essay on back to school after lockdown

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Essay on First Day of School After Lockdown

Essay on First Day of School After Lockdown: After months of remote learning and social distancing, students around the world are finally returning to school for the first time since the lockdown began. The first day back is filled with a mix of excitement and anxiety as students navigate new safety protocols and adjust to being back in a classroom setting. In this essay, we will explore the emotions and experiences of students on their first day back at school after the lockdown, and reflect on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Table of Contents

First Day of School After Lockdown Essay Writing Tips

1. Start with an engaging introduction: Begin your essay by describing the anticipation and excitement you felt leading up to your first day back at school after the lockdown. This will help to draw in your reader and set the tone for the rest of your essay.

2. Reflect on the changes: Discuss how the school environment has changed since the lockdown, such as new safety protocols, social distancing measures, and hybrid learning models. Reflect on how these changes have impacted your experience of returning to school.

3. Share your emotions: Describe the range of emotions you felt on your first day back, such as nervousness, excitement, or uncertainty. Be honest and open about how you were feeling and how these emotions evolved throughout the day.

4. Discuss your interactions: Write about your interactions with teachers, classmates, and school staff on your first day back. Reflect on how these interactions were different from before the lockdown and how they made you feel.

5. Highlight any challenges: If you encountered any challenges on your first day back at school, such as difficulty adjusting to new routines or feeling overwhelmed by the changes, be sure to discuss them in your essay. Reflect on how you overcame these challenges and what you learned from the experience.

6. Share any positive experiences: Write about any positive experiences you had on your first day back at school, such as reconnecting with friends, participating in engaging activities, or feeling a sense of normalcy. Reflect on how these experiences helped to make your return to school more enjoyable.

7. Reflect on the future: Conclude your essay by reflecting on what you hope for the future of your school experience post-lockdown. Discuss any goals or aspirations you have for the upcoming school year and how you plan to make the most of your time back in the classroom.

8. Edit and revise: Before submitting your essay, be sure to edit and revise it for clarity, coherence, and grammar. Check for any spelling or punctuation errors and make sure your ideas flow logically from one paragraph to the next.

By following these writing tips, you can create a compelling and insightful essay on your first day back at school after the lockdown. Good luck!

Essay on First Day of School After Lockdown in 10 Lines – Examples

1. The first day of school after lockdown was filled with a mix of excitement and anxiety. 2. Students were eager to see their friends and teachers again after months of virtual learning. 3. There were new safety protocols in place, such as temperature checks and mask-wearing, to ensure a safe return to school. 4. The hallways were quieter than usual, as students were reminded to maintain social distancing. 5. Teachers worked hard to create a welcoming and supportive environment for their students. 6. Some students struggled with the transition back to in-person learning, while others adapted quickly. 7. The school day was filled with reminders about the importance of handwashing and following safety guidelines. 8. Despite the challenges, there was a sense of relief and gratitude among students and staff to be back in the classroom. 9. The first day of school after lockdown served as a reminder of the resilience and adaptability of the school community. 10. Overall, it was a day of mixed emotions, but one that marked a significant step towards a sense of normalcy and routine.

Sample Essay on First Day of School After Lockdown in 100-180 Words

The first day of school after lockdown was filled with a mix of emotions. There was excitement to see friends and teachers again, but also some nervousness about how things would be different. The school had implemented safety measures such as temperature checks, social distancing, and mask-wearing, which added a new layer of unfamiliarity to the usual routine.

Despite the changes, there was a sense of relief and gratitude to be back in the familiar surroundings of the classroom. The teachers worked hard to make the transition as smooth as possible, and students were eager to catch up on missed lessons and activities.

Overall, the first day back at school after lockdown was a reminder of the resilience and adaptability of both students and teachers. It was a step towards normalcy and a hopeful sign that better days were ahead.

Short Essay on First Day of School After Lockdown in 200-500 Words

The first day of school after lockdown was a mix of excitement and anxiety for both students and teachers. After months of remote learning and social distancing, returning to the classroom felt like a big step towards normalcy. As I walked through the school gates, I could see the familiar faces of my classmates, but there was a sense of caution in the air. Everyone was wearing masks and keeping their distance, a stark reminder of the times we were living in.

The school had put in place several safety measures to ensure the well-being of everyone. Temperature checks, hand sanitizing stations, and social distancing markers were all part of the new normal. It was strange to see the once bustling hallways so quiet and empty, but it was a necessary adjustment to ensure everyone’s safety.

