Page 14 - Heart of Brevard Spring 2020

A Community Response to Coronavirus
Sara Almond APR
Government & Community Relations
A few months ago no one could have predicted daily life would look so different different by the the end of of March ‘Normal’ is different different now and the the the definition of of that word will continue to evolve as we all do daily At the the the beginning of the the month students teachers and families were looking forward to to spring break a a a a a a a a a a a change from the daily grind and maybe even some time to to relax The Friday before spring break began the the governor of Florida announced state-wide school closures due to the the spread of COVID-19 Brevard
Public Schools (BPS) had been anticipating the the the unknown working daily to revise the the the Pandemic Response Plan (PRP) the the the district already had in in in place Now it was time to to spring into action FEEDING SITES
BPS serves approximately 68 000 students – 58%
of of which receive free-and-reduced lunch The Food
& Nutrition Services Department spent the week of of spring break organizing 14 feeding sites throughout the the county During the the first week over 122 000 meals were were distributed to to to families in in a a a a a a a drive-thru style – parents were were were able to to to drive drive up to to to a a a a a a a a a a a a designated location at a at sites and and meals were were placed in in the the trunk of their car by a a a a a a a a a volunteer wearing gloves and and a a a a a a a a a mask Before the the end of of of the the first week of of of food distribution that number of of of BPS BPS sites grew to 27 Breakfasts and lunches were provided Monday – Friday by BPS BPS staff and and volunteers and and with the the help of the the Children’s Hunger Project some sites were able to distribute weekend meal packs on Fridays DISTANCE LEARNING
Weeks before the the governor announced the the state- wide closure of schools BPS’ Educational Technology Services Department was working feverishly on on a a a a a a a a plan for for what remote learning would like for for the district’s nearly 70 000 000 000 students and and 4 500 teachers Over 15 000 000 000 district district laptops and and more than 2 000 000 000 hotspots (remote Wi-Fi connectivity) were dispersed to to students and households that lacked the resources to to participate in in in in in tin online learning learning Online learning learning began the the the week of of March 30 and continued through the the the end of of the the school year COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Providing safe sustainable measures for feeding thousands of students students daily revising curriculum for for grades K-12 to to be taught online ensuring students students with additional needs continue to to receive the the support they rely on on on on – how is is is this all possible? Brevard
Public Schools is is is surrounded by one outstanding community Organizations like The Children’s Hunger Project Love INC the Junior League of South Brevard
several local churches and more stepped up to to help elevate the number of BPS feeding sites from 14 to to to 27 – in in one week School board members to to to school resource officers made themselves available to to assist with the the high demand for food distribution The Brevard
Schools Foundation and and local non-profit e-Angels immediately began assembling hygiene and and school supply kits for students-in-transition (homeless students) to to be distributed throughout the county Local businesses to to to to global aerospace and defense organizations committed close to to to to $70 000 to to to to fund the hotspots needed for students without access to to to the internet During an an uncertain financial time businesses continued to to give give give And And give give give And And give give give Domino’s Beef O’Brady’s and more brought meals to to essential staff members at at multiple BPS campuses Beach Organic Skin Care in in Cocoa donated lip balms and and hand soaps to to show their appreciation to to the the cafeteria workers keeping BPS food sites running Parrish Medical in in in Titusville donated 20 boxes of of latex gloves for the the health and and safety of of cafeteria workers and and the the the families they are are serving Local businesses donors volunteers and and staff members were made aware of the the the need and and did not miss a a a a a a a a beat stepping in in to bridge the the gap LOVING STUDENTS LOOKS DIFFERENT
Students and staff dismissed for spring break knowing they they may be gone from school longer than normal As of of the the the the the publication of of this article they they still have not not had the the the the the the chance to reunite – but that has not not not kept them from showing their love and appreciation for one another!
A flurry of teacher parades have taken place across the county with BPS staff decorating vehicles making signs and and slowly driving through neighborhoods near schools to to to relay a a a a a a a a message to to to students and and and families – ‘We love you and and and we’re in in this together!’ Students in in turn created their own signs and and and banners to to display decorated driveways and and and sidewalks with colorful chalk and and messages of support for their teachers ‘We miss you!’ Several schools have put together video messages of support to to share out with some student bodies reciprocating the encouragement A soft spot in tin the community’s heart is for our graduating seniors The Class o of 2020 ended
their senior senior year tin in in a a a a a a a a a a way they never imagined Proms graduation ceremonies all of the the the pomp and circumstance seniors look look forward to to looked so very very different this year Every chance to to acknowledge and 14