Community programs strive to keep students active and engaged with “Book Bus”

By Elizabeth Richards

Since school closed on March 16, the RSU14 backpack program has been very busy. As the school closure continues, other programs are piggybacking on the distribution times to offer other resources as well.

Director of School Nutrition Jeanne Reilly says the backpack program is distributing food on Tuesdays and Fridays in both Windham and Raymond. The program offers three bags of food: one with fruits and vegetables, another with milk and possibly other dairy items like yogurt and cheese, and a third with shelf stable items such as peanut butter, cereal, soup, tuna and pasta.

“Any family with children is welcome to come. They do not have to be a previous recipient of the backpack program,” Reilly said. “We do ask that it be families with children in the home, since we are operating with funds that were donated for the express purpose of feeding children.  Families do not need to sign up, they can just come to one of our sites during the hours that we are open.”

On Tuesday, March 31^st, a “Book Bus” began distributing grade level books for K-3 students in conjunction with the backpack program.

Julie Young, instructional leader for Windham Primary School, coordinates the book bus. She said 100 bags of books were packed the first week and 80-100 more, which also included some basic school supplies such as paper, pencils, glue sticks and construction paper, had already been packed for the second week.

Families can pick up a new set of books each week, Young said, and books should not be returned. The books being distributed are from a large supply of retired curriculum materials, she said, and include individual paperbacks as well as anthologies.

On the first week of distribution, there were enough bags assembled for every family who asked for one, Young said. Bags were also sent to Raymond Elementary School for distribution. Young said that they have enough materials for every child, though they haven’t been packing that many since they didn’t know how many would come. “We’d love for every child to come and get a bag,” she said, adding that delivery is also possible.

Distributing reading material is important, Young said, because it’s difficult for parents to have leveled materials, especially for younger children who go through their material quickly. Although digital libraries are available, not all children have access to those, she said. “We wanted to make sure that we have some non-digital opportunities for our kids to continue to learn,” she said.

Reilly added that though the official book bus is on Tuesdays, there have also been some boxes of books and other reading materials that families can take available on Fridays.

Windham Parks and Recreation is also offering resources to families during this difficult time. This week, they began to add their weekly edition of “Useful News” to the lunches being sent home, so that families who may not receive it through email have access, said director Linda Brooks. This newsletter offers tips on enjoying the outdoors safely, as well as information on events and available resources.

“We continue to offer programming opportunities to our residents, but in many new ways, since people suddenly have much more leisure time in their lives,” Brooks said. “Parks and Recreation is all about helping people develop healthy leisure lifestyles, and outdoor activities are still being encouraged as an effective manner to manage this crisis. Moving forward, we are working on other activities that we can make available for children to do at home.”

Reilly said they are working to provide recipes, nutrition information, and culinary videos on social media channels and their website. “These will be ideas and tips for families to come together and experience some of the food we are sending home in our bags. We hope families will do some cooking together and some nutrition education, and even incorporate some science and math lessons with the food and recipes,” she said. 

The backpack program is not accepting food donations at this time but welcomes financial support for the project. The bags provide each family with about $20 worth of food, and participation in the program is growing, she said. On Friday, April 3, they served 122 families, which is an estimated 300-400 students served.

Food can be picked up at Windham Middle School on Tuesdays and Fridays from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and at Raymond Elementary School on Tuesdays and Fridays from 1:30 to 3 pm. They are delivering to families in quarantine or who do not have transportation, Reilly said. If transportation is an issue, families can reach out to Reilly at jreilly@rsu14.org or district chef, Ryan Roderick at rroderick@rsu14.org.

Preschoolers run ‘marathon’ to raise money for RSU14 Backpack Program

Students at Birchwood Day Nursery School

By Lorraine Glowczak

Organizations – whether they are businesses, religious or otherwise, will rise to the call and make sure others in dire circumstances are given a hand when life throws them a curveball. Is this an innate response or is it nurtured by those who teach us well? Or is it both?

