March 4th-8th 2019 is National School Breakfast Week
Local Events Celebrating School Breakfast Week
On Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at 9:40 a.m. at South Junior High, 3101 Cassia St, Boise, ID 83705, the Governor’s Proclamation regarding Idaho School Breakfast Week 2019 will be read and presented by Dr. Linda Clark, President of the Idaho State Board of Education.
At South Junior High School Grab and Go Breakfast is a hit. Their National School Breakfast Week celebration was phenomenal! Students from AVID, Student Council, National Junior Honor Society, and the Pay It Forward Club helped distribute raffle tickets to all those participating in breakfast. The jazz band serenaded us and the cheer leaders brought school spirit. Dr. Linda Clark read the official Governor’s Proclamation that was received by Chris Duggar, Kitchen Manager and Student Council Rep., Santiago.
Here is the link to the news article published on March 6th: https://www.kivitv.com/news/idaho-celebrates-national-school-breakfast-week
On Thursday, March 7, 2019 at Fairmont Junior High, 2121 N Cole Rd, Boise, ID 83704, there will be school breakfast raffles and the Governor’s Proclamation will be read over the school’s public address system by the ‘voice of BSU Football’ Bill Kloppenburg and presented to the school nutrition staff.
On Friday, March 8, 2019 at 8:15 a.m. at Frank Church High School, 8051 W. Salt Creek Ct., Boise, ID 83709 a special event featuring students participating in Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) will be held. The event will showcase the value of the BIC program to students and allow local news media representatives the opportunities to videotape students and Food Service staff involved in the program. Visuals include breakfast being served to Frank Church High School students and interview opportunities with students and staff. To commemorate the event, the Governor’s Poclamation recognizing March 4-8 as Idaho School Breakfast Week will be read and presented by Boise School District Superintendent Dr. Don Coberly.
The students and leadership at Frank Church High School surprised the kitchen staff with recognition for all their hard work at a morning “meeting.” Students presented them with flowers, gift certificates and cards signed by the student body. Five students spoke directly to the women expressing gratitude for them and the work they put into providing nutritious meals everyday. Dr. Don Coberly, superintendent of the Boise School District read and presented the kitchen staff with a signed Proclamation from Governor Little declaring March 4-8th, 2019 Idaho School Breakfast Week.
Why Is Breakfast So Important?
Many Americans experience hunger and food insecurity.
In 2014, more than 48 million Americans lived in households that struggled against hunger in 2014, including 15.3 million children.
Missing meals and experiencing hunger impair children’s development and achievement.
Studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Pediatrics, and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry document the negative effects of hunger on children’s academic performance and behavior in school.
Hungry children have lower math scores and are more likely to have to repeat a grade.
Children experiencing hunger are more likely to be hyperactive, absent and tardy, in addition to having behavioral and attention problems more often than other children.
Children with hunger are more likely to have repeated a grade, received special education services, or received mental health counseling than low-income children who do not experience hunger.
Breakfast plays a significant role in shaping the learning environment.
Eating breakfast at school helps children perform better. Numerous published studies show that academic achievement among students who eat school breakfast tends to improve, especially in vocabulary, math, and standardized tests.
Students who eat breakfast at school have better attendance and tend to behave better. In studies of school breakfast programs in Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, and Rhode Island, scientists found that students who eat breakfast at school have better attendance records, are less likely to be tardy, and exhibit fewer behavioral and psychological problems than students who do not eat breakfast at school.
Eating breakfast can improve children’s diets and may reduce their risk of obesity. Studies show that children who regularly eat breakfast have a better quality of nutrient intake and are less likely to be overweight or obese. In fact, regularly eating breakfast may serve as a safeguard against childhood obesity.
What Is Breakfast After The Bell?
Breakfast after the bell takes the standard breakfast approach and moves breakfast into the classroom "after the bell" sounds. Serving breakfast at the beginning of the school day dramatically increases participation by making it convenient and accessible to all. It eliminates many of the barriers associated with low participation, such as tight bus schedules and stigma associated the program.
The approach is simple. Children eat together in the classroom, usually the homeroom, at the start of the school day. They enjoy nutritionally well-balanced foods like breakfast wraps, yogurt, or fruit served directly in their classroom or grabbed from a cart in the hallway. Students then eat breakfast while the teacher takes attendance, collects homework or teaches a short lesson plan.
In about 10 minutes, the meal is over and the school day continues. So do the benefits of the breakfast in the classroom, which can include improved performance, behavior and higher attendance.
