Photo Courtesy, Canadian Press

By Veronica Beltran

heading back

TYH: Sending your kids back to school? Here’s what you need to know to keep them safe

Jun 2, 2020 | 12:10 PM

Yesterday was the beginning of the part-time voluntary return to school for students across British Columbia, but things at school aren’t going to be the same.

Things will be different for kids heading back and in order to maintain a safe environment for teachers and students.

Shannon Daines, Principal at Spruceland Elementary admits that there is a lot of information surrounding COVID-19, but one of the first steps to explaining to young children about how their habits have to change—if and when they go back to school— is to ask them what they already know.

Once any misconceptions have been discovered, or worries, brought to light—Daines says it is important to keep things simple when explaining and perhaps use visuals to help get your point across.

“One of the things that’s most effective when you’re trying to get people to change behaviour is to explain why, and again, using very simple language, and very clear ideas, and really only addressing very specific pieces of that. But just to explain why we are not doing that, and the other piece is to practice the expected behaviour.” —Shannon Daines, Principal at Spruceland Elementary

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Practicing habits like washing your hands regularly at home before heading back to the classroom is key to being able to engrain a good new habit amidst a pandemic.

Speaking with teachers, or school principals in preparation for sending your children back to school and asking them what things will look like and how things will be different, is a great way to prepare says Daines.

“Schools tend to be very caring and loving places for kids, there’s a lot of hugs and high-fives and fist bumps and things that we just can’t do anymore. And it’ll be really, a lot easier for kids if parents start to prepare them for those kinds of things.”—Shannon Daines, Principal at Spruceland Elementary

Daines says that parents and teachers should keep in mind that mistakes are bound to happen and that’s okay as long as it’s turned into a positive learning experience.