WALTHAM, MA – Waltham's city officials joined its youngest community members this week to celebrate National School Breakfast Week. Mayor Jeannette McCarthy and Rep. Thomas Stanley, along with Project Bread, stopped by Plympton Elementary School to highlight the link between eating a good breakfast and practicing a healthy lifestyle and help spread the word about Plympton's school breakfast program.

Chef Reva from Healthy Waltham was also on hand to introduce kids to her healthy take on a "funfetti" parfait, using yogurt, bananas and other nutritious toppings. How were they?

Well, one first grader pulled Chef Reva aside to say, "There is only one word to describe these parfaits – DE-LI-CIOUS!" National School Breakfast Week was celebrated this year from March 6-10.

More than 55 percent of Plympton students qualify for free or reduced-price meals and currently 33 percent of those utilize the school breakfast. WPS Food Service Director April Liles has been working to incorporate new and exciting menu items for students and spread awareness about the school breakfast program. "Project Bread has seen tremendous growth in student participation in the breakfast programs across the state; we are working hard to replicate that success here in Waltham, too," Maura Ackerman, director of the Child Nutrition Outreach Program at Project Bread, said in a statement. "By serving a nutritious breakfast, schools like Plympton Elementary are equaling the playing field, ensuring that—regardless of means—all students receive the food they need to fuel healthy growth and development, enabling them to begin each day ready to learn."



Back Row (left to right): Jen Wade (USDA), Assistant Principal Alex Audette, Hilary Walentuk (New England Dairy and Food Council), Rob Leshin (MA Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education), State Rep. Thomas Stanley, Principal Maureen Taddeo, Superintendent Dr. Drew Echelson, John Frassica (School Committee), Cheryl Fogerty (USDA)

Front row (left to right): Mayor Jeannette McCarthy, Maria DeGeorgio (Crossing Guard), Chef Reva Haselkorn (Healthy Waltham), Food Service Director April Liles, Maura Ackerman (Project Bread), Rosemarie Caward (Project Bread)