Reed’s Breakfast Buddies

By Eliza Hallabeck

“We are here to deliver your breakfast,” said Reed fifth grade student Sophia Spraggins on Friday, March 23, standing outside sixth grade teacher Matthew Brown’s classroom.

It was before the school day began, and Sophia, along with her fellow fifth grade students Jessie Viesto, John Kalamas, and Ethan Edmond, were delivering breakfast to staff and faculty members around their school.

The Breakfast Buddies program started at the school this year, and Reed special education teacher Sharon Vetrano oversees the program.

Students gather before school on a Thursday and bake and prepare breakfast options to deliver the next morning. Reed fifth grade teacher Jill Beaudry helps oversee baking.

Breakfast Buddies is held when possible at the school, and teachers place their orders in advance so the students can calculate how many items will be needed to deliver around the school.

Breakfast options on Friday, March 23, included bagels from Bagel Delight, student-baked banana nut muffins, student-made honey butter, and yogurt.

Mr Brown’s classroom was the first stop for the students on Friday.

“Thank you guys, and have fun,” said Mr Brown after the students had handed him his breakfast, collected the payment, and distributed his change.

The Breakfast Buddies program, Ms Vetrano said, helps the students practice social skills in an authentic way while learning other skills in the process.

Students in the Breakfast Buddies program also graph the results of how many items were sold and the money collected from selling them.