Nutrition News            
Hartford Public Schools
Department of Food Services
And Nutrition Education
Vol. VI, Issue II, 1998-99

 The Importance of School Breakfast

 Many studies have shown the negative effects of severe malnutrition on early childhood development and functioning. Chronic malnutrition negatively affects children's social, emotional, and cognitive functioning. Undernourished children tend to be less active, more dependent on adults, and more anxious. They interact less with others and show less affect than their better nourished peers. Studies of the cognitive effects of nutritional deprivation have also shown deficits in attention and working memory.

Baltimore schools, like Hartford, provide universal meals to children. The results of a study there showed children who ate school breakfast often had higher math grades. They also showed the greatest improvement in attendance and punctuality. The Baltimore teachers also reported that the students demonstrated great decreases in hyperactivity after regularly eating breakfast at school.

We invite all students to eat breakfast at school every day. It is very important that all students who are taking the Connecticut Mastery Test eat breakfast before the test. Please encourage your fourth, sixth, and eighth grade students to eat a healthy breakfast by meeting them in the cafeteria.

 Congratulations to Weaver High School's Food Service staff, students and staff for winning first place in the 1997-98 Cartons for Computers Contest sponsored by the Milk Mustache Campaign and the National Cheerleaders Association. Weaver students won $1,000 for computers and $500 for cheer leading uniforms. In the 1996-97 school year, Weaver won second place in the contest.

Golden Muffin Awards

Every year the Food Service and Nutrition Education Department and the Hartford Food Policy Commission sponsors the Golden Muffin Award for schools that have increased their breakfast participation. Last year the winners were:

West Middle: Greatest increase in past year

SAND: Second greatest increase

Burns: Greatest # served on one day

Kinsella: Highest % of students served (Elementary)

Betances: Second highest % of students served

South Middle: Highest % of students served (Middle School)

Congratulations on your commitment to well nourished children!

 The Food Services and Nutrition Education Department, the Art Department and the Connecticut Departments of Health and Agriculture sponsored and coordinated a poster contest for all fourth grade students in the Hartford Public Schools. Fourth graders at Barnard Brown, Batchelder, Betances, Burns, Clark, Fisher, King, Milner, Sanchez, SAND, and Wish drew outstanding posters for the contest. A special thanks to the Art teachers for including this activity in the fall curriculum and to the students for their contribution. We will print the prizes and winners in next month's Nutrition News.

 Nutrition Education classes

Nutrition education classes may be scheduled for pre school- high school students on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays by calling Susan Davis at 297-8490.

 If you are planning interesting nutrition activities in your classroom, let us know, because we would like to include them in the News. Send short articles to Susan Davis, Food Services Department. Our e-mail address is foodserv@rcn.com. Our Web site URL is http://users.rcn.com/foodserv/home.htm .