Getting to school in the morning is hard enough,let alone arranging to eat breakfast.
We are an alternative high school covering grades 8-12.
Many of our students have school aversion due to psycho-social, emotional, or academic challenges. It takes a tremendous amount of energy just to get the children to school each day. The challenge is compounded by teens who want to sleep late. They often do not eat breakfast and are looking for food from friends and staff. They can not concentrate when they are hungry, presenting another challenge for academic success.
My Project
One alternative measure that we use to create a pleasant school environment is a less restrictive eating in school policy. We do allow the children to eat in most classrooms except the science lab. We do have an area to store nonperishable foods. We also have a microwave in which the students can heat up food.
I would like to guide them toward eating healthier foods. It would be a method of leading by example. If healthy foods are provided, students will become accustom to looking for those foods. The students can eat a healthy breakfast food during first period and will be more awake and alert during the school day.
My students need cereal bars and oatmeal to provide a healthy breakfast so they can be successful in school.
We know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Of course,teens do not want to listen to advice from adults. Teens also like to sleep as late as possible, often skipping breakfast. They do not realize that they are sluggish and cranky from the lack of food. With our school population of children who demonstrate school avoidance, this makes it so difficult to teach. It would be invaluable to have healthy ready-to-eat meals to provide to our students.
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