Commissioner Miller Joins Leander ISD For Fuel Greatness Event to Kick Off National School Breakfast Week (3/8/2016)

AUSTIN – Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller today joined the Leander Independent School District and Dallas Cowboys strong safety Barry Church for the Dairy MAX 2016 Breakfast Games to celebrate National School Breakfast Week, which runs March 7-11, 2016. Commissioner Miller spoke to students at Pleasant Hill Elementary School about the importance of eating a healthy breakfast every day and the role Texas agriculture plays in their lives every day.

“Every morning that kids start their day with a healthy breakfast is a day they start off on the right foot, and that’s why we’re using National School Breakfast Week as a tool to teach Texas children why breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” Commissioner Miller said. “We want young Texans to know that starting the morning with a healthy breakfast is the best way to fuel up for a successful day of learning at school. Our farmers and ranchers play a critical role in that success, and this week is another opportunity to help teach our students why Texas agriculture matters.”

There are many physical and mental benefits of eating a healthy breakfast for Texans of all ages, but particularly for young Texans whose bodies and minds are growing and learning in the classroom. In Texas elementary schools, the theme for this year’s School Breakfast Week is Discover the Great Plate of Texas with a Healthy Breakfast, and in middle and high schools, the theme is Power Up with Breakfast – Stay Charged up Longer.

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) partners with schools year-round to provide nutritious breakfasts to more than 1.7 million Texas schoolchildren each day. This includes connecting schools with local farmers and agricultural producers through the Farm Fresh Network to supply wholesome, locally grown foods. These efforts mean that Texas students enjoy more than 300 million breakfasts each year at more than 8,000 locations.

TDA empowers Texas schools to find innovative options to teach students about the importance of good nutrition and healthy habits, and to provide nutritious, delicious meals students want to eat. To help celebrate National School Breakfast Week, TDA provided schools with menus, recipes, scripts and banners. Below is a sampling of the activities taking place in schools across the state for National School Breakfast Week celebrations.

• Austin Independent School District is featuring a prize pack drawing for kids who eat breakfast all five days at school, as well as hosting fun events like Wake up to School Breakfast with Mom and Dad at Blanton Elementary.
• Crowley Independent School District will host a coloring contest in their elementary schools, and students will be entered to win a prize.
• Four Bluff Independent School District will make nutrition fun with taste testings at different campuses each day, along with offering nutrition education to students during breakfast.
• Knippa Independent School District created a Wild About Breakfast theme for the week, with animal print bulletin boards, pencils and erasers to make activities fun for the kids.

For more information about School Breakfast Week in Texas, visit www.squaremeals.org/SBW.