On Thursday, August 27, Dr. Gutekanst held a meeting on Transportation and Nutrition. Notable attendees included Shane Marchand, Director of Transportation, and Ruth Griffin, Director of Nutrition Services. The meeting was recorded for those who were unable to attend.
Nutrition
There will be a two-week time period when no meals will be available. Meals will resume 9/14.
NPS will continue to provide a grab-and-go breakfast at Eliot, Mitchell, High Rock, Pollard and the High School which can be ordered in advance.
Hot and cold meals will be available in all buildings. Orders will be placed in the morning with a teacher in grades K-8. Meals will be labeled and ready for pick up at lunch.
Remote students can order via a Google form and lunch pick up will take place during a 1-hour window at a designated spot at the child’s school.
Dining will happen in the cafeteria or outside (weather permitting).
Cafeteria workers and aides will clean desks/tables/seats.
A la carte will be available with limited items.
High School students will carry an ID card that can be scanned for meal purchase
Q&A
All meals and snacks are nut free except at the high school. Individual students with allergies will be monitored to make sure they are not ordering something they cannot eat.
There will not be a salad bar at the high school, but students can order a pre-made salad.
Nutritional value information is available. General information is sent out monthly, and families should contact the nutrition department for specific needs.
Students can bring their own lunch and eat either in the cafeteria or outside.
The length of lunch period may change slightly. There is an extra lunch period added for high school.
Students should bring water to drink during the day. Bottle fountains have been ordered but they have not all arrived yet. If a student runs out of water, there is water for purchase. No student will go thirsty according to administration.
Students will be spaced at least 6 feet apart in the cafeteria or under a tent .
Transportation
23 families can fit on a yellow school bus at one time
Van ridership will vary
Families/students should expect:
Masks to be worn at all times
Assigned seating
Siblings to sit together
Windows 3 inches open
Ventilation systems on
High touch points cleaned twice a day
Interior surfaces and floors cleaned once a week
Family Responsibilities:
Temperature check children
Keep kids home if they are symptomatic
Send students with 2 masks in case one gets dirty/wet
Send kids with hand sanitizer to be used before entering the bus
Social distance at the bus stop
Review and reinforce protocols with children
Q&A
Seating will be assigned so that the bus will be filled from back to front. The bus will unload from front to back.
Bus routes and stops will be published the first week in September (but will hopefully be available on the transportation site a few days earlier.) They hope to keep the stops the same but may have to move a few. Busses will make the same stops regardless of cohort week.
No aerosol cleaning products will be used for cleaning buses, just spray bottles.
Students in Out of District placements will be learn their transportation plan soon. The number of kids on a van is determined by the size of the van (probably 3-5 students). There needs to be at least 36 inches of space between riders and also between riders and the driver.
There will be no bus monitors — there were no applicants for the job.
Families can still sign up for transportation through the district website, but some buses are full. You can call transportation to see if there is any space left on your route.
Families can unenroll from the bus and receive a refund — they should email Shane Marchand
Bus windows will be left open 3 inches as long as possible. It helps with ventilation. It actually increase air exchange by 10 times the amount compared to when they are closed.
High touch points will be cleaned after the morning run and then after the afternoon run at the end of the day.
METCO families with transportation questions should contact Leslie Smart, Assistant METCO Director & METCO Transportation Coordinator, although the Needham transportation department can also provide answers.