Fountaindale Elementary Wins Second Place in Statewide School Breakfast Contest

RE:

Fountaindale Elementary Wins Second Place in Statewide School Breakfast Contest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Carol Mowen, 301-766-2996 or Elaine Semler, 301-766-8156.

HAGERSTOWN, MD (May 16,2002) - Fountaindale Elementary School won second place in the recent statewide School Breakfast contest sponsored by the Maryland State Department of Education. Nutrition education experts from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) will provide an entertaining, interactive assembly for Fountaindale Elementary students on May 21 to celebrate this award.

Brunswick Elementary students in Frederick County will enjoy a special program on Tuesday, May 28, at 9:30 a.m. to celebrate their first place win in this year's contest. Students at Deerfield Elementary in Harford County, the third place winner, will be treated to a special assembly on June 3. All students in these schools will enjoy free School Breakfast for one day. As part of their grand prize, all students at Brunswick Elementary also will have the opportunity to enjoy free School Breakfast for one week. The second- and third-place winning schools will receive grant funds to purchase nutrition education materials or to conduct food and nutrition staff development activities. The Maryland State Department of Education and its School Breakfast Quest partners will also provide a $75 grant for physical education equipment, a copy of the American Cancer Society's Kid's First Cookbook, and a copy of the National Dairy Council's Nutrition Caféâ and Nutrition Explorationsä programs to the top three winners and to the local school system winners in eight other school systems that participated in the contest.

This year's state theme for the contest was School Breakfast Quest VI - Join the Club. Teachers, parents, students, and staff interpreted the theme for Fountaindale in creative ways to encourage eating breakfast each day.

The School Breakfast Quest is sponsored each year by MSDE and the School Breakfast Coalition to emphasize the importance of starting each day with breakfast and to increase awareness of the School Breakfast Program that is available to students in most of Maryland's public schools. The School Breakfast Coalition includes representatives from the American Cancer Society, Baltimore County Public Schools, Carroll County Public Schools, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Maryland Egg Council, the Maryland PTA, MSDE, and the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association.

Last year, Washington County's Pangborn Elementary School won first place in the annual School Breakfast contest.