Inform families of new COVID-19 procedures

Schools had to implement new arrival and dismissal procedures so that students and staff are at a safe distance to reduce the potential exposure to COVID-19. Schools had to find ways to communicate these changes to families.

Schools should implement distancing measures to reduce potential exposure to COVID-19. With physical distancing measures in place, schools needed to reimagine arrival and dismissal so students are not walking in close proximity with their classmates and to prevent congregating of students, staff, and families. Here are the ways that schools have communicated these changes to families

Create a Video to Show the New Procedures

Uxbridge High School Principal Michael Rubin created a video with the assistance of engineering teacher Michael Smutok that shows the new arrival procedures and shows a car following the new arrival route. This was sent to parents and students ahead of the first day of school so they would be familiar with the procedures and also understand the rationale behind them. Mission Grammar School created a video showing the new arrival and dismissal procedures school as well for their younger students and families that was infused with joy and excitement around welcoming students back.

Host a Virtual Orientation Session

Resurgence Hall Charter School sent out a reopening guide and held a virtual orientation session for students and families who opted to return to school to go over safety procedures and policies. The guide included arrival and dismissal procedures including maps to clearly show how to drive to the drop off points and the maps also indicated where the daily health screenings occur prior to students exiting the car.

Build an Adjustment Period

Allow time for your students and families to adjust to arrival with new safety procedures in place.

• Lengthen the time block for arrival. Mission Grammar started the school year with a longer one hour arrival window to get people used to the new procedures and plan on shortening the time back to get instructional time back. Families self-select when they want to drop off and/or pick up their student to help support the traffic flow.
• Give “grace” on tardies. Uxbridge High School is not marking tardies for the first weeks back tardies will not be marked to give students and families an adjustment to returning to school and the new procedures. Rubin explained that they chose not to stagger student arrivals by time because he did not want teachers to be in a constant state of flux with students coming into their classrooms throughout the morning at 7:15, 7:30, and 7:45.