Riverview Gardens honored for its breakfast program

By Scott Bandle

The St. Louis Dairy Council recently honored the Riverview Gardens School District for its efforts to have more students start the day with a good breakfast.

The council awarded the 2007 Breakfast Award Dinner for the district's efforts to make sure that a free breakfast is available for all students. The district received $500 for its innovative way of promoting the meal.

"It's been very successful at (Riverview Gardens) high school," said Kim Bryant, director of food services. "We average about 450 per day. We had to open a second line to accommodate all of the students."

The district is in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Provision 2 program. In Missouri, that allows just for breakfast.

"We're guaranteeing our students have at least one meal per day," Bryant said. "At the beginning of the school year, we sent out letters to the parents to let them know about the program. Then, word of mouth took over."

A good breakfast helps children learn, said Co-Superintendent Rhonda Key.

"It's brain food and wakes you up in the morning," Key said. "Some parents work and leave early. A lot of kids take care of themselves and may not eat breakfast. This helps them start the day with a meal."

The menu changes every other day, offering eggs, bacon, grits, waffles, pancakes and fresh fruit.