It Happens Every Noon (1966)

[Music] [Music] here are the children tomorrow's adults on their way to the classroom tomorrow's doctors and nurses writers and lawyers tomorrow's Spacemen this school could be in your community maybe you pass it on your way to work your neighbor's child may be here maybe your own attendance at this school is high and so are the grades and one reason could very well be a Noonday lunch in the National School SCH lunch program [Music] [Music] [Music] it happens every noon Monday through Friday in this school in all schools that take part in the national school lunch program it happens every noon for the pupil who takes advantage of the lunch program lunches are planned by a local school manager whose menus have taste appeal and day-to-day variety a good lunch provides from a third to 1/ half of the students daily needs in thousands of schools across the country millions of school children participate in the national school lunch program impressive actually not only a little over onethird of our school enrollment participates the price of a lunch is low an average of less than 30 cents for those who can can afford it even lower for those who can't free of charge for the child of a needy family lunches are designed to be nutritious attractive and well balanced type A they're called meats and other foods rich in protein a combination of fruits and vegetables bread butter milk type A A nutritious lunch helps a child stay alert it helps teenagers make that final Spurt of growth that develops them into healthy grown-ups it gives all youth the energy to keep up and grow up and what better use for our cultural riches than the school lunch the total food consumed in the school lunch program represents an Ever growing market for our farms and our food industry of course there are schools that just don't have handsome cafeterias like this or efficient kitchen facilities of their own but this hasn't stopped some schools that lack such facilities they still have a lunch program a different kind I've asked a school nutritionist to tell us about it in her own words school lunches are prepared every day in one big Central Kitchen that Services many neighboring schools with no kitchen facilities of their own the lunches we put together are all type A and popular plenty of good protein this salad for vitamins and minerals a dressing adds flavor and carbohydrates like Oven Fresh cake they're always easy to take every lunch is separately and attractively wrapped [Music] and it is placed in its own paper bag to become a personal [Music] lunch well in advance of the noon hour a driver picks up the bag lunches lunches are then delivered to those schools which have taken the initiative to enroll in the school lunch program in a big Metropolitan City maybe 35 out of possible 165 schools have a lunch hour like this bags are distributed in a large multi-purpose room that at lunchtime becomes a cafeteria the place serves the purpose more than [Music] adequately in other schools the setting isn't always the best since there just isn't enough room children have to eat right at their [Music] desks but they are being fed and fed well and that's what counts more schools should do it every school should do it this noon time lunch may be the only real food some of these children see all day long miss school and Miss lunch so it's important they're fed here with someone to care for [Music] them well that's the picture in the city schools but the picture changes when it comes to the rural schools some of them are miles away from Modern highways hidden far out of sight nevertheless with enough determination and courage a school lunch program can happen let's see about it from one such teacher in charge before the school day actually starts my husband and I pay a visit to the general store to buy the day's menu it's a good store opens early and it's right off the main highway so we can count on deliveries of fresh milk every day what's more they stock a large variety of canned and refrigerated Foods Meats fish fruits vegetables lots of the good things children like to [Music] eat it's a long drive to the school that's for sure a drive nobody was prepared to make in country as underdeveloped as ours but we do it every school day and it's become part of our daily routine rickety Bridges rough bumps and all the children bless their hearts get to school ahead of time these days just waiting to see us drive [Music] [Music] up and they can't do enough to [Music] help of course my class is a small one so lunch preparations aren't what you'd call a hardship and we're Mighty grateful for refrigeration keeps the milk and other perishables cool and hot weather and fresh all morning long good for leftovers too but we never really count on leftovers [Music] noon time and everything is ready ready for hungry and grateful little [Music] mouses yes it happens every noon for the lucky school children in Vanessa Clarks County another County another Schoolhouse one that's closer to the main Highway here food deliveries can be made the older girls get things ready for lunch giving the teacher a chance to remain with the younger children the back of the school room becomes an impromptu kitchen very often a hot lunch is prepared the only hot food some children can look forward to all day and nowadays the kids are so willing but even the boys are eager to wash up for the Noonday meal the energy that a well balanced meal give them will extend far beyond the Lunch Period into the late hours of the afternoon it will keep the children alert even enthusiastic about school yes here again it happens every noon the way it can for many little rural classrooms All Over America through the initiative and the Ingenuity of local communities with the right Spirit lunch programs have begun in hundreds of isolated one and two room schools where many children can afford but a few pennies the United States Department of Agriculture donates some food along with cash to help schools buy food locally thus contributing about 155th of the cost of school lunches but merely making lunches available still doesn't mean that all children get good [Music] nutrition some kids just don't buy the school lunch they think it's perfectly all right pretty cool in fact to live on snacks teenage girls are the most poor fed of any group in the nation alarming isn't it when you consider their future jobs as wives and [Music] mothers and take this youngster looks like he could safely skip a meal or three doesn't he but don't be fooled what he really needs is a meal a meal with food that counts is this happening in your community find out because many children are not getting good lunches at school perhaps your school is already taking part very well and good but ask your school lunch manager if every child is getting a good lunch if not it's time to enlist the support of your local people the federal government is putting up its share you of the community must take on yours work with your school officials and the state school lunch director in your State's Department of Education they'll tell you how to get one going and going soon once you do see to it that all children have their lunch the approved type a [Music] lunch let it happen every noon in every school in every state after all you can't teach a hungry child e [Music] a