The start of a new school year can be an exciting time filled with opportunity and ambition. Children are returning to the classroom and teachers are planning new ways to inspire their pupils. However, over the past couple of years, we’ve seen a huge shift in how returning to school looks. From virtual classrooms to social distancing and hand sanitizing stations throughout the building, it’s important to make sure that you’re adequately prepared. This should include everything from goal setting and organization to putting procedures in place to optimize the health and safety of your students and faculty. For more information, consider the following tips.
1. Evaluate and Set Goals
Whether you’re the principal, school nurse, teacher, or parent, it’s important to evaluate the previous school year and set goals for the new one. Think about things that went well and areas you could have made improvements in. Be honest and practical about everything, as this allows you the best opportunity to make adjustments and grow. During this time, try not to get too hung up on things that were outside of your control—especially in regard to the pandemic. Virtual learning was difficult, school closures affected a lot of lesson plans, and strict mandates from the state or the federal level were entirely outside of your control.
This year, as things begin to return to normalcy, think about all of the ways you can take things to the next level. Write down your goals and use them to curate lesson plans, organize your nurse’s station, or implement safety procedures on a daily basis. Just remember, while learning is one of the top priorities of getting back to school, safety should always come first. Luckily, there are simple ways to keep your school healthy throughout the year.
2. Get Organized
Another important way to prepare for the new school year, or stay focused during the year, is to get yourself organized. Make plans for the best- and worst-case scenarios. The more organized you are at the beginning of the year, the more likely these habits will carry on until next year’s summer break. You can also ask students to help maintain organization and contribute to the success of your classroom.
3. Declutter Classrooms
If you haven’t already, consider taking some time to go through classrooms and do a little decluttering. While younger grades should be filled with vibrant colors, supplies for various activities, and toys that will help improve sensory learning, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Consider removing anything that isn’t regularly used, or at least putting it away in a box or bin and storing it out of sight. Too many distractions in the classroom can create difficulties with attention and learning. Plus, the more things that are within reach, the more germs that transmit from surface to surface. By decluttering your classroom, you can help encourage children to wash their hands before and after playing with particular objects, thus reducing the risk of transmissible pathogens in the classroom. You don’t have to get rid of things! Just be strategic about how they’re displayed.
4. Set Up Disinfection Schedules
This is officially the 3rd school year since the COVID-19 pandemic has begun. While it might seem that coronavirus is in our rearview mirrors, people are still getting sick, and the pandemic is far from over. Luckily, vaccination rates and herd immunity have decreased the severity and frequency of infection rates, but that doesn’t mean you should abandon all precautionary measures that have become such a routine part of our daily lives. This is especially true in schools, as many younger children may not be vaccinated. Plus, many states and schools are now making masks an optional accessory.
Since one of the best ways to stay on top of the health and safety of your school is to eradicate germs and reduce the risk of pathogen transmission, regular cleaning and disinfection are essential. At the beginning of the school year, contact a professional cleaning company like Bee Line Support to set up a continuous disinfection schedule for the duration of the school year.
Keeping your school clean isn’t just about maintaining your image. It’s about protecting your students and faculty from dangerous microbes so they can enjoy a safe learning environment. As a medical-grade cleaning company, Bee Line Support utilizes cleaning standards that are designed and implemented for hospitals and surgical suites. However, we bring the same rigor to every facility we service, including schools. Regardless of your needs, we can help optimize your school’s cleanliness and keep students safe. We’ve even developed a 10-step system for continuous disinfection and protection to maximize the health and safety of your facility.
Bee Line Support understands that teachers, faculty members, and nurses have a job to do. In the midst of lesson planning, teaching, grading, and supervising children, cleaning the building isn’t at the top of anyone’s priorities. While it’s likely that everyone will keep their stations neat and orderly to present an organized space, germs often go overlooked. To keep your students proud of your school, motivated to learn, and safe from dangerous viruses and bacteria, work with a professional cleaning company like Bee Line Support. We offer deep cleaning services for schools using the highest-quality material and procedures. Some of our products and tools include state-of-the-art HEPA filter vacuums, Green Seal-certified disinfectants, and microfiber towels to eliminate bacteria completely. To help keep every surface clean and germ-free throughout the school year, Bee Line Support also offers disinfectant misting using the Kärcher PS 4/7 Bp hospital-grade misting system. For all-day protection, our porters are available to target high-touch areas, so your school is kept clean, sanitized, and safe, especially during the continually changing parameters of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To give you the peace of mind you need when outsourcing services for your school, Bee Line Support never subcontracts. All of our employees undergo extensive background and reference checks and are trained on high-touchpoints and target cleaning in our own on-site training room at our headquarters. We also utilize Safety and Compliance Managers to oversee the disinfection of your school’s facility. If you have further questions regarding Bee Line Support’s deep cleaning procedures for schools, contact one of our representatives today. You can also call us at 312-BEE-LINE or message us today to get started on the path to cleanliness!
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