National Breakfast Week begins Monday, celebrating the importance of the day’s first meal.But Valerie Bowers, director of food and nutrition services for the Forsyth County school system, said it’s a message schools work on every day.“We help them to understand that breakfast means ‘break the fast’ and that in the morning, you need to fuel your body so you can be ready to learn,” Bowers said. “We always are trying to encourage them to eat breakfast because they always need … to get a healthy start on the day.”With testing on the horizon, officials say it’s the ideal time to get students used to breakfast, whether they eat it at home or school.“Especially when they’re taking tests, they need to make sure they’ve had a good breakfast and are ready for what the day’s going to bring them” Bowers said. “By setting an example, we let them know what things are good for breakfast.”National Breakfast Week, which has been celebrated since 1989, raises awareness of the link between eating a nutritious breakfast and academic achievement, as well as healthy lifestyles.