It is spring break time for Danville’s Public Schools but even if it wasn’t students would still be home because of the threat of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
And although District 118 students are on break, there will still be some hot meals available. Superintendent Alicia Geddis says the District has entered into a pilot program with the local McDonald’s restaurants….
{‘’We mailed a card to every student in Danville District 118. We mailed it to the homes listed in the system. And it gives them the ability to get a free, pre-packaged reimbursable meal – one for breakfast, one for lunch – with the pilot (program). (It’s) so that we could see how it goes, how we need to plan for distribution, what McDonald’s corporate needs to do – just to see how it would flow,’’ said Superintendent Geddis.}
Deanna Witzel, owner-operator of the three McDonald’s restaurants in Danville, says there was discussions with the State Board of Education about piloting the program….
{‘’We knew that we had to meet some requirements with what the state required for the nutritional standpoint to the meals. So, we did that. We put that plan together, and today we’re just executing that plan,’’ said Witzel.}
Meanwhile Superintendent Geddis (shown here) is encouraging parents to help kids with their education during spring break and the period schools remain closed due to the COVID-19 threat. And she described one way the District is helping….
{We’re handing out the laptops for the students in Dual Credit and AP Programs because those are going to continue. And the College Board is expecting those students in AP Programs to complete their work. So we reached out to them, (and) found out who needed laptops, and we’re getting those out to them. And Comcast in the city of Danville, they’ve opened up their network – so internet is available throughout the city,’’ said Geddis.}
And the Danville Superintendent says parents can expect to hear more this week as information becomes available…
{‘’Certainly, as we receive directions – the state has promised to give us direction this week about how we proceed going forward. And as we get that information I will continue to reach out to parents and staff via the letters that I’ve been sending, (and) the phone blasts that I’ve done. And we put those on Facebook as well,’’ said Geddis.
Superintendent Geddis added a lot of teachers have been pitching in to help this week even though they are on spring break. Some of them have reached out to students using the internet to reach them since buildings are closed.
[**Note: In the top photo Witzel and Danville School Superintendent Alicia Geddis talk while keeping their distance from each other because of social distancing guidelines.]
