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'Most important meal' makes difference for these students

The saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is getting some new emphasis at several Tri-City public schools.

The saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is getting some new emphasis at several Tri-City public schools.

Breakfast clubs have been sprouting up across School District 43, offering up a free, healthy morning meal to children who may not be starting their day with nourishing food at home.

Terry Fox secondary vice-principal Ross Jacobsen said he has already seen some positive results since the program was launched at the Port Coquitlam school in February. The meals help students stay focused in the classroom and he said he can think of several students who have had dramatic turnarounds both behaviourally and academically.

"It really gets them prepared for their day," he told The Tri-City News. "If a kid's got a breakfast in their tummy, they are in a much better position to learn."

The menu varies depending on the day. On Wednesdays, students are treated to fruit smoothies and on Fridays, the school serves a hot breakfast. The rest of the week, whole wheat bread, cereal, fruits and bagels are available to club participants.

At Maple Creek middle, where the breakfast club has existed for eight years, everything from English muffins with bacon and eggs, to waffles and cereal are gobbled up by kids every day.

When the program was first introduced at Fox, Jacobsen said many teachers were concerned about the stigma it could create among the students who participate. In order to avoid any negative perceptions of the club, administrators made the food available to anyone. The school basketball team even began showing up and soon everyone from under-privileged teens to those who simply forgot to eat before leaving for school began sharing meals.

"In the beginning, I don't think we were getting the kids that we wanted," he said "But now that they realize there isn't a stigma involved, they are coming."

While the goal of the program is to help nourish students in need, Jacobsen has noticed some side benefits to the program. On average, about 85 students take advantage of the complimentary food and a sense of community has begun to build among the breakfast regulars, he said.

Lisa Di Marco, a teacher at Heritage Woods secondary who has been helping launch the breakfast club program in the Tri-Cities, said the experience at Terry Fox is not uncommon. "It really helps create connections," she said. "Teachers and students are hanging around and there is a sense of belonging. It says, 'I belong to this school and the school is helping me.'"

Funding for fridges and toasters necessary to run a club comes from Breakfast Clubs of Canada, a national non-profit organization. Schools apply for the start-up grant but are then expected to find ways of sustaining the program with fundraising efforts of their own.

Terry Fox secondary and Maple Creek middle are the only schools in the district with breakfast club programs but Pitt River and Maillard middle and Mountain View elementary are in the application process and more schools are considering applying, Di Marco said.

"Students need to be able to walk into a classroom and feel ready to learn," she said. "Some students aren't ready to learn because they have not had any food in the morning. If they have the opportunity to eat, they are ready to go."

Those who wish to donate money to the Breakfast Clubs of Canada can drop cash into the donation boxes that are set out at Costco between Aug. 28 and Sept. 4. For more information about the organization, go to www.breakfastclubsofcanada.org.

gmckenna@tricitynews.com