FAIRBORN — Fairborn City School students have begun a three-week break in in-person learning in response to the COVOD-19 pandemic.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine made the order March 12 that all Ohio schools would dismiss to prevent the spread of COVID-19, otherwise known as coronavirus, beginning Tuesday, March 17 through Friday, April 3. The governor estimates that the break could extend through the remainder of the school year.
Fairborn schools, in response, created flexible lesson plans — keeping in mind that not all local families have access to a computer or internet. Fairborn City Schools does not have enough technology available to send home with every student.
“This is definitely a challenging time,” Fairborn Superintendent Gene Lolli said. “We are living in history — and it’s not good history we are living in. I’ve talked to staff in all the buildings and have told them we will get through this together.”
The nutrition staff also created a plan to distribute breakfast and lunch bags Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon from Tuesday, March 7 through Friday, April 3. The bags will be distributed one per child.
The bags will be given away at the parking lots at Fairborn Primary School, 4 W. Dayton-Yellow Springs Road; Fairborn Intermediate School, 25 Dellwood Dr.; Baker Middle School, 100 Lincoln Dr.; Abiding Christ Church, 326 East Dayton-Yellow Springs Road; Fairborn YMCA, 300 S. Central Ave.; and Mayer Law Office, 510 W. Main St. at the corner of Broad and Main Streets.
“It has been really amazing how the educational community, the food service staff, how they have all stepped up to meet the students needs,” Lolli said, praising Fairborn’s Child Nutrition Supervisor Kathleen Housman in her quick planning. “We have had a number of teachers and secretaries volunteer to feed the students when that [takes place]. It has been amazing to see everyone step up to ensure our students are fed.”
While schools have been ordered to close until Friday, April 3 by Gov. DeWine, Lolli said Fairborn school officials will re-evaluate next steps around the second or third week into the break.
Individuals with questions or concerns are encouraged to contact the Fairborn City School District Board of Education office at 937-878-3961, or parents can email their child’s teacher directly.
Lolli highlighted that the more open the lines of communication are open, the “smoother the situation will go,” he said.
“It’s been remarkable how the Fairborn City Schools staff have all pulled together to get this done,” Lolli said. ” … We will get through this as a nation … the community will have to pull together and help each other out.”
