy snacks and lunches in line with CBE Administrative Regulation #3047. Please provide your child with a water bottle for hydration throughout the day. Juice boxes, sports drinks, and soda are not permitted.
Lunch Blocks
Cranston School has two distinct lunch blocks. Students have 20 minutes to eat and approximately 20 minutes to play outside during each block.
11:00-11:40 Grade One and Two
11:50-12:30 Grade Three and Four
Allergies
At Cranston School we are committed to providing a safe environment that is inclusive for all students and staff.
NUTS AND NUT PRODUCTS: There are several Cranston students and staff who have potentially life-threatening nut and tree nut allergies. Cranston School uses a ‘nut aware’ approach, as we can’t guarantee that someone hasn’t accidentally brought nuts, or traces of nuts, into our building. While we realize that this request may pose a minor inconvenience for you when preparing your child’s snack and lunch, we would like to express our appreciation for your support and understanding as we work together to support our students and staff who have severe allergies.
SCENTS: In support of the needs of those individuals who have sensitivities or medical conditions related to scents, Cranston School is a scent-reduced and scent-sensitive environment. Students and visitors should avoid wearing/using scented products such as perfumes, colognes, or scented lotions.
Special Occassion Treats From Home
In keeping with CBE Administrative Regulation #3047 and our commitment to providing a safe environment that is inclusive for all children, staff will not distribute special occasion treats sent from home. If you would like to recognize your child’s birthday or a special holiday at school, please send non-food items such as fancy pencils, stickers, erasers, or consider donating a new book to the school library in your child’s name.
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