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The Milky Way
October 5, 2010
When the lunchtime bell rings at St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School, in Markham, Ont., “runners” come flying down to the forum to collect cartons of milk from the “milk moms” for distribution to their waiting classmates.
Everyone knows—and likes—the drill, whether they’re Milk Monitors (aka runners) or Milk Coordinators (aka milk moms). “All the kids know me by name,” says Elaine Davies, who has been a Milk Coordinator for nine years at St. Joseph. “As a milk mom, I’m in the school a lot. I also get to know the teachers.”
A participant in the Elementary School Milk Program of Dairy Farmers of Canada, St. Joseph gets fresh cold milk delivered every day by a truck from a local dairy distributor. “The milk is delivered right into the fridge,” says Davies, whose tasks as a milk mom include computerizing the school’s milk volunteer schedules, inventory sheets and order forms. “[Then] the other moms come into the milk room and organize the cartons for the student Milk Monitors to hand out.”
Good nutrition, after all, is part of a good education, and milk contains 16 kid-friendly nutrients, including calcium and vitamin D. The Elementary School Milk
Program makes it easy for schoolchildren to get an extra glass of milk a day, says
Solange Heiss, Dairy Farmers of Canada’s assistant director of marketing and nutrition communications. “The role of the in-school coordinators is extremely important. They make it convenient for the parents and fun for the students.”
As the Milk Coordinator at St. Joseph, Elaine Davies oversees all other aspects of the program—organizing schedules, sending out order forms and collecting money—to ensure that fresh milk is distributed to students every day at the school. Although she has been involved in various school activities, Davies prefers volunteering for the Milk Program because “it’s strictly about the kids.”
But what else goes on in a day in the life of the program? Details vary according to the school and the province, but one thing is a constant—its success depends on the kindness of teachers, parents and students.
At the Connaught Street School in downtown Fredericton, N.B., office administrator Barb MacMullin helps run the program, but she’s quick to clarify that “the work is 90 per cent carried out by students.” Dubbed affectionately as the “Moo Crew,” students in grades 4 and 5 take turns delivering milk to classrooms. “At Connaught Street,” MacMullin notes, “we like the idea of students helping students.”
The program’s ultimate goal is to provide proper nutrition to help kids concentrate throughout the school day. “We [want] as many children as possible to take advantage of milk as a nutritional option,” says MacMullin, adding that at Connaught Street School no student is ever denied milk. “We give parents the option of subsidizing a student and many help in that area.”
There are many ways for teachers, parents and students to get involved in the program, some of which require no more than an hour’s commitment a month. The experience also provides unexpected results. Fulfilling the duties of a Milk Coordinator helped Davies keep her own skills sharp; in fact, she has used it to recruit volunteers as well as create spreadsheets to start her own business. “It’s a wonderful benefit,” says Davies.
You too can help make a difference. Become a volunteer at a school near you. For information on how the program works and how to get involved, visit milkinschool.ca.
From the archive:
Lessons Learned
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