As one of the earliest COVID-19 hotspots in America, Washington has approached school reopenings with caution. With that in mind, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) announced its plan to start the 2020-2021 school year with remote learning. The plan was submitted on August 12, 2020 and is expected to be approved by the state shortly.
If all goes as planned, the school year will start on September 2, 2020. To help your family start off the academic year right, Lerner and Rowe has assembled this Seattle COVID-19 school reopening safety guide.
Seattle COVID-19 School Reopening Will Feature Microsoft Teams
SPS announced that Microsoft Teams will be the primary communications platform for Seattle COVID-19 school reopening. Microsoft’s communication service is considered more secure than the competing Zoom service and easier for school’s to manage than Google Meet. Of course, Microsoft is headquartered in nearby Redmond, so it’s a homegrown solution as well. Teams should help create a safe and secure environment for children to learn remotely.
However, there are other things that you should do to help promote safe distance learning. They include:
- Teaching your children not to share identifying or sensitive information online
- Only allowing the use of approved software required by the school
- Using parental controls to make sure your kids don’t view unsuitable content
- Monitoring your children as they do coursework
For additional information on how SPS will be using Microsoft Teams and Office 365, please view SPS’ page on student email and communication tools.
Keeping Students Safe at Home
Seattle COVID-19 school reopenings will put an additional strain on households in more ways than one. There are many things you can do at home to help keep your children safe and to optimize their remote learning. They include:
- Making sure that their computers and Internet devices aren’t plugged into overloaded outlets
- Keeping your home tidy to help avoid slip-and-fall injuries
- Preparing your children’s meals so they don’t suffer a burn injury in the kitchen
- Creating distinct spaces for schoolwork to separate home and school
- Spending more time talking with your children so that their social growth continues
Spending an entire semester using distance learning will be unusual for children and parents alike. It’s important to keep your kids safe, engaged, and happy during this unusual semester.
Making additional efforts to make your home conducive to learning and a happy environment for your children is essential. If you have any questions about any aspect of remote learning, please consult the SPS Fall 2020 FAQ.
Contact Lerner and Rowe if Your Children Are Injured
Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys hopes that your children have a happy and productive start to the Seattle 2020-2021 school year. Please follow the tips above to make the Seattle COVID-19 school reopening as safe as possible. That said, our team understands that some accidents happen no matter how safe you and your children are being. Should anyone in your family suffer an injury due to another’s negligence, please contact us immediately.
Our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist you. We can be reached by phone at 844-977-1900 and online through secure contact form and LiveChat. Consultations are free, so don’t hesitate to contact us.