Nashville Public Schools Advises Families To Prepare For Changes To Learning

From the Metro Nashville Public Schools:

October 1, 2020

As some students prepare to return to school buildings and some remain at home, there are changes in store for everyone. Preparing your child for changes that are coming helps reduce student anxiety and problem behaviors and helps improve student academic and behavioral performance at school.

Changes at Home

• Start practicing routines that may have been interrupted by virtual learning or routines that may be new. Examples include bedtime routines, before and after school routines, temperature checks before going to school, riding the bus, etc.
• Prepare your student for a return to standard school attire, if applicable at your school. Be sure to double-check your school dress code guidelines.
• Stress the importance of mask wearing to your child. Have your child practice wearing a mask for an extended period of time if this is something they are not used to.
• Explain to your child ahead of time that school routines will be different (e.g., parents not being allowed to walk into school, cannot come for lunch, etc.)

Changes at School

• Masks will be required except when eating or playing outside while social distancing.
• Social distancing practices will be in place such as keeping distance between each other, not touching each other, etc.
• Students will have their own supplies and sharing will be limited.
• Lunch will have fewer kids in the cafeteria and meals in disposable containers. Students will be socially distanced and might eat in the classroom rather than the cafeteria.
• Bring a water bottle.
• Calm-down areas may look different. Students may learn new calm-down strategies.
• Bus expectations will be different. Masks will be required, seats may be assigned, and social distancing protocol will be in place when exiting the bus.
• Recess activities and space may be limited and assigned.
• Traffic flow throughout the building may change, and new signage may be added.
• There will be increased need and time for hand sanitizing and hand washing.

Changes to Virtual Learning

• Talk with your child about why some of their friends are returning to schools.
• Prepare your child for teacher and classmate changes.
• Re-evaluate your home learning environment and make changes. Things to consider:
• Does your child have a designated work space? If so, do changes need to be made?
• Does your child need a schedule or assignment tracker?
• Is your child motivated to participate? If not, consider designing a motivation system for them.

Download recent Tip Sheets:

• Creating a workspace
• Creating a schedule
• Motivating students

Strategies

• Read books about returning to school
• Drive by the school to show your child where they will be picked up and/or dropped off.
• Sit down with your child to make a morning routine. Talk about little changes (get dressed, then take temperature).
• Provide your child choices where you can (for example, what to bring for snack).
• Be positive – if you are excited and positive about school, they will be, too. There are so many changes that will be happening, which can be scary. Remind students of things they like about school.
• Practice! Practice skills they have not used in 6 months OR new skills (e.g., wearing school attire, waking up earlier, wearing a mask, new ways to greet people).

Example Books to Read (with links to video)

• First Day Jitters by Julie Danneburg
• Amelia Bedilia’s First Day of School by Herman Parish
• The Night Before Preschool by Natasha Wing
• The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing
• The Night Before 1st Grade by Natasha Wing
• The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes

This press release was produced by the Metro Nashville Public Schools. The views expressed are the author's own.