At the Whitehall-Coplay School Board meeting Feb. 28, Dr. Barbara Chomik, Whitehall-Coplay School District director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, announced the 11th annual WCSD Graduates of Distinction. The four graduates include Douglas Edelman, Gregory Hessinger, Jayne Ann Recker and Bartholomew “Bart” Cooper.

Edelman is an accomplished trombone player who performed in several prestigious orchestras. Hessinger is a labor and relationships attorney who has worked with several high-profile organizations. Recker is the executive director of the Celtic Cultural Alliance and is in charge of Celtic Classic in Bethlehem. Cooper is an artist who has celebrities and national and international art collectors as clients.

During the public participation segment of the meeting, parent LoriAnn Fehnel voiced her concerns about the gym no longer being used for lunches. All students are now eating in the cafeteria, due to a reported decline in COVID-19 cases. Fehnel reported her son had a severe case of COVID-19 and was afraid to eat in the cafeteria out of fear of contracting the disease again.

Fehnel said she went to her son’s school to help him pick out his cafeteria seat. She was not allowed in the building because her request was unrelated to education, she said.

The police were called, she continued, and they escorted her son out of the building. Fehnel said she was upset her son missed out on learning. She stated a liaison should be created to help families with complex needs who have vulnerable students.

Fehnel called the event a “fiasco” and asked that it never happen again.

Board Director George Williams apologized for Fehnel’s experience and commented the pandemic has been difficult for everybody. He said the administration tries to appease parents and that it is difficult for both parents and administrators.

“I think we need to try to continue to work together and just make the best situation possible for everybody,” Williams said.

In other news, PTO PLUS President Toni Fillman reported the recent valentine-themed sale was a success. It was the first time PTO PLUS volunteers were able to be back in the schools, and they sold 2,200 lollipops and hundreds of pencils.

The current fundraiser, Cherrydale, runs until March 20 for grades K-5.

“This is our large fundraiser, the first one for this year,” Fillman said. ”We’re praying it is very successful because there’s Children’s Day coming up, and we want to make that really, really special for the kids.”

Fillman also reminded the board and the public that the organization is run by volunteers who aren’t paid for the time they put in.

“They give up all their time free of charge, so you have to know that it’s from our heart and it’s for your students,” Fillman said.

Fillman added WCSD employees and board members who wish to have their birthdays posted on social media should contact her. Fillman’s information is on the PTO PLUS website. Also, Fillman said sports teams that have succeeded or students who have excelled in an area can contact her as well.

Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative President Shari Noctor also spoke, reporting the WCHI has more than 800 participants each month.

Feeding America, Second Harvest and the state of Pennsylvania named WCHI as one of three pantries in Lehigh County and one of 52 in the state as a healthy pantry initiative, aimed at providing more healthy foods and recipes to recipients.

Noctor said the group is still providing 153 Snack Pack Pals for children Wednesdays and will deliver 65 cases of snacks for students, divided equally between five schools. Snacks include shelf-stable Dutch apple yogurt, pineapple cups, strawberry cinnamon chips, honey graham crackers, Sunkist raisins and Frito Lay assortments.

Also at the meeting, WCSD Superintendent Dr. Robert Steckel congratulated Phillip Bankos, supervisor of buildings and grounds, and Christine Smith, supervisor of transportation, on their upcoming retirements in August.

“Phil has put in more than 30 years here in the WCSD. Phil’s a Whitehall grad, he’s very proud to be a part of this district, and he has been a tremendous asset to this district since the day he started,” Steckel said. “And for me as a new superintendent, he has been an amazing person to get to know and to learn from, so I appreciate Phil’s hard work and wish him the best of luck in retirement.

“We’ll be posting for that position soon, and whoever gets that position has big shoes to fill,” he added.

Steckel said Smith has worked for WCSD for 20 years.

“Every day, Chris Smith and her team are pulling off miracles, getting all of our buses out and picking up all of our students,” Steckel said. “It’s a difficult time right now for transportation, and I can’t thank Chris enough for everything she’s done. She, too, has been a tremendous resource for me in the last year.”

The next school board meeting will be 7 p.m. March 28.

A special school board meeting to discuss a resolution for acceptance of bids for the new elementary school will be held 4 p.m. March 14, followed by operations/transportation, finance/personnel, education/student activities committee meetings.