School may be out for students this week, but administrators and staff at local school districts have been working diligently since last week to keep abreast of the situation and be able to offer services to assist students’ families while classes are suspended due to the COVID-19 concerns. Sulphur Bluff and Miler Grove ISD administrators are asking families to complete surveys to assess their needs. Several schools, such as North Hopkins, Saltillo and Cumby are contacting students to assess needs. Sulphur Springs ISD and Yantis ISD began offering meals today for children.
Sulphur Bluff ISD
Sulphur Bluff ISD will be providing meals starting Wednesday to cover breakfast and lunch each day of the week.
Meals can be picked up at the front entrance of school between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the extended break from the campus. If transportation is an issue, meals may also be delivered via school personnel to students that attend school in the district. Lunch and breakfast for the next two days will be provided during the three days of distribution.
So that school staff will be able to adequately prepare, SBISD administrator ask that families complete the Meals For Sulphur Bluff ISD Students During Extended Break survey accessible on the Sulphur Bluff School Facebook page.
Sulphur Bluff families are also asked to complete a Sulphur Bluff Technology at Home Survey, also on Facebook, to help administrators prepare and best serve the student body during this extended break.
Any of the SBISD family who traveled out of state or country over Spring Break, who has not already done so, are asked to contact the school at 903-945-9303 to help with a local travel survey.
North Hopkins ISD
North Hopkins ISD is also putting plans in motion to help students. NHISD teachers and campus team leaders will be contacting families as soon as possible to assess nutritional and instructional needs and capabilities.
Cumby ISD
Cumby ISD officials are also taking steps to assist students during the extended campus closure.
Starting Monday grab-and-go lunches will be provided from 9:30-11 a.m. CISD will have pick-up for those students in city limits at the Elementary campus, and for those outside the city limits there will be delivery. Also, this week faculty and administrators are planning for academics to ensure instructional continuity. Teachers are contacting parents directly to discuss this with them, according to CISD Superintendent Shelly Slaughter.
Yantis ISD
Yantis ISD set up a container with books, coloring books, basic school supplies and emergency food packs outside of the cafeteria Monday and encouraged families in need to take what they need from the supply.
YSID today began offering curbside meals from 11a.m. to noon weekdays outside of the cafeteria. YISD families in need of immediate assistance of food or other items are encouraged to send a message through Facebook or an email to [email protected].
They encouraged parents to view this link for help explaining to children what is going on in the world today.
Saltillo ISD
Saltillo ISD officials Monday reported they are working with students’ families to identify any needs students may have. If a family needs assistance and has not been contacted, that family can call the main office of Saltillo ISD. Saltillo ISD will send out announcements as soon as available, via, iris telephone alerts, social media and the team app, according to school officials.
Como-Pickton CISD
In a letter posted to the school website and Facebook accounts Sunday, Como-Pickton CISD Superintendent Greg Bower said he anticipates school likely will have to closed for longer than the original week announced. The district will address it on a week by week basis and notify families accordingly.
To make sure that students have what they need both nutritionally and instructionally, CPCISD administrators are developing plans this week to serve students while school remains physically closed. By Thursday, Bower anticipates having a plan in place and letting families know. If school is still closed on Monday, March 23, C-P will begin implementing that plan.
CP will also have a plan in place by Thursday to provide breakfast and lunches for our students who need them.
Miller Grove ISD
Miller Grove ISD staff want to help ensure all MGISD students will still have the opportunity to receive breakfast and lunch during the extended closure due to COVID-19.
Breakfast and a sack lunch will be delivered to bus students and made available for pick up for other students Monday-Friday.
Families are asked to complete the form on the district website or email the superintendent, [email protected], or one of the campus principals, [email protected] or [email protected], to have their MGISD students’ names put on the list.
MGISD administrators also ask that students/parents complete the technology at home survey on the district website for each child in grades 1-12. This will allow school officials to “make estimations and preparations to possibly provide Internet hotspots and devices to households who do not have devices and Internet if school remains closed longer than this week.”
Sulphur Springs ISD
Sulphur Springs ISD began today providing free meals for all SSISD students and any community children ages 1-18 years from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Monday-Friday, until further notice. Pick-up areas will be curbside grab-and-go at:
• Sulphur Springs Elementary School, in the Lee Street bus lane
• Bowie Primary, in the Mockingbird Lane student drop off/pick up lane
• Bush Primary, in the south bus lane circle to awning, and
• Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center, at the Calvert Street awning.