In the classroom, desks were spaced out and plastic shields were placed on each table. The teacher welcomed us back with a mix of relief and apprehension. She outlined the new rules and protocols that we had to follow, emphasizing the importance of wearing masks and maintaining social distance at all times. It was clear that things were going to be different this year, but we were all determined to make the best of it.

As the day went on, it became apparent that the lockdown had taken a toll on everyone. Some students were struggling to focus, while others were eager to catch up with their friends. The teacher did her best to keep us engaged and motivated, but it was clear that the transition back to in-person learning was going to be a challenge.

During lunchtime, we were allowed to remove our masks while eating, but we had to maintain a safe distance from each other. It was strange to see the once lively cafeteria so quiet and subdued. The usual chatter and laughter were replaced by a sense of unease and uncertainty.

As the day came to an end, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief that we had made it through the first day back at school. It was a small victory in the midst of a global crisis, but it was a step in the right direction. I knew that the road ahead was going to be challenging, but I was grateful to be back in the classroom with my friends and teachers.

The first day of school after lockdown was a reminder of the resilience and adaptability of the human spirit. Despite the challenges and uncertainties that lay ahead, we were all determined to make the best of the situation and move forward together. As I walked out of the school gates, I felt a sense of hope and optimism for the future, knowing that we would get through this difficult time together.

Essay on First Day of School After Lockdown in 1000-1500 Words

The first day of school after lockdown was a day filled with mixed emotions for students, teachers, and parents alike. After months of uncertainty and disruption due to the global pandemic, students were finally able to return to the familiar routine of attending school in person. As I walked through the school gates on that first day, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement and nervousness about what the day would bring.

The school grounds were abuzz with activity as students reunited with their friends and teachers after what felt like an eternity of being apart. There were hugs, high-fives, and excited chatter as everyone caught up on each other’s lives and shared stories of how they had spent their time during lockdown. It was heartwarming to see the joy on their faces as they reconnected with their classmates and teachers, and I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the sense of community that our school had fostered over the years.

As I made my way to my first class of the day, I couldn’t help but notice the changes that had been made to ensure the safety of everyone on campus. Hand sanitizing stations were set up at every entrance, and signs reminding students to maintain social distancing were posted throughout the hallways. Classroom desks were spaced out to allow for proper distancing, and masks were mandatory for all students and staff. While these measures were necessary to prevent the spread of the virus, they also served as a stark reminder of the challenges that we still faced in the midst of the pandemic.

In my first class of the day, my teacher welcomed us back with a smile and a sense of optimism that was infectious. She acknowledged the challenges that we had all faced during lockdown and reassured us that we were all in this together. She encouraged us to support each other, to be patient and understanding, and to approach the new school year with a positive attitude. Her words resonated with me, and I felt a sense of hope and determination wash over me as I listened to her speak.

Throughout the day, I noticed how the teachers had adapted their lesson plans to accommodate the new reality of hybrid learning. Some students were attending classes in person, while others joined virtually from home. Teachers had to juggle between teaching in person and online, ensuring that all students had access to the same quality of education regardless of their physical location. It was a challenging task, but the teachers handled it with grace and professionalism, making sure that no student was left behind.

During lunchtime, I sat with my friends at a safe distance from each other, catching up on the latest gossip and sharing our experiences of lockdown. We talked about the challenges of online learning, the boredom of being stuck at home, and the excitement of finally being back at school. It felt surreal to be sitting in the school cafeteria again, surrounded by familiar faces and the sounds of laughter and chatter. It was a moment of normalcy in the midst of a world that had been turned upside down by the pandemic.

As the day drew to a close, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to be back at school. Despite the challenges and uncertainties that lay ahead, I knew that I was surrounded by a community of teachers, friends, and classmates who would support me every step of the way. The first day of school after lockdown had been a day of reconnection, of hope, and of resilience. It was a reminder that even in the darkest of times, we could find light and strength in the bonds that we shared with each other.

As I walked out of the school gates at the end of the day, I felt a renewed sense of purpose and determination. The challenges of the pandemic were far from over, but I knew that with the support of my school community, I could face whatever lay ahead with courage and resilience. The first day of school after lockdown had been a day of new beginnings, of rekindled friendships, and of hope for a brighter future. And as I looked ahead to the rest of the school year, I knew that together, we could overcome any obstacle that came our way.

