Checklist for Teachers, Parents, and Administrators
You can protect yourself and your students by practicing and promoting healthy habits during the school year. Use this checklist to plan and take action if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in your community.
Teachers: Get Your School Ready For Corona Virus Disease 2019
You can protect yourself and your students by practicing and promoting healthy habits during the school year. Use this checklist to plan and take action if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in your community.
PLAN AND PREPARE
Encourage students to stay home if sick
If your student gets sick at school, keep the sick student away from well students until picked up. Encourage your student to stay home if they are sick with any illness.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects in the classroom
Follow CDC’s guidance for cleaning and disinfecting community facilities, such as schools.
Monitor absenteeism
Let administrators know if you see a large increase in absenteeism
Talk to your administrators about plans for teaching through digital and distance learning
TAKE ACTION AS NEEDED
If your school is dismissed:
Implement a plan to continue educating students through digital and distance learning (if applicable)
Seek guidance from your school administrator to determine when students and staff should return to schools
Duration of school dismissals will be made on a case-by-case basis based on the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 and the specific situation in your community. Students and staff should be prepared for durations that could last several days. Administrators should work with their local health authorities to determine duration of dismissals.
Parents: Get Your School Ready For Corona Virus Disease 2019
You can help protect your family from COVID-19 by practicing and promoting everyday healthy habits. If an outbreak occurs in your community, your school may dismiss students to prevent further spread of the virus. Use this checklist to plan and take action if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in your community.
PLAN AND PREPARE
Practice and reinforce good prevention habits with your family
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Keep your child at home if sick with any illness
If your child is sick, keep them at home and contact your healthcare provider. Talk with teachers about classroom assignments and activities they can do from home to keep up with their schoolwork.
Be prepared if your child’s school or childcare facility is temporarily dismissed
Talk with your employer about sick leave and telework options in case you need to stay home with your child. Consider planning for alternate childcare arrangements.
IF YOUR SCHOOL/CHILDCARE PROGRAM IS DISMSSED
Keep track of school dismissal updates
Read or watch local media sources that report school dismissals or stay in touch with your school.
Talk to your school about options for digital and distance learning
Discourage children and teens from gathering in other public places while school is dismissed to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community
Seek guidance from your school administrator to determine when students and staff should return to schools
Duration of school dismissals will be made on a case-by-case basis based on the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 and the specific situation in your community. Students and staff should be prepared for durations that could last several days. Administrators should work with their local health authorities to determine duration of dismissals.
Administrators: Get Your School Ready For Corona Virus Disease 2019
Schools and childcare facilities are encouraged to prepare for the possibility of community-level outbreaks of COVID-19 in the United States. Use this checklist to plan and make decisions now that will help protect the health of children in your schools and childcare programs.
PLAN AND PREPARE FOR COVID-19
Stay informed about COVID-19 developments
Collaborate with your local childcare licensing organizations and board of educations to review, update, and implement emergency operations plans, particularly for infectious disease outbreaks.
Share the plans and COVID-19 health promotion materials with staff, parents, and students.
Support flexible attendance and sick leave policies for students and staff.check icon
Develop a monitoring system to alert the local health department about large increases in absenteeism.
Identify strategies and technologies to continue educating students if schools close (e.g., web-based tools).
Plan ways to continue student services (such as, school meal programs and social services) if schools close.
TAKE ACTION AS NEEDED IF THERE IS A COVID-19 OUTBREAK IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Decisions to temporarily dismiss K-12 schools should be considered on a school-by-school basis, and in consultation and coordination with school district officials and state and local health officials.
Be prepared to temporarily coordinate dismissals, school closures, or cancel events.
Implement school absenteeism monitoring systems to track student and staff absences.
Encourage students and staff to practice everyday preventive actions.
- Stay home when sick.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue.
- If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
This article is republished from CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
