This school year, Hutchison Elementary School in Fairfax County made some big, exciting changes to its breakfast program; they moved breakfast out of the cafeteria and into the classroom. Today, instead of having to wait in line to eat their breakfast in the cafeteria before the start of school, students report directly to the classroom where their breakfasts are waiting for them. So far, Hutchison Elementary’s Breakfast in the Classroom program has been a huge success!
Before starting Breakfast in the Classroom, only about 300 of the school’s 1,000 students were eating breakfast at school. Thanks to Breakfast in the Classroom, nearly every student is now participating in school breakfast, leading to more nutritiously-fed brains and bellies ready for full days of learning!
Katie Ferguson, a teacher at Hutchison Elementary, understands the struggle many of her students face when it comes to food. She sees it in her classroom every day. Ms. Ferguson used to worry about one student, in particular. “I know she doesn’t always get dinner and when breakfast was served in the cafeteria, I saw that she wouldn’t always eat breakfast.” Thanks to Breakfast in the Classroom, Ms. Ferguson knows that this child is receiving at least two nutritious meals each school day. Since moving to Breakfast in the Classroom, Ms. Ferguson and the rest of Hutchison Elementary’s staff are able to focus on teaching and enriching students’ lives, instead of worrying about their students being hungry and not having the energy to focus and learn during the day.
At first, the Breakfast in the Classroom program raised some eyebrows because of the potential for mess in the classroom; however, the teachers at Hutchison Elementary decided that the occasional spilled milk was a small price to pay for their students having the fuel they need to learn. Thanks to Fairfax County’s Food Service Department, the transition from traditional breakfast service to Breakfast in the Classroom was smoother than anyone could have expected. Spilled milk is rare, students are fed, and everyone can focus on making each school day count.
There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Breakfast in the Classroom is a good thing for the students and staff at Hutchison Elementary. Every meal enriches students’ lives, making their futures a little brighter each and every day.
Kudos to Principal Lonnett, the staff and students at Hutchison Elementary, as well as Fairfax County’s Food Service Department for making Breakfast the in the Classroom such a success!
