Gowanda Elementary school staff are pictured Wednesday. They were on hand for families to pick up learning packets. Submitted Photo.

GOWANDA — It was a relatively smooth day for the Gowanda Central School District, despite the extenuating circumstances. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gowanda and every other school district in the Western New York region has been forced into an extended break from in-person instruction.

Most schools in the area have provided students with a learning packet, consisting of material the students can use over the next handful of weeks to learn from home. The packet is put together by a collaboration of teachers to cover every subject the student may need. Gowanda Elementary is doing a system similar to this, the pick-up for such things took place all day on Wednesday.

Each student was assigned a time slot, determined by alphabetical order, where their packet and other materials could be picked up. The parent or guardian of the student drove up to one of the elementary students, again based on last name, and told the waiting Gowanda staff members who’s material they would be picking up. It was an easy system on parents, who didn’t even have to leave their car.

The high school did things a bit differently, as their learning will be shifted primarily online. The high school students weren’t required to pick up a packet, as Gowanda tries to make the shift to online instructional programs.

“It was truly a team effort,” said Gowanda Superintendent Dr. Robert Anderson. “Every administrator in the district conspired to design what remote learning would look like and divised a way that’s both engaging and appropriate.”

There was still a drive through-like stop at Gowanda High School on Wednesday though, but it wasn’t for text books. Gowanda is providing any family with a child in the area with a bagged lunch if they need it.

“We have buses that go out and follow usual bus routes, go to every home, and deliver a lunch for today,” said Gowanda assistant principal David Smith. “The bag includes breakfast for the next day as well. It also has a prepared note with some instructions and some well wishes. It’s available to every child in the home, whether they go to Gowanda or not, the buses go right to the stops and deliver those.”

For those students not assigned to a bus, they can come to the school themselves and pick up their lunches, or use the drive through that was provided on Wednesday. There is a separate pile of lunches available to students who walk, but the same rules still apply, as students can “swing right up and grab however many they need for children in their home,” according to Smith. There were also separate piles of lunches for students with different eating needs, such as lactose free food.

Gowanda put in it’s plan for extended closure late last week, and despite the unusual circumstances, Anderson said the reaction from the community has been pretty understanding.

“The input I’ve received is that people are pretty happy with the structure and availability of our meals and our instructional program,” Anderson aid. “Under the circumstances people are pretty happy, patient, and flexible. They seem to understand. It’s been difficult for everyone, everyone is doing the best they can to help each other.”

Lunches can be picked up in Gowanda between 10 a.m. and noon each week day, for however many kids are in each Gowanda household.