Some of the best memories are made in flip flops.

Kellie Elmore.

Greetings to All!

This Buzz mixes pleasure and planning. It’s summertime, after all, and we’re snapping around on flip flops, eating corn on the cob, and firing up our BBQ grills. Fall seems a long way off. It’s hard to summon energy or interest enough to plan ahead. But who says we can’t play now, enjoy summer’s treats, and also plan ahead to the reopening of schools?

No one is sure if or when schools will reopen, how classes will be organized, or how to make the bus ride to school amid COVID-19 safe for our children. There are many difficult decisions to make between now and then. We’ve focused one section of this Buzz on resources to guide discussions and planning.

Our best to you all,
The CPIR Team | Debra, Debi, Lisa, Sitara, and Myriam

___________________________

Sum-Sum-Summertime!

The Ultimate Parents’ Guide to Summer Activity Resources
To give parents a sense of the summertime fun can be had, the Washington Post compiled resources in 10 categories: reading, education, travel, mental wellness, music, art, physical activity, theater and dance, languages, and entertainment.

___________________________

Planning for Fall

Back to School sign in chalkThe resources below will help Parent Centers, families, educators, and other stakeholders consider the many options available for reopening schools, as well as “must-do” actions that will help prepare us.

Parent Advocacy Toolkit for Equity in Use of COVID-19 Funds
NCLD and 13 partner organizations released recommendations to guide how the use of funding can prioritize equity and ensure our most vulnerable students receive the greatest support. Based on these recommendations, NCLD also created a 12-page toolkit to help parents advocate for equity as school districts develop reopening plans for the 2020-2021 school year.

COVID-19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry
This guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics supports education, public health, local leadership, and pediatricians collaborating with schools in creating policies for school re-entry that foster the overall health of children, adolescents, staff, and communities and are based on available evidence.

Special Report | How We Go Back to School
To reopen schools in the fall, K-12 leaders must balance three critical, often competing responsibilities: the health and safety of their people, the role their schools play in the larger community, and the effective teaching of their students. To help district and school leaders navigate these monumental decisions, Education Week lays out the big challenges ahead and some solutions in an 8-part series.

For Sharing with Your Families

Spanish-Language Webinar on the Transition to Kindergarten Amid COVID-19
The transition into kindergarten marks a major milestone in a child’s life. The ED-funded Early Learning Network presents this 33-minute webinar specifically designed for Spanish speaking families to help families prepare their child for a successful transition into kindergarten during the pandemic.

The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
Funded by HHS, this clearinghouse disseminates current research and innovative strategies to encourage and strengthen fathers and families. Many resources are also available in Spanish.

___________________________

Logo of the Center for Center for Parent Information and ResourcesThis eNewsletter from the CPIR is copyright-free.
We encourage you to share it with others.

Center for Parent Information and Resources
c/o SPAN, Inc.
35 Halsey St., Fourth Floor
Newark, NJ 07102
https://www.parentcenterhub.org

Subscribe to the Buzz from the Hub.
See past issues of the Buzz.
____________________________________________________________

Publication of this eNewsletter is made possible through Cooperative Agreement H328R180005 between OSEP and the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN). The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government or by the Center for Parent Information and Resources.