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Around Fairfield County Schools: Free Meals For Children, Band Learning From Best In Country

Staying home to stay safe is not easy if you're a band student so a local instructor thought of a way to kick it up in virtual learning. He asked members of the country's most prestigious marching bands to record themselves playing the same music his students were.

Students in Greenwich Schools are going to learn musical arrangements from instrumentalists in the country's most prestigious marching band "The President's Own" starting this week.

Students in Greenwich Schools are going to learn musical arrangements from instrumentalists in the country's most prestigious marching band "The President's Own" starting this week.

Photo Credit: Greenwich Public Schools

The professional musicians belong to the President's Own United States Marines Band. Their instrumental recordings are ones and students were learning at Greenwich High School and have become 11 virtual masterclasses provided to all band students in the district.

“There is nothing more powerful for a young musician than seeing and hearing the sounds and techniques of experts on their chosen instrument," explains instructor Jason Polise, High School Associate Band Director and Electronic Music Instructor as well as the one who coordinated the masterclass opportunities for the district. "The President’s Own musicians are among the finest in the world," he added.

Founded in 1798, the “President’s Own” United States Marine Band performs more than 500 times annually for presidential and public functions. The “President’s Own” band has also developed a significant presence in the world of music education. The band is currently under the direction of Colonel Jason K. Fettig. Marine Band musicians serve for 20 years or more and most hold advanced degrees from the world’s top music schools, according to the U.S. Marine Corps.

Children's Pick Up Meals Carry On, New Location

The Grab and Go Meal program in Stamford Public Schools since the beginning of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 provides breakfast, lunch and dinner meals on certain days during the week for Stamford children age 18 or younger. The meals may be picked up by the child's parent or guardian at various locations around the city. Click here for the schedule and locations.

The free children's meals program in Norwalk has added a new location, Columbus Magnet School, bringing the number of locations to 10. It is available for students ages 2 to 18.  

Parents may pick up their child's meal weekdays from noon to 2 p.m. There are food service staff at the locations during these times and security guards to assist with proper social distancing.

Foodservice staff have been trained on personal protective equipment procedures and continue to put safety first, according to Norwalk Schools. Protective gear, masks and gloves are worn by staff, and food is placed on a table for families to pick up while maintaining physical distancing.

For any questions regarding meal pickup, call Norwalk Public Schools  Foodservice at 203-899-2990. The schools' website here has information with distribution sites.  

The State of Connecticut Department of Education has established a COVID-19 Community-wide Emergency Meal Program for Children. According to the latest update on April 28, any child age 18 years or younger can receive meals at any meal service and distribution site listed here on the department's website. These include Danbury, Fairfield, New Canaan, Norwalk and Stamford.

Households are advised to check with the individual school districts and municipalities for current information on their websites and social media because it changes daily, said the Department of Education.

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