School Partners
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Back-to-School FAQs
5/4/2023 at 3:15 PM
As a parent, you have questions about how to keep your student safe. We've compiled the questions we're asked the most about safety in schools, public transportation, stress, vaccines, physicals and preventing injuries while sitting at a computer or desk.
We've broken these into the following categories:
Scroll to see the questions then click on the plus sign for the answers.
The COVID-19 vaccine has been proven safe and effective for children, and it has also been found to reduce the risk for severe illness and death. That is why pediatric specialists at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital are encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated if they are age 6 months or older.
For children ages 4 and older, the most common side effects are swelling, redness or pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, chills, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes and joint pain. For children ages 3 and younger, common side effects include pain at the injection site, irritability or crying, swollen lymph nodes, loss of appetite and sleepiness.
You may want to give your child acetaminophen four times a day for the first one to two days at the appropriate dosing after they receive the vaccine. Please don’t give your child ibuprofen or acetaminophen before receiving the vaccine. To reduce pain and discomfort where your child got the shot, apply a cool, wet cloth to the spot where the shot was given. If your child develops a fever, drinking lots of fluids and wearing light clothing can help.
At LVHN, bivalent versions of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are available for all children 6 months and older who were not previously vaccinated. For children and adults 6 years and older, only a single dose of the bivalent vaccine is required to complete the vaccine series. Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots are available for children 6 months and older who have completed the initial vaccine series but have not received a bivalent booster.
Lehigh Valley Physician Group (LVPG) primary care (internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics) practices are offering these vaccines during specific vaccination appointments or as part of yearly physical or sick/problem visits (as long as the patient is not experiencing symptoms of COVID-19).
If you have a child who needs a COVID-19 vaccination or booster, you can call your child’s LVPG Pediatrics office directly or send a secure message through your child’s MyLVHN account. (Note: You will need proxy access to your child’s MyLVHN account to do that.)
Sign In or Sign Up
If you do not have proxy access, please contact your child’s health care team. If your child does not have an LVHN care team, please call 888-402-LVHN (5846).
LVHN recommends following Pennsylvania Department of Health face mask guidelines which are in compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance. CDC guidance recommends universal masking based on regional transmission data regardless of vaccination status. All counties in our area currently are experiencing “high” spread of COVID-19 transmission.
RESOURCES
CDC school guidance
CDC transmission map: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home
Face masks will not be needed when the Pennsylvania Department of Health order is lifted, which may be when the transmission rate is low. Low transmission is defined through one of these criteria:
- <10 new cases per 100,000 in the last seven days
- <5% of tests are positive in the last seven days.
RESOURCES
CDC transmission map: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home
LVHN also encourages schools to have mask breaks in a socially distanced way. In most circumstances, masks are not necessary when outdoors.
Studies have shown that masks are safe and effective in children over age 2. One of the most important things when it comes to kids and masks is making sure a mask fits the child well. A mask should be snug and cover both the nose and mouth.
Cloth masks are effective but need to be replaced after frequent washing. It is important to look at face masks after each wash to make sure the fabric isn’t wearing thin. If it is, the mask should be replaced.
Because the delta variant is more infectious and spreads more easily, there is a concern that children will be able to spread the virus more. Data so far suggests that while more kids are getting the delta variant because it is more contagious, they aren’t getting sicker, and the percentage of children requiring hospitalization due to COVID-19 has not increased with the delta variant.
However, parents should be mindful of a complication called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). MIS-C is a relatively rare condition that can develop two to six weeks after the COVID-19 infection subsides. Learn more about MIS-C at the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/mis
In addition to websites like LVHN.org, look at reputable websites like healthychildren.org, which is run by the American Academy of Pediatrics, or CDC.gov. It is important for children to recognize there is a lot of misinformation, but they can stop the spread of that misinformation.
LVHN encourages increasing ventilation in schools. Also, people who are ill are reminded to stay home.
We’re still learning about the novel coronavirus and being cautious is prudent. We believe face masks, social distancing, handwashing and staying home if ill are the most important measures to take; however there are other factors to consider when preventing spread of this virus. Cleaning surfaces is certainly one of them.
Supplies, lunch bags and shoes may be sources of high-touch, high-risk contact. We must consider cleaning these items, but how often and how?
Backpacks and lunch bags: Wipe these down upon arrival at home daily with a disinfectant if a smooth or “non fabric” surface. If fabric, spray with a disinfectant spray such as Lysol. Also wash cloth items once a week.
