The New Jersey Department of Agriculture and USDA officials marked National School Breakfast Week on Wednesday with a visit to Washington Middle School in the Harrison School District, Hudson County.
The Harrison School District actively participates in the National School Breakfast Program, serving "Breakfast After the Bell" to over 1,000 students daily. The district has 88 percent of its enrolled students eligible for federally free and reduced-price school meals. The New Jersey Working Class Families Act has enabled the school to provide an additional 53 students with free meals.
“Offering breakfast in school is an important factor in fostering students’ overall success,” NJDA Assistant Secretary Joe Atchison III stated. “The Harrison School District and Washington Middle School provide access to healthy, nutritious meals in classrooms after the school day has begun.”
USDA Food and Nutrition Service Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Dr. Patty Bennett joined Assistant Secretary Atchison and other school officials during their visit.
Washington Middle School serves "Breakfast After the Bell" to more than 220 students daily, nearly 50 percent of its student population. Across New Jersey, schools serve breakfast to nearly 400,000 students each day.
“The breakfast program gives students an opportunity to get that all-important first meal, allowing them to focus and perform better academically and in extracurricular activities,” said Harrison School District Superintendent Dr. Maureen Kroog. “Knowing they have breakfast available is part of a routine that sets a positive tone for the rest of their day.”
HealthyChildren.org notes that children who eat breakfast before standardized tests score significantly higher in math, spelling, and reading compared to those who do not. Eating breakfast enhances performance on vocabulary tests, math problems, challenging mental tasks, and helps manage frustration better.
“We are excited to join the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and Harrison Public Schools in celebrating National School Breakfast Week and highlighting the importance of school breakfast,” Dr. Bennett commented. “School meals are already healthy, and we owe it to our children to continue making improvements. Strengthening school meals is one of the best investments we can make for our children's future; hence the USDA has made many investments and will continue supporting schools.”
School Breakfast Week is an initiative by the School Nutrition Association launched in 1989 to raise awareness about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s School Breakfast Program and increase participation among schools and students. The program is federally funded with additional support from New Jersey's State Supplement administered by NJDA’s Division of Food and Nutrition.
