Trinity United starts its Dinner and Games Nights this week. Bring the kids or the nieces & nephews, grandkids or whomever for a kid-friendly dinner and an evening of games. Thurs. Jan. 23 at 6:00. Trinity United. Admission is Pay What You Can.

Prince Charles Principal Frank Girard wants everyone to know about the annual Food Sharing Project live and silent auction this week at Bayridge Secondary School. Among the items on offer are two baskets created by PCPS, each with about $500 in local services and merchandise. Their goodies range from certificates for dog grooming (people grooming too, for that matter) to rounds of golf to automotive services. As well, you'll see certificates for every eatery in town for when you're feeling like a night out and a basket of wine glasses, chocolate & crackers for that special night by the fire. Fitness, convenience buying, you name it! "The community response has been wonderful, just wonderful," says Secretary Karen Snider. Money raised from this event is used to provide breakfast and snacks for students who otherwise would go hungry, and there are many more of them than you would think. Fri. Jan 23. 6:00. Bayridge HS.

In that same vein, the school is the grateful recipient of a donation for another food project. Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church has donated $1000 toward PCPS's hot school lunch program. Twice a week every student in the school has the option to buy a hot lunch and milk. Those who cannot afford this are quietly identified by staff, and funds from the hot lunch program help fund their participation. Maybe you know what it's like to try to work when you're really hungry. Imagine being a hungry kid surrounded by other kids eating, and later being asked to concentrate on your times tables.

Also at Prince Charles is a brand new way of organizing the school day. Called "Balanced Day," it's designed to let kids have two nutritional break times and to divide the day into three equal instructional time periods. Instead of two recesses and a lunch time, children now work from 9:05 - 10:45, and then get a 15 minute break to eat a big snack. After that comes a 30 minute recess. Another 100 minutes of instruction time follows with a second 15 minute big snack or lunch and another 30 minute recess. The day ends with a final 100 minutes of work time. This schedule gives the same amount of learning time as the old one, while allowing for two nutrition breaks. Staff are finding that the change has drastically cut down on lunchtime discipline problems and both staff and students say the day just flies by. It sure makes sense to give young bodies time to refuel more than once in a day.

Condolences to the family of the late Glen Moore, father of Judy Reynolds, Leslie, Larry and Cindy Larkin, who passed away last weekend.

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