Oh no! Your alarm didn’t go off!  You only have 15 minutes to get to school.

You throw on your clothes, catch a ride and phew!  You just barely made it. There’s only one problem: you’re starving.

You walk into first period, dreading a hungry morning, only to see that breakfast is waiting for you.

We’ve all been there. To help with this, Watkins Mill High School has added a new program–the breakfast program.  Principal Carol Goddard said that she absolutely loves the breakfast program because it offers breakfast to every student. “Research will tell you that without breakfast you won’t do as well as you can,” Goddard said.

This was meant to help with student performance and mostly making sure that students are awake before class starts.  It also ensures breakfast for all students, not just those with free and reduced meals, taking away any potential stigma attached to the free meals.  It also ensures that all students are more awake and ready to learn.

“I think that it’s awesome that they’re doing this because it is helping promote eating breakfast and it saves people time in the morning,” senior Brenda Lopez said.

Lopez’s favorite breakfast items are the apple slices and yogurt. “I see people going to class 20 minutes early for the thirst of food,” Lopez added. At Whetstone elementary school, Lopez also had free breakfast each morning. Lopez said that the only improvement to be made would be adding condiments. “I want to get lost in the sauce,” Lopez said.

“It is a great program for kids here,” senior Nicole Rojas said.  “And it is a privilege of giving kids food who may have no time or no money.” Rojas’ favorite breakfast is the cinnamon pancakes because they have the most flavor. “Kids have no more excuse to say they don’t have breakfast,” Rojas added.  “And they are more prepared and alive during exams.”

The breakfast “is really good,” sophomore Eric Sherman said. “It helps a lot throughout the day because usually I’d get tired around fourth period.”

Junior Sam Gates said that his favorite breakfast is either the bagels or cinnamon buns. “It’s a good attempt at doing the right thing,” Gates said, but he feels there should be more variety in the breakfast options, including healthier choices.

Sophomore Simmi Gonsalves, whose favorite breakfast is the Pillsbury mini-bagels, thinks “they should have more rules regulating the food.” While Gonsalves says that students appear to be more active in the morning, she feels that there should be more fruits and nutritious choices.  

At first, teachers were concerned that the program would disrupt class time for first period, but that seems to not be an issue now. “I don’t mind it,” social studies teacher Jim Archer said.  “It’s good that students are eating and students [are] being fed.” Archer feels that more students are coming to class ready to learn because of the breakfast. However,  Archer said that there should be less carbohydrates, better and healthier food choices, and more variety.

Psychology teacher Kenneth Heckert agreed and added that the breakfast could be “healthier” and have “less sugar.”

Math teacher Heather Baxter said that she has a small first period, which makes it easy to give breakfast out, but some students still come to class late. Baxter says that the main issue she has had has been seeing “random students [taking] food from the cart outside my classroom.” Yet, she thinks it is great that all kids are getting the opportunity to eat breakfast.

Overall, the program has been very successful this year.  Looking to next year, student and staff concerns have been heard about the nutritional value of the meals. “We’re gonna bring on some new things next year and try to switch it up a little bit,” Goddard added.

Sophomore Alex LaBeach said that his favorite breakfast is the pillsbury bagels and that some improvements that could be made to the breakfast program is, “they can serve it hot.” Warm breakfast does wonders, especially in the colder months warming up the stomachs and spirits of students, “I think they need more warm meals in the winter,” Goddard added.