By Jonty Ralphsmith
It is a common sight at River Gum Primary School in Hampton Park for students to come bounding through the gates and into breakfast club.
The State Government-run program enables students to be adequately fed in mornings and offers an opportunity to build connections with fellow students.
At River Gum, as many as 60 students will turn up on any given day according to wellbeing leader Lyn Hempel, so it forms a major part of the community.
“Lots of kids drop in for a chat and will have a glass of milk or something whilst others will come for their brekky,” Ms Hempel said.
“I think our school would be really lost without it – it’s a great, safe space for kids to start their day in a supported environment while having their ‘brekky’.”
Ms Hempel noted the correlation between nutrition and mental health in praising the program’s impact on River Gum.
“It’s about modelling what a good breakfast could look like and teaching them good healthy habits.
“Food, nutrition and exercise underpin good mental health so it all flows into our overall wellbeing (outcomes).”
Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas recognised the significant contribution the program has on students’ education.
“The School Breakfast Clubs program is able to help struggling families by stepping in and making sure kids are fed and ready to learn,” Mr Maas said.
“Thank you to Foodbank and all our local schools and staff who have been supporting this program so that thousands of kids can get the necessary nutritious meals they need in order to learn and succeed in school.
“It was a pleasure to previously visit River Gum Primary School for their School Breakfast Clubs cooking class. The joy on the kids’ and adults’ faces was infectious as they learnt about healthy food and happily took part in hands-on cooking.”
Across the Narre Warren South electorate, 246, 000 meals have been served across the following schools: River Gum PS, Coral Park PS, Kilberry Valley PS, Hillsmeade PS, Hampton Park PS, Hampton Park Secondary College, Narre Warren South P-12 College.
The program began in 2016 and is delivered in conjunction with foodbank to provide healthy, free food to 1000 government schools.
Feedback from schools has shown the program has had benefits beyond making students happier and healthier – it has led to greater social outcomes for students and the school community, improved student engagement and concentration, strengthened staff-student relationships, enhanced social skills and better academic performance.
Hampton Park Primary School runs the program three days per week and principal Liz Davey said it had a significant positive impact on learning.
“For us it’s important that children have the opportunity to have a healthy breakfast and it is quite healthy for them to start the day on a full tummy instead of relying on lunch if they do have lunch,” Ms Davey said.
“If it was taken away, it would leave a huge gap in us being able to provide a healthy and active environment for our kids.”
