>>> MANY STUDENTS RELY ON FREE MEALS PROVIDED BY THEIR SCHOOLS
THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.
WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF SCHOOL CLOSURES STATEWIDE DUE TO
COVID-19, HOLYOKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS STEPPED UP TO PROVIDE
SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WITH FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH TO MAKE SURE
THEY DO NOT GO HUNGRY.
SEVERAL FOOD DISTRIBUTION SITES HAVE BEEN SET UP AT DIFFERENT
SCHOOLS AROUND THE CITY OFFERING CHILDREN A GRAB-AND-GO OPTION
THAT HELPS TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL-DISTANCING PROTOCOLS THAT
HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE.
HOLYOKE SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT DR.
STEPHEN ZRIKE SPOKE WITH "CONNECTING POINT'S" ZYDALIS
BAUER TO SHARE MORE ABOUT THIS AND OTHER RESOURCES THEY ARE
OFFERING FAMILIES.
>> AS SOON AS WE KNEW THERE WAS A CHANCE OF A POTENTIAL EXTENDED
CLOSURE OF OUR SCHOOLS WE KNEW THAT FOOD WAS GOING TO BE AN
IMMEDIATE NEED ISSUE FOR MANY OF OUR FAMILIES WHO RELY ON THE
BREAKFAST AND LUNCH PROGRAM THAT WE OFFER EACH DAY AND AT THE
SAME TIME, WE HAVE FAMILIES WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE WEEKEND
BACKPACK FOOD PROGRAM AS WELL AND SO WITHOUT ASSUME BEING IN
SESSION, WE KNEW WE HAD TO RESPOND QUICKLY TO PROVIDE FOOD
SERVICE TO OUR FAMILIES WHO WOULD BE IN NEED WITH SCHOOL NOT
BEING IN SESSION.
[INAUDIBLE QUESTION] >> WE ARE OFFERING IT -- I'M
SORRY WE JUST OFFERED A SIX SITE THIS WEEK BASED ON DEMAND FROM
FAMILIES.
WE HAVE SIX SITES OFFERING FOOD FROM 10:00 TO 12:30.
>> AND WHAT ARE THOSE SITES THAT ARE OFFERING THE FOOD?
>> HOLYOKE HIGH SCHOOL NORTH, MORGAN SCHOOL, KELLY SCHOOL,
LAWRENCE SCHOOL, DONAHUE SCHOOL, AND SULLIVAN SCHOOL.
>> ARE THERE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR FAMILIES TO
PICK UP THE FOOD?
>> THE ONLY REQUIREMENT IS THAT IT'S INTENDED TO BE FOR
CHILDREN.
AND SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN.
AND THEY MUST BE A RESIDENT OF HOLYOKE.
WHILE WE DON'T CHECK, WE DO ASK THAT THE CHILD -- THE CHILDREN
ARE FROM HOLYOKE AND ARE SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN.
THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO ATTEND THE HOLYOKE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS, THEY HAVE TO BE A SCHOOL-AGED CHILD THAT IS A
RESIDENT OF THE CITY.
>> AND NOW, THIS IS THE SECOND WEEK AS YOU MENTIONED, THAT THIS
IS BEING OFFERED.
AND YOU DID ALSO MENTION THAT THERE WAS A DEMAND TO ADD A
SIXTH SITE.
CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN FROM
FAMILIES?
>> WE'RE SEEING EACH DAY AROUND 500 OR SO FAMILIES COMING TO
TAKE LUNCH AND BREAKFAST.
ON FRIDAYS, WE DO PROVIDE THEM AT THE SAME TIME WITH BREAKFAST
AND LUNCH FOR THE WEEKEND.
ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE GETTING REQUESTS FROM FAMILIES WHO ARE
UNABLE TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND SO WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR FOOD SERVICE TEAM IS WORKING
WITH OUR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STAFF TO PROVIDE
DELIVERY IN CERTAIN CASES TO FAMILIES, FAMILIES WHO LIVE IN
SHELTERS.
