Pelham school district lays out plan for free and reduced-price meals

Picture+from+www.pelhamschools.org

Picture from www.pelhamschools.org

Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by the Pelham School District.

Dear Pelham Parents and Community Members,

Later this evening, Dr. Garcia will be sharing information about Distance Learning opportunities for our students and families to begin Wednesday. These efforts provide self-directed school work, activities and assignments that we hope will not only help our students develop mastery in their subject areas, but also provide a sense of normalcy in these unusual times. I am extremely thankful for the leadership of Dr. Garcia, our administrative team, and our teachers for their efforts to bring this work to fruition. As with everything these days, Distance Learning is uncharted waters for all of us, and we ask for your patience as we adapt together.

As we roll out this alternate method for learning, we are also working to meet a variety of other needs caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. To that end, we are pleased to announce that breakfast and lunch will be available Monday-Friday beginning tomorrow for those students who are eligible for free and reduced price lunch. This pick-up and take-out service will be available at Hutchinson School and Pelham Memorial High School. Breakfast hours are 8-10am and lunch hours are 11am-1pm and students may pick up both breakfast and lunch at the same time. Please use the Third Avenue entrance at Hutchinson School and the 18 Franklin Place entrance at PMHS and maintain proper social distancing at all times.

Any student who requires lunch, but can not pick up meals due to illness or other circumstances should contact Karla Grimaldi, Dining Services Director by sending an email to [email protected]. Please know that these hours and locations are subject to change.

We continue to be floored by the response of many in our community to provide assistance to families in need. I am extremely thankful to organizations such as Pelham Together and the Junior League of Pelham as well as our faith community for taking the lead on assisting families with a variety of needs, including food, child care, and other demands of day-to-day life.

Additionally If you or your family has fallen on hard times due to this pandemic remember you can always contact the Pelham Civics Association in confidentiality for potential assistance. Please reach out to Richard Davidian, Vice President, Community programs at [email protected] or Dr. Stan Trocchia, Chairman, Good Neighbors program [email protected].

Once again I want to reiterate that it is essential for everyone to practice social distancing at all times. Guidelines include:

  • Stay home as much as possible, even if you feel healthy
  • Refrain from congregating in groups
  • Refrain from social gatherings, playdates and sleepovers with friends
  • Do not visit public playgrounds
  • Use caution when visiting grocery stores/pharmacies and consider delivery services for food and groceries

Finally, we know that the emotional burden this pandemic has caused is felt by everyone. Parents should know that our school social workers, counselors and psychologists remain available to help your children through this trying time. Please feel free to reach out to them or your principals with any needs in this area. Tomorrow begins a new chapter for our school system, and I am thankful to have such a supportive community as we work through this together.