Bellingham, Ferndale schools announce meal service plans during coronavirus closures
Whatcom County’s two largest school districts released information about their meal plans on Wednesday afternoon as they continue to deal with the state-mandated school closure through April 24 to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus.
“It’s hard to believe this is only day three of our closure,” Bellingham Superintendent Greg Baker wrote in a letter to students, family and the community. “It feels like we’ve already been through so much, but I know the greater context is that we have only just begun. Our task is to create a bridge from now to when we get back to normal.”
Here are the plans school districts announced late Wednesday and early Thursday, March 18-19:
Bellingham Public Schools
▪ Food service: Though the district is still working out the when and where details, Baker said Bellingham is planning to begin its free, drive-thru or delivery meals for students on Monday, March 23. Baker said the plan will look quite different from what the district provides during snow days. “We’ve received some questions related to the timing of this service, with wonders why we couldn’t start providing meals sooner,” Baker wrote. “The answer has everything to do with the additional warnings from Governor Jay Inslee and the growing concerns related to the spread of COVID-19 in our community.”
▪ Online learning: Baker reported some district staff have already reached out to family to provide education resources and ideas for learning during the closure, and Baker wrote to expect more principals and teachers to be contacting students. “I want to clarify that we are not trying to replicate a typical classroom experience in an online environment,” Baker wrote. “We are in the midst of an evolving health crisis, and we need to approach at-home learning with patience and innovation, especially when we consider the number of people in our community who are ill, taking care of loved ones or lacking basic needs.”
Blaine School District
▪ Food service: Blaine, which began food service Wednesday through pickup behind the Blaine High School grandstands and along bus routes, announced in a Facebook post Wednesday that it made a few adjustments to the times and locations based on what the district learned on the first day. Updated details are available at the district’s website.
▪ Mountain School: Blaine announced in a Facebook post Wednesday that they have had to cancel the fifth-grade Mountain School at the North Cascades Institute originally scheduled for April 16. The district said it is working to refund tuition.
Ferndale School District
▪ Food service: Ferndale announced that it has contacted families about its planned food service in a press release sent Wednesday. All Ferndale School District students are eligible to pick up meals beginning Friday, March 20. Pickups will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays through the closure at Ferndale High School, Central Elementary, the Horizon/Eagleridge campus, Custer Elementary, Skyline Elementary, Cascadia Elementary and the North Bellingham Learning Center. Students are encouraged to be present at pickups. Monday’s pickups will include lunch for Monday, breakfast and lunch for Tuesday and breakfast for Wednesday; Wednesday’s pickups will include lunch for Wednesday, breakfast and lunch for Thursday and breakfast for Friday; and Friday’s pickups will including Friday’s lunch and Monday’s breakfast.
▪ Schooling at home: Superintendent Linda Quinn told parents to consider this week as an “unexpected Spring Break,” in her letter posted to the district website Wednesday. “By the end of this week, we think we will be able to send you some guidelines for engaging them in some learning activities. ... We also believe it is more important for your children to feel safe and loved than to worry about reading, writing, and math,” Quinn wrote.
Lynden School District
▪ Childcare: Superintendent Jim Frey wrote in a letter to families Wednesday that a message with a survey link to determine the childcare needs has been sent out. “As a starting point we will determine needs for families whose parents are first responders and health care workers,” Frey wrote, but added that the district wants to know if other families have needs to determine if the district should expand childcare to support more families.
Mount Baker School District
▪ Educational opportunities: In a Facebook post Wednesday, Superintendent Mary Sewright reported the district is aware of how important staff relationships are with students and that teachers and coaches would be reaching out soon. “We are committed to meeting the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs of all students given all the current and future challenges,” Sewright wrote.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
COVID-19, the new coronavirus, is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2.
The disease is spread through contact between people within six feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby.
Although most of the cases have been mild, the disease is especially dangerous for the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
Click the drop-down icon in the upper right of this card for more information on symptoms and how to stop its spread.
What you can do
Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, according to the Whatcom County Health Department.
▪ Keep six feet between yourself and others when in public.
▪ Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
▪ Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with hands that haven’t been washed.
▪ Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throw the tissue in the trash and then wash your hands.
▪ Stay home if you feel sick. Avoid others who are sick.
▪ If your symptoms are severe and require medical care, call your doctor first.
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 7:54 AM.
