Supports for Kids Living in Poverty

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board has established the following:

Extra resources to High Needs schools

• It has identified its schools with the highest concentration of poverty ( Compensatory Schools) and these high needs schools are provided with additional funding in school budgets, Mentoring Educational Assistants ( child and youth workers), lower class sizes in the intermediate elementary grades,higher additional support staff such as literacy improvement teachers, learning resource teachers, and vice principals
• 2 high schools are recognized by the province for their high needs and are being provided with special funds which allows these schools to employ full time social workers, provide food vouchers to students not living at home, provide bus tickets, and support nutrition programs in the school
• HWDSB works with partners and donors to provide additional opportunities to students in high needs schools such as 
• Art Smart for K-3; ( all students experiencing live theatre and music and visiting the art gallery)
• School trips to Tim Horton’s Camp;Camp Wanikita
• Year end trips to Ottawa

Nutrition Programs

• all high needs schools have nutrition programs, some in addition have breakfast programs. Some secondary schools provide  subsidized or free lunch programs. All funded through Partners in Nutrition and donations

Clothing Closets and Food Banks

• all high needs schools have clothing closets with donated new and second hand clothes ( kept at the Eva Rothwell centre and sent on demand to schools), and some secondary schools have food banks and toiletries for students not living at home and others in need funded by donations and grants along with student- led food and clothing drives in schools.

Student  Financial Support

• Some Memorial Bursaries are provided to secondary students who are in need to cover bus fares and other needs
• The HWDSB Foundation has funds .for students in high needs:  recent  changes to the working of the Foundation have been made to make these funds more accessible, and better known to schools, as well as to look to establishing an Equity Fund to cover additional fees that all schools charge ( e.g. for school trips) for those who cannot afford them or other aspects of school life
• Schools provide support to families in crisis  through support from more affluent schools, from personal funds from principals and teachers,( one principal gives food parcels each week to a lone parent family ) from fund raising arranged through the Social Work department with donations form Education Centre staff, from benefit concerts arranged by staff and or school councils ( Sir John A Macdonald just put on a benefit event for a student whose father has just died, leaving her destitute, orphaned, and without a home.)
• Scholarships provided by the East Hamilton Boys and Girls Clubs to encourage further education

Accessibility to Medical Care

• school access services to cover free dental care ( the Health Buses which park on high needs schools' property) free glasses through some local opticians and the EYE see I Learn program for JK students
• 30% of Sir John A Macdonald students do not have a family doctor. A new program is beginning a pilot to provide nurse practitioners, nurses and access to a multi disciplinary medical team.
• mental health needs of students: Caring Adult program in high schools, community supports ( Banyan, Public Health, Alternatives for Youth), Girls Only clubs, teachers trained in mental health literacy.

After School Programs 

• Free after school activities are provided in all high needs schools through a combination of Priority School Funding from the province, which allows free access for  not for profit agencies to school facilities, Community Use of Schools funding, and Ministry of Health  Health Promotion Programs  which fund 12  programs after school.

Youth Employment for At risk Students

• 96 students, many at risk and or from high needs schools, will this year get summer employment and training through the Focus on Youth program. 

Mentoring 

• Pathways to Education, run through North Hamilton Community Health Centre , mentors disadvantaged students, supports to stay in school
• Girls ONLY clubs in schools (800+) run by HWDSB staff often the Mentoring EAs
• • Restorative Justice (John Howard Society and Hamilton Police) supports 
• • Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentoring program in schools