School Breakfast Rescues Students’ Mornings

When starting to offer breakfast carts this past January, Park Hill School District (MO) wanted to change the way students start their day. Ronda McCullick, the Director of Food Services, said that this new method of reaching students is making great progress – one knock at a time! The school foodservice professional manning the cart walks the hallways past each classroom, depending on what the sign on the classroom door indicates, they either knock to enter with breakfast options or keep on rolling!

Park Hill South High School has traditionally offered breakfast at a café where students can choose between various grab-and-go meals and snacks.  But with a significant distance between the café and school’s entrance, students often skip breakfast so they can make it to class on time.

“To remedy this, we have worked with the principal and staff to take breakfast to the students instead,” said McCullick. “It is a positive opportunity for our students to start their day with breakfast. If our pilot continues to do well through the end of the school year, we plan to have a permanent cart fabricated.”

Like many school breakfast carts, Park Hill South High School offers lots of variety – everything from hot breakfast sandwiches and smoothies to breakfast bars and pastries, warm scones, fresh fruit, juice and milk. Nutrition staff also positions the cart in the main corridor as students enter to offer students breakfast options prior to the first bell.

After school has begun, the cart travels the hallways, looking for the student-designed signage on classroom doors indicating whether they should knock and offer school breakfast or pass over the classroom.

Many schools are seeing positive reactions to serving breakfast in various ways, including Breakfast in the Classroom, Second Chance Breakfast, and Grab and Go Breakfast kiosks. Thinking through barriers helps increase participation and ensure every child has access to a healthy school breakfast.

In addition to offering breakfast in the cafeteria and serving by breakfast cart in the hallway, Lone Tree High School (IA) started Second Chance Breakfast this school year. Second Chance Breakfast allows students a “breakfast break,” many times after first period, to keep away hunger pains and make sure students are uber focused to learn. Pictured in feature image: Lone Tree High School food service serving Second Chance Breakfast.

Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom has been dedicated to expanding this serving option across the country.  A grant recipient back in 2010-2011 school year, Dallas Independent School District (TX) was one of the first districts in the country to participate in BIC, giving students a boost to their morning by providing nutrition in the classroom. According to Dallas ISD administration, BIC has helped with attendance, increasing early arrivals, academic performance and shows a positive impact on child behavior.