Classroom Breakfast

Experience in California and other states shows that serving breakfast in the classroom often increases school breakfast participation to nearly 100 percent. With the Classroom Breakfast model, all students are offered breakfast at the start of the school day. Breakfast is served, eaten, and cleared during the first 10-15 minutes of class while teachers conduct administrative activities or begin the day's lessons. Classroom Breakfast helps ensure that all students start the school day well nourished and ready to learn.

Classroom Breakfast and Instructional Minutes

In September 2011, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson released a letter expressing his support as the new honorary chair of the BreakfastFirst Campaign. The letter emphasized the benefits of school breakfast and the importance of innovative service models. Referencing a July 2010 letter from the former State Superintendent and the State Controller, Mr. Torlakson confirmed that Classroom Breakfast can count towards instructional minutes for the purposes of an audit.

Read Superintendent Torlakson's letter. PDF

Read the July 2010 letter on Classroom Breakfast and instructional minutes. PDF

Classroom Breakfast Successes

See successful breakfast programs in action! The Everybody Eats video features both the Classroom Breakfast and Second Chance/Grab n' Go Breakfast models. 

Watch to see how the programs operate and hear teachers, administrators, food services employees, custodial staff, parents, and students discuss their experiences with innovative breakfast models.

Another very informative Classroom Breakfast video is available from San Diego Unified School District.

More Classroom Breakfast Resources

Visit the A Toast to Breakfast page to see how schools are putting students and breakfast first with Grab n' Go!