Reopening Schools During COVID-19
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- Reopening Schools During COVID-19
Get resources and information about COVID-19. Learn more.
Support Children in School During COVID-19
In many cases, schools are where students feel safe, eat healthy meals, enjoy active play and receive critical health services. By putting in place resources and programs to support the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC), schools can reopen with a strong start. We know, as school leaders, you are on the front-line of this crisis.
Well-Ahead is here to help by connecting you to a curated set of resources, training opportunities, and technical assistance to support the whole child during COVID-19.
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Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in Schools
Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) COVID-19 Resources
- LDH FAQs
- LDH’s COVID-19
- Community Testing Centers
- Guidance and Resources
- PPE Requests
- Emergency Order: School Reporting and Data Sharing COVID-19
Children’s Hospital of New Orleans Tools
- Summary of COVID-19 School Services
- About COVID-19 And Kids
- Keeping Your Family Safe
- Resources For Parents
- School Reopening Support
- Testing For COVID-19
- Visiting Our Hospital And Clinics
Health Messaging for Children to Prevent the Spread
- 20 SECONDS OR MORE: A video by HipHop Public Health to encourage washing hands in English.
- 20 SEGUNDOS O MÁS: A video by HipHop Public Health to encourage washing hands in Spanish.
- COVID-19 information for kids, by kids: A video by Children’s Hospital New Orleans.
Frequently Asked Questions from School Systems
- LDH FAQs: Please note that the school-related questions are located half way down the FAQs page.
- LDOE’s Strong Start FAQs: This page is being continuously updated. All new/updated information is highlighted throughout this FAQ.
- Children’s Hospital Return to School FAQs: Schools and parents can submit questions and should receive a response within 24 hours. Children’s Hospital is working closely with the Louisiana Department of Education to make sure answers to any guidance inquiries are posted to LDOE FAQ.
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Safe Schools for Students with Chronic Conditions and Special Healthcare Needs
Resources for School Nursing
- National Association of School Nurses COVID-19 Resources
- CSHS Family Resource Center in the Louisiana Department of Health, Bureau of Family Health
- National Nurse-Led Care Consortium Learning Collaboratives
Resources for Students with Chronic Conditions
Asthma & Allergy:
- https://acaai.org/covid-19-asthma-and-allergies
- Asthma Care At School Post COVID-19 Outbreak: https://428552-1344816-raikfcquaxqncofqfm.stackpathdns.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Asthma-Care-School-Post-Outbreak.pdf
Autism:
- https://www.autism-society.org/covid-19/
- Resources for Families: https://www.autismspeaks.org/covid-19-information-and-resources-families
- Resources for Education/Health Professionals: https://www.autismspeaks.org/covid-19-information-and-resources-educators-and-health-professionals
Diabetes:
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html#diabetes
- COVID and Type 1 Diabetes: https://www.jdrf.org/coronavirus/
- Diabetes & COVID-19 FAQ: https://www.diabetes.org/covid-19-faq
ADHD:
- https://chadd.org/adhd-and-covid-19/
- ADHD & Learning During Covid-19: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/ADHD-and-Learning-During-COVID-19.aspx
- https://childmind.org/article/giving-kids-with-adhd-support-and-structure-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/
Obesity:
- https://www.obesity.org/covid-19-and-obesity/
- Reducing Childhood Obesity Now May Help in the Next Pandemic: https://www.rwjf.org/en/blog/2020/06/reducing-childhood-obesity-now-may-help-in-the-next-pandemic.html
- Washington Post Article Featuring Louisiana: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/10/06/child-obesity-covid/
Depression & Anxiety:
Anxious Stomach Aches & Headaches: https://childmind.org/article/anxious-stomach-aches-and-headaches/
Help Kids Cope: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-to-help-kids-cope-with-covid-stress#Children-1317-years-old
Immunocompromised Children:
- https://www.columbiadoctors.org/condition/immune-deficiency-disorders-pediatric
- Sickle Cell Disease: https://www.sicklecellsociety.org/coronavirus-and-scd/
- Crohn’s & Colitis: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/coronavirus-update/pediatrics
- Cancer Survivors: https://childrenscancer.org/how-covid-19-impacts-cancer-survivors/
Special Needs:
- Caring for Children and Adolescents with Special Health Care Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/COVID-19-Youth-with-Special-Health-Care-Needs.aspx
- Advice for Caregivers of Children with Disabilities in the era of COVID-19: https://www.apa.org/research/action/children-disabilities-covid-19
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Keep Kids Safe and Active: Physical Activity and Physical Education
PE Teacher Resources
- FitnessGram: The Cooper Institute is compiling a list of free resources for physical education and physical activity for students, parents and teachers who are practicing social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
- GOPHER: Teachers share how they are using Gopher’s My PE Packs provide students of any age and ability level their own set of equipment to use in any setting.