AND SO WE'VE SEEN THAT DEMAND INCREASE, ESPECIALLY AS THE
CLOSURE HAS EXTENDED INTO THE SECOND WEEK.
>> I REALLY COMMEND ALL THE HARD WORK THAT ALL THE SCHOOL
DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN DOING TO KEEP THE KIDS ENTERTAINED.
AND ALSO WELL FED.
WHAT ARE OTHER RESOURCES THAT HOLYOKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE
OFFERING TO STUDENTS?
>> YOU MENTIONED THE AT-HOME LEARNING.
OUR TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS HAVE BEEN WORKING INCREDIBLY HARD TO
PROVIDE ENRICHMENT AND EXTENSION OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS, BOTH
IN HARD PACKET FORM THAT THEY CAN PICK UP AT THE FOOD SERVICE
SITES AND ON ONLINE, AS WELL.
WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW VERY DILIGENTLY IS HOW DO WE GET
DEVICES INTO THE HANDS OF OUR STUDENTS.
MANY OF OUR FAMILIES DO NOT HAVE DEVICES AT HOME AND/OR DON'T
HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET.
AND SO OUR WORK RIGHT NOW IS DEPLOYING THE CHROME BOOKS THAT
WE HAVE AT THE DISTRICTS TO AS MANY FAMILIES AS WE CAN PROVIDE
THAT TECHNOLOGY TO AND WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF
HOLYOKE TO TRY TO GET ACCESS USING DIGITAL PARTNERS OR
INTERNET PARTNERS TO BE ABLE TO OFFER LOW COST OR NO COST
SERVICE TO OUR FAMILIES.
I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT DINNER IS AN AREA THAT WE'RE WORKING ON,
AS WELL.
AND WE'RE WORKING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO SEE IF WE CAN OFFER
DINNER SERVICE ON SITE AND SO THAT'S IN PROCESS NOW.
NOTHING'S BEEN FINALIZED YET, BUT WE'RE CLOSE TO BEING ABLE TO
OFFER THOSE RESOURCES TO FAMILIES AND FINALLY, I KNOW THE
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB WAS JUST GRANTED THE ABILITY TO OPEN A
CHILDCARE CENTER OR CHILDCARE SERVICES FOR FAMILIES, ESSENTIAL
EMPLOYEES.
WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AS WELL TO
SUPPORT THEM AS THEY LOOK TO LAUNCH THEIR CHILDCARE SITE.
>> THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE STILL SOME
PEOPLE THAT CANNOT WORK FROM HOME AND THRESHELS EMPLOYEES,
BUT THEY HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE HOME AND THEY HAVE TO DO THIS
WORK, AS WELL.
SO IS THIS WORK MANDATORY?
ARE THEY JUST RESOURCES TO SUPPORT?
WHAT ARE YOU TELLING FAMILIES ABOUT SCHOOLWORK FROM HOME?
>> RIGHT NOW, WE'RE FOLLOWING THE GUIDANCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION, WHICH IS THAT THEIR ENRICHMENT AND EXTENSION
ACTIVITIES, OF COURSE, WE WANT AS MANY OF OUR STUDENTS TO
PARTICIPATE AS POSSIBLE AND FOR US RIGHT NOW IT'S ALL ABOUT
ACCESSIBILITY.
WE KNOW THAT NOT ALL OUR CHILDREN CAN ACCESS IT NOW.
SO WHILE IT'S NOT MANDATORY, IT'S OBVIOUSLY STRONGLY
ENCOURAGED SO THAT WE LIMIT ANY IMPACT OF LEARNING LOSS CAUSED
BY THE CLOSURE.
CERTAINLY, THAT WILL BE EVEN MORE ACUTE IF WE CLOSE BEYOND
THE THREE WEEKS.
WE'RE BOTH PLANNING OR WORKING ON THE SHORT-TERM FOR THESE
THREE WEEKS, BUT IN THE EVENT WE'RE CLOSED FOR LONGER WE
CERTAINLY HAVE TO BE EVEN MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LONG-TERM
LEARNING EFFECTS OF SCHOOL BEING SHUT DOWN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD
OF TIME. ¶