National School Breakfast Week - March 7-11, 2011

1. National School Breakfast Week - March 7-11, 2011

2. Agenda • The facts about School Breakfast and School Meals • National School Breakfast Week • School Breakfast Detectives • Getting Involved

3. School Breakfast – The Facts • School Breakfast Program (SBP) • 10.6 million children served daily* • 1.8 billion breakfasts served annually* • 81% of schools participate in SBP* • Congress appropriated $2.3 billion for SBP in FY 2008 • Our district’s School Breakfast Program • <Enter custom information here> * USDA (2007-2008 School Year)

4. School Breakfast – The Facts • School breakfast is healthier than ever! Kids are offered healthy, tasty and appealing choices: • Fresh fruits and vegetables • Whole grains • Reduced or zero TransFats • Lowfat and nonfat milk • Baked items rather than fried • Healthful cooking/preparation techniques

5. School Breakfast – The Facts • School breakfast is balanced and healthy • Breakfasts that are part of the School Breakfast Program (SBP) must meet nutrition guidelines including: • limiting fat and saturated fat in meals • providing ¼ of the RDA of protein, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C • SBP breakfasts meet the dietary guidelines. • SBP breakfasts are served in age appropriate portion sizes and provide the right balance of protein, dairy, whole grains, fruits and vegetables

6. School Breakfast – The Facts • On any given day, 51% of kids go to school without breakfast1 • School meals help students to do better in school • Students who eat breakfast earn, on average a letter grade higher in math than kids who don’t according to Pediatrics Magazine • Students who eat school breakfast have greater gains in standardized test scores and show improvements in math, reading and vocabulary scores.2 • Healthy eating correlates with less trips to the school nurse and less absenteeism. • Many schools provide breakfast for free on standardized testing days because studies have shown eating breakfast results in higher test scores3 • 1 School Nutrition Foundation/ National Dairy Council • 2 Classroom Breakfast Scores High in Maryland, Maryland Meals for Achievement. October 2001 • 3 www.schoolnutrition.org

7. School Breakfast – The Facts • School meals are safe • USDA commodities used in the NSLP are safe and part of a nutritious school lunch. • School nutrition professionals have rigorous training in food safety and have implemented a HACCP Plan. • School kitchens are subject to two health inspections annually conducted by the local health department. • According to the Food and Drug Administration, school kitchens are among the safest of commercial and institutional foodservice establishments.

8. National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) • Annual Celebration of the School Breakfast Program (SBP), using a fun theme. • Established in 1989. • Opportunity to highlight the important, positive role of school breakfast in our nation.

9. Campaign Theme • The campaign allows students to “clue into” the importance of school breakfast and will demonstrate how eating school breakfast sets you up for a busy day at school. • Fun detective theme with a number of nutrition based puzzles for kids to solve.

10. Meet the Detectives Cassie Day

11. Meet the Detectives Marlowe Darrington

12. Design a School Breakfast Detective Book Cover Contest • Design contest for students • Students design their own school breakfast detective in the form of a book cover. • Students also title the book with a healthy eating spin • E.g. The Case of the Missing Breakfast • 3 national winners receive a prize pack

13. Getting Involved - Parents • Parents and school nutrition professionals share the same goals: • Well-balanced nutritious meals for their kids • Creating healthy eating habits for life • Parents are role models and influence what kids eat. • Encourage healthy eating and lifestyles at home for you and your kids (actions speak louder than words…). • Create a “School Breakfast Detectives” night at PTO or PTAs. • Encourage your child to take part in the Design a School Breakfast Detective Book Cover Contest.

14. Getting Involved - Parents • Review the cafeteria menu with your kids to help them plan for a balanced meal. • Join your kids for school breakfast during National School Breakfast Week or any time during the year. • Communicate any concerns or special diets your kids may have. • Tell us what you think.

15. Getting Involved Teachers and Administrators • Visit the cafeteria during breakfast. • Join students for breakfast. • Encourage the school nutrition director to make presentations to parents about the benefits of school meals, a healthy lifestyle at PTA meetings and in the classroom. • Talk about the “School Breakfast Detectives” campaign during assembly. • Teach kids about the benefits of eating breakfast using “School Breakfast Detectives” as a fun example.

16. Thank-you!