The time has come for children to head back to school and begin a rather unique school year. With COVID-19 cases still on the rise, children are going to have to adapt to a new reality when it comes to learning and thriving without raising the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Whether children are going back to school or pursuing online education, this transition to our new normal can be difficult to children and parents alike. Since so many of our team members have kids, we want to share the latest information on what parents can expect:

According to UNICEF, these are some practical measures schools should be taking to prevent coronavirus from spreading:

• Staggering the start and close of the school day
• Staggering mealtimes
• Moving classes to temporary spaces or outdoors
• Holding school in shifts, to reduce class size

Hygiene measures should be put into place such as handwashing, coughing, sneezing into elbows, physical distancing measures, frequent cleaning procedures for facilities and safe food preparation services.

Some important questions to ask teachers and school administrators are:

• What steps has the school taken to ensure students’ safety?
• How is the school supporting children’s mental health during this difficult time?
• How is the school going to handle bullying when it comes to the stigma surrounding children who have been sick?
• What can I do to help?

For more information on kids going back to school during this pandemic, check out:

https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/what-will-return-school-during-covid-19-pandemic-look

https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/heading-back-school-in-pandemic

https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/supporting-your-childs-mental-health-during-covid-19-school-return

There are new challenges for those who are not physically going back to school and will have to pursue online education. This can be quite demanding for parents who also have to work whether it be from home or the office. For assistance and tools to make this process easier, check out the following websites:

https://www.flvs.net/5-things-you-need-to-get-ready-for-virtual-school

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/pdf/Back-to-School-Planning-for-Virtual-or-At-Home-Learning.pdf

https://www.today.com/parents/how-homeschool-during-coronavirus-crisis-t176020

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