Celebrating 10 years of KickStart Breakfast - Manurewa Intermediate

When KickStart Breakfast first started in 2009, Manurewa Intermediate was one of 200 decile 1-4 schools to join the programme. Deputy Principal, Greer Doidge, shares the impact KickStart Breakfast has had on their tamariki and school community.

“Manurewa Intermediate holds Breakfast Club every day of the week and about 150 children attend every day between 7.30 and 8.30. Breakfast Club is also held at playtime for those who may have come late to school. The goods and service provided by the KickStart Breakfast team have been invaluable in ensuring our kids have a good healthy meal to start their day of learning. Many of our children currently live in emergency housing or overcrowded accommodation and supplies of food are limited. By having breakfast available at school, we have been able to ensure that all children eat at least once a day.

We run Breakfast Club as a competition so that the social stigma of needing to eat because of poverty is replaced by a healthy competition - this has also created a little social community amongst the Breakfast Club children that is delightful to witness. The impact of this socially acceptable intervention cannot be undermined. Before this was available, parents would often keep children home as they were embarrassed that their children had not eaten. Children would be lethargic in class from eating cheap substitutes for breakfast and with the introduction of healthy Weet-Bix and milk, children are notably more able to engage and are much more attentive.

This has been a factor in improving their attainment AND our attendance is over 90% schoolwide so this has had a big positive impact on whether children come to school or not too. We are indebted to our sponsors and supporters at Kickstart for allowing us the resources that make a real difference to our kids’ lives.”

Manurewa Intermediate has been recognised several times within our KickStart Breakfast annual awards with year 8 student, Hailey Brown receiving this year’s 2019 Student Champion of the Year!