Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (Mar 12/04) - The school kitchen is the last place some Thomas Simpson students stop before rushing to class in the morning.

For less than a dollar, they can put a little all-important fuel in their body machines.

The menu includes muffins, nutritious bread, apples, oranges, tea and hot chocolate. The school's breakfast program got off the ground in early February.

Usually a dozen or more pupils take advantage of the program each morning, said co-ordinator Tracy Brown.

Freda Blyth, a school staff member and project planner, said the food is offered for convenience. It is simply a "teenage reality" to periodically be rushing to class in the morning without something in their stomachs, she said. Studies have shown that those who eat breakfast are more attentive in the morning.

It is also hoped the program will entice students to arrive earlier. Brown does the daily baking, usually for a few hours in the morning for the next day. She has been receiving regular assistance from students Megan Okrainec and Vera Tsetso.

She pours over her recipe books to find delectable twists on the morning fare. She tries to incorporate additional healthy ingredients such as nuts and seeds. Her cinnamon buns and banana bread have proven wildly popular, but more often she's faced with a supply of rapidly ripening apples to morph into muffins or loaves. The program aims to minimize waste, Brown and Blyth emphasized.

"We run a pretty frugal ship," said Blyth.

The students seem appreciative of the service and the quality of the affordable provisions, too.

"It's good," said Beth Jumbo.

"It's very good," Wesley Grossetete interjected.

Carter O'Neill was even more emphatic.

"This is super stuff, maybe even fantastic," he said, walking off with two apple-cinnamon muffins and a cup of juice.

The breakfast program has received an injection of funds from community organizations such as the Friendship Centre and the Liidlii Kue First Nation's Brighter Futures program.

Nonetheless, food or monetary donations from the community would still be welcomed.