We know how much you want your child to continue learning and to feel connected to school.
Yet every winter — snow, freezing temperatures or even heavy rains — can present challenges to
getting children to school. So can illnesses such as colds, flu and fevers. Below are tips to help you
during the winter months.
What can parents and caregivers do?
Develop back up plans for getting your children to school
in bad weather
• Check to see who can give your children a ride to school if you aren’t able to take them or the bus
doesn’t arrive.
• Contact your local government if roads to school are not regularly plowed.
Keep your children healthy
• Maintain a regular bedtime and morning routine.
• Ensure your children visit their medical provider and have received their immunizations.
• Stress hand washing, particularly before and after eating, and after using the restroom.
• Reinforce the importance of avoiding close contact with individuals who are sick, and not
sharing cups and/or utensils with others.
• If your children seem anxious about going to school, ask teachers, school counselors, your
medical provider and other families for advice.
Keep your children engaged in learning if they cannot attend school in person
• Ask your children’s teachers or school for resources that you can use at home to keep your
children learning.
• Identify who can support your children’s learning at home, especially if you must go to work.
• Encourage your children to call classmates and stay connected to the teacher to find out about
what they missed.
