All superheroes don't wear capes and this schoolteacher's story is a brilliant example of the same. Ever since the coronavirus outbreak, everyone has had to sit at home including children who are having to miss out on school.?
An Assistant head teacher at Western Primary School, Grumsby, Zane Powles has his own signature style of delivering free school meals to the children. He walks for more than five miles every day to deliver the food to them personally.??
Powles carries rucksacks filled with packed meals and homework which weigh more than 18 kg, for at least 78 students.?
Powles is a former soldier who was a part of the Grenadier Guards and he utilises his lunch-run to make sure the students are doing okay. He places the packed lunch on the doorstep, knocks and waits far away from the door for someone to come pick it up.?
Not just him, the school's headteacher Kim Leach and another teacher take turns to deliver school lunches by car to families live a little farther than the rest.
Mr Powles told?The Independent?that the parents of the students are extremely grateful for the teachers who are delivering the lunches since most of them are in dire need of their free school meals. He said they are also thankful for the 'adult contact'.
According to End Child Poverty, 34 per cent of children are in poverty in Grimsby and 41 per cent of children at Western Primary School are entitled to free school meals.?
He said, ¡°The parents and children come to the window or the door to wave and say hello, some of the parents want to have a little chat ¨C I think I¡¯m the only adult contact they get to talk to some days.?I¡¯m usually quite a private person, so all the attention is kind of embarrassing, but we¡¯re all just doing our job ¨C the welfare of our students is our top priority and we¡¯re just doing the best we can."
Headteacher Ms Leach informed the publication that the school administration came up with a plan "almost immediately" when they lockdown was announced.?
She said, ¡°We¡¯re legally obliged?to feed children entitled to school meals and we wanted to get the food to them no matter what.?The families have been absolutely brilliant. They¡¯re at the door, at the windows, or they leave signs at the door, we¡¯ve had cards and notes of thanks waiting for us. We literally knock and run, we don¡¯t come into contact with them, but we didn¡¯t expect the amazing response we¡¯ve received."
She also said, ¡°There is a lot of poverty in the area, and some families are struggling. I¡¯ve had parents call me up telling me how worried they are about getting food, and we are a lifeline for some of them.¡±
By doing all this, the teachers also get an opportunity to check on the children's welfare and to make sure they aren't facing any trouble during the lockdown period.?
He added, ¡°Our school tagline is ¡®The School That Cares¡¯, and we really do care about our children, we will do almost anything for them.¡±