“”LA CROSSE, Wis., (March 11, 2022) – Busy weekday mornings can make it a challenge for families to find time for a healthy breakfast. However, School District of La Crosse data shows that more students are starting their day with a nutritious breakfast in school cafeterias. This school year alone, from September to January, district nutrition services staff have served over 300,000 school breakfasts to students. To encourage more families to access the healthy choices available for breakfast, schools around the district will recognize National School Breakfast Week during March 7-11, 2022.
Students at Southern Bluffs Elementary School will observe the week in a unique way. As a result of the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) began reimbursing schools for free meals to all students regardless of their family’s income. This program is set to expire at the end of this school year, so students in Marcia Gardner’s fourth-grade social studies class are trying to change that. The kids have started a letter-writing campaign to legislators to ask that the no cost to families meal program continue.
“I would like for the students to know that even at 9 and 10 years old they have a voice,” said Southern Bluffs teacher Marcia Gardner. “I want them to understand that everyone has a right to their opinion and can respectfully share that opinion. We want our students to be active citizens in our community and the skills they learn this week will give them a solid start toward that goal.”
Part of Wisconsin’s fourth-grade curriculum includes writing an opinion piece where students need to introduce a topic, state their opinion, and create an organized set of information and reasons that support their opinion. The fourth-grade project will teach students about letter writing, opinion writing, gathering facts supporting opinions while helping the breakfast program which they participate in daily at school.
“We’re writing letters to our representatives to try and keep breakfast free at school,” said fourth-grader Clara Frandsen. “Some kids wouldn’t have anything to eat if they can’t eat at school because they don’t have enough money. Everyone’s a human being and even though we’re just kids we should be able to help.”
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