- OPEN PhysED: Resources, training, lesson plans for teachers. All resources are free, but an account login is required.
- Fit Five: The Special Olympics provided Fit 5 videos and Fitness Cards to support programs looking to expand their fitness programming and initiatives.This is a great way to support inclusion in PE!
Physical Activities Resources
- For classroom physical activity, visit Go Noodle. This program provide free movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts. Available for free at school, home, and everywhere kids are. It is important to note that Go Noodle does not serve as a replacement for physical education.
- Playworks provides tips for recess in 2020-2021 school year. In addition, the Peaceful Playground has developed a suite of free and for purchase resources to support COVID-19 6′ Distancing Playground.
- ASPEN Project Play: Youth sports are ordinarily a gathering place for millions of people at thousands of sites across the country. Project Play, an initiative of the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program, is continuing to develop resources that help leaders, coaches, and parents adjust to the impacts of COVID-19.
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More Than Education: Social, Mental and Emotional Health
Resources for Schools
- A Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) refers to a systemic, prevention-focused framework for addressing student needs through the integration and continuous improvement of systems and services. CASEL’s District Resource Center helps school districts make social and emotional learning (SEL) an integral part of every student’s education.
- LDOE Guide for Implementing Student and Staff Well-Being: This a 2-page document with sample scripts, Schedule for Well-Being Support, Parent Consent Forms for Universal Screen and much more!
- LDOE Diagnostic and Screener Guidance: This document provide supports to school systems as they administer a screener or diagnostic assessment to students and communicate each student’s readiness with parents.
- Gov. Edwards Provides Social and Emotional (SEL) Learning Courses to LA Students Statewide: Middle and high schools across the state now have access to social and emotional learning (SEL) courses at no additional cost to schools. The office of Governor Edwards is providing rich and relevant SEL curriculum through Edgenuity, in partnership with Purpose Prep™, that covers a variety of topics for students in grades 6–12.
- How to Help Families and Staff Build Resilience During the COVID-19 Outbreak: This resources provides three ways we can affect experiences and the balance of the resilience scale.
Connecting to the Community Resources
- LDH Regional Services for individuals who would like to learn more about the behavioral health services toward suicide prevention in their areas.
- Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Behavioral Health COVID 19 Behavioral Health Information: This page include information for parents and the general public.
- Louisiana ACE Initiative: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is the term given to describe all types of abuse, neglect, and other traumatic childhood experiences. The Louisiana ACE Initiative is a network of child-focused organizations dedicated to creating a common understanding of ACEs within Louisiana communities and educating the child- and family-serving workforce.
- Mental Health First Aid Course: Many organizations in Louisiana can provide mental health first aid training. The Mental Health First Aid Course educates participants on the symptoms of depression, anxiety, psychosis, and substance use disorders. Each section is introduced and explained followed by instruction on how to help individuals experiencing a crisis. To be connected to an organization that can provide training please email wellahead@la.gov.
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Safe Practices for Meal and Snack Programs
Resources for Child Nutrition Directors and Staff
- Louisiana Fit Kids’ COVID-19 Resources page provides links to USDA guidance, guidance for Child Nutrition programs, and information on waivers.
- Well-Ahead developed the Eat to Win materials to encourage students to each fruits and vegetable, so that they’re eating to win at school and in life! These resources can be used during classroom meal service or non-traditional meal service.
- LDOE Nutrition Services shared three new resources for school system’s Child Nutrition Program.
Need Help? Connect with COVID-19 Support Contacts
- Virtual Training: Well-Ahead Louisiana
- COVID-19 Policies and Standards for Schools: Louisana Department of Education (LDOE)
- COVID-19 Technical Support for Schools: Children’s Hospital New Orleans, 504-837-7760
- Safe Practices for Physical Activity and Physical Education: Stephen Guccione, LDOE
- Support the Emotional Well-Being of Students: LDOE, Division of Well-Being
- Safe Practices for Meal and Snack Programs: LDOE, Division of Nutrition Services
Self-Paced Trainings
Well-Ahead Louisiana, in partnership with Louisiana Department of Education, has launched self-paced virtual trainings to help your school navigate COVID-19.
Stronger Together!
Data, Reports and Successes from Louisiana Schools and Partners
- Learning Environment and Connectivity Tool: The Department of Education has developed this tool for systems and schools to easily track student learning environments as well as device and connectivity data.
- Evangeline Parish School Board Success Story: Learn how this rural school system worked to create a healthy environment for the 5,755 students in their school system.
- School Re-Entry COVID-19 Advisory Council Identified Lessons Learned: Learn the lessons learned identified by state leaders and identified strategies for the 2021 related to schools and COVID-19.