When staff noticed a trend of children coming to school hungry, skipping breakfast and without packed lunch, Mooroopna Park Primary School tackled the problem head-on.
Breakfast, lunch, morning and afternoon tea are now provided for the entire school every day.
"Prior to feeding our students, we had 120 suspensions per year — now we're getting 10," wellbeing coordinator Lisa Hueston said.
The immediate rewards of the food program have been improved behaviour, increased attendance, and happier, more attentive students.
Now the initiative has received a national award for the Best Student Wellbeing Program.
Judges from the Australian Education Awards found the program supported many students with high needs as well as the needs of the school community.
"[The school has] definitely shown that learning is impacted by what happens beyond the school gate. You are there for the kids and their families," judges said.
It does feel like the whole of the community is behind the school's success.
When school leaders first put a call out for help the response was overwhelming.
A slew of local businesses came on board.
Local charities donate food and provide support. Even a nearby prison is involved in preparing hundreds of sandwiches, and a local orchardist provides 700 pieces of fruit a week.
"There was no thinking required," Dianne Hutchins from Plunkett Orchards said.
"Automatically, when they approached us, it was something we wanted to be a part of — improving education and promoting a healthy diet as well."
A holistic approach
The school's well-being programs go beyond the school gates and the well-being team, which meets fortnightly, is always coming up with new ideas.
"The variety of support we offer our students and families make it so successful," Ms Hueston said.
A school bus picks up and drops off children whose families can't drive them to school.
Staff pack hampers of food and essentials for some of the more disadvantaged families and run laundry service at the school.
The school additionally has a full-time speech therapist, a school chaplain, a play therapist, before- and after-school care, a visiting paediatrician, Koori education support and a teacher's aide in every classroom.
It also has scooters available to students who need "brain breaks" from the classroom environment.
"They are able to go out and have two little laps of the scooter track," Ms Hueston said.
20 million school breakfasts statewide
The school is in the top 3 per cent of disadvantaged schools in Australia, however children coming to school hungry is "definitely" trend being replicated across the country.
"Especially with COVID and the rising [living] costs," Margaret Rozman from Nutrition Australia said.
"The Victorian government has funded Foodbank to reach out to more schools and implement school breakfast programs, and also provide lunches and school holiday supplies to those most in need."
After a successful first run in 500 of the state's most disadvantaged schools between 2016 and 2019, Foodbank's School Breakfast Club program is now running in more than 1,000 Victorian schools, serving more than 20 million breakfasts to date.
"It's not just about the food," Foodbank schools program manager Melina Stewart said.
"[The program promotes] wellbeing in school, relationship building between staff and students – especially disengaged students and families – and also that whole school approach to healthy eating."
Students 'thriving and growing'
At Mooroopna Park, more than 40 per cent of students are from culturally diverse backgrounds and the food program has been a great tool for inclusivity.
It has also had some unintended positive outcomes.
The school's full-time chef Tania Bryant enjoys widening children's culinary palettes.
Pre-served plates were previously put out on the tables but many were untouched. Now, each child decides what goes on their plate.
"They get to choose what they like. They still have to try the main components and nine times out of 10 they'll come back and have a bit more because they realise they like it," Ms Hueston said.
"They're building all sorts of skills; choice, decision-making skills and all sorts of things."
Throughout the program, some students learnt how to hold cutlery for the first time.
"We make sure that they have at least one meal a week where they have a knife and fork," Ms Hueston said.
"It's nice to be recognised for what we're doing but seeing the kids thriving and growing into these lovely little personalities, and seeing the difference we're making within their little lives, is the real reward for us."
