Albion school district has served 13,000 meals since March 18
Packets of school work, on-line learning while school buildings off limits to students
Photos courtesy of Albion Central School: Cafeteria workers at Albion prepare peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for students. From left include Leslie Merrill, Jenn Gonzalez and Kelly Rosato.
ALBION – The school district has served more than 13,000 meals since March 18, and also is doing weekly packets of school work or on-line assignments for students who are home from school.
This is the start of the fourth week of students being out of the school buildings due to health concerns over the coronavirus. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has closed schools in the state until at least April 29.
The cafeteria staff at Albion prepare the meals which can be picked up outside the elementary school or taken to drop site at the Barre Center Presbyterian Church parking lot, Elk’s Club parking lot, Oak Orchard Estates, Lydun Drive Extension – Canal Town Commons and the Carlton Rec Hall.
Two school bus drivers deliver the meals with staff helping at the drop sites.
Michael Bonnewell, the district superintendent, praised the efforts of the district staff to prepare and distribute so many meals to students. The meals are available free of charge to all students in the district.
The district is providing a bagged lunch with sandwich, fruit, vegetable and milk as well as a breakfast for the next day.
(For more on the program or to sign up, click here. There won’t be any meals distributed next week.)
Albion police officer Chris Goglowski and Kevin Beaumont, assistant elementary school principal, greet students and families picking up meals at the school.
The district has also been keeping students engaged with remote learning. Bonnewell said packets are prepared each week for students in elementary and middle schools. Older students receive assignments on-line.
The district has sent 150 Chromebooks or laptops for students without computers at home. Some students don’t have high-speed internet at home. In that case, students are sent homework. They are also encouraged to use public WiFi outside the school or Hoag Library, or maybe piggyback with permission off a neighbor’s WiFi.
“I certainly want to thank our teachers, our teacher assistants, teacher aides, secretaries and administrators who are making all of that work,” Bonnewell said about the packets prepared at the elementary and middle schools.
