20 October 2025
Favona School: Adapting KickStart Breakfast to Nourish Community
One of the defining strengths of Favona School’s KickStart Breakfast programme is its ability to adapt and evolve, shaped always by the needs, hopes, and daily rhythms of tamariki and staff. Located in Mangere, Auckland, Favona School has woven KickStart Breakfast values into the fabric of school life, ensuring that every tamariki starts the day with nourishment, connection, and care.
Where in all began
When Favona School first started with KickStart Breakfast back in mid 2017, breakfast club was held in the Favona fale—a vibrant gathering space where groups from across the school meet together. In this communal setting, students not only enjoy their breakfast but also pitch in to help with setting up. Teachers from each of the four Favona whanau groups took turns overseeing breakfast, making it a truly shared responsibility.
The breakfast club then moved to one of the school’s covered, decked areas, transforming the meal into a picnic-style start to the day. Here, tamariki could grab and enjoy Weet-Bix and milk, toast, fruit cups—or some mornings yummy eggs, courtesy of the school’s chickens when they’re laying! This flexible approach means breakfast can be enjoyed in the sunshine, with friends, and in a relaxed outdoor environment.
Whānau-Led Breakfasts: Building Connections
Fast forward through the pandemic and Favona staff decided to relook at what worked best for both staff and tamariki. Their KickStart Breakfast club adapted and now each of the four whānau groups runs its own breakfast club in its own space. This low-key, intimate arrangement lets Kaiako and tamariki get to know each other around the breakfast table. It’s during these moments—pouring milk, sharing cereal, cleaning up together—that strong bonds are forged, and the school’s values are lived out. Leadership and service opportunities naturally arise, with students stepping up to help and show care for those around them.
Favona School is excited to soon introduce special recognition badges and aprons for these student helpers, recognising their commitment and the important role they play each morning.
More Than a Meal
The most important part of Favona School’s Breakfast Club is simple: every student knows that kai is available before the first bell rings. Breakfast Club is a normal, welcome part of the school day—one that nourishes bodies, spirits and friendships. It’s a space where a teacher might spot a child who needs a little extra support, or where a quiet student might make a new friend over a bowl of Weet-Bix or helping a peer pour the milk.
“Universally, food is what we need for health,” shares principal Diane Wiechern, “but it is more than that. It is an opportunity for people to come together, be together, and break bread—or in our case, open cereal and baked beans—together.”
Student Voice: Giving and Receiving
As one student helper puts it:
“I like Breakfast Club, because I get to provide food for kids that need it. Also, it’s interesting, because I get free food, and I don’t have to worry.”
At Favona School, KickStart Breakfast has become a daily act of kindness, a chance for leadership and learning, and a foundation for a caring, connected school community.
