Kansas celebrates National School Breakfast Week

Olathe event will highlight innovative approach to school breakfast

Ann Marie Bush, Communications Specialist     (785) 296-7921

March 4, 2016

For Immediate Release                                                                        

Kansas celebrates National School Breakfast Week

Olathe event will highlight innovative approach to school breakfast

KEY FACTS:

What:  March 7-11 is National School Breakfast Week. Studies show that breakfast increases   healthy eating habits and academic performance. Despite this, three out of four public school teachers of grades K-8 say their students regularly come to school hungry. The School Breakfast Program provides the opportunity for children in participating schools to receive a healthy meal that will get their day started off right.

            Kansas served more than 17.7 million breakfasts throughout 2015. As a result of the weeklong school breakfast promotion last year, Kansas schools served 200,755 more breakfasts in March 2015 as compared to the number of breakfasts served during March 2014, according to the Kansas State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition & Wellness team. There were a total of 1,700,151 breakfasts served to Kansas students during March 2015.

Fuel Up to Play 60 continues to encourage everyone to start their day with the nutrition needed to Fuel Greatness by raising school breakfast awareness and participation and promoting alternative breakfast options offered by school districts nationwide.

Schools across Kansas are working hard to make the healthy choice the easy choice for students through innovative service methods, such as Breakfast in the Classroom, Second-Chance Breakfast and Grab-and-Go Breakfast.

In conjunction with the observance of National School Breakfast Week, the following event is taking place to showcase innovative school breakfast programs:

Events:

8:40 a.m., Thursday, March 10

            Santa Fe Trail Middle School

1100 N. Ridgeview in Olathe, Kan.

Featuring: Dustin Colquitt, punter for the Kansas City Chiefs will be at the event. Second Chance/Grab-and-Go is being highlighted. Students can stop by the breakfast cart on their way to second hour, grab a breakfast and eat in the classroom. The Second-Chance Breakfast option allows students to eat a breakfast they may have missed earlier.

Attending:

Dr. Randy Watson, Kansas Commissioner of Education

Scott Kingery, Food Service Director for Olathe Public Schools USD 233

Kerry Lane, Santa Fe Trail Middle School principal

Dustin Colquitt, punter, Kansas City Chiefs

Contacts: Ann Marie Bush, Kansas State Department of Education

                  (785) 296-7921, Email: abush@ksde.org

                  Robyn Stuewe, Midwest Dairy Council

                  (913) 787-0806, Email: rstuewe@midwestdairy.com

About Midwest Dairy Council

Midwest Dairy Council®, an affiliate of National Dairy Council, is the nutrition education division of Midwest Dairy Association. The Council is dedicated to dairy nutrition research and education through the investment of 8,000 dairy farm families across 10 Midwestern states and is committed to child health and wellness through our collaborative program, Fuel Up to Play 60. For more information, visitwww.midwestdairy.com. Follow us on Twitter and find us on Facebook at Midwest Dairy.

About Fuel Up to Play 60

Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Football League (NFL) and National Dairy Council (NDC), which was founded by America’s dairy farmers, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods (low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. As a result of the program, last year more than 13 million students made better food choices by selecting nutritious options like low-fat and fat-free dairy products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Additionally, nearly 16 million students are getting more physically active during the school day. Fuel Up to Play 60 is designed to engage and empower youth to take action for their own health by implementing long-term, positive changes for themselves and their schools. Visit FuelUpToPlay60.com to learn more.