Rogers Pilots Classroom Breakfasts

STAFF PHOTO FLIP PUTTHOFF CLASSROOM BREAKFAST Jimmy Azanza sips chocolate milk Friday that was part of his breakfast at Old Wire Road Elementary in Rogers. Breakfast is served to students in their classroom as part of the “Breakfast in the Classroom” program. Grace Hill, Bonnie Grimes, and Joe Mathias elementary schools in Rogers also serve classroom breakfast in the program paid for with a $190,000 grant from Walmart.
STAFF PHOTO FLIP PUTTHOFF CLASSROOM BREAKFAST Jimmy Azanza sips chocolate milk Friday that was part of his breakfast at Old Wire Road Elementary in Rogers. Breakfast is served to students in their classroom as part of the “Breakfast in the Classroom” program. Grace Hill, Bonnie Grimes, and Joe Mathias elementary schools in Rogers also serve classroom breakfast in the program paid for with a $190,000 grant from Walmart.

ROGERS -- School starts with breakfast at Old Wire Elementary School.

The school is one of four in the Rogers School District that began serving breakfast in the classroom this year.

AT A GLANCE

How Many More Breakfasts?

The number of children eating breakfast at school jumped when breakfast moved to the classroom and became free to all kids. The program was kick-started by a grant from the Walmart Foundation. Administrators hope to expand the program to four more schools this fall.

Bonnie Grimes Elementary

An average of 128 students ate breakfast at school, now an average of 405 eat breakfast in class. At Bonnie Grimes. 77.1 percent of students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch.

Grace Hill Elementary

An average of 218 students ate breakfast at school, now an average of 430 eat breakfast in class. At Grace Hill. 88.8 percent of students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch.

Joe Mathias Elementary School

An average of 165 students ate breakfast at school, now an average of 451 eat breakfast in class. At Mathias, 82.2 percent of students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch.

Old Wire Elementary School

An average of 225 students ate breakfast at school, now an average of 480 eat breakfast in class. At Old Wire, 85.5 percent of students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch.

Source: Staff Report

Children lined up and grabbed a bag with juice, milk and a moist towel from one tray and got a warm cinnamon roll bar from the next station before heading into class Friday morning.

Jojalena Tibon, a third-grade student, said the cinnamon rolls are her favorite. Classmate Kimberly Seartt said she likes the chocolate chip mini-muffins or yogurt. Gage Rogers, also a third-grader, said he always picks chocolate milk. Lucien Craddock said his favorite breakfast is the omelet. Without breakfast at school he might not eat at home, he said.

"I forget all the time," Lucien said.

Teachers and principals often wish there was a magic dust they could sprinkle on children to help them learn or a way to open a child's brain and pour knowledge in, said Shana Maxey, Old Wire principal. The breakfast program has been that for her school, she said during an assembly held Friday as a thank you for a Walmart Foundation grant.

The $190,340 grant from the foundation kick-started the breakfast program. Plans for the program began in October, said Jason Carter, assistant child nutrition director. The breakfast program began Jan. 28 at Grace Hill Elementary.

The Walmart grant allowed them to purchase equipment outside the regular budget, Carter said.

"The food and the labor has never been the issue. The issue is the $190,000 to pay for all the equipment," Carter said.

The number of children eating breakfast jumped from 225 to almost 500 at Old Wire after the program started, said Margie Bowers, district child nutrition director.

Storing milk for a couple hundred extra breakfasts takes up some space, Bowers said. The grant paid for extra freezer and cooler space, for training and for the carts that are loaded with breakfast bags every morning. A logo designed for the program by Lane Pabatt, a sophomore at New Technology High School, won his classroom a $1,000 prize. The grant also paid for a year of teacher breakfasts so everyone can eat together.

Teachers are seeing results, said Susan Henderson, third-grade teacher.

"It has made a drastic difference in my kids getting to school on time," she said.

Breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m., and students who might not have been on time for school at 7:45 a.m. are there for breakfast.

"They want to sit by their friends, and they want to eat before they get to work," she said.

The combination of breakfast and social interaction means her students are not sleepy for the first hour, she said.

Before the program, the only students eating breakfast at school were the ones riding the bus, Bowers said.

The children running in the door from the car line had a candy bar or maybe a granola bar and a soft drink or juice-flavored drink or an energy drink.

"You didn't see fresh fruit and juice and milk," Bowers said.

Children at the four launch schools do not come from high-income families. Between 77 percent and 88 percent of families have lower incomes that qualify them for free or reduced-price meals at the school. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reimbursement covers the cost of breakfast for the other children. Bowers needed at least 72 percent of children to participate in the program for it to break even, but 85 percent of children at the four schools are showing up.

Bowers said she plans to apply for another grant to add four more schools to the program next year. She might also tweak the menu. The pizza bagel hasn't been a favorite, she said, but egg and cheese omelets were a hit with students. Cereal and milk has been a request, and they will try that with students at Bonnie Grimes this year.

Teachers are already planning for breakfast in the classroom next year, said Betsy Kinkade, principal at Mathias Elementary. Students are more ready for school because of the program, she said.

"Please don't stop," she said.

The program makes them ready to learn and that sets children up for lifelong success, Maxey said.

"Breakfast isn't the most important meal of the day. It is the most important meal of their lifetime," Maxey said.

NW News on 04/19/2014

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