It’s a wrap: Bend-La Pine Schools finishing up tasty, fun ways to mark National School Breakfast Week

(Update: Adding video)

Meal planners design special entrees, and there were prizes as well

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Bend-La Pine Schools have been celebrating National School Breakfast Week all week, in various tasty ways. They provide breakfast every morning for students, but this week was special.

According to Scott Maben, director of communications for the district, about 3,000 Bend-La Pine students eat a school-provided breakfast daily. In celebration of National School Breakfast Week, district meal planners designed special entrées for students.

"We have baked flatbread with bacon, we have tropical smoothies, we even have some ham egg, and cheese breakfast burritos," Maben said. "And that’s in addition to all the usual offerings that we have for breakfast."

It's part of the district's "Dig Into Breakfast" campaign, an effort to encourage students to eat breakfast, and let them know they have options at school.

NewsChannel 21's Carly Keenan went to Pine Ridge Elementary on Thursday and joined the breakfast regulars.

Maben says 17% of students district-wide eat school-provided breakfast. 

"It's just so important that students start their day with healthy calories, and you know, it's just a great way to wake up, get some healthy food in them," Maben said.

Sisters Samantha and Gabbi Adkins eat breakfast at school every morning.

Samantha, a fifth-grader at Pine Ridge, says it helps streamline their morning routine.

"We catch the bus every morning, and so we don't have enough time to eat breakfast," she said. "So the school provides breakfast for all of us people that can't have breakfast before school."

Maben added how it can also ease busy parents' minds.

"It's a great option for families who are feeling a little stressed out about the morning routine, and it's just nice to know that 20 minutes before school starts, their kids can come in and eat breakfast with their friends," Maben said.

Students who ate breakfast this week also got prizes!

Elementary students got pencils, stickers and the like, and were also entered to win a large toy dump truck, for "digging into breakfast." Middle and high schoolers got a chance to get some school merchandise.

Breakfasts are typically served for 20 minutes before the start of the school day. Families should check with their schools for details.