Prepare your Family for
In-Classroom Back to School

For many families, going back to school this fall will be very different. With the potential for smaller size classes, desks farther apart, face coverings, and teachers maintaining physical distance, it is unlike anything your child has ever experienced. To help, we’ve gathered a list of steps you can take to prepare your family for in-classroom back to school.

1. Talk to your child about safety precautions at school, like washing and sanitizing hands often, keeping physical distance, wearing a face covering, and not sharing objects with others. Make it fun and explain to your child why these are important.
2. Have your child practice wearing a face covering and check for an appropriate, comfortable fit. Review proper hand washing techniques, especially before and after eating, sneezing, coughing, and adjusting a face cover.
3. Develop daily routines before and after school—for example, things to pack for school in the morning like hand sanitizer, personal water bottle, and a back-up face covering, and things to do when you return home like washing hands immediately and what to do with worn face masks.
4. Make sure your information is current at school, including emergency contacts and individuals authorized to pick up your child. If that list includes anyone who is at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, consider identifying an alternate person.
5. Plan for possible school closures or periods of quarantine. If transmission is increasing in your community or if multiple children or staff test positive for COVID-19, the school building might close. Similarly, if a close contact of your child (within or outside of school) tests positive for COVID-19, your child may need to stay home for a 2-week quarantine period.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/parent-checklist.html