COVID-19 has put a hold on most activities in Delphi, Indiana but schooling is not one of them. Instead of learning in the classroom, Delphi Community School Corporation students are being taught remotely through E-learning.
DCSC announced on March 13 that students would do E-learning at home for two weeks to reduce the spread of COVID-19. But it was Gov. Eric Holcomb that made the final decision for all Indiana schools to remain closed for the remainder of the semester. Staff and students at DCSC did not expect the rest of the school year to be finished from home, but they are making the best of it.
Delphi’s main priority during this time is to not only make sure their students are getting a quality education at home, but quality meals at home. The school has implemented the DCSC Meal Distribution to ensure each student still has access to the meals they would normally be getting during the school day.
“They are preparing 10,790 meals a week between breakfast and lunch,” says Ross Striebeck, DCSC Direction of Operations.
Every week teachers and staff gather in the high school cafeteria to pack the lunches on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. The meals are packed into bags and loaded onto buses for distribution on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
“We tried delivering all five days of the week, but it just didn’t work. It was too much,” says Striebeck.
Each bus runs its normal route and stops at each home. But instead of picking students up to go to school, the drivers drop off the meals along with any new homework assignments teachers may have for their students. Striebeck says that the staff is working about three hours each day to pack and distribute the meals.
Meals are being loaded onto buses to be taken around Carroll County
“These lunches are really beneficial actually, because my parents work throughout the day, and I myself have not been much of a cook,” says Purdue junior, Luis Nieves. Nieves is home with his siblings, 11 and 13, during the day now that Purdue has also cancelled in-person classes.
Striebeck says that local businesses have also been helping with the program. TrueValue and Delphi Hardware donated bags and boxes, while Wallmans, Dollar General, and Save-A-Lot have donated food for the meals. The school is also getting milk donations from local dairy farms.
The cafeteria staff that is planning these meals still follows the rules of the Federal Government. Each meal has the right amount of fiber, protein, vegetables, fruit, and milk. Every student receives half a gallon of milk each week. The meals contain some refrigerated foods that can be stored and reheated, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as prepackaged snacks.
Striebeck explains what happens to meals that are not picked up by steduents.
DSCS plans to continue this program for the remainder of the semester. It has not yet been decided if the program will continue through the summer. Striebeck says he hopes the students will be able to return to school in the fall but if not, the program will still be available.
To find out more information about the DCSC Meal Distribution Program, go to the Delphi Community School Corporation website.
