|Ms. Jerome hands out breakfast to a student in her 2nd grade class.|
Our school now participates in a free and innovative program called Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC)! Breakfast will no longer be served in the cafeteria. Breakfasts are now packed in insulated bags and delivered to classrooms by 8am. Students eat at their desks while the teacher takes attendance, gives a short lesson or reads announcements. Ms. Jerome, who currently teaches 2nd grade, is already seeing the benefits of this new program. "Having them eat breakfast in the classroom every morning, gives them time to talk and socialize before I begin a lesson", she says. "It gives them a surge of energy and allows them to socialize in the beginning of the day so they stay cussed for on learning for the rest of the day".
Breakfast in the Classroom is an initiative by Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) to ensure that a free and complete breakfast is available to all NYC elementary students. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and skipping it has both short and long term effects. It can make a child restless, tired, and inattentive. It can also contribute to tardiness, poor attendance, and overall lower grade performance. By serving Breakfast in the Classroom everyone stands to benefit. Students are ensured a nutritious and healthy breakfast needed to think clearly, concentrate on learning, and perform better in class, and since the allotted time will also be used to take attendance or give announcements no class time is lost. To see a menu or to read more information about the BIC, click here.