This club’s easy to stomach

By Paul Dunlop
BREAKFAST is definitely the most important meal of the day at Pakenham Consolidated School.
Students arriving at the school early are able to tuck into cereal, toast and juice to ensure they get a proper start to the day.
Like many other local schools, PCS is playing an increasing role in looking after its young charges’ welfare, particularly when it comes to meal times.
The breakfast club was born from concerns that many students were arriving at school on an empty stomach.
“We discovered that a lot of children are choosing to come to school without eating breakfast and we are finding that this is affecting their learning,” assistant principal Gene Carlomagno said.
The breakfast club proved a great success when it was introduced last year and began again on Monday.
Mr Carlomagno said now all students had the chance to start the school day with a full stomach which helped them reach their highest level of concentration throughout the day.
“The breakfast club is available to all children that attend Pakenham Consolidated School. We encourage all children to take advantage of this opportunity and also use this great program to meet and greet new friends and volunteers from the wider community.”
Volunteers help out at the breakfast each morning, offering their services. Support has also come from several businesses, including Brumby’s Bakery, Coles and ANZ.
Red Cross, Pakenham Police and Windermere volunteers have also supported the initiative along with staff and parents.
“We are very excited about running the breakfast club again this year and we thank our volunteers and supporters for their help and the donation of items and their time,” Mr Carlomagno said.