For high school students who want to socialize or rush to put the finishing touches on a homework assignment before the bell rings at 7:20 a.m., breakfast is not always a priority.
To make sure students have the opportunity to partake in the most important meal of the day, a new program at two York County School Division high schools is bringing breakfast to them.
In September, Sodexo, the school division’s food services contractor, debuted the Fast Takes breakfast cart program at York High School. The cart offers students a variety of breakfast snacks and light fare, including breakfast sandwiches, fruit parfaits, breakfast bars, fresh fruit, juice and milk.
Katherine Goff, a spokesperson for YCSD, said the program came about because of students’ busy schedules. Sodexo regularly asks for feedback from students to improve its services, and Goff said the company was particularly interested in how to increase participation in its standard cafeteria breakfast program, which is open to all students every morning.
Students said time was the biggest factor in deciding to skip breakfast.
“They like to spend those first few minutes to talk to their friends,” said Dr. Kendra Crump, the principal at York High. “With this, Sodexo takes the breakfast to them.”
To fit breakfast into students’ schedules, Sodexo introduced the mobile breakfast cart. York High, which houses the company’s YCSD office, was the first school to benefit from the Fast Takes program.
The mobile cart sets up each morning at 7:20 a.m. in the school’s hallway, allowing students easy access. Rather than waiting in the breakfast line in the cafeteria, students can grab a breakfast item on their way to class.
That “grab-and-go” style of breakfast has grown in popularity at York High since the cart rolled out Sept. 8. Goff said breakfast meal counts have more than doubled compared to last year, and a la carte breakfast sales have increased 35 percent.
“While we encourage all students to have a complete meal, some just want a banana or a fresh fruit cup,” Goff said in an email.
Crump said the program benefits students in more ways than simply staving off hunger. Breakfast helps young people get the nutrition they need for school work and physical activity, makes them less tired and sluggish, provides energy and helps maintain a healthy weight. Crump also said the program could have a positive effect on academics, as breakfast can help improve a teenager’s memory.
The York High breakfast cart was successful enough that Sodexo expanded the program to Tabb High on Oct. 6. Since its debut, Goff said breakfast counts at the school had increased 38 percent, and a la carte sales had risen 41 percent.
A third cart is scheduled to begin operations at Bruton High School near the end of October.
Goff said the school division hoped to expand the Fast Takes program to all four high schools, and eventually to the middle school level. Elementary schools would not see the program, Goff said, as student participation in the cafeteria breakfast program is already high.
The traditional cafeteria breakfast program will remain in place, but for students on-the-go, Goff said Fast Takes was a good option.
“It’s very important for students to get the most important meal of the day,” Goff said. “This gives them a second opportunity.”
Walsingham Students Honored by National Merit Scholarship Program
Two Walsingham Academy students were recognized as Commended Scholars in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Seniors Andrew Hartman and Emma Schellpeper received the 2015 honor, which recognizes students who placed in the top 5 percent of students who took the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test.
More than 1.5 million students took the PSAT/NMSQT in 2013.
“It is a privilege to announce this honor earned by Drew and Emma,” Walsingham’s Upper School Director Martha McArthur said in a statement. “In fact, their achievements go well beyond test scores; the latter merely reflect what their performance in so many domains has already established. I am confident that Drew and Emma will translate their talents into significant contributions to our society. The Walsingham Community celebrates with them this special recognition.”
Student-Run Credit Union Opens at Warhill High School
Warhill High School hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday for the opening of its first student-run credit union.
The Warhill branch of BayPort Credit Union is the second to open for business in the James City County school. York High School had its own ribbon cutting ceremony in September.
The Warhill and York branches are geared toward students experiencing personal finance for the first time. Students can make deposits and withdrawals of up to $20 per day during lunch hours, and accounts opened through the school branch carry over to other BayPort branches. It is also open to faculty, staff and students with existing BayPort accounts.
Student tellers handle the transactions, gaining financial experience in the process.
“BayPort Credit Union is excited about the opening of the Warhill Branch and the opportunities the Warhill students will have for hands on banking,” Kris Moore, Youth Financial Educator with BayPort, said in an email.
Other high schools in Hampton Roads, including Kecoughtan High School and Heritage High School, have also debuted student-run BayPort Credit Union branches this year.
