At-Home Resources for Families During COVID-19 Crisis
March 17, 2020
**updated 3/19/20, 3/23/20, 3/25/20, 3/30/20**
As families are facing weeks of at-home time with their children while our schools are on mandated shutdown due to COVID-19, educational resources have been rolling out to help support our kiddos while they're out of the classroom. Beyond that, we've got information regarding food resources.
Educational Resources
Billings Public Library
- Billings Public Library has compiled resources and information for parents and children with oodles of links to free resources. https://billingslibrary.org/395/Children
- Get your library card from the comfort and safety of your own home!
Wise Wonders at Home
- Wise Wonders Children's Museum's YouTube channel offers a variety of interactive hands-on, educational activities to do at home with the kiddos.
Special Education Resources
- Breezy Special Ed is providing Learning Packets and strategies for Special Education during the COVID-19 pandemic
Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems! (The John F. Kennedy Center)
- Get creative with Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence at home: Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems via The Kennedy Center on YouTube (episode 1 below)
30 Virtual Field Trips with Links
- Peruse this Google Doc with 30 Virtual Field Trips to take with your children, simply click on the colored text in each box to go to the link
Free Internet Access for K-12 and College Student Households
- Charter to Offer Free Access to Spectrum Broadband and Wi-Fi For 60 Days For New K-12 and College Student Households and More: Get the details
Scholastic Free Daily Courses
- Scholastic is offering day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing.
- https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html
Even when schools are closed, you can keep the learning going with these special cross-curricular journeys. Every day includes four separate learning experiences, each built around a thrilling, meaningful story or video. Kids can do them on their own, with their families, or with their teachers. Just find your grade level and let the learning begin!
-The Editors of Scholastic Classroom Magazines.
Free Teaching Relief Packs
- Have Fun Teaching offers free (from Preschool-5th Grade) Relief Packs that include Writing, Phonics, Science, Math, Reading, English, and Social Studies. Check them out, here
Nightly Readings
- Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association is partnering with some of their favorite children's book authors and publishers to share nightly Facebook Live book readings. (There might even be some surprise author visits with some of the readings!). Follow the TEPSA Facebook page to catch the nightly readings! Bring your children and join us nightly, Monday-Friday, at 6:30pm on the TEPSA Facebook Page!
- On Instagram, follow @savewithstories where you'll find your favorite celebrities reading children's books. Save with Stories is operating in partnership with Save the Children and No Kid Hungry.
PBS LearningMediaL
- PBS and Montana PBS have gathered FREE videos, interactives, lesson plans and more for parents and teachers. All the great PBS shows like Arthur and Sesame Street along with award-winning programming from NOVA and Inside Science are available on their site.
- Check it out, here
ABDO Makes Digital Bookshelf Available
- Per Billings Public Library, ABDO, a leader in Children’s PreK–12 educational publishing for school and public libraries, has made their digital bookshelf available for FREE to our community.
- You will find books for all school ages, in many subjects and genres. You do not need a library card to access their resources. Simply type in 2123800 for both the username and password.
- Log-in
Clavis Publishing Online Content
Clavis Publishing is working with their authors and illustrators to bring families fun content, activities, and videos.
Local Food Resources
Billings Public Schools Emergency Closure Meal Service
{Updated March 17th , 9:00pm, BPS' Facebook page}
Locations
- Castle Rock Middle School
- Lewis and Clark Middle School
- Riverside Middle School
- Medicine Crow Middle School
- Bench Elementary
- Boys and Girls Club Bair Family Clubhouse
Mobile Food Trailer (New)
- McKinley – 9:00 – 9:30
- Washington – 9:45 – 10:15
- Newman 10:30 – 11:00
- Ponderosa 11:15 – 11:45
- Olympic Village Apartments 12:00 – 12:30
- Big Sky 12:45 – 1:15
- Delivery of Meals to Cherry Creek Clubhouse M-F 12:00 – 1:00 (new)
- *Other locations added as needed.
- Orchard (closed – 3/23) Meals offered at Riverside
Service Times:
- Breakfast: 7:45 – 9:00
- Lunch: 11:00 - 12:30
- Meals will be provided Monday through Friday
- Meals may be picked up at the bus turnaround curbside.
- Meals are free of charge to all children 18 years and younger. Adult Meals available for $2.00 Breakfast and $4.00 Lunch
- CHILDREN DO NOT NEED TO BE PRESENT TO RECEIVE MEALS (NEW)
- Questions? - Please call 406-281-5878
Albertsons Offers Special Shopping Hours for At-Risk Customers
- Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7-9am are reserved for senior citizens and other at-risk members of our community, such as pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems.
Laurel School District & Laurel Public Library Announce Emergency Food Program
Due to the recent school closures, the summer protocols to provide meals to students are being implemented until further notice.
- March 16-ongoing, Monday-Friday
- Breakfast: 7:30-8:30am
- Lunch: 11am-12:30pm
- Free to all children ages 18 and younger
- This program is NOT income based
- Curbside pick-up outside Laurel Public Library, 720 W 3rd Street, Laurel
- Students must be present during pick-up
NEW
As of March 19, Laurel Middle School has been added as an additional pickup location
- Curbside pick-up only (student must be present), 725 Washington Avenue
- All details above apply
S.O.W. Ministry (LAUREL) Offers Grab and Go Bags
Starting Friday, March 20, 2020, The S.O.W. Ministry will make breakfast and lunch "grab and go" bags for all children under the age of 18 years.
- Locations will only occur during the 11:00am to 12:30pm lunch times.
- A breakfast meal AND a lunch meal will be given to each child that comes to one of the specified locations. (Breakfast meals are meant for the following morning.)
- This will happen each Monday through Friday during the closure of our schools. There will be 3 separate vehicles used, to service the seven areas where bagged meals can be picked up.
Locations:
- Route #1 - (Eastend Mobile Home Park) Delivery Person: Dale Ahrens 11:00 to 11:30 Corner of Milwaukee Rd. and Topeka 11:30 to 12:00 Corner of Topeka and East Maryland 12:00 to 12:30 Corner of Atchison and East Maryland
- Route #2 - Eastside (near Middle School) Delivery Person: Misty Hull 11:00 to 11:30 Corner of Date Ave and East Eighth St. 11:30 to 12:00 Montana Ave (Front entry door at Old Gym)
- Route #3 - South side (south of railroad tracks) Delivery Person: Rosalee Rupp 11:00 to 11:30 Corner of Woodland and South 4th Street 11:30 to 12:00 Corner of Forrest Ave and South 4th Street
- S.O.W. vehicles will be parked at those locations and at those times. We will have our hatchbacks / trucks open and pick-ups made at that location.
