Back To School During Covid-19 Part One

Thoughts From Home – Back To School 2020

While it feels as if summer has just begun in some parts of the country, many states are gearing up for a new school year that will start before we know it. After a spring semester of remote learning due to the Covid-19 spread, sending our little ones back to the classroom — whether they’re heading to pre-K or high school — it is daunting.
First and foremost, parents should not send any child who is symptomatic of illness to school. This means that parents should develop a routine for quickly checking their child for a fever in the morning and also confirm that their child does not have a cough or any other sign of illness. If a child does have a fever, the parent should not give the child fever-reducing medication and send her/him off to school, but instead be sure to keep the child home.
As for what our kids need in their backpacks as they head out the door… Every student should have their own set of classroom supplies. The schools will not be able to provide communal supplies of basics like pencils, pens, highlighters, etc. due to the need to prevent spread of the virus. The goal is to reduce sharing in the classroom as much as possible.
Physically going back to school during a pandemic may mean required or recommended face coverings and social distancing, but also making sure students have what they need should they return to remote learning.
Talking to your children about social distancing is important.
This is a good time to have your children around family. While around family, teach them how to keep distance, not share food and not drink from common places.
Not surprisingly, a new “supply” on our collective shopping lists this year is masks. Since masks may be required, or at least recommended, it is important to know what the safest masks are for children.
A cloth mask that fits comfortably and covers the mouth and nose is recommended. It should fit comfortably so that the child is not constantly pulling or readjusting the mask.
It is a good idea that students should have at least one or two spares with them daily in case their masks break or get dirty. Help you children get comfortable wearing a mask for school by practicing wearing face masks now, before the school year begins. Parents should gradually build up face covering ‘endurance’ in their children by having them wear a face covering for longer and longer periods of time. If a child spends zero time during the day right now in a face covering, then that child will have a tough time spending hours wearing one when September rolls around. We need to build up this endurance gradually.
Kids should have a 60% or higher alcohol-based hand sanitizer, which kills most types of bacteria, viruses and fungi. It is a good idea for everyone to have their own, not just for school, but also for other situations like on the bus.
And it’s important to practice using these items with your child before sending them off to school. Remember to teach your kids hand sanitizer is great, but it does not take the place of making sure you wash your hands properly.
Something else to consider as students head back to school is keeping our homes as clean as possible — which includes disinfecting the kids when they get home. When children return from school they should immediately wash their hands. Professionals are also advising Once at home they should remove clothes/shoes and place them in the laundry or in a designated safe place for disinfecting. A shower would be great, but is not absolutely necessary.
One of the biggest essential for the 2020-2021 school year is a good mindset. My advice is to stay positive. As parents you are constantly teaching your children. Your example is one they are exposed to more than any classroom or teacher. If your children hear you speaking optimistically about the school year they will adopt that attitude. I think we all need to maintain a sense of flexibility and patience, and also recognize that students are going to need some time to re-acclimate to school, especially when the adults in their school are wearing masks and the whole environment looks different. We need to adjust the expectations we have for children and meet them where they are, not where we think they ‘should’ be.