Shoes: Children ought to remove their shoes prior to coming into the house. Spraying their footwear daily with disinfectant may be prudent.
When possible, have a pair of shoes primarily for school use. This may help reduce transmission of germs in and out of the house.
School supplies: Make sure kids are using their own items, and items that get taken to and from school should be wiped down daily. Remind children not to put pencils and other items in their mouth or near their mouth.
Remind children not to take things from others, and if sharing is needed, to wipe down the items prior to use if possible. It is a good idea to encourage regular hand washing or use of hand sanitizer throughout the school day
Face masks: Fabric face masks should be washed daily after use. Remind your children to only take their mask off when advised, and to adjust it by the ear straps and not grab where the mouth/nose is. If a cloth mask looks worn or thinned, consider replacing it.
Wintertime items (coats, mittens, hats, scarves): Wipe/spray coat daily and wash products every other day if contact with high-touch surfaces. Consider washing items in the washing machine once a week if appropriate.
Hand sanitizer: Allow children to keep a small hand sanitizer in their backpacks/desks. Teach them how to properly use this product.
The most important aspects concerning effectiveness of a mask are fit and fabric.
- Fit – Your child’s mask should fit snugly against her or his face and cover the nose and mouth. A snug fit keeps the mask from slipping and helps reduce the temptation to touch the mask throughout the day. A proper fit also means less of your child’s respiratory droplets will enter the air. This is important to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Since face shields do not fit snugly against the face, they should always be worn with a mask.
- Fabric – Mask fabric should be at least two-ply and made of a breathable fabric that is not sheer. Masks should not be vented because the vent does not filter exhaled air and allows germs to travel into the air that others breathe.
Tip: Remember – wearing a mask is only one piece of the puzzle. Keep your child home from school when feeling sick, encourage him or her to practice frequent hand washing and remind your child to keep distanced from others when possible.
Carpools can be an important transportation option for families as kids head back to school and activities. Here are some steps you can take to optimize safety while carpooling:
- Keep a consistent carpool group to minimize potential exposures to illness.
- Talk with the other families in the carpool about what steps you are taking to protect yourselves from illness in your daily lives. Make sure you are all on the same page.
- Mask up while in the car!
- Seat passengers as far apart as the vehicle will allow.
- Roll the windows down (weather permitting) to keep fresh air circulating through the car.
For riding on a school bus, here are three important reminders that you can share with your child to help him or her limit (and prevent) contact with germs that cause illness:
- Wear your face mask: Remind your child to keep his or her face mask on the entire ride and not to touch it.
- Watch what you touch: Remind your child to not touch the seat in front of him or her. There may be germs on the seat and limiting what is touched is always good.
- Keep your hands clean: Have hand sanitizer in your child's backpack that can be put on after riding the bus.
Tip: Remind your child to avoid touching his or her face with unwashed hands, especially the mouth, eyes and nose.
You can help kids cope with back-to-school stress in a healthy manner.
- Acknowledge the impact of the pandemic and the toll it has taken on everyone.
- Set kids up for success by helping them understand what is within our control.
- Maintain connections with your child by keeping open lines of communication.
- Involve supportive services (school personnel, physicians, etc.) when you need them.
Read more about helping your child cope with COVID-19 related anxiety.
When it comes to talking to teens, keep your conversation informal. One of the best ways to get teens to open up and talk is when you are doing an activity together you enjoy. Some examples would be cooking a meal together, practicing a sport or hobby, or even just taking a drive where you can be alone and talk.
Concerns kids have about getting sick are legitimate and should always be acknowledged. As a parent, you can share safety measures that can help prevent COVID-19 like masking, good hand hygiene and social distancing. The best protection against COVID-19 is getting vaccinated, so if your child is six months old or older, get them signed up for their first dose today.
During this time of uncertainty, it is important to understand that feeling anxiety is normal. Anxiety is our body’s automatic fight-or-flight response that is triggered when we feel threatened, under pressure or are facing a challenging situation.
As children go back to school, there are several steps family members can take to help reduce their anxiety:
Listen carefully to your children. Children give off verbal and non-verbal cues about their anxiety levels. Pay attention to these cues. Children can convey anxiety and emotional suffering in different ways. It can emerge more as decreased tolerance, increased frustration, isolation and tantrums (in young kids).
When a child appears more anxious, help them to understand that it is helpful to talk about how they are feeling with an adult. Giving children a bit more latitude and time to process the many disappointments related to COVID-19 is important.
