Dear Families,
Many of you have probably already seen the news that Cayuga County is now in a State of Emergency and all schools within the county are closed until April 12th. Our teachers have been anticipating this possibility and are preparing lessons that can be shared remotely. As a school focused on hands-on and experiential learning, this will be an adjustment for everyone, but I'm confident that we can find ways to keep your children engaged with the curriculum during this gap.
We don't have every detail worked out yet, but we plan to take the next few days to gather materials and create comprehensive plans to address learning goals through April 12. When we feel that we have everything prepared and ready to distribute, I plan to deliver "learning packs" to all families. We'll include a collection of worksheets, books, manipulatives, and possibly technology, geared toward the individual learning needs of each student. We'll also compile a document with links that you can use as enrichment activities or "boredom busters". Our goal is to offer educational material and support while also acknowledging that many of you have many other competing responsibilities to attend to.
Alyssa Gunderson
Director
Helpful Links:
Additional resources and helpful information from trusted sources around the web:
Know the
symptoms of COVID-19.
●
The CDC believes these symptoms appear in a few days after being
exposed to someone with the disease or as long as 14 days after exposure:
●
Fever
●
Cough
●
Shortness of breath
●
For some people the symptoms are like having a cold; for others
they are quite severe or even life threatening. In either case it is important
to check with your child’s healthcare provider (or yours) and follow
instructions about staying home or away from public spaces to prevent the
spread of the virus.
Communicate
with the school.
●
Let your school know if your child is sick and keep them home.
Your school may ask if your child has a fever or not. This information will
help the school to know why your child was kept home. If your child is
diagnosed with COVID-19, let the school know so they can communicate with and
get guidance from local health authorities
Review
and model basic hygiene and healthy lifestyle practices for protection.
●
Encourage your child to practice every day good hygiene—simple
steps to prevent spread of illness:
●
Wash hands multiple times a day for at least 20 seconds (singing
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star slowly takes about 20 seconds).
●
Cover their mouths with a tissue when they sneeze or cough and
throw away the tissue immediately, or sneeze or cough into the bend of their
elbow. Do not share food or drinks.
●
Practice giving fist or elbow bumps instead of handshakes. Fewer
germs are spread this way.
●
Giving children guidance on what they can do to prevent
infection gives them a greater sense of control over disease spread and will
help to reduce their anxiety.
●
Encourage your child to eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep,
and exercise regularly; this will help them develop a strong immune system to
fight off illness.
Talking to Your Children about the Coronavirus
A new
type of coronavirus, abbreviated COVID-19, is causing an outbreak of
respiratory (lung) disease. It was first detected in China and has now been
detected internationally. While the immediate health risk in the United States
is low, it is important to plan for any possible outbreaks if the risk level
increases in the future.
Concern
over this new virus can make children and families anxious. While we don’t know
where and to what extent the disease may spread here in the United States, we
do know that it is contagious, that the severity of illness can vary from
individual to individual, and that there are steps we can take to prevent the
spread of infection. Acknowledging some level of concern, without panicking, is
appropriate and can result in taking actions that reduce the risk of illness.
Helping children cope with anxiety requires providing accurate prevention
information and facts without causing undue alarm.
It is
very important to remember that children look to adults for guidance on how to
react to stressful events. If parents seem overly worried, children’s anxiety
may rise. Parents should reassure children that health and school officials are
working hard to ensure that people throughout the country stay healthy.
However, children also need factual, age appropriate information about the
potential seriousness of disease risk and concrete instruction about how to
avoid infections and spread of disease. Teaching children positive preventive
measures, talking with them about their fears, and giving them a sense of some
control over their risk of infection can help reduce anxiety.
Specific Guidelines
Remain
calm and reassuring.
●
Children will react to and follow your verbal and nonverbal
reactions.
●
What you say and do about COVID-19, current prevention efforts,
and related events can either increase or decrease your children’s anxiety.
●
If true, emphasize to your children that they and your family
are fine.
●
Remind them that you and the adults at their school are there to
keep them safe and healthy.
●
Let your children talk about their feelings and help reframe
their concerns into the appropriate perspective.
Make
yourself available.
●
Children may need extra attention from you and may want to talk
about their concerns, fears, and questions.
●
It is important that they know they have someone who will listen
to them; make time for them.
●
Tell them you love them and give them plenty of affection.
Avoid
excessive blaming.
●
When tensions are high, sometimes we try to blame someone.
●
It is important to avoid stereotyping any one group of people as
responsible for the virus.
●
Bullying or negative comments made toward others should be
stopped and reported to the school.
●
Be aware of any comments that other adults are having around
your family. You may have to explain what comments mean if they are different
than the values that you have at home.
Monitor
television viewing and social media.
●
Limit television viewing or access to information on the
Internet and through social media. Try to avoid watching or listening to
information that might be upsetting when your children are present.
●
Speak to your child about how many stories about COVID-19 on the
Internet may be based on rumors and inaccurate information.
●
Talk to your child about factual information of this
disease—this can help reduce anxiety.
●
Constantly watching updates on the status of COVID-19 can
increase anxiety—avoid this.
