HELPING HANDS

School program aims to fill learning gaps

Sigma offers education, a helping hand and a shoulder to lean on

by JAYLENE SIDHU

“Kids sometimes come to school hungry and this affects their learning. They are not motivated because they lack energy and they are unable to concentrate and retain information. Stuff like this also affects their self-esteem.” — Nina Binpal, Grade 10 teacher

Children who are living below the poverty line, surprisingly, do not often find solace and safety in their schools. Many times, these kids are pushed through the system without their basic educational needs being met. Or they are discouraged from graduating altogether.

Nina Binpal, a Grade 10 science teacher at New Westminster Secondary, says hers is the only school in the Lower Mainland that offers Sigma, a specialized program within the high school that caters to kids who “benefit from flexible programing, smaller class sizes and continual enrolment.”

Binpal has been a teacher for more than 20 years and says she has seen her share of children who are desperate for a helping hand and a shoulder to lean on, but do not have the support from anywhere else.

“It was for kids like that, that Sigma was started,” Binpal said. “The program was designed to allow all kids to graduate and get a proper education because the regular high school setting was not catering to their needs."

Binpal said one of the biggest issues that impacts learning is hunger. “Kids sometimes come to school hungry and this affects their learning. They are not motivated because they lack energy and they are unable to concentrate and retain information. Stuff like this also affects their self-esteem, when they can’t grasp concepts and do poorly on tests and assignments.”

Sigma offers a breakfast program a few times a week and the school’s cooking teacher gets his classes to make meals for the program. Along with that, any food that is left over after lunch period in the cafeteria is also given to the Sigma program that day.

Additionally, some of the kids who are in the program are enrolled in high school but have missed so many of the basic foundational skills in elementary grades that they are actually many levels behind where they should be.

For example, a student who is in Grade 10 is often doing math and science at a Grade 7 or 8 level. “I take the time to fill in all of the gaps,” said Binpal. “It can take up to two semesters to finish Grade 10 science in this program because I’m spending the one-on-one time to fill in all of the basic background information that was missed,” she said. It is important to her and other teachers in the program, she said, that these kids graduate with the same skill set and academic ability as everyone else.

Asked if students in this program are from an impoverished background, she said that more often than not they are. She also said that a lot of the time their parents show little to no interest in their children’s academic development.

“I have noticed that child poverty is a cycle that results from parents who are not able to bring in a proper income because they have a lack of basic education themselves,” Binpal said.

She explained that many times, these parents cannot afford simple things such as groceries, and the little money they do have is being using to support addictions.

These children also lack consistency between school and home life. Where Sigma offers an environment of structure and safety, the kids’ home lives are filled with mental and emotional stressors. Binpal explained that countless times Sigma has helped children find better-suited living arrangements and the program also connects kids with youth care workers.

Sigma also teaches basic work and resumé skills. A lot of the students end up needing to find a part-time job because they are responsible for caring for themselves, and even younger siblings, which leads to an even further restricted budget.

“That not only means they're hungry, but now they are also extremely tired because they're working,” said Binpal. “They also don't have the time to do homework or study for tests at home.”

Sigma offers an environment that helps to alleviate some of the at-home stress while also providing students with a tailored curriculum.

“I really think that other schools should be doing this,” said Binpal. She said these students often want to succeed in an academic environment, but given their background and many times lack of basic needs, they become discouraged.

“These kids need someone, like a parent figure, that they can look up to and form a positive relationship with. Often times teachers play that role,” said Binpal. She said there have been many students that have turned to her for emotional support. If a child in the program who has reached out to her does not show up to school for more than three days, she will call them to see if they are okay.

A lot of the students who are facing poverty at home are suffering from anxiety, bullying and various other emotional and mental health issues. Binpal explained that some are involved in crime and are connected with parole officers who check up on them.

“I know it sounds like these kids are scary or unreachable,” said Binpal, “but they’re really all good kids and they’re all very bright students. They just need the right kind of guidance.”