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Headed Back to School: A Look at the Ongoing Effects of COVID-19 on Children’s Health and Well-Being

Elizabeth Williams and Patrick Drake Published: Aug 05, 2022

Children are now preparing to head back to school for the third time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools are expected to return in-person this fall, with most experts now agreeing the benefits of in-person learning outweigh the risks of contracting COVID-19 for children. Though children are less likely than adults to develop severe illness, the risk of contracting COVID-19 remains, with some children developing symptoms of long COVID following diagnosis. COVID-19 vaccines provide protection, and all children older than 6 months are now eligible to be vaccinated. However, vaccination rates have stalled and remain low for younger children. At this time, only a few states have vaccine mandates for school staff or students, and no states have school mask mandates, though practices can vary by school district. Emerging COVID-19 variants, like the Omicron subvariant BA.5 that has recently caused a surge in cases, may pose new risks to children and create challenges for the back-to-school season.

Children may also continue to face challenges due to the ongoing health, economic, and social consequences of the pandemic. Children have been uniquely impacted by the pandemic, having experienced this crisis during important periods of physical, social, and emotional development, with some experiencing the loss of loved ones. While many children have gained health coverage due to federal policies passed during the pandemic, public health measures to reduce the spread of the disease also led to disruptions or changes in service utilization and increased mental health challenges for children.

This brief examines how the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect children’s physical and mental health, considers what the findings mean for the upcoming back-to-school season, and explores recent policy responses. A companion KFF brief explores economic effects of the pandemic and recent rising costs on households with children. We find households with children have been particularly hard hit by loss of income and food and housing insecurity, which all affect children’s health and well-being.

Children’s Health Care Coverage and Utilization

Despite job losses that threatened employer-sponsored insurance coverage early in the pandemic, uninsured rates have declined likely due to federal policies passed during in the pandemic and the safety net Medicaid and CHIP provided. Following growth in the children’s uninsured rate from 2017 to 2019, data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) show that the children’s uninsured rate held steady from 2019 to 2020 and then fell from 5.1% in 2020 to 4.1% in 2021. Just released quarterly NHIS data show the children’s uninsured rate was 3.7% in the first quarter of 2022, which was below the rate in the first quarter of 2021 (4.6%) but a slight uptick from the fourth quarter of 2021 (3.5%), though none of these differences are statistically significant. Administrative data show that children’s enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP increased by 5.2 million enrollees, or 14.7%, between February 2020 and April 2022 (Figure 1). Provisions in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) require states to provide  continuous coverage  for Medicaid enrollees until the end of the month in which the public health emergency (PHE) ends in order to receive enhanced federal funding.

Children have missed or delayed preventive care during the pandemic, with a third of adults still reporting one or more children missed or delayed a preventative check-up in the past 12 months (Figure 2). However, the share missing or delaying care is slowly declining, with the share from April 27 – May 9, 2022 (33%) down 3% from almost a year earlier (July 21 – August 2, 2021) according to KFF analysis of the  Household Pulse Survey . Adults in households with income less than $25,000 were significantly more likely to have a child that missed, delayed, or skipped a preventive appointment in the past 12 months compared to households with income over $50,000. These data are in line with findings from another study that found households reporting financial hardship were significantly more likely to report missing or delaying children’s preventive visits compared to those not reporting hardships. Hispanic households and households of other racial/ethnic groups were also significantly more likely to have a child that missed, delayed, or skipped a preventive appointment in the past 12 months compared to White households (based on race of the adult respondent).

Telehealth helped to provide access to care, but children with special health care needs and those in rural areas continued to face barriers. Overall, telehealth utilization soared early in the pandemic, but has since declined and has not offset  the decreases in service utilization overall. While preventative care rates have increased since early in the pandemic, many children likely still need to catch up on missed routine medical care. One study found almost a quarter of parents reported not catching-up after missing a routine medical visit during the first year of the pandemic. The pandemic may have also exacerbated existing challenges accessing needed care and services for children with special health care needs , and low-income patients or patients in rural areas may have experienced barriers to accessing health care via telehealth .

The pandemic has also led to declines in children’s routine vaccinations, blood lead screenings, and vision screenings. The CDC reported vaccination coverage of all state-required vaccines declined by 1% in the 2020-2021 school year compared to the previous year, and some public health leaders note COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy may be spilling over to routine child immunizations. The  CDC also report ed 34% fewer U.S. children had blood lead level testing from January-May 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. Further, data suggest declines in lead screenings during the pandemic may have exacerbated underlying gaps and disparities in early identification and intervention for lower-income households and children of color. Additionally, many children rely on in-school vision screenings to identity vision impairments, and some children went without vision checks while schools managed COVID-19 and turned to remote learning. These screenings are important for children in order to identify problems early; without treatment some conditions can worsen or lead to more serious health complications.

