As we enter the fifth week of school closures, we’ve reformatted this weekly communication so you can more easily find information that you may need for this week by specific topic area, from educational resources to how to stay safe and access help. 

Please note that all of our previous updates with coronavirus-related resources are available on the SchoolFacts Boston Blog. Here are several more:

Keep Safe

• In the last week, both Mayor Marty Walsh and Gov. Charlie Baker announced that everyone should wear face masks while in public. The City of Boston is offering specific guidance on their website.
• Boston has a voluntary curfew now in place for those not providing “essential Covid-related services,” and the Boston Health Commission is asking people to remain home from 9 p.m. through 6 a.m. each day.
• A helpful article from NPR on how to shop for groceries safely during coronavirus, including sanitizing your cart, remaining at least 6 feet away from other shoppers and the cashier, and getting in and out of the market as quickly as possible.

Keep Connected 

• The Boston Public Schools is conducting a district-wide survey to gauge how students and families are managing during the crisis, with questions on at-home learning to housing and food security. All BPS families can access the survey available in multiple languages here.
• With many students (and adults) now transitioning interactions to Zoom, an online video conferencing platform, this two-minute tutorial will provide you with what you need to know for effective use.
• BPS students requiring Chromebooks or help with internet connections can find help here. General updates and resources from the BPS during school closures may be found here.
• The Roslindale Cares website is a mutual aid platform (in English and Spanish) for those seeking help and those available to help others, as well as a resources page with important links to state and city offices as well as emergency care.
• Family dinner time has always been an important ritual; this podcast delves into its importance as well as how to make the time creative and fun. EdNavigator also provides a dinner time question in its daily “One Great Thing” page with additional resources for families in English and Spanish.

Keep Learning

• MCAS testing has been suspended for the current school year, as families await a decision as to whether schools — currently closed statewide through May 4 — will resume at all this spring.
• As schools remain closed, the state has partnered with WGBH to create an online distance-learning center with resources arranged by grade level for teachers and students.
• 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.
• The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) has shared best practices for serving students with disabilities in online settings; one for parents and one for teachers. 

Keep Teaching

• Facing History and Ourselves has created a page of on-demand webinars to support teachers during this period of distance learning, and will be updating the page on a biweekly basis. 
• Edmentum provides a list of free resources to support online teaching and learning.
• Usable Knowledge from the Harvard Graduate School of Education shared articles on how teachers can build a new sense of community with online learning and how districts can create a new framework to guide strategies to support this structure.

Keep Active

• The American College of Sports Medicine offers helpful guidance on staying active from home along with the importance of exercise in boosting immunity. 
• The Cambridge Dance Complex is offering free online opportunities for movement as well as workshops and discussions.
  
  

Keep informed

• On Tuesday, April 14, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce is hosting a virtual event from 1-2 p.m., “Ensuring Small and Minority Businesses Are Not Left Behind.” Register here for the panel discussion.
• The state’s unemployment website can now be accessed in Spanish and the addition of more languages is forthcoming.
• 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.
• The City of Boston’s resource page to access information on emergency meals and housing. 
• 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.
• Information on mortgage relief during coronavirus can be found here.
• Boston residents seeking rent relief may sign up here for when the next round of funding becomes available; the form is available in several languages. 

If you have additional resources you’d like us to share with other families, please let us know by emailing info@schoolfactsboston.org.