• 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.

Talk to your child about precautions to take at school. Students will be advised to:

◦ Wash and sanitize their hands more often.

◦ Keep physical distance from other students. (6 ft)

◦ Wear a cloth face covering (pretty much all day).

◦ 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.

• Your student may be asked to wipe down their desks at the beginning and/or end of classes to assist with sanitizing classrooms. (School will provide wipes.)

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 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).

Note: masks may be personalized and colorful but may not include profanity or profane symbols, alcohol or drug references, racist or discriminatory symbols or sentiments or any other imagery that violates the school or BCPS dress code.

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.