At the time I’m writing these words, my son is slated to return to school full time in early September, coronavirus cases being at a low enough level for government and health officials here in the State of New York to deem it safe for schools to open. Granted, his school has plans in place to switch to remote learning in the space of a single day, but as of now, it’s back to school in 2020.
That said, going back to school in the fall of 2020 is going to look quite different than it did in 2019. Or 2018. Or any other year in recent memory. With COVID-19 still rampant across much of the country, and with flare-ups a possibility anywhere, a safe in-school experience means new protocols, different use of facilities, an extreme focus on cleanliness, and a new checklist of gear stashed in every kid’s backpack.
To that end, and with our son’s school’s plans for social distancing in classrooms, hand-washing stations, one-way halls, use of outdoor space, and all the rest of the new plans in mind, my wife and I will send our kid off to school this fall with a few things in his backpack that weren’t there in 2019, and some of which would have looked downright odd in any pre-pandemic year.
Here are the five things kids should bring with them when they go back to school during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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