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Abbotsford Middle School has a population of 720 students aged 11 to 13 years of which half could be deemed vulnerable, says vice principal Chayne den Ouden.
Given the term “vulnerable” covers such a wide range of problems that are perceived to be afflicting a child it’s no surprise – given those numbers –of the amount of support the school district is putting into the school.
“We have a diverse population, 30 different languages are spoken here. A lot of immigrant students – refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan. It’s an interesting place,” said den Ouden.
“But we have a lot of school supports. We have two youth workers, a full-time counselor and a living support teacher,” she said.
Each class has about seven students on individual education plans which require they have special assistance.
“But there’s four or five in each class that could be on IP’s,” she said. “We have some amazing teachers here.”
It’s a busy place, she said.
“ We have three administrators and every afternoon we are dealing with behaviour (issues),” she said of students who have problems with social interactions or feelings of alienation.
And like hundreds of schools in the province there is a sizable number of children arriving at school hungry and in need of food.
About 40 to 50 hungry children come to the school on Bevan Ave. each day but the breakfast program that fed them last year – financed by a local church – has collapsed.
“That money isn’t coming back,” said den Ouden.
She is asking The Vancouver Sun’s Adopt-A-School (AAS) campaign for $10,000 so she can continue providing breakfast for dozens of her impoverished students.
den Ouden wants to use breakfast not only to provide necessary sustenance for these children but to engage them in preparing and distributing the food as a means to support their social and emotional well being.
It would help some of them struggling to fit in, she said, and provide them with a sense of belonging
“The impact of the breakfast program goes way beyond feeding students,” said den Ouden.
AAS23-782
Join the Vancouver Sun Children's Fund in supporting children and families in need throughout British Columbia. Our Adopt-a-School campaign has been providing vital support to those in need for more than a decade, and with recent increases in inflation the need has never been greater. Since 2011, we have disbursed more than $11 million to schools and community organizations, supporting tens of thousands of students each year. Your donation, no matter how small, can make a significant difference. Plus, 100 per cent of your contribution goes directly to helping children in need.
Our children are our future. Please donate today and invest in a brighter future for the most vulnerable among them.
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