NEWS

Breakfast in class keeps young stomachs happy

Matthew Albright
The News Journal

In the first class of the day Wednesday morning, first graders at Wilbur Elementary School in Bear danced and sang along with their teacher as they got instructions for their first assignment.

In between hops and arm-waving, they stopped to take a bite to eat.

"No eating in class" has long been one of the rules that separate an organized classroom from a chaotic one.

But schools are increasingly breaking that rule in an effort to make sure no student is learning on an empty stomach.

"Unfortunately, some of our kids may not have eaten since they got lunch at school the day before," said Principal Elizabeth Howell. "If our students' basic needs aren't met, we can't expect them to learn. So that's why breakfast is so important."

The state is pushing to increase the number of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch who also receive breakfast. In the last school year, a little more than half of those students got a morning meal.

One of the biggest roadblocks is time: There is a small window between when the bus arrives in the morning and when students have to make it to class. Kids are sometimes too rushed to stop to get food.

That's why some schools are turning toward alternative models that let students eat in class.

Some schools have cafeteria staff serve the breakfasts directly in the classroom; others, like Wilbur, use a "grab and go" model, in which students swing through the cafeteria before class and bring a bagged breakfast to class with them.

Some 16 schools statewide served breakfast in class last year, while 28 schools used grab-and-go.

Patricia Beebe, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Delaware, said every school should be considering moving toward these models. She argues it's a relatively easy change that makes a big difference.

"Children who are fed are better learners," she said. "This is one of the simplest, most basic, fixable things we can do for our kids."

Schools can't just instantly change to serving food in class, though.

A principal needs to make sure teachers and janitors understand why the change is helpful, and all the logistics need to be worked out ahead of time.

Wilbur, for example, had to gradually ease its students through the procedures for an orderly breakfast line, and the janitors had to schedule a second round through the classrooms to pick up the leftovers and trash.

"Once we get everybody on the same page, it's actually remarkably easy," Howell said. "And you notice the benefits right away. Our teachers are loving it."

Contact Matthew Albright at malbright@delawareonline.com or at (302) 324-2428. Follow him on Twitter @TNJ_malbright.