The pandemic has also led to difficulty accessing and disruptions in dental care. Data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) show the share of children reporting seeing a dentist or other oral health provider or having a preventive dental visit in the past 12 months declined from 2019 to 2020, the first year of the pandemic (Figure 3). The share of children reporting their teeth are in excellent or very good conditions also declined from 2019 (80%) to 2020 (77%); the share of children reporting no oral health problems also declined but the change was not statistically significant.

Recently released preliminary data for Medicaid/CHIP beneficiaries under age 19 shows steep declines in service utilization early in the pandemic, with utilization then rebounding to a varying degree depending on the service type . Child screening services have rebounded to pre-PHE levels while blood lead screenings and dental services rates remain below per-PHE levels. Telehealth utilization mirrors national trends, increasing rapidly in April 2020 and then beginning to decline in 2021. When comparing the PHE period (March 2020 – January 2022) to the pre-PHE period (January 2018 – February 2020) overall, the data show child screening services and vaccination rates declined by 5% (Figure 4). Blood lead screening services and dental services saw larger declines when comparing the PHE period to before the PHE, declining by 12% and 18% respectively among Medicaid/CHIP children.

Children’s Mental Health Challenges

Children’s mental health challenges were on the rise even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent KFF analysis found the share of adolescents experiencing anxiety and/or depression has increased by one-third from 2016 (12%) to 2020 (16%), although rates in 2020 were similar to 2019.  Rates of anxiety and/or depression were more pronounced among adolescent females and White and Hispanic adolescents. A separate  survey  of high school students in 2021 found that lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) students were more likely to report persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness than their heterosexual peers. In the past few years, adolescents  have experienced worsened emotional health, increased stress, and a lack of peer connection along with increasing rates of drug overdose deaths, self-harm, and eating disorders. Prior to the pandemic, there was also an increase in suicidal thoughts from 14% in 2009 to 19% in 2019.

The pandemic may have worsened children’s mental health or exacerbated existing mental health issues among children . The pandemic caused disruptions in routines and social isolation for children, which can be  associated with anxiety and depression  and  can have implications  for mental health later in life. A number of studies show an increase in children’s mental health needs following social isolation due to the pandemic, especially among children who experience adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). KFF analysis found the share of parents responding that adolescents were experiencing anxiety and/or depression held relatively steady from 2019 (15%) to 2020 (16%), the first year of the pandemic. However, the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor on perspectives of the pandemic at two years found six in ten parents say the pandemic has negatively affected their children’s schooling and over half saying the same about their children’s mental health. Researchers also note it is still too early to fully understand the impact of the pandemic on children’s mental health. The past two years have also seen much economic turmoil, and  research  has shown that as economic conditions worsen, children’s mental health is negatively impacted. Further, gun violence continues to rise and may lead to negative mental health impacts among children and adolescents.  Research   suggests  that children and adolescents may experience negative mental health impacts, including symptoms of anxiety, in response to school shootings and  gun-related deaths  in their  communities .

Access and utilization of mental health care may have also  worsened during the pandemic. Preliminary data for Medicaid/CHIP beneficiaries under age 19 finds utilization of mental health services during the PHE declined by 23% when compared to prior to the pandemic (Figure 4); utilization of substance use disorder services  declined by 24% for beneficiaries ages 15-18 for the same time period. The data show utilization of mental health services remains below pre-PHE levels and has seen the smallest improvement compared to other services utilized by Medicaid/CHIP children. Telehealth has played a significant role in providing mental health and substance use services to children early in the pandemic, but has started to  decline . The pandemic may have widened existing disparities in access to mental health care for children of color and children in low-income households. NSCH data show 20% of children with mental health needs were not receiving needed care in 2020, with the lowest income children less likely to receive needed mental health services when compared to higher income groups (Figure 5).

Children’s Health and COVID-19

While less likely than adults to develop severe illness, children can contract and spread COVID-19 and  children with underlying health conditions  are at an increased risk of developing severe illness .  Data through July 28, 2022 show there have been over 14 million child COVID-19 cases, accounting for 19% of all cases. Among Medicaid/CHIP enrollees under age 19, 6.4% have received a COVID-19 diagnosis through January 2022. Pediatric hospitalizations peaked during the Omicron surge in January 2022, and children under age 5, who were not yet eligible for vaccination, were hospitalized for COVID-19 at five times the rate during the Delta surge.

