RETURNING TO SCHOOL AND COVID-19 · children back to school and keep them healthy. Parents: Review this booklet to know what school will be like this year. Talk with your child about

RETURNING TO SCHOOL AND COVID-19

What you need to know...Welcome back to another school year!We know it doesn’t look the same as other years. We hope this information helps you feel prepared to send your children back to school and keep them healthy.

Parents: Review this booklet to know what school will be like this year. Talk with your child about these things so they feel more comfortable going to school. If you have any questions about COVID-19 and the safety measures in schools, please visit the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s website at wechu.org or call 519-258-2146 ext. 1555.wechu.org

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Should my child go to school today?To keep your whole school healthy, you are asked to do a quick symptom check of your child before leaving for school each day.

Use the online self-assessment tool to check for symptoms. You can answer for your child, with their input. If your child is old enough, they can use the tool themselves, with your supervision.

To access the screening tool, visit: covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening

The tool will give you steps to follow for that day.

Tip: To help save time in the morning, bookmark the link in your browser. This will make it easy to find each day.

What should my child do if they feel sick at school?Let your child know that if they start to feel sick at school, they should tell a teacher or adult right away.

They will be taken to a quiet room away from others, and you or an emergency contact person will be called to pick them up. Please make sure to update these contacts with the school, if needed.

Teaching your child good hygiene can help keep everyone healthy. Teach them how to wash their hands, and how to cough or sneeze, and tell them how this can help stop the spread of germs. Keeping enough space between people can help, too.

Students will stay with their class the whole day as a cohort, with one teacher. This will help keep the number of people students come in contact with lower.

Things you can tell your child:

• Even though we can’t see germs, they can be on our hands and we need to wash them off.

• When we cough and sneeze, germs can come out, and we want to keep germs away from other people.

• Halls and classrooms will look a little different this year with lots of signs about where to sit and stand.

KEEPING EVERYONE SAFE

Get your hands wethands wet & use lots lots of soapof soap.

Use a paper towel to turn off turn off waterwater and open dooropen door.

DryDry hands well with paper towelpaper towel or with an air dryer.

Use lots of SanitizerUse lots of Sanitizer in the palm of your hand.

Cover all areas Cover all areas of you hands.

rubrub hands together.

Rub until Rub until hands are dry.hands are dry.

RinseRinse with warm water.

RubRub hands back and forth for for 20 20 secondsseconds.

HANDWASHINGHANDWASHING

HAND SANITIZINGHAND SANITIZING

GET YOUR CHILD READY FOR SCHOOL BY:Washing your hands with your child, talking about the steps to follow and showing them how to do it. Teaching them how to cough and sneeze into a tissue or their elbow – and how this helps stop germs from spreading to others. Teaching them not to share personal items like masks and water bottles.

Practicing physical distancing with your child to show them how far apart to be from other people. Remind them to follow signs that will be posted in the school.

when you cough or when you cough or sneeze sneeze cover your nose and mouth

with a tissue.

Throw your tissue Throw your tissue in the garbage.

Cough or sneeze Cough or sneeze in your elbow,

not your hands, if you not your hands, if you don’t have a tissue.don’t have a tissue.

Wash your hands with warm water and soap with warm water and soap or use use hand sanitizer after coughing or sneezing.after coughing or sneezing.

HOW TO COUGH & SNEEZE PROPERLYHOW TO COUGH & SNEEZE PROPERLY

wechu.org

STAND HERESTAND HERE

Going back to school can be exciting, but can also make children nervous. They’ve been out of school for a long time, which might make them more nervous than other years.

Children may also be worried about COVID-19 and how to stay healthy outside of the house. There are ways you can help make them feel better before school starts.

Get them talking! Ask them how they’re feeling, listen to them, and take their worries seriously.

IS YOUR CHILD WORRIEDABOUT GOING BACK TO SCHOOL?

HELP CHILDREN FEEL READY TO GO TO SCHOOL WITH THESE TIPS:

Stay positive. Try to keep negative comments away from children. Point out good things, like seeing their teachers and more of their friends again. Let them know what will happen at school to keep them healthy (e.g., wearing masks, more hand washing, keeping distance between people). Talk about the things they should do to keep themselves and others healthy (e.g., not sharing items, coughing and sneezing into a tissue, washing their hands, following signs in the school). Let them know you’re there for them if they ever want to talk about how they feel. Talk openly about COVID-19 with them. You can visit credible websites together to learn more. Visit wechu.org/cv/support-children-family-members-friends to start the conversation.

HOW TO COUGH & SNEEZE PROPERLYHOW TO COUGH & SNEEZE PROPERLY

WHAT CAN YOUR CHILD TAKE TO SCHOOL WITH THEM?We know that sharing things can spread germs (of any kind). To help keep this from happening, we are asking that children only bring essential things to school.

Make sure your child’s items are labelled and all fit in their backpack. Backpacks will be kept in cubbies (or similar) during the day.

PACKTHE FOLLOWING IN YOUR CHILD’S BACKPACK:

• Lunch box with healthy meals and snacks

• Reusable water bottle with child’s name on it

• Medication, if needed (e.g., inhalers, EpiPen, etc.)

• Personal school supplies (e.g., pencil, pen, notebook)

• Mask and bag to store it in (if your child is able to wear one)

• Extra masks in case one needs to be changed during the day

• Personal items (e.g., change of clothes, sun protection)

LEAVE THE FOLLOWING AT HOME:• Toys, games, sports equipment

• Personal electronics (e.g., phones, laptop, tablets)

• Non-essential items (e.g., stuffed animals)

MASKS IN SCHOOL

• Masks are required for children in grades 4 and up, and can be used by younger kids if they feel comfortable.

• Teachers will also be wearing masks in schools.

• Masks will not need to be worn outdoors.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit recommends all children wear a mask on the school bus, or if carpooling with people outside of their social circle.

Practice wearing a mask with your child before school starts. Start with one hour, and increase each day. Also, have children practice talking with their mask on to make sure it fits well, and they are comfortable with it.

Let your child know that some people can’t wear masks, and that’s ok.

*Exceptions on wearing a mask will be allowed.

Helpful mask tips: Masks can be cloth or non-medical grade. Medical grade masks are good, but we want to make sure our healthcare workers have enough! Send a container or resealable bag to keep the mask in when not using it (e.g., when eating or outdoors). A paper bag works well. Consider sending an extra mask to school in case it gets dirty and needs to be changed.

Wash cloth masks each day. Let your child pick out their mask so they want to wear it. Decorating the mask by gluing items on it, or using markers, is not advised. Remind children not to share their mask with others (no trading it for their friend’s mask, either!).

wechu.org | @thewechu

WEAR IT RIGHTDODO DON’TDON’T

Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before putting on the mask and after taking it off.

Use the ear loops to put on and take off your mask.

Make sure it covers your mouth and nose and does not feel loose.

Wash your mask in hot water with laundry detergent after each use.

Put on your mask without washing or sanitizing your hands.

Touch the front of your mask.

Touch your face or touch the mask when wearing it.

Leave your nose uncovered.

Wear a dirty or wet mask or share your mask with others.