SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Joyce Caines gave Yellowknife Education District 1 board members a presentation on healthy learning and the status of the School Nutrition Program last week. The program has been going on for two years.

The program's aim is to increase student's health and improve their learning potential and works in partnership with students, teachers and parents, Caines said at the school board meeting.

"Together we can create a healthy learning environment," said Caines, who facilitates the program. Trustee member Terry Brookes agreed.

"It goes way beyond taking the Coke out of the Coke machines," said Brookes. "It's easy to say we want better health but harder to practise."

Author shares trade secrets

Fort Smith-based author Richard Van Camp visited Grade 4 students at Mildred Hall School last month to talk to the students about storytelling.

Van Camp is an instructor of creative writing at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and has published a novel, poems, short stories, novellas as well as children's books.

"He was very good at drawing them out as writers," said Mel Pardy, assistant to the superintendent of education.

Van Camp answered the students questions about publishing and encouraged them to continue writing.

"I hope he wasn't as racy as some of his books are," said school board trustee Reanna Erasmus.

Budget surplus

Tram Do, director of corporate services, provided an update on the budget to the Yk1 school board and announced a surplus from the end of the month. From the $28,695,783 budget there is a surplus of $126,218.

"I hope that it carries on through the year," Do said on March 2. She also met with principals from each of the schools to discuss budgets. "Everyone is on top of their spending," Do said, adding that she has prepared T4s for the tax season.

"We're trying to wrap up the budget and move ahead."