The Saucon Valley School District announced Thursday that its new school breakfast program will launch later this month.
The “Rise and Shine Breakfast Program” will be open for service starting Monday, Sept. 21 for high school students and Monday, Sept. 28 for elementary and middle school students, according to a news alert issued by the district’s food service coordinator, Patricia Bishop.
The cafeteria hours of operation for breakfast will be from 7 to 7:30 a.m. for both middle and high school students and from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. for elementary school students.
According to a letter from Bishop about the new program, the regular cost of a breakfast will be $1.70.
For families whose children qualify for free lunches the breakfast will be available for free, and for those with kids who qualify for reduced-price meals it will cost 30 cents.
Parents who have already completed and submitted a National School Lunch Program application in order to qualify their children for free or reduced meals this school year do not need to submit another application.
The breakfast meal itself will consist of “a grab-and-go breakfast-style setup, including the choice of low fat white/skim milk or flavored milk, fruit and fruit juice, whole grains, cereal bars, yogurt and meat,” along with breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, bagels and muffins, the news release indicated.
“In addition to the tray meal, ala carte items will also be available for purchase,” Bishop said. “Menus and guideline information will be available to view on the school’s website.”
According to information she cited, the following benefits can result from students eating a healthy breakfast: improved memory, verbal fluency and problem-solving capability; higher standardized test scores and improved concentration; fewer visits to the school nurse; and development of healthier, lifelong eating habits.
To help the food services department better serve students, prior to the rollout of the program parents are being asked to complete an online survey (by Wednesday, Sept. 16).
The survey will help the department “to better predict the amount of food we will need to serve all students and…have a better sense of the staffing needed to make our Rise and Shine Breakfast Program a success,” Thursday’s announcement said.
Parents whose children will be buying breakfast should make sure their food service accounts have adequate funds in them.
