A Breakfast Club teaching all the skills

Kilmore Primary School has 507 students and serves around 50 students breakfast four mornings a week at their School Breakfast Clubs Program. Richie and Mez run a tight ship, serving up steaming hot spaghetti, buttery toast, crunchy cereal, fresh fruit and more.

The Kilmore Primary School Breakfast Clubs Program has evolved over time. Richie listens to feedback from the students and makes changes for the better. One example is the way the food is served. The students requested to serve their own breakfast, which once initiated has had many positive side effects.

The students are spooning their own spaghetti and spreading vegemite on their buttered toast. The kids love the sense of responsibility that comes with this and there has been less waste as kids only take as much as they will eat.

Student leaders in the group are given responsibility overseeing the food distribution, which is providing them with valuable organisational and communication skills. An unexpected benefit is that the students are also washing up their own dishes. The school has a bucket with warm water and a brush on a table, where the dishes are rinsed and placed into another bucket. A student helper stays at the table to make sure that the process is followed, and then puts the dishes into the dishwasher for a final clean.

While we were visiting the school, two students came into the Breakfast Club to ask if they could help. The Helper positions and badges are sought after. These positions are provided to students who have displayed good behaviour, and they are also used as an incentive for good behaviour.

Another change that has been introduced is the move from many small tables to sit at, to two long tables. This change encouraged different age groups to sit with each other and mingle, with great outcomes.

A garden that delivers the goods

Mez is the fearless leader over the Kilmore Primary School Kitchen Garden. She used her green thumb to turn a patch of wild weeds into a productive vege patch providing food for the school hampers and much more. The kids are rewarded for good behaviour with a visit to the garden to pick peas and passionfruit. There were several watermelons that many kids had their eyes on!

A few lucky students are provided the opportunity to be the Garden Ambassadors. This is a sought after position, which is seen as a real reward for good behaviour and leadership in the school.

Testimonials from Kilmore Primary School

“Our Breakfast Club program has made a huge contribution to promoting the wellbeing and engagement of our students. In addition to providing students with a nutritious meal to ensure that they are fuelled for learning, it has also fostered social interaction and built friendships among students from different classes, enhancing their sense of belonging and community.”

Neil O’Sullivan | Principal

“The KPS Breakfast Club has gone from strength to strength. The staff who run the program are passionate about supporting all students and developing their independence and lifelong skills. The program has had a ripple effect across the school. The students at KPS start the day ready to learn as a result of having access to breakfast as well as providing healthy food choices throughout the day. The program then reaches the broader school community through our Random Acts of Kindness hampers. Thank you to Foodbank for their ongoing support of our school community.”

Julie Smith | Assistant Principal