Submitted article
Children who eat breakfast at school start the day ready to learn, which is reflected in higher test scores and better classroom behavior. According to the Food Research and Action Council, only half of the children who eat lunch at school also eat school breakfast.
To garner increased participation in the School Breakfast Program, the Galion City School District recognized National School Breakfast Week March 7-11, 2016. The program is a weeklong celebration aimed at increasing awareness of the School Breakfast Program among students and parents.
The 2016 National School Breakfast Week theme, “Wake Up to School Breakfast”, reminds everyone in the school community – parents, students, administrators – that school breakfast provides a healthy, energizing start to the day for students. The theme appeared in the district’s cafeterias throughout the week promoting school breakfast.
“Many students come to school hungry, and we know hungry children have more difficulty learning,” Food Service Supervisor Jacki Corona said. “A healthy breakfast helps students focus in the classroom and perform better. That’s why we offer Universal Breakfast every morning in the Galion City School District at no cost to the student. Universal Breakfast is great because it allows us to serve healthy offerings to the students in unique ways.”
High School and Middle School students go through the kitchen and choose the items they want for breakfast. Their choices include healthy items such as yogurt, string cheese, 100% whole grain bread items and hot whole grain breakfast at least once a week.
Intermediate and Primary School students eat breakfast in the classroom. Students are served in either the cafetorium or hallway, and they choose what they want and take it with them to enjoy in their classroom.
“Every school breakfast meets federal nutrition standards limiting fat, calories and sodium,” Corona said. “Eating breakfast really helps prepare Galion students for a busy day of learning.”
To promote National School Breakfast Week, the Galion City School District Food Service department held a drawing for students with a chance to win a new Kindle e-Reader. Each student that ate breakfast in school at least once during the week received a raffle ticket. At the end of the week, each building principal selected winners for their building.
Student winners included: Galion High School-Alexis Chaplin; Galion Middle School-Jaden Meyers; Galion Intermediate School-Caden Click; Galion Primary School-Darion Salisbury.
“Mrs. Corona and her staff do a tremendous job in providing healthy breakfast opportunities for all our students,” Superintendent Jim Grubbs said. “Their efforts and dedication to providing nutritious meals for students is a contributing factor for student success in the Galion City School District.”
Research indicates the quality of foods children eat impacts cognitive abilities and learning capacities of children. Better outcomes that are associated with school breakfast include educational preparedness (attendance, energy, alertness, memory) and educational outcome measurements (math scores, grades, reading ability). Providing elementary students breakfast in the classroom setting is associated with lower tardy rates and fewer disciplinary office referrals.
The Galion City School District serves over 1300 breakfast meals daily through the National School Breakfast Program. National School Breakfast Week was launched in 1989 to raise awareness of the availability of the School Breakfast Program (SBP) to all children and to promote the links between eating a good breakfast, academic achievement and healthy lifestyles.
To learn more about the Galion City School District breakfast program, please contact Food Service Supervisor Jacki Corona at 419-468-6500 ext. 11016 or email corona.jacki@galionschools.org.