National School Breakfast Week - National School Breakfast Week Campaign “The Quest for School Breakfast” Encourages Students to Try School Breakfast

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 27, 2026

Dr. J. Scott Smith, Superintendent of Schools, 301-475-5511, ext. 32178
Mrs. Tammy McCourt, Deputy Superintendent, 301-475-4256, ext. 7

 

LEONARDTOWN, MD – St. Mary’s County Public Schools will celebrate National School Breakfast Week March 2-6, 2026, to encourage all students to grab a nutritious school breakfast so that they can start their day ready to learn, grow, and succeed!

Busy weekday mornings make it a challenge for many families to find time for a healthy breakfast. The USDA School Breakfast Program currently serves more than 16 million students every day.  Studies show that students who eat school breakfast are more likely to:

• Reach higher levels of achievement in reading and math
• Score higher on standardized tests
• Have better concentration and memory
• Be more alert
• Maintain a healthy weight

The National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) campaign theme, “The Quest for School Breakfast,” reminds the entire school community that school breakfast provides a healthy and energizing start to the day for students. School nutrition professionals and students will be encouraged to show their enthusiasm for school breakfast from March 2-6 as the district celebrates with new breakfast offerings, cafeteria and classroom activities, and more.

Other events for the week include participating in the Hear the Maryland Crunch initiative with students at Green Holly Elementary School and White Marsh Elementary School on Thursday, March 5, 2026. Hear the Crunch is our annual nationwide synchronized apple crunch event designed to highlight the importance of the school breakfast program in ensuring that all students start the day off with the necessary fuel to learn and grow. 

“A healthy breakfast at the start of the day is a great way to ensure students get the best education they can,” states Megan Doran, Director of Food and Nutrition Services.  “National School Breakfast Week helps us educate parents and students about all the healthy, great-tasting, and appealing choices we offer.”

The district serves over 800,000 breakfast meals yearly through the federally funded School Breakfast Program.  School nutrition professionals in St. Mary’s County Public Schools prepare breakfast and lunches every day that meet federal nutrition standards – limiting saturated fat, calories, added sugar, and sodium – while encouraging students to choose from a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains offered with school meals.