As we enter the fourth week of school closures, SchoolFacts Boston will continue to provide resources to help families navigate this challenging time. 

Yesterday, Mayor Walsh announced a recommended curfew for Boston residents to remain at home from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. through May 4. In addition, he asked all residents to follow the CDC-recommendation to wear a mask or face covering while in public areas to prevent transmission of the COVID-19 virus. 

As schools remain closed through May 4, the state has partnered with WGBH to create an online distance-learning center with resources arranged by grade level for teachers and students.

To date, all of our previous updates with coronavirus-related resources are available on the SchoolFacts Boston Blog. Here are several more:

EDUCATIONAL

• The Harvard Graduate School of Education has compiled a “Virtual School” lesson plan database for teachers and families, organized by the age group of students.
• The Boston Public Schools has also created a page with resources by grade and tips for at-home learning.
• Storyline Online has a host of interesting and well-known folks reading books out loud for children. 
• For parents of students with Autism, National Geographic offers tips and resources for learning from home.
• From the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), best practices for serving students with disabilities in online settings: A Parent’s Guide to Virtual Learning: 4 Actions to Improve Your Child’s Experience With Online Learning and An Educator’s Guide to Virtual Learning: 4 Actions to Support Students with Disabilities and their Families.
• The state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has put together a comprehensive list of resources as well.
• BNN Media is providing educational programming Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 to 3 p.m. They can be found on Comcast 9, RCN 15 or Verizon 1961.
• Need a break from all of the online learning? These online dance classes might help!

INFORMATION & HELP

• Project Bread has created an interactive map for families in Massachusetts to find sites providing meals during school closures. Their FoodSource Hotline can be reached at (800) 645-8333 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., providing information in 160 languages. The Greater Boston Food Bank can help you determine your eligibility for federal food assistance programs; call them at 617-598-5022 or visit GBFB.org/snap.
• If you want to receive regular coronavirus-related text alerts from the state, text 888-777 and send “COVIDMA” as the message. 
• The City of Boston’s resource page to access information on emergency meals and housing. 
• Some helpful mental health wellness tips from Energy Resourcing. The Children’s Trust has also established a page with support resources in multiple languages.
• If you are worried about eviction, contact City Life/Vida Urbana’s Housing Hotline at (617) 934-5006 (English) or (617) 397-3773 (Español). The city’s Office of Housing Stability is also available to help families find and maintain housing.
• Boston has also established a Small Business Relief Fund; information is available here. 
• The Boston Public Schools has dedicated this page to information on school closures related to the coronavirus pandemic. The page includes information on how students can access meals and technology during the closure.  
• City of Boston COVID-19 updates are available here. For information on available resources, the non-emergency phone number for the city is 311.
• State of Massachusetts COVID-19 updates are here. The non-emergency phone number to reach the state is 211.

Please follow the guidelines provided in the resources shared above and contact city and state officials with any questions you may have. If you’ve found additional resources to share to help Boston families in the weeks ahead, please let us know, info@schoolfactsboston.org.