DPS’s summer meals program
The Durham Public Schools’ Summer Meal Program starts Monday, June 8. Families can go to certain schools and get bagged lunched for young people age 18 and under, and the adults can pick up nonperishable food supplies.
Here’s the schedule: 11am–12:30pm
Noon–1:30pm
Families can pick up meals at the following schools on Tuesdays and Fridays: 11am–12:30pm
Noon–1:30pm
Grab-and-Go Meals for Kids
Grace Church of Durham (1417 Cole Mill Rd) is offering Grab-and-Go Meals for Kids on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:30am–12:30pm. Free lunches will be distributed curbside; call 919-908-6213 for more info. This service is made possible in partnership with the Food Back of Central & Eastern NC, the Coastal Credit Union, and the Book Harvest.
DPS info session re: exceptional children
Durham Public Schools will host an Exceptional Children Information Session for Fall 2020 on Monday, August 3, 5–6pm. Learn how the changes we’re anticipating for the school year will affect students with IEPs (Individualized Education Programs). Click here to sign up for this Zoom meeting; the form is in both English and Spanish.
Durham’s Universal Pre-K
Durham’s Universal Pre-K program is accepting applications for the 2020–21 school year. Click here for more info and to download the application form (in English or Spanish); it should take around a half-hour to fill it out. If you prefer to apply for your child over the phone, call 833-773-5338. Leave a message and a counselor will call you and set up an appointment that’s a good time for you and the counselor.
Here’s DPS’s Town Hall Meeting, which was held on Thursday, July 9:
Here’s an discussion about how the first 9 weeks
of online learning will be handled. Morehead at Home
The Morehead Planetarium & Science Center hosts Morehead at Home live virtual events for students who are learning at home … and basically anyone who loves science and outer space.
Morehead at Home’s Tuesday, August 4 topic is called Spot the Station—Learn about the two NASA astronauts who returned from their International Space Station this past Saturday. Click here to attend this half-hour Zoom event at 10am. Morehead at Home’s Tuesday, August 11 topic is called Perseid Meteor Shower—Learn about meteors‚also called “shooting stars”—and find out how to watch this latest meteor shower, weather permitting. Click here to attend this half-hour Zoom event at 10am. Morehead at Home’s Tuesday, August 18 topic is called August Carolina Skies—Join a tour of the night sky and learn how to identify certain planets and stars. Click here to attend this half-hour Zoom event at 10am. Morehead at Home’s Tuesday, August 25 topic is called Voyager—Learn about the Voyager spacecrafts, which were launched 43 years ago to explore the outer solar system. Click here to attend this half-hour Zoom event at 10am. Check out Virtual Morehead’s video playlist on YouTube. Watch your favorite Morehead at Home videos again and catch up with the ones you missed. Click here to get started, and click here to view the entire Morehead at Home calendar. Strong Schools NC resource guide
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has just put out a useful resource guide called Strong Schools NC: Public Health Toolkit (k–12). It’s pretty comprehensive, and some of the topics covered include new health requirements for school, how schools will reopen, plans for various scenarios should there be another outbreak of coronavirus, cleaning/hygiene, monitoring for symptoms and a symptom screening checklist, and face coverings/social distancing. Click here to explore it below (you can even download it, if you like).
Teach at Home / Enseña desde Casa
Google, in partnership with UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), and the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, presents Teach at Home, a comprehensive educational resource for those looking for tools and tips for keeping kids interested in learning. There are three categories: Teachers, Schools, and Families, and each offers tools for teaching. Learn how to use livestreaming and video calls to hold classes; how to use Socratic, a learning app for students on the high school and college/university levels; how to identify learning resources for young people with disabilities, and lots more. There is an incredible amount of ideas, resources, and solutions for at-home learning. Click here to get started; Click here to view the Enseña desde Casa website in Spanish.
NCLearn @ Home
NCLearn @ Home is a gathering place put together by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources that taps into the expertise and programming of local museums and educational organizations. Teachers, families, and students are invited to explore the website and dive into the lessons and programming offered by the State Library, State Archive Collections, NC Museum of Art, NC Museum of History, NC Symphony, NC Zoo, and more. Click here to get started.
Federal student loans deferred
Americans trying to pay off their federal student loans can get a 6-month reprieve due to economic problems caused by the coronavirus crisis. Lenders have been instructed (by the relief bill that passed through Congress and was signed by Trump) not to ask for payments through September 30. Interest will not accrue and your credit rating will not be affected. Federal lenders are required to get in contact with all borrowers about the suspension of their federal student loan payments, and on August 1 they’re required to notify you when payments should start up again.
Please note that the coronavirus relief bill has no effect on private student loans; payments need to continue to be made on those loans. If you anticipate having trouble keeping up with private loans, contact your lender and see if you can work out some type of arrangement. Some lenders offer their own reduced-payment options or ways to postpone payments. Edu-informational podcast
Get loads of information on various school-related topics by listening to the Center for Family Engagement’s podcast, “Notes from the Backpack.” Click here for more info and to see a list of podcasts to choose from.
Free college-level courses
Keep your skills sharp and have fun learning new things over your summer vacation. edX is an online source for finding classes offered by renowned colleges and universities from around the world that you can take for free. Some courses start on specific dates and others are totally self-paced. Most require that you dedicate a few hours per week to the course, and although work is involved, you don’t have to worry about finals and term papers. Here are some upcoming courses; click here to explore the site and look for classes on subjects you’re interested in.
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