RAK and the School Nutrition Program

Today's theme is simply Random Acts of Kindness. For some, that means buying an extra coffee or a bunch of flowers, holding a door, or sharing a hug. For those who are looking for a fresh idea, Kristin Allen, inspired by this article, reached out to Peter Esposito to see if past due lunch balances were an issue in Scarborough. 

Here's what he had to say:

As an outsider, Scarborough seems to be a town with many resources, booming business, and a wide tax base. The schools are high performing, and they have great sports teams, arts, and many extracurricular programs. When I came on board, we already had a program in place where we would send home food for some long weekends and all vacations. I was shocked at the need in the district, but also humbled by the generosity of our citizens. With the help of those citizens and groups, we have expanded our Backpack Program to include more items such as fresh meats, cheeses, produce, and other nutritious options. 

In our School Nutrition Program, and many across the nation, students that qualify for reduced meals or free meals may not always have the .40 cents that it costs for the reduced meal. Our policy is that we would never take a meal away from a child for nonpayment, and we would never single a child out for owing money. We believe that our program is very important to our whole student body because, as we all know, a hungry child cannot learn. But all of this, unfortunately, comes at a cost to our program, with current estimates of over three thousand dollars owed. As a group we will continue to chip away at this, and we will continue to help children and families in any way we can.

Peter Esposito

School Nutrition Director 

Scarborough School Department

So, for those of you who are looking for a RAK today, please join us in helping our neighbors bring some of those accounts back up into the black. This will likely be an ongoing need, so keep an eye out for additional requests. Checks can be made out to Scarborough School Nutrition Program - write "lunch account donation" in the memo field. Checks can be mailed to:

Nutrition Program Office

Wentworth School

PO Box 370

Scarborough, ME 04074

Appreciation from Wentworth

I thought it would be meaningful to pair Mr. Sloatman's appreciation card assignment with a post reflecting on the important work Scarborough teachers do each day to promote kindness and compassion. Principal Kelli Crosby, of Wentworth Intermediate School, offered this lovely tribute to her staff:

The RAK challenge for Tuesday is to "find the good in someone around you," and I am fortunate to be surrounded by oh-so-much "good" each and every day.  It is my privilege to be the Principal of Wentworth School because, not only do I work with the most wonderful children in the world, but I am also surrounded by an incredibly caring, compassionate, dedicated and professional staff.  I would like to express my deep appreciation, and immense pride, for the work our teachers do to foster, not only strong academic growth, but also caring and compassion in our students.

Every adult in our school, from classroom teachers to nurses and ed techs, to the front office, kitchen, and custodial staff, are teachers because they put students at the center of everything they do.  There are not enough hours in the day, but teachers create the time by getting up at a time many would still consider night and leaving school long after the final bus. Teachers often spend their weekends planning creative lessons and providing students with timely feedback on their work and progress. They never stop thinking about how to make learning meaningful, how to quietly ensure every student has a snack, or when to find just a few extra minutes each day to make absolutely sure every student understands that new concept and also has someone to play with at recess.

Though it would be easy to understand if teachers sometimes seem a little tired, stressed, or low on patience, day after day I see the opposite.  They arrive bright and early to make sure everything is just-so in the classroom, and they are right at the door to greet their students with a smile, a warm good morning, and the expectation that the day will be important.

Teachers make every student feel like a crucial, contributing member of our school community, and this feeling transfers to such a sense of pride among our students. Our teachers give high fives and celebrate big and little accomplishments, dry tears, clean up spills, apply bandaids, and help students make more expected choices.  They facilitate friendships and assist students in navigating social situations, join in on foursquare games and eat lunch on trays in the cafeteria.

Teachers are smart, and they realize that the future of our world is sitting right in their classrooms today.  I couldn't imagine a crew more capable of this awesome responsibility. Thank you, teachers.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Kelli Crosby