Some children who tested positive for the virus are now facing long COVID . A recent meta-analysis found 25% of children and adolescents had ongoing symptoms following COVID-19 infection, and finds the most common symptoms for children were fatigue, shortness of breath, and headaches, with other long COVID symptoms including cognitive difficulties, loss of smell, sore throat, and sore eyes. Another report found a larger share of children with a confirmed COVID-19 case experienced a new or recurring mental health diagnosis compared to children who did not have a confirmed COVID-19 case. However, researchers have noted it can be difficult to distinguish long COVID symptoms to general pandemic-associated symptoms. In addition, a small share of children are experiencing multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a serious condition associated with COVID-19 that has impacted  almost 9,000 children . A lot of unknowns still surround long COVID in children; it is unclear how long symptoms will last and what impact they will have on children’s long-term health.

COVID-19 vaccines were recently authorized for children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years, making all children 6 months and older eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination has already peaked for children under the age of 5, and is far below where 5-11 year-olds were at the same point in their eligibility. As of July 20, approximately 544,000 children under the age of 5 (or approximately 2.8%) had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Vaccinations for children ages 5-11 have stalled, with just  30.3%  have been fully vaccinated as of July 27 compared to  60.2% of those ages 12-17.  Schools have been important sites  for providing access as well as information to help expand vaccination take-up among children, though children under 5 are not yet enrolled in school, limiting this option for younger kids. A recent KFF survey finds most parents of young children newly eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine are reluctant to get them vaccinated, including 43% who say they will “definitely not” do so.

Some children have experienced COVID-19 through the loss of one or more family members due to the virus.  A  study  estimates that, as of June 2022, over 200,000 children in the US have lost one or both parents to COVID-19. Another study found children of color were more likely to experience the loss of a parent or grandparent caregiver when compared to non-Hispanic White children. Losing a parent can have long term impacts on a child’s health,  increasing  their risk of substance abuse, mental health challenges,  poor educational outcomes , and  early death . There have been over 1 million COVID-19 deaths in the US, and estimates indicate a  17.5% to 20% increase  in bereaved children due to COVID-19, indicating an increased number of grieving children who may need additional supports as they head back to school.

Looking Ahead

Children will be back in the classroom this fall but may continue to face health risks due to their or their teacher’s vaccination status and increasing transmission due to COVID-19 variants. New, more transmissible COVID-19 variants continue to emerge, with the most recent Omicron subvariant BA.5 driving a new wave of infections and reinfections among those who have already had COVID-19. This could lead to challenges for the back-to-school season, especially among young children whose vaccination rates have stalled.

Schools, parents, and children will likely continue to catch up on missed services and loss of instructional time in the upcoming school year. Schools are likely still working to address the loss of instructional time and drops in student achievement due to pandemic-related school disruptions. Further, many children with special education plans experienced missed or delayed services and loss of instructional time during the pandemic. Students with special education plans may be entitled to compensatory services to make up for lost skills due to pandemic related service disruptions, and some children, such as those with disabilities related to long COVID, may be newly eligible for special education services.

To address worsening mental health and barriers to care for children, several measures have been taken or proposed at the state and federal level. Many states have recently enacted legislation to strengthen school based mental health systems, including initiatives such as from hiring more school-based providers to allowing students excused absences for mental health reasons. In July 2022, 988 – a federally mandated crisis number – launched, providing a single three-digit number for individuals in need to access local and state funded crisis centers, and the Biden Administration released a strategy to address the national mental health crisis in May 2022, building on prior actions. Most recently, in response to gun violence, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was signed into law and allocates funds towards mental health, including trauma care for school children.

The unwinding of the PHE and expiring federal relief may have implications for children’s health coverage and access to care. The  American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) extended eligibility  to ACA health insurance subsides for people with incomes over 400% of poverty and increased the amount of assistance for people with lower incomes. However, these subsidies are set to expire at the end of this year without further action from Congress, which would increase premium payments for 13 million Marketplace enrollees. In addition, provisions in the FFCRA providing continuous coverage for Medicaid enrollees will expire with the end of the PHE. Millions of people, including children, could lose coverage when the continuous enrollment requirement ends if they are no longer eligible or face administrative barriers during the process despite remaining eligible. There will likely be variation across states in how many people are able to maintain Medicaid coverage, transition to other coverage, or become uninsured. Lastly, there have also been several policies passed throughout the pandemic to provide financial relief for families with children, but some benefits, like the expanded Child Tax Credit, have expired and the cost of household items is rising, increasing food insecurity and reducing the utility of benefits like SNAP.

• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Coronavirus

Also of Interest

• A Look at the Economic Effects of the Pandemic for Children
• Recent Trends in Mental Health and Substance Use Concerns Among Adolescents
• Mental Health and Substance Use Considerations Among Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Among Children Under 5 Have Peaked and Are Decreasing Just Weeks Into Their Eligibility

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Helping Young Children and Parents Transition Back to School

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Transitioning back to early childhood programs or school— or starting them for the first time—can create extra challenges, particularly in times of stress. Learn what parents and teachers can do to help children make a successful transition to in-person learning and care.

Transitions can be hard for children and families

The start of a new school year can mean going back to early care and education (ECE) programs or school after a long break, or attending a program for the first time. A new start often means lots of changes, new routines, and meeting new people. Young children are often wary of strangers and want to stay close to their parents and other familiar and trusted caregivers. Until they are old enough to talk clearly about their feelings, it’s hard to explain to them that a new caregiver is going to protect them, which means it takes time for children to get used to new people. School-aged children who are sensitive or easily worried, or those who have developmental delays, may need extra time to adjust. It’s often easier for young children to make the transition if they have spent some time with their parents and the new person together. Parents also often worry about their child making the transition, and it’s easier for parents to keep calm and be reassuring if they know their child’s teacher and feel comfortable with them.

Transition in a time of extra stress is extra hard

In recent years, many ECE programs had to use prevention measures such as keeping physical distance between people, using masks for teachers and children older than 2 years, and limiting contact between program staff and families. As COVID-19 Community Levels change, ECE programs may add or remove prevention strategies, and such changes in strategies can mean changes in routines for children. Many ECE programs were closed to in-person learning in the beginning of the pandemic, and during local outbreaks of diseases, some programs may continue to shut down for periods of time.

For children who start in-person care after a break, changes to the space and to routines may have made everything look and feel different. Being around masked faces may add to a child’s feelings of uncertainty, because facial expressions are used to help communicate feelings and provide assurance, and wearing masks make this difficult. Becoming familiar with others may take longer. Because children look to their parents for signs of safety, parents may need to put more effort into expressing confidence and security with words and body language in addition to facial expressions. This is particularly important for young children who are not yet able to talk about feelings. Children are generally flexible and can adapt, but strategies that protect children’s health may make transitions to new situations and new people harder.

Even before the pandemic, children’s mental health was a public health concern, and levels of anxiety were on the rise. The COVID-19 pandemic has meant additional stress, fear, and worry for many families. Worries about sickness, finances, and isolation, coping with grief from loss, and having less outside help have made parenting more stressful. The U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on the nation’s youth mental health crisis in December 2021 .

Schools and ECE programs can help children and families by promoting  social and emotional learning  Making the transition from home to school may be harder for children with developmental, behavioral, or emotional concerns. Teachers, parents, and programs can help children by planning the transition, making strong connections, and establishing new routines. With the right support, children can adjust to their new program, make new friends, learn new things, and thrive.

What parents and teachers can do to support during transitions

Skilled ECE providers know how to help children adjust. But with increased worries and stress, it may be good to put a little extra support into the transitions. Here are some tips to help families with the transition.

Teachers and administrators can

• Work to establish connections between parents and the program. Set up times for parents and teachers to meet and get to know each other.
• Create a daily structure and routines to help children learn what to expect.
• Share information with parents of returning children about daily routines to help prepare their child for what to expect.
• Provide frequent communication to parents about their children’s time in the program.
• Consider holding in-person meetings outdoors, for example on the playground, in situations where additional COVID-19 precautions are needed, depending on Community Levels or the presence of people at  high risk for severe illness or death.
• Provide virtual connections with parents to supplement in-person connections, such as video calls and phone meetings. Consider connecting parents to other parents to learn about the program and share experiences. Programs can create virtual tours so that parents and children can see the facility and classrooms. This helps them imagine what it would be like for their child to attend and helps them prepare for the new situation.

Learn more about what teachers can do.

Parents can

• Make sure their child has a daily, predictable routine, with regular times for healthy meals, naps, and night sleep at home. Having a rested body and knowing what to expect at home helps children cope.
• Connect with other parents who have children in the same program and can provide information and make them more comfortable with the program.
• Talk with teachers about the best way to separate from their child at the start of the day—brief goodbyes are often best.
• Try to stay calm and reassuring during transition—using a calm voice, with a relaxed face and body to let their child know that they wouldn’t leave them if the child were not safe and protected.
• Talk with their child about what to expect and help them with strategies to manage stress and cope with worries , and review positive parenting tips to help children with feelings and behavior.
• Make sure their child is caught up on well-visits with their healthcare provider and is up to date with recommended vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines , to ensure that the child is healthy and well protected.
• Monitor their child’s developmental milestones and learn what to do if there are concerns.
• Remember that this is a phase—building new relationships is a skill, and with support, children can be resilient. Even if it’s hard to separate, children will gain a new trusted relationship with their new teacher and feel more secure.

