Seekonk School District and Project Bread Celebrate School Breakfast

SEEKONK, Mass. – During National School Breakfast Week (March 3 – 7, 2025), Seekonk High School celebrated the impact that free school breakfast has on students each day. Staff members from statewide food security nonprofit Project Bread joined Steve Defonsca, School Nutrition Director, and Jen Sawfford, High School Kitchen Manager onsite on Thursday, March 6 at Seekonk High School to enjoy a school breakfast of strawberry banana smoothies, breakfast sandwiches, melons, parfaits, and fruit cups with granola.

Students who start their day with a nourishing school breakfast attend class ready to learn, score higher on tests, and have a higher attendance rate. In Seekonk, the high school is lifting up their nutritious “Second Chance” breakfast, available in the cafeteria for all students during the morning study period. On an average day, 180 students are served during Seekonk High School’s Second Chance breakfast. On Thursday, March 6, they served a record 225 students – including serving up samples of new apple pie and carrot cake overnight oats recipes. Students shared feedback in an online survey, and the apple pie oats were the clear winner.

A newly purchased merchandizing refrigerator elevated the school breakfast display while a commercial grade blender streamlined smoothie preparations. Both equipment setups were funded by a school breakfast grant from Project Bread in fall 2024.

Project Bread connects people and communities in Massachusetts to reliable sources of food while advocating for policies that make food more accessible—so that no one goes hungry. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org.