The answers are probably best addressed by sociologists, anthropologists and educational psychologists. Whether it is intrinsic or not, all this reporter knows is the three, four and five-year-olds at Birchwood Day Nursery School on River Road in Windham raised over $7,000 at their eighth annual marathon fundraising event which consists of running around a designated track in the school’s front yard on April 23 and 24. The 3-year-olds participated in a dance-a-thon.

The funds raised were donated to the RSU14 Backpack Program. In the process, the students not only learned about service to others, but also learned the importance of personal health and exercise. And they did so with passion and excitement.

“We talked about four important aspects to health,” stated Heather Marden, teacher and inspiration of the program. “Eating healthy, drinking water, exercise and getting the right amount of sleep were discussed often and a part of our curriculum study to prepare for the run. The only thing is, they didn’t know they were learning because they were having so much fun.”

Prior to the marathon, the students not only discussed healthy personal living habits but also what it takes to be a part of a healthy community. When asked what he learned the most about participating in the marathon and giving back to others, student Connor McGovern said, “Sometimes when you run, you fall down. When friends fall down, you help them back up so they can keep running.” 

Student Easton McDonnell quickly added, “Sometimes when you fall down, it hurts really bad so you need to get a cold pack so people can feel better.”

If there is one way to encourage children to think about others in need “when they fall”, this certainly was one way to do it as it seemed to leave an impression.

Marden explained that the annual event is filled with excitement as they mark the running path with flags and balloons, not only with the children but former students as well. “When we start putting the flags and balloons up, former students who are now a part of our after-school program, recall their own fond memories of the event. We even have them come to speak to the children about their experiences as part of our curriculum activities and preparations.”

The event included visitors such as Crusher, the mascot from Maine Red Claws and the boys’ basketball team from Saint Joseph’s College. “We also invited Chef Ryan from RSU14,” explained Marden. “He spoke to us a bit about how important the backpack program is and to show us what type of healthy foods go into the backpacks, giving students sample foods to try.”

The marathon also brings out the spectators with the sidelines filled with moms, dads, uncles, aunts, siblings and grandparents, cheering on their favorite three, four and five-year olds as they run, fall and help others get back up.

The following are a few influences, lessons learned and favorite aspects from the four-lap front yard marathon participation:

“Getting a medal by Dr. Rhoads, Principle of Windham Primary School,” Mason Cieslak

“Seeing my dad,” Easton Secord

“Drinking the water,” Aria Celeste

“Eating oranges with my grammy and uncle,” Amelia Wildes

“Running around the preschool looking at the flags and balloons,” Jack Moriarty

“We have to stretch our muscles to warm them up,” Charlee Prokey

But perhaps the most important aspect from the marathon event is the impression it makes on the parents. “We have parents who thank us for helping the community,” began Connie DiBiase, Birchwood’s Director. “One parent told us how important it was – and how he could identify what it is like not to have enough food as a child – and now he feels like he gets to help other children and families.”

Heather Marden stated that they wanted to target children in the Windham Community. “When deciding what organization to serve, it made sense to us to give to the RSU14 Backpack Program – focusing in on the fact that hunger does exist in our community and taking that as a learning experience on what it takes to live a healthy life.”

The children raised enough money to provide food for over 35 students.

“The Backpack Program couldn't survive without the continued support of businesses and organizations such as Birchwood Day Nursery School,” stated Program Coordinator of the Backpack Program. “They have helped us provide a financial stability in the program. I also hope that these little people will learn to be caring, giving community members thanks to the Nursery School and their parents and caregivers involvement in this fundraiser that they do yearly. I couldn't be more appreciative.”

A special thanks goes to Marden and DiBiase, along with all the Birchwood staff, for their dedication to our youth and teaching as well.

For more information about the Backpack Program, contact Marge Govoni at mgovoni@rsu14.org. To make a donation, ensuring that the food insecure children of the Windham and Raymond communities are nourished and well fed, mail check or money order noting which program you are donating too, to the following address: School Nutrition Program, 228 Windham Center Road, Windham,04062.