On Friday, Mayor Walsh announced that all parades and festivals hosted throughout the city in the summer months will be cancelled through Labor Day. 

Without question, this summer will be different than what we’re used to and we’re still not sure what this may look like in the weeks ahead. In these last two months, we’ve undergone a number of changes to our daily lives, and our homes have become offices, schools, and refuges as we continue to practice social distancing. We are wearing masks when outside and in stores, and we follow a curfew that is in place for non-essential workers. 

While this week is likely to bring additional updates of what the next phase of social distancing in Boston will look like, we will keep you posted here and on social media. As always, our previous updates with coronavirus-related resources are available on the SchoolFacts Boston Blog, but here are several more:

Keep Centered

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides resources for families and their children on how to support and be supported during this stressful time.
• The Children’s Trust shares a list of local and national resources for emotional support.

Keep Celebrating

• A dozen ideas on how to celebrate the 2020 graduate in your life.

Keep Teaching

• Teaching from home brings a host of challenges, and many of them have to do with technology. This article is an eight-step, do-it-yourself plan on how to fix the most common tech issues that arise before you call the IT department.
• Understood.org shares tips from teachers on how they are staying connected to their students from home.

Keep Learning

• Edutopia shares a helpful article on the six ways to transition your child’s IEP goals to remote learning.
• Scholastic has created a website of daily projects for students in grades K-9 as well as resources for families and teachers.
• BrainPop provides free access to lessons in science, social studies, health and social-emotional learning (among others) and includes content for English learners.
• Audubon provides a list of the top 10 webcams for learners of all ages to see wildlife up close.

Keep Busy

• The San Diego Zoo has a website full of adventures, from watching the growth of baby hippo Amahle (which means “beautiful one” in Zulu) to watching a video on a blue-tongued skink. 
• The Georgia Aquarium has webcams on several of its residents, from piranhas to jellyfish and more. Monterey Bay Aquarium has several live streams as well, including this penguin cam. And you can visit the giant ocean tank at the New England Aquarium.

Keep Active

• Dance Parent 101 shares a list of favorite online dance lessons with detailed descriptions and age-appropriate suggestions.

Keep Connected 

• Whether you need help or are seeking help, Good Neighbors, a service sponsored by the city of Boston and Nesterly, can help people connect; facilitating everything from deliveries to a reassuring phone call. 
• 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. 

Keep informed

• The city’s Office of Economic Development has created a Financial Relief Handbook to help small businesses access available relief programs. The Office of Small Business Development is keeping a list of open businesses here and additional small businesses may be added by signing up here. 
• Elevate Boston, in partnership with Wilahmena’s Place and The Breakfast Spot, are providing Boston families in need with food care packages, toiletries, and essential information. Grab and go packages are available for pick up Tuesdays and Fridays from noon to 3 p.m. at 1544 Columbus Ave, Roxbury. Registration on-site or pre-register here.
• All City of Boston COVID-19 updates are available here. For information on available resources, the non-emergency phone number for the city is 311.
• The state’s unemployment website can now be accessed in Spanish and the addition of more languages is forthcoming.
• 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 have additional resources you’d like us to share with other families, please let us know by emailing info@schoolfactsboston.org.