New Brunswick Launches “Breakfast After the Bell”

From Jennifer Bradshaw, Office of the Mayor:

The old adage of “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” has guided a unique nutrition program into New Brunswick schools.

On Wednesday, April 9, school officials, joined by Mayor Jim Cahill and members of the New Brunswick Community Food Alliance, will announce New Brunswick’s commitment to “Breakfast After the Bell,” a program that ensures every elementary and middle school-age child in the City’s public school system begins their day properly nourished. 

Insulated tote bags packed with offerings like fresh fruit, whole-grain cereal, muffins or graham crackers are distributed before 9 a.m. daily to every class.

As the students enter their classrooms at the beginning of the school day, they are each given a free breakfast, complete with low-fat milk, and eat together for the first 10-15 minutes of the day. Children with food allergies or special diets are given a meal in accordance with their needs.

“Breakfast is an essential meal for our students to receive and will provide them with a healthy start as they begin their day in the classroom learning environment,” said Richard Kaplan, superintendent of schools. 

All students, regardless of economic income, are fed breakfast at their desks at the beginning of the school day, while teachers keep a log of who is eating.

Livingston Elementary School and Paul Robeson Community School were chosen to serve as pilot sites for the program at the beginning of the school year. It has since been expanded to Lincoln, Lord Stirling, Redshaw and McKinley elementary schools. 

“New Brunswick’s healthy living initiatives now have an even greater effect on the lives of our youngest residents,” Cahill said. “Breakfast After the Bell’ provides greater access to nutritious food, and ensures proper learning and healthy growth. Most importantly, it ensures that no-one goes hungry.”

Previous attempts at a breakfast program were not able to reach all students, but Breakfast After the Bell encompasses all students, according to Robeson school principal Kelly Mooring.

Livingston and Robeson schools have both reported great success: 360 students at Robeson are now eating a daily breakfast, as opposed to 130 at this time last year. Over at Livingston, an average of 460 students have a daily breakfast, as opposed to a mere 95 last year.

“Breakfast After the Bell gets everyone,” Mooring said.

New Brunswick Community Food Alliance President Keith Jones said the full implementation of the program is “amazingly huge.”

“It is crucial that our young students are given every opportunity to start off the day on a positive note,” he said. “Parents can now rest assured that a quality breakfast will be provided for their children daily, at no cost to them.”

Breakfast After the Bell will begin serving at Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson elementary schools on April 21. New Brunswick Middle School will roll out the program from May 12-27.

“Breakfast After the Bell” is the product of collaboration between the City of New Brunswick, New Brunswick Public Schools and the New Brunswick Community Food Alliance.