Screening

• Use the COVID-19 school and child care screening tool to help decide if your child should go to school/child care today.
• If you have questions, please call the Health Unit’s COVID-19 Call Centre at 1-844-478-1400.

Children and Self-Isolation

• How To Care For A Child Who Needs To Self-Isolate - Public Health Ontario
• What does it mean for your child to self-isolate? - SickKids
• Mental health advice for quarantine and isolation - Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Coping with separation from family and friends during COVID-19 - SickKids
• Caring for a Baby or Child When You Have COVID-19 – Toronto Public Health

Parenting and COVID-19

• COVID-19 Parenting Resources
• Top Parenting Tips For School Life During COVID-19
• Parenting During COVID-19
• COVID-19 and Your Child

• Preventing COVID-19: Tips for Children Attending School (Public Health Ontario)

Mental Health and Wellbeing

• How to Support a Mentally Healthy Back to School for Your Child - SMHO
• School Mental Health Backpack - CMHO
• COVID-19: Resources to Build our Children’s Resilience - Psychology Foundation of Canada
• Talking to Your Anxious Child About COVID -19 - Children’s Mental Health Ontario
• How to Work with Your School to Support Your Child’s Mental Health - SMHO
• Mental Health Services

Preventing the Spread

You can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your child's school/child care community by teaching your child these simple routine practices:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

• Sneeze and cough into your upper sleeve. If a child sneezes or coughs into their hand, hand hygiene should be performed. 

• Wear a properly fitted face covering when required in the school setting, unless exempt.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

• Distancing between children from different school cohorts should be encouraged as much as possible.

Resource:

• Public Health Ontario – Preventing COVID-19: Tips for Children Attending School

Transportation

• For specific back-to-school transportation information and guidelines, visit www.npssts.ca  and your child’s school board website.

• When possible, choose walking and cycling to school. Finding an active way to school can give your child many benefits such as increased readiness to learn, decreased levels of stress and increased levels of happiness on the journey to school.

COVID-19 Vaccine

• A Letter for Parents/Guardians/Students from the Health Unit: Includes links to trustworthy sources for information about vaccine safety and efficacy in children/youth, the science behind COVID-19 vaccines, and more. 
• COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments and Clinics: Find out about upcoming clinics in our Health Unit district and how to book an appointment.
• COVID-19 vaccine for children and youth (Caring for Kids): Answers to parents’ and guardians’ frequently asked questions.
• SickKids Vaccine Consult: Book an appointment to have a safe, open, judgement-free phone conversation about the COVID-19 vaccine with a pediatric nurse. This service is available in multiple languages, using over-the-phone language interpretation. 
• Preparing for a Positive Experience (Immunize BC): Learn how to prepare and comfort your child to help reduce any pain and anxiety they may feel in relation to the vaccine.
• Reduce the pain of vaccination in kids and teens: A Guide for Parents (Immunize Canada and SickKids): Learn how you can plan ahead to reduce pain, what can be given to children and when, as well as how your behaviour can add to a positive experience for your child.
• The CARD System (University of Toronto, Immunize Canada, Anxiety Canada, and SickKids): Learn about Comfort, Ask, Relax and Distract: four strategies for you and your child to use at the appointment.  
• The CARD System Worksheet (SickKids): Write down your CARD strategies together so you have the same plan going into the appointment. It may be helpful to bring the completed worksheet with you to keep you both on track.
• Preparing Children for School Vaccinations: A Parent’s Guide (SickKids): How to help your child before, during and after the appointment

• Frequently Asked Questions: COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines for Children (University of Waterloo, School of Pharmacy)

Fact Sheets

• COVID-19 Youth Vaccination Factsheet
  • English
  • French

 Videos:

• Youth COVID-19 Vaccination: What to Expect (SickKids)

• Ask our SickKids Experts: COVID-19 Vaccine
• COVID-19 Vaccine Q&As with Ontario’s Medical Professionals: Video Series
• COVID-19: How vaccines are developed (Government of Canada)

• A Kid’s Guide to COVID-19: How vaccines work  (Boston Children’s Hospital)

Top 6 Tools for a COVID-Safe Return to School 2021-2022

Here is a one-pager with our top resources to support a safe and healthy 2021/2022 school year!

