Free breakfast in the classroom

[Anonymous]

Our Title One schools offer free breakfast to everyone. I used to work in another Title One school years ago and the breakfast was pure sugar. An hour and a half later, the kids were buzzing around the classroom. Now the breakfasts seem a bit more balanced. White milk only, cereal (and it isn't always sugared) and sometimes Goldfish (I haven't figured out how that is a breakfast food). I am glad they offer it to everyone. It is hard enough being poor w/o everyone knowing it.

[Anonymous]

My child will also be attending a Title 1 school with this program in the fall. Have been wondering if the extra breakfast will result in him eating too much and more unhealthy than he's used to. Goldfish????

How do you find a balance? He typically eats a huge breakfast (it's his main meal of the day). At home breakfast is at 7.

[Anonymous]

Some of you are seriously misguided.

The idea that it is such an abomination to provide free lunch to every child in a title 1 school because it is somehow an unfair redistribution of tax dollars is one of the most selfish and asinine things I've read on this site.

You have no idea how schools- especially public schools- and this process work. Having to keep track of which students could and could not receive this every day is prohibitive and a waste of time. There is also a stigma that comes along with being singled out in the classroom, whether it is leaving for learning disability services, for not being able to keep up with material or- and especially- for being identified as someone 'without.'

I am a teacher and I see this every day. There is no grand robin hood scheme stealing from the wealthy to provide cheap croissants with sausages to all of the children. This is seriously what you are concerned about? That in some schools where the vast majority of students do qualify for free and reduced lunch, a few children and sneaking in under the radar and getting some free meals?

Pathetic. You should be ashamed.

Just feed your kid organic yoga with no sugar added granola and call it a day.

You may also want to send in a note barring your child from eating the prepared breakfast- it is probably full of preservatives.

[Anonymous]

If you don't want your kid to eat it, tell him not to. You can alert the teacher as well that your child is not supposed to eat it. I'm a teacher, and some of them are gross, but some are ok. The "bagelfuls" are a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine! There's a small effort to make them healthier--for example, the cinnamon buns are whole wheat. I'd like to see them get rid of the flavored milk altogether.

There's always orange juice too.

In my school, the kids eat breakfast while doing morning work, so if kids don't want to eat it, they're not sitting there twiddling their thumbs waiting for everyone else to finish. If your kid doesn't want it, or you don't want him to eat it, it's not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

23:03, thank you for speaking up for the breakfast.

My daughter attends a Title I school and while we do not qualify financially for the in school breakfast, the fact that all children get it has made an amazing difference in her medical issues. She has a medical condition and has been below the percentile chart her entire life. We struggle to get enough food into her. The fact that she now eats a second breakfast in her classroom at 9:00 every day with all her friends has enabled her to gain several pounds, which is a MIRACLE. I am so glad her school does this.

[Anonymous]

Come on teacher lady. This is MoCo let the star belly sneeches have stars upon thars, and the ones who do not must be identified. (and shamed)

Don't burst their bubble they may need to breath the same air as us too.

Anonymous wrote:Some of you are seriously misguided.

The idea that it is such an abomination to provide free lunch to every child in a title 1 school because it is somehow an unfair redistribution of tax dollars is one of the most selfish and asinine things I've read on this site.

You have no idea how schools- especially public schools- and this process work. Having to keep track of which students could and could not receive this every day is prohibitive and a waste of time. There is also a stigma that comes along with being singled out in the classroom, whether it is leaving for learning disability services, for not being able to keep up with material or- and especially- for being identified as someone 'without.'

I am a teacher and I see this every day. There is no grand robin hood scheme stealing from the wealthy to provide cheap croissants with sausages to all of the children. This is seriously what you are concerned about? That in some schools where the vast majority of students do qualify for free and reduced lunch, a few children and sneaking in under the radar and getting some free meals?

Pathetic. You should be ashamed.

Just feed your kid organic yoga with no sugar added granola and call it a day.

You may also want to send in a note barring your child from eating the prepared breakfast- it is probably full of preservatives.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like a great program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BTW, nothing in life is "free". Your fellow taxpayers are paying for your kids breakfast. This is great for kids whose families have financial need and I support it wholeheartedly, but should not be for everyone. Feed your own kid and I'll feed mine!

They only do this in very high FARMS rate schools. It's really important to get breakfast to some of these kids, whose ONLY meals are provided at school. You wold be shocked to know how many kids in our area, including the wealthier counties like MoCo and Fairfax, would be hungry if they didn't get school meals.

I don't think you want to single kids out and that's easier to accomplish in the actual cafeteria where everyone goes through the line and enters their PIN and no one knows who pays.

It's worth it to your kid, believe me. If half the kids are hungry, what kind of attention and discipline do you think would be happening in that classroom?

[Anonymous]

I am as much a tax hound as anyone else. I can think of many ways in which our tax dollars were actually wasted - corporate welfare, for example.

But even I would not play the "waste of my tax dollars" card when it comes to kids getting a free breakfast - even if they can afford it or not - provided that the breakfast is nutritious. Some things are worth my tax dollars and this is one.

[Anonymous]

I agree, a friend was unhappy years ago because breakfast kids were allowed in the building, and noneligible kids had to wait outside in the cold weather, which is an execution problem not a program problem. If they now offer breakfast to all kids once the % is over a certain amount, that certainly solves some logistical issues.

I am pleased to hear they've been cutting down the carbs and sugar, since the kids who most need a healthy breakfast being served unhealthy food IS a program issue. I might prefer my kid not eat twice if I feed them at home, but I'd rather they have breakfast at school for the kids that need it.

[Anonymous]

I don't care what the teacher above said. It is a Robin Hood affect. Offering this program to only Title 1 schools is a scam. You either offer it to ALL kids in all schools or none at all. If we didn't have a million poor illegals now going to MC schools, the FARMS rates wouldn't be nearly as high. Take a look at the FARMS increase in the last 10 years to the 550% increase to illegal immigrant's children entering the schools district the past 10 years. It also affects teacher/student ratios.

When do you say enough with overtaxing us. School is school. Why not feed them breakfast, lunch, snack and send them home with a boxed dinner too? I guess parents can continue to be lazy while schools and out tax dollars are responsible for everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: If we didn't have a million poor illegals now going to MC schools, the FARMS rates wouldn't be nearly as high. Take a look at the FARMS increase in the last 10 years to the 550% increase to illegal immigrant's children entering the schools district the past 10 years.

If we didn't have so many poor children now going to MC schools, the percent of poor children in MC schools wouldn't be nearly as high!

Where did you find the data on number of children in MC schools who are the children of undocumented immigrants? Are there also data on how many of these children were born in the US?

[Anonymous]

My son never ate the free breakfast in his classroom (picky eater), but knowing there was time for it, I would send in some cereal for him to eat at that time. It was great, because as a K'r, he didn't eat lunch until 1 and was STARVING.

[Anonymous]

I don't care what the teacher above said. It is a Robin Hood affect.

You should care. The correct word is "effect." Unless you're talking about Robin Hood's emotional demeanor.

Why not feed them breakfast, lunch, snack and send them home with a boxed dinner too?

Oh man, you'd be thrilled to know about the Smart Sacks program, that sends food home in a backpack on Friday afternoons for the really poor kids to eat on weekends. You sound like a really pleasant person, by the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am as much a tax hound as anyone else. I can think of many ways in which our tax dollars were actually wasted - corporate welfare, for example.

But even I would not play the "waste of my tax dollars" card when it comes to kids getting a free breakfast - even if they can afford it or not - provided that the breakfast is nutritious. Some things are worth my tax dollars and this is one.

Agree