Everyday Heroes - Ranapia & Norah

We would like to say a big thank you to those of you who featured in our Women’s Weekly and New Idea Everyday Heroes articles. There are some great things going on in our KickStart Breakfast Clubs and it’s been great to share some of these stories with the rest of New Zealand.

The below story features Everyday Heroes Ranapia and Norah from James Street School who involve Year six Breakfast club monitors to run their breakfast club. For more Everyday Heroes articles please visit www.kickstartbreakfast.co.nz/news. Enjoy the read!

While some children might grumble about having to get out of bed extra early on a school morning, ten year old Ranapia doesn’t mind one bit.

He’s happy to get going because it means he can get stuck in to helping to set up his school’s KickStart Breakfast club, and fulfill his role as a school leader, a job he is pretty proud of.

By the time children start rolling through the doors of room 11a at James Street Primary School in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Ranapia and the other student leaders have already brought the milk and Weet-Bix across from another block, filled up a bucket with hot water and washing liquid, laid out the bowls and spoons and organised tea towels so that everything is ready.

“I get a breakfast at home and when I found out about this I thought I could give it a go and become one of the leaders of the school,” says Ranapia. “I like being able to help the little kids.”

The decile two school joined the KickStart Breakfast club two years ago and up to 25 children attend. Principal Norah Schreiber says they chose this programme because it ticked all the boxes for them when they were looking for a way to improve the health and learning of their pupils.

“The Health Promotion team identified that by having a breakfast club at the school we would see huge benefits,” she says.

“It just makes the children more ready to learn. Everybody is welcome, so there is no stigma attached and it’s just a wonderful way for children to start the day around a table with their friends.”

Fonterra and Sanitarium provide the only products that make up the KickStart Breakfast while the school community manages the delivery. At James Street School this responsibility is handled efficiently by the Year Six Breakfast club monitors who are rostered on throughout the week.

“The children have been fantastic! It’s one of the leadership opportunities we have at the school and they are so enthusiastic and take it very seriously.”

Teachers will pop in to make sure things are running smoothly, but Ranapia and his fellow monitors always

have things under control. “The rules are you can only have two Weet-Bix each and you have to wash your dishes. Mostly I wash up for the little ones because they don’t know how,” he says.

The enthusiasm for healthy eating has spread at the school and last month they hosted a “Healthy Learners” day beginning with a shared breakfast with parents and whanau, followed by learning activities, a picnic lunch and an afternoon of sport.

“We are really focused on teaching personal responsibility, health, good manners and leadership,” says Norah.

“As well as helping the children get a good breakfast in the morning, KickStart Breakfast has really helped us to deliver all those things. We are really thrilled we are able to have it.”