As COVID-19 cases start to trickle downward across the country, more schools are reopening their doors for in-classroom learning, or an in-person/at-home hybrid model. To be fully prepared for when students and staff come back to the buildings, Essendant has a variety of products to make those individuals safe and comfortable.
Not sure where to begin? Here are the things to consider when prepping any classroom in a COVID-impacted world.
- Space
First order of business should be making the physical space of the classroom suitable for in-person learning. This means having a collection of panels and safety barriers on hand if proper social distancing cannot be achieved between all students. Mobility in these kinds of protective furniture pieces are a huge plus, configuring them any which way in the classroom space to for people to move easily. - Protection
Wearable protection, such as face masks and shields, are so important for all individuals involved when in the classroom together. In addition to those products, extra storage containers, like bins or lockers, are a great way of keeping people’s things organized and separate from each other. - Sanitation
This may be the most obvious, but having an array of cleaning supplies, from disinfectants to hand sanitizers to cleaning wipes and everything in between, is still very important. So many objects, from a dry erase marker to the chair of the desk next to them, are up for grabs and should be wiped down as soon as it contacts somebody. - Communication
Any kind of signage with helpful messaging, safety tape to close off certain areas or floor tapes, and signs to direct traffic and queues are not a bad touch either. Essendant offers a wide variety of signs that appeal to both younger children and to all ages, encouraging the best social distancing, hand washing, and mask-wearing practices for when in the school building.
Are schools in your area heading back to in-person learning? Use our recently updated Resource for Reopening Schools and School Retrofit resources to get the supplies you need. Additional product and category tools for products such as signage, barriers, disinfectants and more are available on the COVID-19 Response Page.