With the Delta Variant surging in this nation, there are so many uncertainties for schools, teachers, administration, parents and students. In this article I am going to share with you how your school can address COVID this school year.

According to pediatric Disease specialist, Jim Conway, Schools will be the wild card this year when tracking the spread of the new Delta Variant of COVID-19. Many young children are unvaccinated, and it is largely unknown how reopening schools will impact student health and well-being this year.

What can your school do to ensure the health and safety of students?

1. Wear a Mask and Keep a safe social distance- It is much harder to social distance in schools when our classrooms are full of learners. Try to keep students apart as much as possible Wear a mask and encourage your students to wear a mask.
2. Sanitize, Sanitize, Sanitize- Get into the habit of sanitizing desks, student’s hands, your hands, door-knobs, and community supplies. Sanitize as often as possible. Let the students help! At the end of each class, give your students a wipe and allow them to wipe their desks. Make a game out of it for the younger students before snacks and meals and at the end of the day.
3. Communicate often- Use the Bloomz app to communicate updates on the delta variant for your school. Use the Bloomz health check feature and have parents submit a health check before leaving home. You can track symptoms students are experiencing to make better decisions about, for instance, remote learning needs.
4. Teach handwashing- Take time to teach students the skill of proper handwashing and practice it often! Students need to understand that they carry around germs on their hands so they must wash their hands often. Do an experiment with the students showing them how dirty their hands are. Here is an idea for teaching students about keeping dirty hands clean.

Together we can work hard to keep our schools healthy! How are you ensuring your school is healthy this year? Share in the comments!

For more information on how to tackle COVID 19 at schools, check out the CDC Guidelines page.