Principles for Operating Schools Safely

Education has not been traditional in any sense of the word over the course of the past year. With the spike in positive cases of the coronavirus, many schools moved to remote learning in the spring and reopened in the fall only to close down again. Some schools were able to stay open and simply followed the best practices of social distancing, wearing face masks, and promoting regular hand washing. Regardless of what schools did, many parents chose to keep their kids home and have them participate in online school.

At Nationwide Medical Supply, we understand the caution and concern many people have regarding the virus, including their desire to do what is best for their children. With that, we are proud to offer face masks in both child and adult sizes, non-contact thermometers, face shields, and more. Shop online today to browse our wide selection of PPE safety supplies, and order the equipment that will help keep your teachers, students, and staff safe and healthy.

Self-Screening

Self-screening is one of the easiest steps to take. Ask that all staff and students self-screen every day before attending school. Provide parents with a checklist of symptoms so they can help their children perform daily screening of their children before arriving at school. By practicing self-screening, a student or staff member who experiences any symptoms of COVID-19 will know to stay home from school and seek testing and medical attention.

Hand Hygiene

Teachers and parents alike know just how challenging it can be to make sure that students are regularly washing their hands in the manner in which they were taught. With that, it’s worth the time to make sure that teachers review appropriate hand hygiene, including the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Be sure to encourage students to wash their hands during the breaks they are given over the course of the school day.

Masks

Teachers, staff, and students should wear face masks at school when in the building, hallways, and classrooms. With that, while most of your students will likely come to school with their own face masks, there are times when they may forget their masks. Order disposable face masks online to ensure that you have a good supply available for adults and children who may be in need of one for the day.

Cohorting

Cohorting refers to the practice of keeping students together in a small group throughout the school day so that their exposure to multiple teachers and classmates is limited. Arrange cohorts in a manner that makes the best sense given the age and needs of the students. In elementary school, students should be cohorted with their homeroom teacher and have limited contact with other subject teachers. Secondary students should be in cohorts that are limited to approximately 100 student contacts. With that, this may require an adapted timetable, study hall, or remote delivery of some classes in order to meet the cohort requirements.

Social Distancing

While social distancing in school can be difficult, you should try to allow as much distancing as possible between students, teachers, and staff. While classrooms in schools vary in size, look for opportunities to remove unnecessary furniture and place desks with as much distance as possible, and still allow teachers as much teaching space as possible. Place desks so that they face forward rather than in circles or groupings.

PPE Supplies

At Nationwide Medical Supply, we offer face masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, face shields, gowns, and non-contact thermometers. We are proud to deliver quality PPE equipment at exceptional prices and distribute products in the easiest way possible for your school. Stretch your educational dollars further by checking out our bulk pricing discount, and place your order today!