Actions to take and points to consider Notes

Check in with your child each morning for signs of illness. If your child has a 

temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher, they should not go to school.

Make sure your child does not have a sore throat or other signs of illness, 

like a cough, diarrhea, severe headache, vomiting, or body aches.

If your child has had close contact to a COVID-19 case, they should not go to 

school. Follow guidance on what to do when someone has known exposure.

Identify your school point person(s) to contact if your child gets sick.

Name of school point person(s):

Contact information:

Be familiar with local COVID-19 testing sites in the event you or your child 

develops symptoms. These may include sites with free testing available.

My local testing options:

Make sure your child is up-to-date with all recommended vaccines, 

including for flu. All school-aged children should get an influenza flu vaccine 

every season, with rare exceptions. This is especially important this year 

because we do not yet know if being sick with COVID-19 at the same time as 

the flu will result in more severe illness.

Date of flu vaccination:

Review and practice proper hand washing techniques at home, especially 

before and after eating, sneezing, coughing, and adjusting a face cover. 

Make hand washing fun and explain to your child why it’s important.

Be familiar with how your school will make water available during the day. 

Consider packing a water bottle.

Develop daily routines before and after school—for example, things to pack 

for school in the morning (like hand sanitizer and an additional (back up) 

cloth face covering) and things to do when you return home (like washing 

hands immediately and washing worn cloth face coverings).

Checklist: Planning for In-Person Classes

CS 318258-E 07/24/2020

cdc.gov/coronavirus

1
Talk to your child about precautions to take at school. Children may be 

advised to:

◦ Wash and sanitize their hands more often.

◦ Keep physical distance from other students.

◦ Wear a cloth face covering.

◦ Avoid sharing objects with other students, including water bottles, devices, 

writing instruments, and books.

◦ Use hand sanitizer (that contains at least 60% alcohol.) Make sure you’re using 

a safe product. FDA recalled products that contain toxic methanol. Monitor 

how they feel and tell an adult if they are not feeling well.

Develop a plan as a family to protect household members who are at 

increased risk for severe illness. 

Make sure your information is current at school, including emergency 

contacts and individuals authorized to pick up your child(ren) from school. 

If that list includes anyone who is at increased risk for severe illness from 

COVID-19, consider identifying an alternate person.

Be familiar with your school’s plan for how they will communicate with 

families when a positive case or exposure to someone with COVID-19 is 

identified and ensure student privacy is upheld. 

Plan for possible school closures or periods of quarantine. If transmission 

is increasing in your community or if multiple children or staff test positive 

for COVID-19, the school building might close. Similarly, if a close contact 

of your child (within or outside of school) tests positive for COVID-19, your 

child may need to stay home for a 2-week quarantine period. You may 

need to consider the feasibility of teleworking, taking leave from work, or 

identifying someone who can supervise your child in the event of school 

building closures or quarantine.

Plan for transportation:

◦ If your child rides a bus, plan for your child to wear a cloth face covering on 

the bus and talk to your child about the importance of following bus rules 

and any spaced seating rules. 

◦ If carpooling, plan on every child in the carpool and the driver wearing 

cloth face coverings for the entire trip. If your school uses the cohort model, 

consider finding families within your child’s group/cohort at school to be part 

of the carpool. 

If your child has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan or 

receives other learning support (e.g., tutoring), ask your school how these 

services will continue.

If your child receives speech, occupational or physical therapy or other 

related services from the school, ask your school how these services 

will continue.

If your child receives mental health or behavioral services (e.g., social skills 

training, counseling), ask your school how these services will continue.

2
If your school uses a cohorting model, consider limiting your child’s inperson out-of-school interactions to children in the same cohort or to 

activities where physical distancing can be maintained.

Reinforce the concept of physical distancing with your child.

Talk to your school administrators and teachers about their plans for 

physical education and physical activity (e.g., recess). 

Safer options include being outdoors when possible, reducing the number of 

people in an indoor space, and encouraging students to stay at least 6 ft apart. 

