The Elgin Teachers Association has been instrumental in working with the school district to champion the Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) program. Recently, I was able to catch up with Kathryn Castle, President of the Elgin Teachers Association to hear about the recent BIC media event that took place at Harriet Gifford Elementary School and find out how the program is going. Here’s what she had to say:
1. Tell us about your visit to Harriett Gifford Elementary School and what you saw?
KC: I had the pleasure of sitting in on a 2nd grade classroom. The teachers and students were all very much in a routine for their classroom breakfast. The students were eating without needing assistance or encouragement. While students were eating, other routines continued in preparation for the learning that was to follow.
2. What feedback did you hear from the teachers and school staff about BIC?
KC: A lot of teachers stated that it was a rocky start, as all new processes are, but that things now are now running smoothly. Teachers appreciate being able to express their concerns and opinions about the program and feel that overall students are engaged in the routines and are prepared to learn.
3. Why did ETA want to be involved in bringing the BIC program to Elgin U-46 School District?
KC: The teachers and our school families are a community that comes together in the best interests of our children. We need to support each other in any way we can if our schools are to succeed in providing the best learning environments. The ongoing challenges to bring quality schools to all neighborhoods need the collaborative efforts of many. This project provided the teachers to not only impact the lives of their students, but also allowed their input on how best to make this work in each classroom.
4. Growing up what was your favorite breakfast food?
KC: Snap, Crackle and Pop were always my friends at the breakfast table!
Elgin U-46 School District in Elgin, IL is one of 10 schools districts chosen to receive funding from the Walmart Foundation to increase the number of students participating in the school breakfast program. To learn more about the BIC Program in Elgin, check out Part 1 of our spotlight on their district.
ETA and the Illinois Education Association (IEA) have been valued partners in the Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom program. To learn more about ETA visit http://theeta.org/ and to learn more about IEA visit http://www.ieanea.org/.
To learn more about the Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom visit www.breakfastintheclassroom.org.
|
|