Parents with concerns can

• Take  care of themselves during stressful times so they can be better equipped to take care of others.
• Find resources to learn how to promote resilience and reduce anxiety in their children .
• Talk to a healthcare professional if their child’s symptoms of anxiety or behavior problems are severe or persistent.
• Contact a mental healthcare professional for  parent training and support so parents can help their child.
• Find  resources for themselves if they are sad, worried, or stressed .
• For children with new concerns that persist, ask the school for an evaluation to see if the child may need  special education services or accommodations. For children with identified disabilities, ask the program to review their Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Schools and ECE programs can

• Provide staff development and support for teachers if there are more children than usual who have difficulty with transition.
• Review and enhance resources for staff health and well-being.
• Make sure teachers have access to mental health support if they are dealing with their own stress, loss, or trauma related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Include resources for social-emotional learning.
• Seek support from early childhood mental health consultants.
• Share information with families about the importance of developmental monitoring and screening , well-visits and for the whole family to stay up to date with recommended vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines .

CDC resources

• Information on Children’s Mental Health
• Back to School—Ideas for Parents
• Adolescent and School Health: Five Things Schools Can Do Now to Support Students as They Return to School
• Tools for Supporting Emotional Well-being in Children and Youth—Web Tools for Children, Teens, and Parents
• How Right Now Campaign
• Positive Parenting Tips
• Back to School Preparedness
• Food Assistance and Food System Resources for Families Seeking Food Assistance
• Early Care and Education Portal
• Healthy and Supportive School Environments
• Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT)—Mental and Emotional Health Module for PreK–12

COVID-19 resources

• Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning
• Information on Helping Children Cope

Partner resources

• SAMHSA: Back to School During COVID-19
• Head Start Heals Campaign
• Head Start: COVID-19 and Mental Health and Wellness
• Emotional Wellness—HealthyChildren.org
• Promoting Staff Well-being for Early Learning Programs

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Glimpses of How Pandemic America Went Back to School

Across the country, students are returning to classes. We connected with hundreds of them to see how they — along with teachers, administrators and parents — are coping.

Lunchtime at Dacula High School in Gwinnett County, Ga. Credit... Jesse Pratt López for The New York Times

Supported by

By The New York Times

• Published Sept. 17, 2021 Updated Sept. 22, 2021

This fall, after 18 months of classroom closures, seemingly endless screen time, child-care emergencies and nasty political wrangling over whether and how to reopen, schools are back.

The results have been exciting, anxiety-provoking and sometimes even amusing.

In Iowa, a high school junior can’t wait to do math problems on paper again.

In Ohio, an administrator usually in charge of “teaching and learning” has become a de facto Covid czar, nervously monitoring rapidly rising case counts.

And at a middle school in Massachusetts, a boy is trying to learn to play the trumpet through a mask with a specially-cut hole.

While schools have generally been able to operate safely during the pandemic with only limited on-site transmission of the virus, the continued lack of a national system for tracking school-related infections makes it impossible to know how many students have been impacted by infections or quarantines this year. In some states where local vaccination rates are low, tens of thousands of children have already been sent home temporarily.

Below are scenes from 20 schools around the country — from kindergarten to college, in cities, suburbs and rural areas — captured over three days in early September. We would also love to hear your stories; share them here . — Dana Goldstein

Anchorage | Brooklyn | Canaan, Conn. | Cedar Hill, Mo. | Chicago | Columbus, Ohio | Dacula, Ga. | Dallas | Great Barrington, Mass. | Los Angeles | Marion, Iowa | Miami | Minneapolis | Philadelphia | Portland, Ore. | San Diego | Santa Monica, Calif. | St. Paul, Minn. | Trenton, Ohio | Winthrop, Wash.

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• J Glob Health
• v.10(1); 2020 Jun

Reopening schools after the COVID-19 lockdown

Aziz sheikh.

1 Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

Asiyah Sheikh

2 Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

Zakariya Sheikh

Sangeeta dhami.