Ask how your school plans to help ensure that students are following 

practices to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

3

Actions to take and points to consider Notes

Have multiple cloth face coverings, so you can wash them daily and have 

back-ups ready. Choose cloth face coverings that

◦ Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face

◦ Completely cover the nose and mouth

◦ Are secured with ties or ear loops

◦ Include multiple layers of fabric

◦ Allow for breathing without restriction

◦ Can be washed and machine dried without damage or change to shape

Label your child’s cloth face coverings clearly in a permanent marker so that 

they are not confused with those of other children.

Practice with your child putting on and taking off cloth face coverings 

without touching the cloth.

Explain the importance of wearing a cloth face covering and how it protects 

other people from getting sick.

Consider talking to your child about other people who may not be able to 

wear cloth face coverings for medical reasons (e.g., asthma).

As a family, model wearing cloth face coverings, especially when you are in 

situations where physical distancing is difficult to maintain or impossible.

If you have a young child, help build their comfort wearing a cloth face 

covering and become comfortable seeing others in face covers.

◦ Praise your child for wearing a cloth face covering correctly.

◦ Put a cloth face covering on stuffed animals.

◦ Draw a cloth face covering on a favorite book character.

◦ Show images of other children wearing cloth face coverings. 

◦ Allow your child to choose their cloth face covering that meets any dress 

requirements your school may have. 

◦ Suggestions from the American Academy of Pediatrics

If your school is requiring or encouraging cloth face coverings

Cloth Face Coverings
4

Consider providing your child with a container (e.g., labeled resealable bag) 

to bring to school to store their cloth face coverings when not wearing it 

(e.g., when eating).

Actions to take and points to consider Notes

Talk with your child about how school will look different (e.g., desks far 

apart from each other, teachers maintaining physical distance, possibility of 

staying in the classroom for lunch).

Talk with your child about how school is going and about interactions 

with classmates and teachers. Find out how your child is feeling and 

communicate that what they may be feeling is normal.

Anticipate behavior changes in your child. Watch for changes like excessive 

crying or irritation, excessive worry or sadness, unhealthy eating or sleeping 

habits, difficulty concentrating, which may be signs of your child struggling 

with stress and anxiety.

Try to attend school activities and meetings. Schools may offer more of 

these virtually. As a parent, staying informed and connected may reduce 

your feelings of anxiety and provide a way for you to express any concerns 

you may have about your child’s school.

Ask your school about any plans to reduce potential stigma related to 

having or being suspected of having COVID-19.

Check if your school has any systems in place to identify and provide mental 

health services to students in need of support. If so, identify a point of 

contact for these services at your school.

Name of school point person:

Contact information:

Check if your school has a plan to help students adjust to being back in 

school. Students might need help adjusting to how COVID-19 has disrupted 

their daily life. Support may include school counseling and psychological 

services (including grief counseling), social-emotional learning (SEL)-

focused programs and curricula, and peer/social support groups.

Check if your school will provide training for students in mindfulness, 

incorporating SEL into classroom curriculum (either virtually or in-person), 

or support a child’s ability to cope with stress and anxiety. If not, consider 

asking about ways to add this to your child’s at-home learning.

You can be a role model for your child by practicing self-care:

◦ Take breaks

◦ Get plenty of sleep

◦ Exercise

◦ Eat well

◦ Stay socially connected

Mental Health & Social-Emotional Wellbeing Considerations
5

How to wear cloth face coverings

WEAR YOUR FACE COVERING CORRECTLY

• Wash your hands before putting on your 

face covering

• Put it over your nose and mouth and secure it

under your chin

• Try to fit it snugly against the sides of your face

• Make sure you can breathe easily

WEAR A FACE COVERING TO PROTECT OTHERS

• Wear a face covering that covers your nose and 

mouth to help protect others in case you’re infected 

with COVID-19 but don’t have symptoms

• Wear a face covering in public settings when around 

people who don’t live in your household, especially 

when it may be difficult for you to stay six feet apart

• Wear a face covering correctly for maximum protection

• Don’t put the face covering around your neck or up 

on your forehead

• Don’t touch the face covering, and, if you do, 

wash your hands or use hand sanitizer to disinfect