Schools Are Preparing For The Start Of A New Year… And The Launch Of Their Breakfast Programs!

Excitement is in the air as the first day of school approaches! For the kids, of course, but also for the staff. And there’s no better time for us to show our appreciation for the teachers, school administrators and other employees who engage with students every day and play a key role in the success of their schools’ breakfast programs. Some open the doors and set up the room, even before the volunteers arrive. Others greet the kids or chat with them while they eat. Still others work on the behind-the-scenes logistics of running this sort of program in an educational institution. Each person’s contribution is essential to the success of the program and the kids who rely on it.

“A girl in Grade 2 sees our breakfast program as a home now, where she is respected, belongs and taken care of,” explains Sarah Dropko, a teacher at Manitoba’s Hazelridge School. “In the past, the little girl would come to school tired, hungry, and unwilling to focus and learn. Now, she comes in each morning knowing she is going to have breakfast and friends to sit and talk to.”

At Lawrence Sinclair Memorial School in Manitoba, teacher Sharon Hansen says that the students “are withdrawn because of empty bellies. We, as a school staff, are very grateful that Breakfast Club of Canada is here provide the funds to feed our students so that they can enjoy the day in school.”

According to Stasia Uhlmann, a teacher at West Central High School in Alberta, “a 15-year-old boy with autism was drawn to our breakfast table, and for the first few months of school he’d just watch and shake his head if he was offered anything. Over time, he became more and more willing to come to get a piece of fruit or a yogurt, and now, he is not only a regular attender, but also volunteers every morning.”

Many educators have seen the benefits of a breakfast program in their schools.

Samantha Johnson teaches nutrition at Chilliwack Middle School in B.C. She reports seeing “a vast improvement in student focus and retention in class because students have been able to fuel their body with breakfast.”

At Henderson Elementary School in B.C., teacher Nicole Burnett has found that “the children are much calmer and better prepared for their day when they sit down and enjoy breakfast together before the day begins.”

Of 41 schools surveyed by the Club six months after the launch of their breakfast program, a full 50% saw an improvement in attentiveness in class. The number of interventions needed to address behavioural issues also dropped by 71%.

Everyone at Breakfast Club of Canada would like to thank you for all your hard work and commitment to your school’s breakfast program. To all teachers, school administrators and other staff members, we wish you a wonderful back-to-school season.

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