DISTRICTS COME TOGETHER TO PROMOTE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL BREAKFASTS
March 06, 2018
NEWS
Colorado River Union High School District #2
Bullhead City Elementary School District #15
Mohave Valley Elementary School District #16
CONTACT: Lance Ross FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
928-758-3961, X-1412 MARCH 5, 2018
lross@crsk12.org
“Not Your Grandparents’ School Meals”
DISTRICTS COME TOGETHER TO PROMOTE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL BREAKFASTS
BULLHEAD CITY / MOHAVE VALLEY – Three area public school districts have joined forces to encourage more families to take advantage of school breakfasts. National School Breakfast Week is recognized March 5 through 9; it was launched in 1989 to raise awareness of the availability of the School Breakfast Program, which began in 1975, but is underutilized in this area.
The Bullhead City and Mohave Valley Elementary Districts, and the Colorado River Union High School Districts, serve breakfast throughout the school year, including during summer school. Nationally, the School Breakfast Program serves 14 million students every day. All Bullhead City and Mohave Valley Elementary District students are eligible for free school breakfasts and lunches; most Colorado River Union High School District students are eligible for free or reduced breakfasts and lunches. In all, 11 local public schools in those three districts participate in the breakfast program.
School District Superintendents Whitney Crow and Riley Frei have signed proclamations encouraging area residents to “become aware and concerned about their children’s and their own nutrition habits, in hope of achieving a more healthful citizenry for today and the future.”
This year’s theme is “I Heart (♥) School Breakfast.” Schools will have special breakfast menus, cafeteria events, healthy eating information and more.
“Studies clearly show that students who eat school breakfast are more likely to reach higher levels of achievement in math and score higher on standardized tests,” noted Crow, Superintendent of Mohave Valley Elementary District #16. “They also have better concentration, memory and alertness.”
“Those same studies indicate that students have improved attendance, behavior and academic performance,” concurred Frei, Superintendent of the Bullhead City Elementary and Colorado River Union High School Districts #15 and #2. “There’s also a better chance they’ll maintain a healthy weight.”
“A healthy breakfast at the start of the day is one way to ensure students are getting the best education possible,” said Jody Cheever, senior food service director for Chartwells, which prepares school meals in the three districts. “These are not your grandparents’ school meals.”
Cheever said that National School Breakfast Week “helps us educate parents and students about the healthy, great tasting, and appealing choices we offer,” and the opportunity for more students to use the program. Cheever noted that school nutrition professionals in the three districts prepare breakfast and lunches every day that meet or exceed federal nutrition standards – limiting fat, calories and sodium – while encouraging students to choose from the fruits, vegetables and whole grains offered with school meals.
The School Breakfast Program began as a pilot project in 1966 and was then enacted nationally in 1975 when it was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Gerald Ford. The “I Heart (♥) School Breakfast” campaign is made possible by the School Nutrition Association and Kellogg’s®.
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