Hungry students, rushed or busy families, lonely students, new students and parents settling into the school community – these are some of the nee
ds that breakfast clubs address. And so, each year, chaplains serve over 150,000 breakfasts to students.*
Here is how a couple of chappies run their breakfast clubs, build support and meet the needs of their school community.
In the lush surroundings of Woree State High School, near Cairns, the school identified the need for a second breakfast club. So, with support from a couple of local churches, Chappy Nicola started Pancake Club.
Between 8-8.45am on Tuesday mornings, over 100 students turn up for the free pancake breakfast. Hot chocolate is also available and students have the opportunity to give a 50 cent donation to the Chaplaincy Service.
The club does not run on the first and last Tuesdays of a term.
Nicola welcomes the community support which helps make the Pancake Club possible. Each week the two churches provide the 20 pancake mixes, 3-4 bottles of Maple Syrup and packets of napkins needed. The churches also go on a roster so that six volunteers are available each Pancake Club to help cook, serve and interact with the students. Volunteers often find themselves playing handball, touch footy and other games in the grassy area near the breakfast club.
With a couple of students also helping to serve the pancakes, Nicola is able to oversee the breakfast and connect with students.
Nicola suggests giving some students a task to do. There are student helpers who love serving pancakes because they “love that sense of ownership with what they’re doing” Nicola says.
As well as providing their first meal of the day, “Students really appreciate having someone to talk to”, says Nicola.
Nicola knows there are parents who also find it easier to get their kids out of bed and to school on time on Tuesdays because of the Pancake Club.
One parent claims, “On Tuesdays, the shoe is on the other foot and my daughter specifically goes to bed early at night and then stands over my bed early the next morning to prompt me to get to school early so she doesn’t miss out on pancakes and hot chocolate.”
The parent also adds “My daughter always put’s aside 50c each week to support Chappy”.
Nicola has been a chaplain at the school for nearly four years and appreciates being part of the support team at her school. Before becoming a chaplain, Nicola completed studies in community services and was looking forward to working with indigenous people. Nicola now loves the opportunity of working in a school where 39% of the student body is indigenous.
Nicola loves the flexibility of chaplaincy to adapt to school needs. While some school staff are confined to working with a certain range of students, Nicola can offer support through various roles and currently spends most of her two days running programs; a Connect program for girls focusing on self-development; Friendship club which involves high energy, fun and crazy games for year seven and eight students and Pancake Club.
Meeting the social need at the Pancake Club is an important part of why the club is run, but Nicola has also recognised that the club might have to change. With some kids coming to school without breakfast and lunch, the club will try to meet that need and offer something more substantial in the future. Nicola is now looking at how she can offer scrambled eggs or baked beans and toast and is in the process of looking for local businesses to help provide these items.
At the southern end of QLD, Chappy Karen runs Chappy Breakfast at Logan Village State School. Every Thursday between 8.15-8.50am, about 150 students, turn up for cereal, toast, juice and milo.
Like Chappy Nicola, Karen has also found great community support for her breakfast club with the YMCA providing cereal, vegemite, jam, margarine and milo. Karen picks up these non-perishable donated goods every few weeks. The local Woolworths donate the perishables and at 7.30am Thursday mornings, Karen picks up 14 loaves of bread, juice and milk.
Karen started Chappy Breakfast after speaking to her deputy when she heard from other chaplains in her area that the YMCA provides some key breakfast club ingredients. While the school is out of the YMCA catchment area, when Karen contacted them, they agreed to supply some of the ingredients the Chappy Breakfast would need. Whenever Karen places an order online, the automated sheet prompts her with the items she is able to order.
It was the school Principal that approached Woolworths to see if they could provide the perishable food.
For each Chappy Breakfast, four adult volunteers and a couple of students are rostered on. This way there is one person making toast, one on cereal, three doing butter, jam and vegemite and two senior students serving drinks.
At Logan Village State School, Chappy Breakfast is more about the social interaction then having their first meal of the day. And it is the level of enthusiasm students have for the breakfast club that encourages and inspires Karen.
“Kids love it” says Karen.
Having previously worked in health and nutrition, the breakfast is Karen’s favourite thing to do as chaplain. The breakfast club provides Karen an opportunity to be a positive influence in student’s lives. And she loves seeing parents go along and talk to kids.
Karen has been a chaplain for two and a half years, but a part of her community for 16 years. For Karen being a chaplain is very much about supporting the community. And Chappy Breakfast is a great opportunity to do that.
Karen encourages new parents and students to go along to Chappy Breakfast to help become part of the school community. With a task to do, the new students and parents are given an opportunity to meet the school community and build a sense of belonging, without feeling awkward.
Ideally Karen would have more volunteers so that there could be more interaction with the students during breakfast. As Karen is actively involved in preparing and serving the breakfast, Karen finds her best chatting time with the students is during the prep time beforehand when students come early.
Breakfast Club at Morayfield SS – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_lArsIjRSI
*SU QLD School Chaplaincy Snapshot