To encourage more families to take advantage of the healthy choices available with school breakfast, schools in the Vinton-Shellsburg Community District will celebrate National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) during March 7-11, 2022. 

Busy weekday mornings make it a challenge for many families to find time for a healthy breakfast. Fortunately, Vinton-Shellsburg schools offer nutritious school breakfasts, complete with fruit and low-fat or fat-free milk, to ensure students are fueled for learning every school day. All students at VSCSD are eligible for free meals without an application that includes lunch and breakfast each school day. The food service staff has added Grab-and-Go breakfast each day in Shellsburg for fifth graders. This option gives those students who may not have had the time to eat at Tilford Elementary before the shuttle bus leaves to take them to Shellsburg Elementary an opportunity for a healthy breakfast. High school students have also been offered this grab-and-go option on late start days this year. 

The NSBW campaign theme, “Take Off with School Breakfast,” reminds the entire school community that school breakfast provides a healthy and energizing start to the day for students. Studies show that students who eat school breakfast are more likely to:

• • Reach higher levels of achievement in reading and math
  • Score higher on standardized tests
  • Have better concentration and memory
  • Be more alert
  • Maintain a healthy weight

School nutrition professionals and students will be encouraged to show their enthusiasm for school breakfast from March 7-11 as the district celebrates NSBW with special menus, activities, and more. Vinton-Shellsburg students will enjoy “Breakfast for Lunch” on Tuesday, March 8.

“A healthy breakfast at the start of the day is a great way to ensure students are nourished and ready to learn,” said Karen Ackman, VSCSD Food Service Director. “National School Breakfast Week helps us educate parents and students about all the nutritious and delicious choices we offer.”

The menu at VSCSD includes student favorites like sweet rolls on Wednesdays and breakfast pizza on Fridays. The posted breakfast menu is accompanied by daily options that include fruit, juice, and milk. The district has served over 37,678 meals from August 23, 2021, to January 31, 2022. 

The “Take Off with School Breakfast” campaign is made possible by the School Nutrition Association and Kellogg’s®. 

Parents and students can follow the fun on Facebook.com/TrayTalk using the hashtag #NSBW22.

For more information about VSCSD’s meals, visit www.vscsd.org/school-nutrition-information/ or www.schoolnutrition.org/SchoolMeals. 

ABOUT NATIONAL SCHOOL BREAKFAST WEEK

National School Breakfast Week was launched in 1989 to raise awareness of the availability of the School Breakfast Program, a federally assisted meal program operating in public and non-profit private schools and residential child care institutions since 1975.