- March 4th through March 8th was proclaimed School Breakfast Week by Governor Gretchen Whitmer as a way to celebrate healthy eating and to celebrate those who prepare healthy options for students
- During the 2023-2024 school year, the state of Michigan is providing free breakfast and lunch for all 1.4 million public school students in Michigan.
- In the attached story, we visited Winans Elementary School where students have received free breakfast and lunch for years, as they celebrated school breakfast week
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
3 meals a day is especially important for growing kids and thanks to the state... 2 of those meals are covered by the schools for what is now proclaimed school breakfast week.
"A hydrated brain and a fed brain is a brain that's ready to learn" said Tim Lyman, Winans Elementary School principal.
March 4th through the 8th was named School Breakfast week by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. During this week schools are recognizing school nutrition professionals.
"Your fruit, your vegetables and your milk...they're all required to take that with their lunch, and it's all free" said Christina Castilla, Winans Lead Supervisor Sub.
And this year's state funding provides all 1.4 million students across the state both free breakfast and lunch during the 2023-2024 school year through the Michigan Schools Meal Program.
"I'm a single mom of 3 so I know these kids are hungry and a lot of time with the way things are financially right now in the world, this is the only source of food they're going to get" Castilla said.
With the theme "Surfs up with school breakfast" the initiative helps promote the importance of healthy eating and its connection to academic success.
"We implemented this long enough ago that I was at a different school in the district and what we see is that "Hangry" is gone," Principal Lyman said.
This success is one that many administrators and students in my neighborhood, like at Winans Elementary School, have seen firsthand having had free breakfast and lunch provided for many years.
"If you don't eat then you're cranky because that happens to everybody...If you don't eat you're going to get in trouble, then your teacher will be mad at you...it's a whole thing!" said 4th grader, Zoe.
According to Governor Whitmers' office, this will save parents $850 dollars a year per child.
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