●
Be aware that developmentally inappropriate information (i.e.,
information designed for adults) can cause anxiety or confusion, particularly
in young
●
Engage your child in games or other interesting activities
instead.
Maintain
a normal routine to the extent possible.
●
Keep to a regular schedule, as this can be reassuring and
promotes physical health.
●
Encourage your children to keep up with their schoolwork and
extracurricular activities, but don’t push them if they seem overwhelmed.
Be honest
and accurate.
●
In the absence of factual information, children often imagine
situations far worse than reality.
●
Don’t ignore their concerns, but rather explain that at the
present moment very few people in this country are sick with COVID-19.
●
Children can be told this disease is thought to be spread
between people who are in close contact with one another—when an infected
person coughs or sneezes.
●
It is also thought it can be spread when you touch an infected
surface or object, which is why it is so important to protect yourself.
●
For additional factual information, ask your health care
provider, or check the https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html website.
●
Engage your child in games or other interesting activities
instead.
Review
and model basic hygiene and healthy lifestyle practices for protection.
●
Encourage your child to practice every day good hygiene—simple
steps to prevent spread of illness:
●
Wash hands multiple times a day for at least 20 seconds (singing
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star slowly takes about 20 seconds).
●
Cover their mouths with a tissue when they sneeze or cough and
throw away the tissue immediately, or sneeze or cough into the bend of their
elbow. Do not share food or drinks.
●
Practice giving fist or elbow bumps instead of handshakes. Fewer
germs are spread this way.
●
Giving children guidance on what they can do to prevent
infection gives them a greater sense of control over disease spread and will
help to reduce their anxiety.
●
Encourage your child to eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep,
and exercise regularly; this will help them develop a strong immune system to
fight off illness.
Discuss
new rules or practices at school.
●
Many schools already enforce illness prevention habits,
including frequent hand washing or use of alcohol-based hand cleansers.
●
Your teachers will send information home about any new rules or
practices.
●
Be sure to discuss this with your child.
Take Time to Talk
|
You know your children best. Let their questions be your guide as to how much
information to provide. However, don’t avoid giving them the information that
health experts identify as critical to ensuring your children’s health. Be
patient; children and youth do not always talk about their concerns readily.
Watch for clues that they may want to talk, such as hovering around while you
do the dishes or yard work. It is very typical for younger children to ask a
few questions, return to playing, then come back to ask more questions.
When
sharing information, it is important make sure to provide facts without
promoting a high level of stress, remind children that adults are working to
address this concern, and give children actions they can take to protect
themselves.
Information
is rapidly changing about this new virus—to have the most correct information
stay informed by accessing https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
Keep Explanations Age Appropriate
●
Early elementary school children need brief,
simple information that should balance COVID-19 facts with appropriate
reassurances that their schools and homes are safe and that adults are there
to help keep them healthy and to take care of them if they do get sick. Give
simple examples of the steps people take every day to stop germs and stay
healthy, such as washing hands. Use language such as “adults are working hard
to keep you safe.”
●
Upper elementary and early middle school
children will be more vocal in asking questions about whether they truly are
safe and what will happen if COVID-19 comes to their school or community.
They may need assistance separating reality from rumor and fantasy. Discuss
efforts of school and community leaders to prevent germs from spreading.
●
Upper middle school and high school students
are able to discuss the issue in a more in-depth (adult-like) fashion and can
be referred directly to appropriate sources of COVID-19 facts. Provide
honest, accurate, and factual information about the current status of
COVID-19. Having such knowledge can help them feel a sense of control.
Suggested Points to Emphasize When Talking to Children
●
Adults at home and school are taking care of
your health and safety. If you have concerns, please talk to an adult you
trust.
●
Not everyone will get the coronavirus
(COVID-19) disease. School and health officials are being especially careful
to make sure as few people as possible get sick.
●
It is important that all students treat each
other with respect and not jump to conclusions about who may or may not have
COVID-19.
●
There are things you can do to stay health
and avoid spreading the disease:
o
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
o
Stay home when you are sick.
o
Cover your cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue, then throw the tissue
in the trash.
o
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
o
Wash hands often with soap and water (20 seconds).
o
If you don’t have soap, use hand sanitizer (60–95% alcohol based).
●
Clean and disinfect frequently touched
objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Retrieved (3/12/2020): https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/health-crisis-resources/talking-to-children-about-covid-19-(coronavirus)-a-parent-resource
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Additional Resources
Talking With Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and
Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks, https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Talking-With-Children-Tips-for-Caregivers-Parents-and-Teachers-During-Infectious-Disease-Outbreaks/SMA14-4886
Coping With Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks, https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Coping-with-Stress-During-Infectious-Disease-Outbreaks/sma14-4885
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coronavirus Disease
2019 (COVID-19), https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission.html
Handwashing and Hand Sanitizer Use at Home, at Play, and Out and
About, https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/pdf/hand-sanitizer-factsheet.pdf
For more
information related to schools and physical and mental health, visit www.nasponline.org and www.nasn.org.
© 2020,
National Association of School Psychologists, 4340 East West Highway, Suite
402, Bethesda, MD 20814, 301-657-0270
