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Highlands Today

School Breakfasts Popular

Marc Valero, Highlands Today

Sun 'N Lake Elementary fourth-grader Jared Keefe eats fruity Cheerios in his classroom Monday. Most of the elementary schools in Highlands County serve breakfast in the classroom instead of in the cafeteria. County wide, student participation in the district's breakfast program has increased 10 percent in each of the last two years.

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: March 3, 2009

Updated:

SEBRING - Sun 'N Lake Elementary fourth-grader Jared Keefe started his school day like many of his fellow classmates - on a cheery note - with a serving of fruity Cheerios and milk.

A cheese stick and carton of 100 percent apple juice rounded out Monday's breakfast menu.

Served in a cafeteria, in the classroom or on the patio, more Highlands County students are starting their day with a breakfast at their school.

Participation in the school district's breakfast program has increased 10 percent in each of the last two years. More than 7,000 breakfasts are served daily and about half of the district's students eat their breakfast at school. Breakfast is free to all students.

"Kid-friendly" breakfast foods like breakfast pizzas and sausage bagels have drawn 5 percent more middle and high school students, said Martha Brown, district food service director.

Scrambled eggs, grits and toast are popular with adults but don't have the same appeal for school children who prefer breakfast pizza and sausage bagels, Brown said. The breakfast pizza is made with eggs and other breakfast items.

More elementary students are eating breakfast at school since the start of the "breakfast in the classroom" program.

After a pilot program at Avon Elementary about three years ago, students at seven of the district's 10 elementary schools (including the Kindergarten Learning Center) are now offered breakfast in the classroom. The schools who continue to serve breakfast in the cafeteria are Park, Lake Placid and Lake Country elementary schools.

At the "breakfast in the classroom" schools, about 85 to 93 percent of the students eat breakfast at school. At the schools that serve the morning meal in the cafeteria, 45 to 50 percent of the students eat breakfast.

Prior to breakfast in the classroom at Sun 'N Lake Elementary School, all the students went to the cafeteria in the morning and it was jammed, Principal Diane Lethbridge said. Many of the younger students didn't want to be around the bigger kids in the cafeteria.

"Also, there were a lot of kids in the cafeteria who needed to be in their classroom being settled first thing in the morning," she said.

Now at 7:25 a.m. when the bell rings, the students are in their classroom getting calm with the teacher able to talk to individual students as they prepare for the day, Lethbridge said.

University of South Florida intern Ben Murphy reminded his fourth-graders in their Sun 'N Lake Elementary classroom Monday to pull out their daily planners as they chowed down on Cheerios and cheese sticks.

"I think it helps kids focus and learn; they're energized and ready to go for the day," he said.

FAST FACT

At the "breakfast in the classroom" schools, about 85 to 93 percent of the students eat breakfast at school. At the schools that serve the morning meal in the cafeteria, 45 to 50 percent of the students eat breakfast.

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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