During National School Breakfast Week (March 3 – 7, 2025), Chelsea School District celebrated the impact that free school breakfast has on students each day. Staff members from statewide food security nonprofit Project Bread joined Assistant Principal Julie Shea and cafeteria staff onsite at Clark Avenue Middle School on Wednesday, March 5 to enjoy a school breakfast of ham, egg, & cheese burritos, avocado toast, plus a brand new recipe for egg & spinach empanadas that kids were enjoying throughout the morning period. Students also grabbed overnight oats with banana and blueberries, as well as fresh hummus and cottage cheese bowls. Staff reported that one of the student favorites is the Thursday egg & cheese croissants, and they always rush in to grab them early.
“Kids need to start their day with breakfast. Going to class hungry is not an option,” shares Christine Follis, the Clark Avenue Cafeteria Manager with a nearly 30-year tenure in Chelsea food service. “We know presentation matters, and kids eat with their eyes, as we all do. We always make sure to have freshly prepared items each morning, so kids want to grab a breakfast here.”
Students who start their day with a nourishing school breakfast attend class ready to learn, score higher on tests, and have a higher attendance rate. In Chelsea, the school district is lifting up their freshly prepared and culturally relevant meals, even purchasing fresh eggs as prices continue to rise.
Project Bread connects people and communities in Massachusetts to reliable sources of food while advocating for policies that make food more accessible—so that no one goes hungry. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org.