Model calm. Parents also give off verbal and non-verbal cues, which children can detect. By reinforcing a sense of calm, it will lessen a child’s anxiety. Consider engaging your children in a daily mindfulness practice like deep breathing.
Have a routine and stick to it. Predictability is reassuring to a child and having a routine can aid them in adjusting to this new normal. Inconsistent experiences may produce more emotional upset and anxiety.
Focus on stress-reduction activities. We know from science that there are some habits we can engage that increase happiness and help mitigate anxiety. These include practicing gratitude, exercising, healthy eating habits, social connection and adequate sleep.
Be kind to yourselves. There is no one right way to cope with the emotional challenges that living in the time of COVID-19 presents. Do not expect perfection of yourself or your children. Holding ourselves up to unrealistic standards can increase our anxiety. Recognizing this is a very difficult and uncertain time and accepting that emotions will run high at times will aid coping. This will pass eventually, and children and families are resilient. It might help to talk about previous times when your family faced adversity and got through it.
Limit time on social media, and your daily intake of COVID-19 news. The news serves a vital role in keeping us informed, but it can also propel our anxiety into a fight-or-flight feeling. It is good to be aware so that we can take specific actions needed to protect ourselves and our loved ones. However, keeping the news on throughout the day needlessly may serve to increase anxiety.
Get help. You don’t need to do this alone. If you are experiencing an escalation of anxiety, talk to a professional who can help you through this difficult time.
Encourage your children. Wear a face mask, cough into your elbow, avoid touching your face, wash your hands frequently, and stay at a distance from others as directed by adults. Taking care of yourself will help everyone to stay safe.
There can be a variety of a reasons – including environmental, medical and psychological – that may cause a child to suddenly act more anxious or irritable. It can be challenging to determine the underlying cause. However, it is imperative to try to determine the underlying cause to target the appropriate intervention and/or treatment. Your child’s health care provider is someone who can help understand what is happening and how to treat it.
Sometimes these symptoms can indicate an underlying anxiety disorder. Anxiety can present in children in ways that are both similar and different from adults. Like adults, a child may have social anxiety (manifesting as a fear of going to social events, for example) or generalized anxiety (displayed as concern about future events or worry over academic/athletic performance). Children may not be forthcoming about their concerns and worries for a variety of reasons, including a difficulty verbalizing their feelings, desire to be compliant, etc. Instead, a parent may see other signs, ranging from difficulty sleeping, decreased concentration, avoiding school, and physical symptoms such as frequent headaches and stomachaches.
A further discussion with your child’s health care professional is warranted if there are any concerns for the above or other changes in behavior.
With some students attending school virtually, it’s important to create a study and home school environment that promotes healthy ergonomics – a study space that fits your student and doesn’t cause negative side effects like muscle aches/strains or even eye strain.
Tips to prevent back pain
When you work at a desk all day in a forward or slouched position, back pain or back injuries can occur. To avoid that try these suggestions:
- Use a good chair with lumbar support in the appropriate position (6-10 inches above the seat pan). If your current chair does not meet this need, an additional lumbar pillow can be added.
- Sit-to-stand desks allow variety in position, which can help prevent back issues. However even with a sit/stand desk, your student shouldn’t stay in the same position too long. The recommendation is 40 minutes sitting, 10 minutes standing and 10 minutes moving for each hour of seated work.
Tips to prevent neck pain
Neck pain is a frequent side effect of sitting at a desk too long, especially if the monitor isn’t properly placed. In order to prevent neck pain, try these ideas:
- Computer monitors should be at eye level and straight in front of where your student is seated. If he or she looks down or to the side all day, it can lead to tightness on one side of the neck. Monitor risers can help put the monitor at the proper level.
- Monitors should be approximately 18-40 inches away. Farther away can lead to protracting the neck forward or visual problems.
Tips to prevent wrist and elbow pain
With so much time being spent online, proper wrist and elbow position is important to help prevent tendon irritation and/or nerve compression. You can help prevent wrist and elbow pain by trying these suggestions:
- When seated, your student’s arms should be at his or her side in about a 90-degree angle. Even though arm rests seem like a way to support arms, they can cause pressure to the inside of the elbow which can result in nerve compression.
- Wrists should be in neutral position (or straight). Wrist rests, mouse pads and under-the-desk keyboard trays are available to correct any issues.
If your student starts to experience wrist, elbow, neck or back pain, it’s time to talk with their health care provider. They can provide advice on how to manage her or his pain and figure out how to relieve it.