3 General Practitioner Locum, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UK

With nationwide school closures currently operating in 191 countries, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has estimated that 1.6 billion (90.2%) students are currently out of primary, secondary and tertiary education (henceforth schools) as a result of the global COVID-19 lockdown [ 1 ]. These restrictions have been introduced to help maintain physical distancing and have contributed to the stabilising incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections and resulting COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths now being witnessed in many parts of the world. These measures have the potential however – particularly if prolonged – to result in major detrimental effects on the health and well-being of children and adolescents. In the absence of a robust evidence base on lockdown exit strategies, we consider the range of options being taken globally to reopen schools with a view to informing the formulation of national plans.

It is now well recognized that children and young people can be asymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2 or develop COVID-19 [ 2 ]. Although COVID-19 tends to be less severe in children and adolescents, and thankfully relatively few students have died of the condition, a key policy concern has been that young people may be important community reservoirs for the transmission of the virus to household members. Emerging evidence however suggests that children are not super-spreaders of the virus and in fact may not be significantly contributing to spreading the virus [ 3 - 5 ]. A recent (unpublished) systematic review concluded that children and young people under 20 are 56% less likely to contract SARS-COV2 from infected individuals than adults this suggesting they may play a smaller part in transmission than originally thought [ 6 ]. It appears therefore that SARS-CoV-2 behaves differently in this respect from many other viral respiratory infections that are responsible for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and influenza. A recent systematic review on school closures, which drew primarily on the evidence base from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), concluded that around 2–4% of COVID-19 deaths could be prevented as a result of school closures [ 7 ].

Although an important public health intervention in the context of epidemics/pandemics, school closures can have adverse effects on children and adolescents in multiple ways [ 8 ]. Not only are they missing out on their education – with potential lifelong implications – children from deprived backgrounds are at increased risk of hunger from missing free school meals, domestic violence, and the poverty that ensues from parents being unable to work because of daytime caring responsibilities. These consequences are felt most by the most vulnerable members of society. The longer lockdowns continue, the greater the risks to the well-being of young people.

What then are the options for reopening schools? The key consideration is how to enable the safe return of as many learners and staff as possible whilst maintaining physical distancing. Table 1 summarises the approaches that are being employed internationally. We briefly consider these four broad approaches in turn.

Strategies being adopted internationally to reopen schools after the COVID-19 lockdown

The first is to maintain school closures until a vaccine can be administered at sufficient levels to achieve herd immunity or a treatment is found. Optimistic estimates suggest that it will be at least 12-18 months before a vaccine is developed and deployed [ 9 ]. Given the substantial negative effects of school closures, it seems most unlikely that this will be a tenable strategy for most countries in the medium- to longer-term.

A second approach is to reopen schools completely once the effective reproduction number (R t ) is well below 1. Whilst this has the benefits of resuming normal schooling, it runs the risk of triggering further peaks in infection. The magnitude of this risk will become clearer as the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in young people becomes better understood. The approach being employed in Denmark whereby children are being taught outdoors and maintaining 2m physical distancing through for example the rearrangement of desks, in an attempt to reduce droplet and contact transmission, could potentially be replicated in a number of other countries [ 10 ].

Photo: Macau students return to school. By Macau Photo Agency via Unsplash.

The third strategy is to partially reopen schools such that there are fewer students at school at any one point in time thereby enabling physical distancing. This has been the most popular school lockdown exit strategy employed thus far with students typically attending for part of the week or in shifts.

Finally, a hybrid approach whereby in-person classes are live-streamed to those who for example need to be shielded because of underlying chronic disease or have the capacity to study from home. This is however clearly dependent both on having high speed Internet access and appropriate devices (personal computer, laptop or tablet) at home.

The final three options all need to be accompanied by developing surveillance capability and the ability to rapidly test, trace and isolate suspected COVID-19 cases and their contacts. These also requires capacity for regular deep cleaning of schools to minimise the risk of contact transmission.

It is clear that there are no easy answers. Whichever approach countries choose to take, it is crucial that there are carefully planned evaluations of the approaches employed to help develop a robust evidence base to guide decision making for this and future pandemics.

Funding: None.

Authorship contributions: AzS conceived this paper and commented critically on drafts of the manuscript. AsS, ZS & SD sourced the examples and jointly drafted the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

Competing interest: AzS is a member of the Scottish Government Chief Medical Officer’s COVID-19 Advisory Group. This work in no way represents the views of the Scottish Government. The authors have completed the ICMJE Uniform Conflict of Interest form (available upon request from the corresponding author), and declare no further conflicts.