City Hill Middle School Hosts School Breakfast Celebration with Special Guests

City Hill Middle School Hosts School Breakfast Celebration with Special Guests

Former New England Patriots Tight End Jermaine Wiggins and Connecticut Dairy Farmer Melissa Greenbacker visited the school to reward them for outstanding success with school breakfast

Naugatuck, CT – June 16, 2014 – City Hill Middle School received a visit from a couple of special guests today as a reward for outstanding success with their school breakfast program. On behalf of the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, Former New England Patriots Tight End Jermaine Wiggins and Connecticut Dairy Farmer Melissa Greenbacker made a special visit to the school to congratulate the students and faculty on implementing a successful Breakfast in the Classroom program. Research shows that students who eat a healthy breakfast at school show improved academic performance, have fewer behavioral issues, improved attention span and fewer visits to the school nurse. Funding to start the City Hill Middle School Breakfast in the Classroom program was provided by the dairy farm families of Connecticut through a partnership between the Connecticut Milk Promotion Board and the New England Dairy & Food Council.

In 2013, Naugatuck’s Food Service Director Kate Murphy was recognized as a Connecticut School Breakfast Challenge award winner for her district level increase in school breakfast participation.  Murphy, with the strong support of City Hill Middle School principal Brian Hendrickson, continues her drive to help students start their day ready to learn and has since implemented the Breakfast in the Classroom program at the City Hill Middle School with great success.

“Breakfast in the Classroom has been an important tool for increasing the number of City Hill students starting the day focused and ready to learn,” said Brian Hendrickson, principal of City Hill Middle School. “By bringing breakfast into classrooms, we've been able to provide students with time for positive social interaction surrounding nutrition while working to eliminate the stigma that is often associated with nutrition assistance programs.” 

“The staff and faculty at City Hill knows how important it is for our students to start their day off ready to learn” says Murphy, “and breakfast in the classroom is a great way to make that happen”.

During the celebration, Wiggins spoke to the students about the importance of fueling up with nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat and fat free dairy for breakfast every day at school. Melissa Greenbacker, dairy farmer and owner of Brookfield Farm in Durham, CT, also joined the students and talked to them about dairy farmers’ commitment to student wellness.

More than 73,000 schools are involved in Fuel Up to Play 60 nationwide, including more than 1,000 schools in Connecitcut. Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 provides support for a variety of activities and tools, such as foodservice materials and equipment, nutrition and physical education materials, student and staff incentives, staff development and overall program implementation. Visit www.FuelUptoPlay60.com to learn more.

About the Dairy Farm Families of Connecticut

The dairy farm families of Connecticut support the health and wellness of kids in local schools, and the Fuel Up To Play 60 program is a major initiative to achieve that goal. Connecticut’s dairy farms are a vital part of the local economy, and they play a key role in preserving the beauty of the green fields and open spaces that make this region special to residents and visitors alike. Funding for this program is provided by those dairy farm families through a partnership between the Connecticut Milk Promotion Board chaired by Commissioner of Agriculture Steven Reviczky, and the New England Dairy & Food Council.

About New England Dairy & Food Council

New England Dairy & Food Council (NEDFC) is a non-profit nutrition education organization staffed by registered dietitians. NEDFC is a state and regional affiliate of the National Dairy Council® (NDC).  Our goal is to ensure that health professionals, scientists, media and educators have a credible body of nutrition information upon which to base health recommendations.

About Fuel Up to Play 60

Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council (NDC) and National Football League (NFL), with additional partnership support from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program encourages youth to consume nutrient-dense foods (low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

Fuel Up to Play 60 is designed to engage and empower youth to take action for their own health by implementing long-term, positive changes for themselves and their schools. Customizable and non-prescriptive program components are grounded in research with youth, including tools and resources, in-school promotional materials, a website and student challenges. Fuel Up to Play 60 is further supported by several health and nutrition organizations: Action for Healthy Kids, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Association/Foundation, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Medical Association and School Nutrition Association. Visit FuelUpToPlay60.com to learn more.

About National Dairy Council

National Dairy Council® (NDC) is the nutrition research, education and communications arm of Dairy Management Inc™. On behalf of U.S. dairy farmers, NDC provides science-based nutrition information to, and in collaboration with, a variety of stakeholders committed to fostering a healthier society, including health professionals, educators, school nutrition directors, academia, industry, consumers and media. Established in 1915, NDC is dedicated to educating the public on the health benefits of consuming milk and milk products throughout a person’s lifespan. For more information, visit www.NationalDairyCouncil.org.