http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/making-difference-youngest-students-title-1-schools_45676.mp3
For Making A Difference where You Live, I’m Mike Smith, at Delaware School in Springfield where students in Elaina Whitson’s 1stGrade class are enjoying an afternoon break from their teachers daily lesson plan…A milk break that is. (Sound of teacher directing student helpers to hand out milk and crackers to class)
The milk these kids are enjoying is provided through The Healthy Half-Pints Project, funded by a 4 member Springfield philanthropic coalition which included the Community Foundation of the Ozarks; The Musgrave Foundation; The Pendleton Family Foundation; and the North Point Church.
Elaina Whitson says the benefit of a daily afternoon milk break is evident: “It gives that extra boost of energy so that learning can occur. They’re certainly a lot better able to focus and more engaged because they feel satisfied physically I think, and so they’re able mentally and emotionally then prepare themselves and stay attentive”.
Kindergartners and 1stGraders in six of Springfield’s Title 1 schools are Healthy Half-Pints participants this school year. Schools that have identified 35% of their students as disadvantaged or at risk qualify for Title 1 funding. Students living in poverty is but one qualification.
Winter Skelton is Development Operations Officer for the Community Foundation of the Ozarks: “This program, Healthy Half-Pints, it’s everybody in the classroom that gets to have the milk break. Not just those who are able to afford it”. Skelton says discussion about the program began in the fall of 2011, and in January of 2012, the 4 members of the Healthy Half-Pints coalition agreed to fund the $10,000 cost to implement a pilot program in 4 Springfield Title 1 schools. “The CFO, Musgrave Foundation, Pendleton Family Foundation and the North Point Church, all ponied up $2,500 to start the pilot project. We served 25,214 cartons of milk from January to May 2012. The teachers and principals did like it at those schools, felt like we needed to continue it if there was funding into this school year, and Musgrave Foundation, through its Cents of Pride Program, put a $25,000 challenge grant on the table.” Which, as of Sept 19, 2012, is only $2,000 shy of goal.
In the current school year, Delaware, Pittman, Twain, Sherwood, Sunshine and Horace Mann schools are receiving Healthy Half-Pints funding. David Taylor is Communications Manager for the Musgrave Foundation: “For years, you could bring money and buy milk, but as the recession hit and unemployment rose, the number of children who could bring a quarter to buy milk, started falling. So then, there was only 3-5 kids in the class of 25 or so who had milk, and the rest of the class would sit there with no afternoon snack. It was an uncomfortable situation, and I think they just pretty well dropped the whole afternoon snack program completely”. Being made aware of that, a concerned Musgrave Foundation staff member pitched the idea of funding the return of milk breaks to the classrooms. Again, David Taylor: “We realized that the youngest kids are the ones most at risk in that scenario. Because typically in an elementary school, the youngest kids eat first, so you can imagine by 1:30-2:00 in the afternoon what was going on. These kids had an empty belly, and teachers were seeing issues with kids not paying attention and not staying focused.
Delaware 1stGrade Teacher Elaina Whitson: “Certainly hunger is a hurdle to learning, and this program is needed because w/o the program, the majority of our students wouldn’t have that half pint of milk. And even for many of them, that’s the only milk they’d have for the entire day. So it’s really essential to their physical growth, and their development as a child in such a critical time in their lives, and then also as a student in their learning”.
Winter Skelton says : “The CFO would love to accept contributions and donations to the Healthy Half-Pints fund. Checks can be made payable to Health Half Pints and mailed to CFO, or they can get on our website (www.cfozarks.org) and make an online donation as long as they designate Healthy Half Pints in the program field when entering their credit card gift”.
For Making A Difference Where you live on KSMU and ksmu.org, I’m Mike Smith.