Dear Claremont Parents,
The Claremont Parent Advisory Council (CPAC) has recently started The Breakfast Club at the school. The program will begin Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:15 am to 8:55 am starting September 22nd. We serve breakfast items including bagels and spreads, juice boxes and hot drinks for a nominal charge, which are subsidized by CPAC.
Hunger has a huge impact on a child’s ability to learn and function. It prevents them from reaching their full potential in the classroom, and in life. 62% of secondary school students do not eat a healthy breakfast before school due to a poor socioeconomic home environment or time constraints, especially with before school practices, classes and club activities. Research shows us that when a child eats a breakfast their attendance, behavior, attitude and mood improves while test scores and comprehension increase. It also improves their overall nutrient consumption and positive attitudes towards eating breakfast – positive attitudes that help foster lifelong healthy eating habits (breakfastforlearning.ca).
We started the program after Spring Break with a goal to provide breakfast to students who missed it in the morning and to build the sense of community as the school. In these three months, participation had doubled to serving nearly 15% of the Claremont students each morning and we heard that the students loved that we cared. Given the success and benefits for students so far, the next step is to expand the number of days the program is offered with an aim to eventually run Monday to Friday as resources become available. However, in order to extend the programs operations we require additional funding and resources as well as volunteers, which is where you come in.
We appreciate how often you are approached for donations but we hope that you will consider lending your support to our cause. We would appreciate any form of contribution including funding, supplies or volunteering.
Please fill in and return the attached form to the school office.
Sincerely,
Teri VanWell, Claremont PAC President