Milk processor Fonterra is raising a glass of milk to a milestone in serving more than 50 million breakfasts to Kiwi kids since 2009.

In Northland, 122 schools are involved in the KickStart Breakfast programme,
representing 80 per cent of all schools in Northland.

The Northland region makes up 9 per cent of the total KickStart Breakfast schools.

KickStart Breakfast provides long-life Anchor Milk and Sanitarium Weet-Bix as a nutritional foundation for a day of learning.

The programme is a partnership between Fonterra, Sanitarium and the Ministry of Social Development, designed to positively impact child wellbeing by providing access to nutritious food at school.

Maromaku School principal Paula Ashcroft said the breakfasts had become a highlight for students, offering a relaxed social environment.

“We offer a variety of themes for students, so no day is the same. We have music playing, students can choose between sitting around a large table together or outside – it’s been great for building new relationships.

“I love that we can feed the children and offer an environment suited for everyone”.

Tracey Putt, relationship manager for Kickstart Breakfast, said the milestone had been important to recognise the wider benefits of the breakfast programme.

“KickStart Breakfast sets students up for learning, provides a welcoming space and opportunities to hone skills such as interacting with a range of people, building new or stronger connections and leading or supporting others”.

The programme allows flexibility to work best for students and their needs, offering them the opportunity to partake in social activities that prepare them for the future.

Over the breakfast table, students are not only kickstarting their school day with a healthy and nutritious breakfast, but are developing life-long lessons on leadership, relationship building, responsibility and community support.

The breakfast club creates an environment that encourages students to engage in social interactions, learning from senior peers, teachers and volunteers. Students enjoy leading breakfast clubs, helping them develop leadership skills.

Putt said children were now well looked after with the KickStart programme boosted by the Government’s Healthy Lunches and Fruit in Schools programmes, which targeted schools in areas of high social and health need.

The KidsCan Charitable Trust is another source of help, providing food, shoes, jackets and basic health items. The trust supports more than 800 schools and 100 early childhood education centres.

The programmes represented a huge cost saving for parents, who no longer needed to provide food for children in those areas.

Children could grab fruit whenever they wanted a snack, and they were provided with breakfast, morning tea and lunch at school. Anything left over was sent home to families. The food programmes were described by one principal as “the best thing ever”.

Putt said the food programmes removed a huge barrier for parents who might have been ashamed about having to send their kids to school without food, and so avoided the programme by keeping them at home.

“In the past, incredible teachers used to put their hands in their own pockets to make sure kids were fed so they were able to concentrate at school. Now there is no need for teachers to do that as the kids are well fed.”

She said the KickStart Breakfast programme had no barriers or parameters, with all schools welcome to use the service.

“School is the best place for kids to be, and they are all set with a healthy start to the day.

“Weet-Bix provides slow-release fibre and the protein in milk keeps them full for longer.

“Milk used to be a household staple, but it’s now sometimes not so readily available. At school the kids can have milk on their breakfast and also have glasses of milk if they want.”

Putt said she encouraged schools to vary the breakfasts to ensure the children did not get bored.

“They can use the fresh fruit or tinned fruit to add to the breakfasts or to make into smoothies, which children love. Milk, fruit and Weet-Bix makes a really filling smoothie.

“Warming the milk in winter also makes a nice treat in winter.

“It all helps keep the excitement up.”

The Ministry of Social Development supports the programme through funding, allowing breakfast clubs to operate nationally, five days a week.