As of September 6, schools in Palomas and the surrounding areas have resumed from their termination of live sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The kids are so excited to be back in school again. About 1,000 children and their teachers returned last week to the two preschools, two elementary schools, one middle school and two high schools (one public and one private) in the town of Palomas after 18 months closed due to COVID-19. In addition, the 700 children who attend schools in Columbus and Deming, NM in the United States started back earlier in August.
Now Border Partners can again assist the schools to provide a healthy experience for the children too. School officials asked Border Partners for masks for children who did not have them. We could provide those needed masks thanks to a donation from the Unitarian Universalist Church in Silver City, NM. We are also purchasing notebooks, pencils and other school supplies for children who need them. The boy in the photo at the top of this post proudly displays his new school suppllies.
Our Supportive Services to Schools
In addition, the Border Partners’ Promotoras will return to a full time schedule with health and nutrition workshops rotating among the schools in Palomas and the Colonias. Our computer staff will be visiting the schools in the next weeks to check the computers in the school labs to make sure they are working well.
Although we are not yet able to resume providing supplemental, healthy foods for school lunch programs because of COVID-19 restrictions. However, we hope that providing supplemental food will be possible soon. And, our gardeners are looking forward to getting back to planting and growing vegetables again with students.