Texas Distillery and Winery Supporting Employees’ Children with Distance Learning Space and Resources On Site
A woman-owned and family-operated Texas distillery and winery is supporting its employees who are struggling with child care and child learning during Covid-19 by converting a conference room into a learning center and hiring a Texas-Education Agency-certified teacher and teacher’s aide to remain on site during school hours to assist the children navigating the new world of distance learning.
Carrollton, TX-based BuzzBallz, LLC /Southern Champion has turned a conference room into The Nest. Here, the children attend their virtual classes with the supervision and aid of teacher Christine Drumm and teacher’s aide Sergio Diazdeleon during the hours of the production team’s first shift: 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Many of our employees have dual income households and, during Covid, their children need supervision while the parents go to work,” said Merrilee Kick, Founder and CEO. “So, we hired a certified TEA elementary teacher, Christine Drumm, to work in our classroom with them while they do their online learning with their respective schools.”
Though The Nest provides these students with a supervised, safe environment for online learning, the transition away from a regular school day with music classes, P.E. and the like has posed a challenge for Drumm.
“This is the part that may be a little tricky,” Drumm said. “It’s hard for adults to sit still for hours on end. So, we’re going to do some activities and let them showcase their art. Our first project will be to let them decorate an apple.”
Drumm and several BuzzBallz employees have outfitted The Nest with cork boards to showcase the children’s art and images of their favorite things. The tables are lined with large foam puzzles, board games and craft supplies. A keyboard was purchased, as well, to allow the students a musical outlet.
As the children enter the building each morning, their temperatures will be checked. Throughout the course of the day, The Nest is sanitized to ensure the students are learning in a safe environment.
The students receive a free lunch, just as the employees of BuzzBallz, LLC/Southern Champion do, and their medical history are on file so proper medication administering will occur, if needed.
“We are a family-owned business and, as a former teacher, we take education seriously,” Kick said. “Kids shouldn’t be shortchanged on their education during this pandemic.”