Some districts around the country are taking a different approach to the food and drink problem… Enter Waffle Day!
In Winnetka, California students are given a free breakfast each day through the Breakfast in the Classroom program. The idea is to pump the kids full of a healthy breakfast so they have the calories they need for their brains to run at optimal efficiency, and each week Waffle Day is the most popular.
Research has consistently shown that students who eat a balanced breakfast perform better in school, specifically math and science… it’s such research that has school officials reworking the budget to include the breakfast program, a program that can add as much as 6 million dollars depending on the size of the district.
Not all teachers are on board with the program however claiming that the Breakfast in Classroom program takes away needed instruction time as the first 15 minutes of class day are reserved for the meal. In a letter to parents the local teacher’s union broke down what that time means for the students:
15 minutes a day = 1 hour and 15 minutes per week
2,700 minutes per year = 8 complete school days.
45 hours of instruction!
The program is currently under review as to whether or not it will return during the next school year.
Thoughts?