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School lunches a lesson in logistics

Deborah Prescott | Daily Press Children and parents shown in the pavilion on Gladstone’s Van Cleve Park in 2018 during a Meet Up-Eat Up feeding program.

ESCANABA — Local school nutrition leaders have had a very different summer food program this year and are now navigating new waters working out ways to provide meals to students during the coronavirus pandemic.

Escanaba Area Public Schools Director of Food Service Nancy LaFave missed interacting with children during the summer program.

“We were not able to let students come to the different buildings and eat lunch each day,” said LaFave.

The routine Meet Up-Eat Up program was run like the Unanticipated Meals Program that operated from mid-March to early June, through the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, after Governor Gretchen Whitmer closed school districts throughout Michigan March 13.

“We missed seeing those kids everyday. Despite the change everything went really good,” said LaFave.

Escanaba has completed its summer feeding program and ended up serving approximately 400 bags of food every week. In each bag there were a total of 10 meals, five breakfasts and five lunches. The meals included half gallons of white and chocolate milk.

“We were able to get produce boxes from the USDA’s program “Farmers to Families” every other week,” LaFave said. “That was a great extra for our families.”

LaFave worried about the logistics of getting the meals to the children during the beginning of the program.

“The cooks came in and put together the meals. They were awesome. They came each week and just got it done,” said LaFave.

Each week volunteers helped to put it together and send it out.

“They were awesome too. I was so grateful each week for each and every person from all areas of this district. It was the best,” said LaFave.

Gladstone Area Public Schools Food Services Director Nancy Monroe is continuing their summer program through Aug. 24.

“We are still handing out 250 bags of meals, five breakfasts and five lunches, Mondays between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. Parents pick up the bags,” said Monroe.

The first day of the 2020-21 school year in Gladstone is Sept. 1, and Monroe has a plan ready to feed students in the schools.

“Kindergarten through fifth grade will have their breakfasts in the classroom. Sixth through 12th grades will go through the cafeteria for breakfast,” said Monroe. “Seating in the cafeteria is arranged for social distancing.”

Monroe said for lunch, students at the Jones and Cameron schools will be called into the cafeteria by grade.

“We’ll call students in to eat by grades, then call the next grade,” said Monroe. “I think we can bring a new class in every 15 minutes. I’ve figured we can have 112-115 kids at a time in the cafeteria with social distancing.”

Monroe has eliminated a la carte meals, and by doing so she’s eliminated lines students would have stood in.

“Sixth through 12th grade students will just get a hot meal. We’re still working out the best way to avoid lines,” said Monroe.

Monroe is working on a way for teachers to order for kids so they don’t stand in line. Gladstone has also purchased picnic tables for students to choose to sit outside or not.

“After the first month of school we’ll send out flyers to parents who have children learning from home and see what we may need to do for them,” said Monroe.

Escanaba students will be fed in the cafeterias for lunch, within the guidelines approved by the school board, to keep everyone safe. Lower grade levels will still get breakfast in the classrooms. LaFave and high school principals are discussing ways high school students will have breakfast each day.

“We will also be feeding the students that have elected to do online learning. I am still working out the logistics for that,” said LaFave. “The most important thing for me is that our students get feed no matter where they are learning. I have complete confidence in our staff that we will make it happen.”

Mid Peninsula Superintendent Eric VanDamme said they have been feeding families since March 13 and have fed 150 to 200 families every week since.

“We were so happy to be able to see students and families and provide some stability for the families that needed it,” said VanDamme.

Mid Peninsula will have breakfast served to students in the classrooms and lunch in the cafeteria.

“We are small, so we are able to have only small groups of students in the lunch room at a time, … this is one area we won’t have to make drastic changes from years past,” said VanDamme.

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