(image-of Gary DeLacy, Superintendent of the Clinton Community School District wearing a donated facial shield)
(statement submitted by LyondellBasell) – Understanding the challenges faced by many schools across the state of Iowa and wanting to lend support, LyondellBasell recently donated 3200 facial shields to teachers and staff members as they prepare to return back t
o school in the fall.
Superintendents like Gary DeLacy of the Clinton Community School District believe the facial shields are vital to educators. “In an instructive setting being able to see your teacher’s face is important,” said DeLacy. “The ability to read one’s face or lips in language development is critical. There is a social-emotional aspect that a face shield provides when you can see someone’s whole face, versus just their eyes in a facial cover.”
Sharon Roling, Principal, St. Joseph Catholic School agrees. With special needs students in her school, face shields are critical to student’s development. “Face shields protect our staff while allowing students to see facial expressions, which are so important when building and maintaining relationships with students,” said Roling. “Those nonverbal signs are equally as important as words.” For teachers and staff who work with younger students, the face shields also help with literacy instruction. “We have students who receive special services for speech and other students who are hearing impaired. For these students especially, face shields help to level the playing field for their learning by being able to read lips, something unobtainable in a facial covering.”
Schools across Iowa are trying to find the proper balance between achieving a safe and comprehensive educational experience and meeting the safety expectations of the Iowa Department of Education.
Classified as an essential industry during COVID-19, LyondellBasell understands these challenges well. “We know all too well that having the right tools for the job is critical, especially when it comes to people’s health and safety during a pandemic,” said Yarelis Hernandez, site manager. “Having the proper personal protective equipment continues to be critical in the fight against COVID-19, and LyondellBasell is proud to join forces with our local educators to help keep them and their students safe.”
For information on LyondellBasell’s continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit www.lyondellbasell.com or follow the company on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
The list of participating school districts and private schools is as followed:
- Clinton Community School District
- Camanche Community School District
- Central DeWitt Community Schools
- Northeast Community Schools
- Riverbend Schools (in Fulton, Illinois)
- Unity Christian School
- St Joseph School
- Easton Valley Schools
- Bettendorf CSD
- Pleasant Valley CSD
- Prince of Peace School
- Andrew Schools CSD
- Maquoketa Schools
- Peosta Elementary School in Western Debuque CSD (Principal is wife of employee)
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About LyondellBasell’s Clinton Plant
With approximately 400 employees and contractors, and covering an area of almost 239 acres, the Clinton Complex is one of the largest chemical plants in Iowa. Using natural gas liquids as a feedstock, the plant manufactures ethylene, the world’s most widely-used petrochemical, which is then converted into polyethylene plastic resins. These resins are the building blocks for products such as leak-proof and shatter-proof containers for industrial and household chemicals, packaging that protects food from spoilage and contamination, and children’s toys that are safe and durable.
About LyondellBasell
LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) is one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world. Driven by its employees around the globe, LyondellBasell produces materials and products that are key to advancing solutions to modern challenges like enhancing food safety through lightweight and flexible packaging, protecting the purity of water supplies through stronger and more versatile pipes, improving the safety, comfort and fuel efficiency of many of the cars and trucks on the road, and ensuring the safe and effective functionality in electronics and appliances. LyondellBasell sells products into more than 100 countries and is the world’s largest producer of polypropylene compounds and the largest licensor of polyolefin technologies. In 2020, LyondellBasell was named to Fortune Magazine’s list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies” for the third consecutive year. More information about LyondellBasell can be found at www.lyondellbasell.com
