WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Millions of students have been out of school since education officials began closing schools more than a week ago in an attempt to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The closures have left school administrators scrambling to find ways to continue to provide services and education to their students.
Earlier this week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom told families and educators to prepare for students not to return to school until after the summer. With the indefinite nature of closures, the Washington Unified School District in West Sacramento, started planning alternative programs weeks ago, said Superintendent Linda Luna.
"I want our families and our community to be assured of this, we will be ready," Luna said. "We are planning to do the distance learning in a different way of instruction to the end of the school year."
WUSD closed all of its schools on March 13. Since then, WUSD teachers and principals have be seen in videos posted online reading storybooks for their students.
Pinky Ngo is a Kindergarten teacher at Stonegate Elementary School in West Sacramento. She started a YouTube page, has been e-mailing, and working to set up Facetime’s to keep in contact with her students.
"Yesterday, I read a story to them and I started a YouTube Channel," Ngo said. "So, the kids can access that and just hear me read and have some sort of routine and familiarity while they’re gone."
WUSD asked which families at River City High School didn’t have access to a computer and learned the need was around 250. The district responded by repurposing more than 220 chrome books that were previously used for instruction inside schools and providing them to students.
The district is working to meet the need for an additional 30 students.
WUSD is now joining district’s across the state in providing free meals to its students. WUSD has several pick up locations in West Sacramento between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. during the week.
At least 67% of the district’s 8,000 students rely on free or reduced lunches, making the program very important, said WUSD Superintendent Linda Luna.
Along with meals, the food service workers are distributing packets of learning material for its students. The materials are all voluntary at the moment and don’t count towards grades, but at least it keeps students minds working, Luna said.
"I was kind of at a loss what to do with part of the education piece," said Rosanna Castro, a mother of six. "So, we were grateful that was available.'
As the economic impact of government restrictions on traveling and working begin to felt in communities, parents say they’re grateful of the support coming from the school’s at this time.
Guadalupe De La Torre has daughters in WUSD schools. She was recently laid off from her job at a local taqueria, as restaurant crowds dwindle.
"It’s a lot of help," De La Torre said in Spanish. "I thank God that they're here giving us food for our kids and for ourselves."
Follow the conversation on Facebook with Giacomo Luca.
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