BY MATT MACKINDER
Clarkston News Staff Writer

With Clarkston schools closed until April due to state executive order to fight the coronavirus, students and families relying on free breakfast and lunch at district buildings will not be left out in the cold.
Clarkston Community Schools, in partnership with Chartwells School Dining, is offering free breakfast and lunch for all children ages 18 and younger, 26 and younger if Adult Transition Services, through April 3.
Meals will be offered Monday-Friday during the school closure. Food for Saturday and Sunday will be given at the Friday pick-up. Individual meals are packed to be picked up and taken home. Children do not need to be present for parents to pick up meals, and children do not need to be enrolled in Clarkston Community Schools.
Daily curbside pick-up is available from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Andersonville Elementary, 10350 Andersonville Road; Sashabaw Middle School, 5565 Pine Knob Lane; and Clarkston Junior High, 6595 Waldon Road. The CCS food services truck will be at Bridgewater Park Apartments, 5801 Bridgewater Drive, daily from 11:30 a.m.-noon; Clintonvilla Mobile Home Community, 4851 Clintonville Road, daily from 12-12:30 p.m.; and Independence Woods Mobile Home Community, 2500 Mann Road, daily from 11-11:30a.m.
“In developing our plans for an extended school closure, we are also taking into consideration the various unique needs of our community, including students with complex special needs, households with one or no digital device, students preparing to graduate or take college tests, and families with food insecurity,” said Clarkston Superintendent Shawn Ryan. “No student in Clarkston will go hungry during the school closure.”
In addition, the district also announced contingency plans for the next several weeks.
“We know you have questions about our plans for supporting our families with resources and learning opportunities during the school closure,” Ryan said. “As a learning institution, we also want to keep students engaged, enriched, and well while navigating the challenges of social distancing.”
The district curriculum team has compiled two weeks of opportunities, activities, and resources on the district website, clarkston.k12.mi.us/academics/enrichment.
“These learning opportunities should be considered as suggestions only and not as mandatory or required homework,” said Ryan. “No student is to be expected to complete work at this time and will not be penalized for this forced school closure. Teachers will not assign graded work or assessments.”
Teachers will spend the next two weeks learning about virtual education for increased instructional and scheduling flexibility in the future, he said.
“Teachers will go ‘back to school’ to learn new online methods for delivering instructional services in the same way that our students will be learning – virtually,” he said.
Ryan met with the district’s pupil accounting department and representatives from the county and state and said virtual learning would fit under the state guidelines for instructional days.
“This means that if we are not in a position to resume classes in a traditional school setting on April 6, we can launch a full-scale virtual program for all students that counts as school,” said Ryan.
Families will soon receive an Educational Development Plan and Virtual Learning Contract in their email to review, complete, and return in order to participate in virtual learning with CCS.
“Though these documents are not immediately needed, we would like to have completed paperwork for all students on record in the event we would go to a virtual program after spring break,” noted Ryan. “I believe Clarkston Community Schools, our educators, and our Board of Education are the best in the business. I believe we are innovative, imaginative leaders in education. I wake up every morning and I know this to be true. We have worked hard to earn your confidence. Trust that the forward-thinking solutions we are working through right now will help advance our school district not just for the next few weeks, but for the long term.”
Call 248-623-5400 for more information.