Together for Breakfast: Parents Volunteer to Run School Breakfast Club

Set amongst the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, Upwey South Primary School is a school with around 270 students full of enthusiasm and positivity.

A Breakfast Club bursting with energy

Every Friday, roughly half of the students enrolled at Upwey South Primary School arrive at their School Breakfast Clubs Program, and the entire school comes to life with excitement and energy. The kids come running shortly after hearing the announcement over the speaker system, with a pre-recorded message created by the kids themselves thanks to the help of the local radio station next door.

Some students come straight from their weekly P.E. Running Club, while others are just starting their day. Getting excited for the end of the week, the atmosphere is buzzing as students pick what they’d like to eat for breakfast, with an array of options to choose from.

With every student invited to enjoy the School Breakfast Club Program, the morning feels completely positive and stigma free. As students choose from sliced fruit, bowls of cereal, or warm, buttery toast, they head on their way to enjoy their breakfast with friends in the courtyard outside and surrounds. Some families stick around to connect with other parents as their kids enjoy their breakfast, a true testament to the sense of community the school has created.

Parents strengthen community through volunteering

Parents Association President Jess took volunteering at the School Breakfast Clubs Program as a great opportunity to connect with other parents at the school. After a handful of parents put their hands up to help out each week, Jess created a network of 12 eager volunteers.

Each week, three or four parent volunteers arrive to school and roll up their sleeves as they get ready for the morning, slicing fruit, pouring bowls of cereal, and toasting bread, all while nurturing new relationships and catching up. Some parents also bring their children enrolled at the school to help out on the day, along with their younger kids to keep them company.

Volunteering together gives these parents an opportunity to connect with their community, all while putting in their share of hard work – every Friday, they go through a whole 13 loaves of bread making toast alone!

Nothing goes to waste

The team at Upwey South Primary School have created a set-up with sustainability in mind, making sure that nothing goes to waste. All leftovers are quickly snatched up before the kids start their school day, and even the scraps are put to good use – with leftover bread crusts fed to chickens that belong to one of the school’s families, and soft plastic wrapped up to be recycled later.

The School Breakfast Clubs Program volunteers have also taken the initiative to phase out single use cutlery and plates, which have been replaced with reusable, hard plastic cups, plates and bowls that are then washed up. The kids play their part by bringing their dishes back to the kitchen volunteers to be tidied up after they’ve enjoyed their healthy breakfast.

Testimonials 

“We work hard to service a school community in which ‘everyone belongs’. Our partnership with Foodbank Victoria has enabled community-belonging to be at the forefront of our minds. From the engagement with our Breakfast Club to termly and annual larger Foodbank events, there is a positive school spirit and genuine community connection which reaches out to everyone involved; from the toddlers to the grandparents, and everyone in between.”

Damien Kitch | Principal

“Breakfast is an important start to everyone’s day and with Foodbank’s dream that everyone has access to good food, we are able to do this. Our Friday mornings are abuzz with happy students, staff, parents, carers, grandparents and siblings. We enjoy the foods provided, we can share a meal with our cohort of students where friendships can be developed and nurtured. Volunteering staff and parents create a positive impact on our students. Teamwork, organisation and support is a huge part of our success. Our Breakfast Club rocks!”

SBCP Volunteers