Breakfast Program

Now in it’s 10th year our weekly Free Breakfast for our Year 5 – 12 students continue to grow with numbers attending each week surpassing 100.  However this was not always the case.  Please read on to find out more about this now very popular weekly event.

The History

Back in 2008, the school nurse and welfare officer at the time aould serve breakfast out of the kitchen on a Tuesday morning. We offered fruit juice, cereal and toast and would have a total of ten students (on a good day) attend. Some days just three or four would come along. We tried to advertise throughout the school but numbers did not improve. As time went on we discovered that the only students attending were those off the Tungamah bus as it was the first bus to arrive. Unfortunately, other students decided that it was exclusively for these students and would not come in. A stigma had developed around the program and we could not change the culture that emerged.

Then in 2009, six students from Year 9 were fortunate enough to attend the School for leadership in Glenormiston for 9 weeks. As part of their experience, they had to come up with a personal learning project/idea that they could initiate when they returned back to school in Yarrawonga.  The students approached the welfare officer and asked if they could do their project on the breakfast program to try and increase numbers etc. Of course this was supported … and as they say “the rest is history”.

So, when the students returned, we had a “Big Breakfast” one morning for the whole school during period 1 (9-10am). We cooked sausages and egg and bacon rolls, pancakes, cereal, toast, juice, milo, fruit etc. The school band played music and we had Dan Thompson, our local dietitian come and speak to the whole school about healthy eating.

The Story Now

From years 5-12 we have approximately 530 students this year. (264 males & 266 females) every Wednesday morning in the Senior Campus Home Economics Kitchen from 7.45-8.45am.

On average we have 140-180 students attend every week. We know this through our lucky ticket draw. And records were broken just a week ago with 200+ students attending. So close to half of our students are attending breakfast. It was awesome. Staff continually remind students of the program and it is also advertised in our newsletter and on the school facebook page.

How much food (weekly)

8-10kg of bacon, 15 dozen eggs, 10 litres of milk, 10-12 litres of juice, 1-2 milo cans, quarter of watermelon, 6 bananas, 8 apples, 10-12 litres of homemade pancake mix, 12-14 loaves of bread and 50-60 rolls

We look forward to this program continuing for another ten years.   If you are a local business who would like to donate supplies or a volunteer who would like to help us serve and cook the meals please do not hesitate to contact Karen Rennie on 5744 1751.