Helping Schools Enable a Safe and Healthier Environment During COVID-19

At PikMyKid, our goal is to create a safer and healthier environment for students especially during this time of social distancing. In the COVID-19 world, we want to support schools and parents to the best of our ability as we navigate this crisis together.

CDC- Interim Guidance for Administrators of US K-12 Schools and Childcare Programs

“CDC guidelines high lights schools and districts to think and share strategies for before, during and after a possible outbreak!”

CDC Guidance for Schools during COVID-19

• Schools, working together with local health departments, have an important role in slowing the spread of diseases and protecting vulnerable students and staff, to help ensure students have safe and healthy learning environments.
• Guidance for childcare programs and schools is organized into three categories based on the level of community transmission: 1) when there is no community transmission (preparedness phase), 2) when there is minimal to moderate community transmission, and 3) when there is substantial community transmission.
• Guidance is also provided for when a confirmed case has entered a school, regardless of the level of community transmission.
• All decisions about implementing school-based strategies (e.g., dismissals, event cancellations, other social distancing measures) should be made locally, in collaboration with local health officials who can help determine the level of transmission in the community.

PikMyKid for Schools in COVID-19 Environment

Virtual learning and social distancing are likely going to be the norm for schools and everyone for some time. 

Online learning might change in the next 4-8 weeks or with the new school year starting in August 2020, but social distancing will probably be a requirement for a longer-term. 

Related article: The Coronavirus Is Here to Stay, So What Happens Next? – NY Times

PikMyKid is technologically ready to help our schools cope with the new normal and is providing some short term and long term remediations for the new problems the schools are facing now.

The problems with the new online schooling strategy

• Schools need a better way to track online attendance as the teachers use different tools to deliver their instruction materials.
• Parents have no confirmation on their children’s active participation in the online classroom or they’re expected to sit with students, taking time away from their work schedule.
• Students have limited access to meals while they stay home and rely on school buses to deliver free meals to their stops or have parents/guardians pick them up from a safe and healthy location.
  • Related article: Schools hamstrung over feeding students as coronavirus leads to closures – Politico

PikMyKid solution for COVID-19 short term challenges to make schools safe and healthier

Schools are planning for virtual classes, remote learning, and meals pick-up or drop off as the short term solution to enable safe and healthy classrooms.

• Enhanced virtual check-in for each classroom so teachers can track online attendance and notify parents about student participation.
• A check-In program to communicate to parents when their student packets are ready for pickup.
• Parents can then announce their arrival at the campus for student packet pickup.
• Use the Parent application to send COVID19 resources from school.
• Exclusive bus notifications of the bus routes delivering meals.
• With our parent app, parents can announce their arrival on campus or at a meal pickup location without getting out of the cars. Then the meals team can deliver meals to cars with no physical contact. Thus reducing the spread of COVID-19

PikMyKid solution for COVID-19 long term challenges

It is important to continue social distancing and healthy habits when schools resume sessions. Sustaining the safe and healthier environment created during prevention is important to avoid a relapse of the virus.

• PikMyKid carline sequencing algorithm will show the parents their number in the queue
  • Schools can choose to dismiss in batches of 10 -25 cars, this limits person-to-person interactions, and enable social distancing
  • Parents get the ETA to plan their arrival and limit interactions
• Students should leave the classroom when they see parents on the realtime dashboard with no crowding in corridors.
• PikMyKid walker algorithm will show the parents in the order of their arrival. They can be checked into secure areas while waiting for their students. The students then leave the classroom to the secure dismissal area.
  • Schools can choose to dismiss in batches of 10 families, this limits person-to-person interactions, and enables social distancing