Here’s a behind the scenes look as nearly 100 school meals to go are prepared for delivery to student homes around the Island, a process that’s been repeated every weekday for five weeks since the COVID-19 emergency began.
Photographer K.C. Bailey and I (wearing masks and gloves and practicing social distancing) stopped by with permission one day last week to meet members of the team who daily prepare two meals — breakfast and lunch — for delivery to 48 students.
We found Helene Starzee and Stephanie Tybaert at work in the school cafeteria (Jasmine Frasco wasn’t present but had packed hundreds of bags that you’ll see along the tables). The delivery team of Todd Gulluscio, Mary Kanarvogel and Donna Clark arrived a short while later. Once the hot foods and cold milk boxes are packed, they shuttled the bags out to Todd’s truck for a daily delivery trip that takes them all over Town.
Photos by K.C. Bailey
Any student in Pre-K to 12 district who qualifies for free or reduced price meals is eligible for the program, and the district can offer meals to students in households enduring new financial stress due to stay at home orders, School Superintendent Dr. Brian Doelger said. To inquire confidentially, contact support@shelterisland.k12.ny.us.
Shelter Island School has 200 students, and employs 40 teachers and about 25 other support staff. Both Starzee and Tybaert said that while they miss their colleagues, what they miss most is seeing the kids, who eat daily with them in the cafeteria. Kanarvogel said the delivery team sometimes sees kids waving out their windows to them when they drop off the meals.
“Sometimes the kids will peek their heads out and smile, which really is the best part of the whole thing,” she said.
Our thanks to Dr. Doelger and to all the school faculty and staff who continue to work every day to keep our ship of public education afloat!
K. C. Bailey is a photographer who specializes in images for film and television. Her personal work centers around animals. She was born in New York City, is a product of the New York City school system and is a graduate of New York University. She lives in Eeltown with her shelter dog, Addie, and her husband, cinematographer Stephen Kazmierski.