• Top 6 Tools for a COVID-Safe Return to School

Screening

• The COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening Tool should be used to determine if students/children can attend school/child care.
• For additional support with screening:
• School/Childcare Screening Support Tool
• Ministry of Health COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms
• If you have any questions, please call the Health Unit’s COVID-19 Call Centre at 1-844-478-1400

Guidance Documents

Schools

• COVID-19: Health, safety and operational guidance for schools (2021-2022)
• FAQ for School Boards

Child Care

• Child Care: Operational guidance during COVID-19 outbreak
• EarlyON Child and Family Centres: Operational Guidance During COVID-19 Outbreak
• Before and after school programs kindergarten to grade 6: policies and guidelines for school boards
• FAQ for Child Care 

COVID-19 Guidance Flow Charts

• COVID-19 Guidance - Positive Student or Staff
• COVID-19 Guidance - Symptomatic Students or Staff
• COVID-19 Guidance - Symptomatic Students or Staff - Return to School 

Parent/Guardian Handouts

• Handout for Parents/Guardians Picking Up a Symptomatic Child

Posters

• Elementary – COVID Rules Refresher Series
• Secondary – COVID Rules Refresher Series
  
• Student Nutrition Program
• How to Wear a Face Covering
• How to Wash Your Hands
• How to Use Hand Sanitizer

Social Media 

Facebook/Twitter posts (Audience: Parents/Guardians)

• COVID Rules Refresher Series

Instagram posts (Audience: Students)

• COVID Rules Refresher Series 
• COVID Spread
• Mental Health

Presentations

• Preventing COVID-19: Refresher Presentations for Schools and Childcare Settings (Public Health Ontario)

 Videos

Ways to Stay Healthy and Safe at School

• Elementary – Top 5 Tips to Stay Safe at School (PHSD)
• Secondary – Top 5 Tips to Stay Safe at School (PHSD)
• COVID-19 Combined Precautions (WHO)

Masks and Face Coverings

• Elementary – How to properly wear a mask or face covering (PHSD)
• How to Wear a Non-Medical Mask (Health Canada)
• How Do I Properly Wear a Cloth Mask (OPH)  

Hand-Washing

• Elementary – Hand-Washing Heroes (Health Canada)
• How to Hand Wash (PHO)

Teaching Tools

• Health Unit - Hand Hygiene Resource Manual (ages: 4-14) - This resource provides lesson plans, activities, and materials for teachers to use to educate students about germs, how they are spread, and how to prevent the spread of germs through proper hand hygiene.
• School and Classroom Supports – Find resources to support classroom learning and a healthy school environment on various health topics (mental health, physical activity, healthy eating, substance use, vaping, and more).

Mental Health Resources 

• School Mental Health Ontario - Student Mental Health Action Kit
• 5 Ways to Wellbeing
• Mental Health at School

Physical Activity Resources

“Recess is a necessary break in the day for optimizing a child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Recess should not be withheld for punitive or academic reasons.”

OPHEA – COVID-19 Considerations for Physical Activity

Includes considerations for:

• Physical education
• Intramurals
• Interschool sports

CIRA Ontario

• COVID-19 Games to Keep You Going
• Fair & Square
• Bare Naked Games

Playworks: Safe Return to Play Guide 

Asphalt Green: Rep It Out! Games for Social Distancing 

PHE Canada: Physical Education Activities 

Health Unit – Physical Activity at School

COVID-19 Safety at a Tournament: Fact Sheet

Healthy Eating Resources

• Health Unit - Healthy Eating at School
• Bright Bites
• Foodland Ontario: Kids Corner
• Fruit and Vegetable Fact Sheets
• Recipes