Month: August 2015

KCK public schools to offer free breakfast and lunch to all elementary and preschool students this year

The Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools are adding a free lunch and breakfast program for all elementary and preschool students in the district.

The free program starts Sept. 1 at all KCKPS elementary schools and preschools. The district’s director of nutritional services believes the KCK district is the first one in the state of Kansas to elect this free meals program for so many schools. Other districts may choose it for a few schools.

“We elected the most amount of schools that’s ever been elected in Kansas at this point,” said Josh Mathiasmeier, director of nutritional services. “We are one of the higher needs programs in Kansas.

“This just takes away some of the barriers that keep families from participating in our meals program,” Mathiasmeier said. “This option makes meals more available to more of our students.”

Good nutrition is important to education, he believes.

“Nothing supports the educational mission of the schools more than having a child have a healthy meal, whether at school or at home, because we believe it’s one of the pillars of learning, which is nutrition,” Mathiasmeier said.

The change will affect an estimated 13,000 children in elementary schools and preschools, he said. There is an estimated increase of about 500 children enrolled this year.

Mathiasmeier said the students may still bring their lunch from home or eat breakfast at home if they choose.

Last year, 89 percent of the students qualified for free and reduced lunches, he said. This year’s percentage is still being calculated.

Currently, secondary schools do not all qualify for this program, and he is continuing to monitor the numbers.

The free lunches and breakfasts are possible through a federally funded program, the Community Eligibility Provision of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which allows schools with high poverty rates to provide free meals. The district is reimbursed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its meals programs. Mathiasmeier said that these federal funds for meals will not affect the district’s funding from the state.

The district will no longer have to take applications for free and reduced lunches and breakfasts in the elementary schools, and children no longer will have to bring lunch money to school.

District officials are anticipating that participation will increase this year in the school breakfast and lunch programs.

Saints overpower T-Bones

The St. Paul Saints hit three home runs, adding to their league-leading total, and beat Kansas City, 10-3, in the finale of their four-game series Sunday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.

St. Paul’s offensive onslaught was highlighted by a three-run home run from Alonzo Harris in the fourth inning and leadoff, back-to-back home runs from Angelo Songco and pinch-hitter Sam Maus in the ninth.

The Saints now have an American Association-leading 97 home runs on the season. The team behind them in homers, Laredo, started the day with 76.

Kansas City got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the second, as Brent Peterson lined a double off the wall in left and scored Vladimir Frias from first base.

The two teams exchanged runs in the third. In the top of the inning, Alonzo Harris singled, stole second and scored on a base hit by Vinny DiFazio.

Then, in the bottom of the third, Kansas City re-took the lead, 2-1, when Starlin Rodriguez hit a solo home run, his first since joining the T-Bones on Aug. 6. That’s the last lead of the game for Kansas City.

The Saints put together a four-run fourth inning, which included Harris’ home run. Kansas City got another home run in the fourth, this time by Kyle Robinson, but St. Paul’s pitching shut down the T-Bones the rest of the way.

After facing a 13-game winner on Friday and a 12-game winner Saturday, the T-Bones went up against 13-game winner Dustin Crenshaw on Sunday. Crenshaw (14-2) allowed six hits and three runs, but struck out four in 5 innings. Kansas City’s offense fizzled out in the late innings, with a single from Nate Tenbrink in the eighth and a single from Jacob Hayes in the ninth being the only hits for the T-Bones in the final four innings of the game.

For the second game in a row, Jake Blackwood was shut down offensively, going 0-for-4, which had not occurred since back-to-back hitless games against Sioux Falls at the end of July.

Kansas City had a pair of exceptional defensive plays in Sunday’s loss. In the top of the second, Starlin Rodriguez fully laid out on a diving catch, robbing Nate Hanson of a hit and preventing Joey Paciorek from scoring.

In the eighth, Vladimir Frias made an outstanding play, making a leaping, cross-body throw from shortstop to first, keeping Dan Kaczrowski from reaching base.

Dustin Loggins (3-7) gave up five runs and six hits in 4 innings, and received the loss.

Kansas City (47-45), which lost three out of four to St. Paul, starts its final home series of the regular season, with four games against Laredo, beginning Monday night at 7:05. Tickets are available by calling the box office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618 or online at TBonesBaseball.com.
– Story from T-Bones

KCK student inducted into Phi Beta Kappa

Andrew Miller, Kansas City, Kan., has been inducted into the University of Kansas Alpha Chapter of Phi Betta Kappa academic honor society.

He was one of 76 new members initiated at the spring ceremony.

Election to Phi Beta Kappa recognizes a student’s high academic achievement while pursuing a broad and substantive liberal arts curriculum, including language study.

To be eligible for consideration for membership, most students must have senior status and a minimum grade point average of 3.65 on a 4.0 scale. Students elected as juniors must have a 3.8 grade point average.