The Shadow
The Covington City School System’s food service employees and bus drivers were honored Friday morning for their efforts in helping to provide meals to students during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane urged parents and students to show their appreciation — within current social distancing guidelines — for school nutrition professionals on national School Lunch Hero Day which was observed Friday.
“The efforts of our school nutrition programs to keep children fed during this public health crisis have truly been heroic,” Lane said. “In some divisions, school nutrition staff have teamed up with pupil transportation to deliver meals directly to the homes of children who are unable to get to central feeding stations. And everywhere, they are not only feeding children, they are keeping students and families connected with their school communities.”
The Covington employees were honored during a brief ceremony held Friday outside the Covington High School cafeteria. Honorees received balloons, gift cards and gift certificates, cookies and various other gifts.
“Covington City Schools is so appreciative of the school lunch heroes that are being honored today,” said Melinda Snead-Johnson, superintendent of Covington schools. “We appreciate all these cafeteria workers and bus drivers and essential workers that are helping [during the pandemic].”
On average, school nutrition programs across the state have served more than 160,000 breakfasts and 250,000 lunches a day to children and families since March 23, when Gov. Ralph Northam closed schools as a public health measure to slow the spread of the virus.
The Virginia Department of Education is supporting their efforts by securing waivers from U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations governing meal delivery and consumption. For example, children may now consume meals off site, and parents and other caregivers may now pick up meals from feeding stations without children present.
“While social distancing may prevent students and parents from doing some of the things they would like to do to show their appreciation, it only takes a moment to share a message on social media to let our dedicated school nutrition professionals — and all those supporting their efforts — know how much they are appreciated,” Lane said.
“I’d also like to thank the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth for its support of our school nutrition programs and professionals,” Lane added.
The foundation is celebrating School Lunch Hero Day by supporting local efforts to recognize school nutrition staff.
“Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth celebrates School Lunch Hero Day to recognize the hard-working school nutrition staff during this difficult time for Virginia’s students, staff and families,” executive director Marty Kilgore said. “We appreciate them now and throughout the year for their work in providing healthy meals for students. School nutrition staff are fundamental in ensuring we empower kids to make healthy choices.”
More information — including resources for celebrating School Lunch Hero Day — is available on the School Lunch Hero Day website.
More information about Virginia school nutrition programs is available on the VDOE website at www.doe.virginia.gov.
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Bus drivers and food service workers for the Covington City School System were recognized Friday morning for their efforts in helping to provide meals for students during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Front row, from left: Brenda Perkins, Covington City Schools supervisor of transportation and child nutrition; Susan Sizemore; Carolyn Waddell, Connie McLaughlin; Audie Bishop; Jenny Perkins. Back row: Debbie Woodzell, Jay Johnson, Sam Forbes, Robert Withrow, Diana Plumley, Melinda Snead-Johnson, superintendent of Covington schools. (Gavin Dressler Photo)
