Recognizing the Principals Making Sure Every Child Can Start the Day with Breakfast

Principals across the nation work every day with one thing on their minds: the success of their students. They understand ensuring kids have three meals a day is essential for their health, development and ability to learn. For this reason, principals have always been a critical part of ending childhood hunger in America.

Today, principals face an extraordinary set of challenges with staff shortages, burnout and the task of keeping staff and kids safe in school. Despite these obstacles, principals are constantly collaborating with school nutrition departments, educators and custodial staff to get kids the food they need.

To ensure every student can start the day with a nutritious meal, principals work hand in hand with teachers and school staff to launch the Breakfast In the Classroom program.

Breakfast in the Classroom is an effective model that involves delivering meals to the classroom, where students eat breakfast at their desks during the first 10-15 minutes of the school day. Eating breakfast has a powerful effect on kids and research shows that kids who eat breakfast are more focused, score significantly higher on tests, and miss less days of school.

This Principals Appreciation Month, we’re highlighting two school leaders in Southern California. In the face of these immense obstacles, they are leading the way to end child hunger through innovative school meal programs.

Meet Principal Ana Melgar-Quinteros

Magee Academy of Arts & Sciences
El Rancho Unified School District

For five years, Ana Melgar-Quinteros serves as the principal of Magee Academy of Arts & Sciences in Pico Rivera, California.

We spoke with El Rancho Unified School District’s Food Services Director Billie Saavedra, who told us: “Principal Melgar-Quinteros has been incredibly supportive of the Breakfast in the Classroom program when we started in September 2019. Assisting the food services team with the rollout of the program. Principal Melgar-Quinteros met with teachers to talk about the impact and how this program benefits all students. She often visits classes to talk to students.

When breakfast was only served before school, participation was about 18 percent. With Breakfast After the Bell program, participation jumped to 80 percent.

Principal Melgar-Quinteros has been a resource, generously sharing information with other principals in the district. “She is always positive and spends the time sharing her experiences and answering any questions other principals have about the program.”

Because of her vision and partnership, more students at Magee Academy of Arts & Sciences and across the school district are starting the school day with a no cost breakfast.

Meet Principal Jennifer Cuevas

Kucera Middle School
Rialto Unified School District

Kucera Middle School started the 2022-2023 school year with a new leader at its helm.

Since then, Principal Jennifer Cuevas has wasted no time in rallying her teachers together to become the first middle school in Rialto, CA to participate in the Breakfast In the Classroom program.

Fausat Rahman-Davies, Rialto Child Nutrition Services’ Lead Agent tells us, “Principal Cuevas is a trailblazer for the Breakfast in the Classroom program. A true maverick for ensuring that our scholars are fed so they can perform at their full potential while at school. Principal Cuevas has a warm heart, and she cares about her scholars. She has opened the door for other secondary schools to see how beneficial the Breakfast In the Classroom program is.”

Principal Cuevas joined her nutrition staff and delivered breakfast, engaged her students, and became a true partner to the nutrition staff on campus. With her leadership and vision, breakfast participation increased from 200 to 900 meals each day – a 350 percent increase!

“Student nutrition is so important for student success in the classroom. Having healthy food choices for breakfast, lunch, and sometimes after school, provides our students an opportunity to focus on learning in the classroom,” says Principal Cuevas. dreams.