Summer break is right around the corner. In some parts of the country, challenges surrounding the coronavirus outbreak have led to decreased attendance or entire center closures. It’s certainly been a challenging year for education and other types of businesses.
But summer is still on the horizon and offers something for children to look forward to, especially after many weeks or even months at home. No matter the status of education in your area, you should start to consider your summer break programming and begin preparing your center for it.
There are five important steps you should take to prepare for summer break after the challenging 2019-2020 school year.
1. Update your rosters appropriately
Some parents choose to keep their children home for summer break with a nanny or some other childcare arrangement. Be sure to communicate with parents to know their plans for summer break and their child’s enrollment. Set deadlines for parents to communicate those attendance plans so you can ensure your center is properly staffed.
2. Move students from one classroom to the next
As summer break begins, you might have students moving to different classrooms with different teachers based on their age and the grade they are entering when the school year begins. Be sure to move them to those appropriate classrooms within your childcare management software.
3. Begin preparing your lesson plans for the school year
Much like your students, you’re probably looking forward to summer break. Most teachers and administrators are not interested in using their summer break to write lesson plans. Use this time now to start lesson planning for the next school year so that you can fully enjoy summer break.
4. Update your forms and information with parents
A new school year might mean a new school for children. Make sure you’re asking parents important information about their plans for the upcoming school year. Now is the time to update your emergency contact forms and collect information on each child’s enrollment for the upcoming school year so you can plan bussing accordingly.
5. Plan out fun summer activities
Summer break is such a fun time of year. Children make memories during summer break that last a lifetime. You can start planning out those fun summer activities now. Get your students outside enjoying the warmer weather, teach them how to inspect and learn about plants and other outdoor creatures, and theme your activities as summertime to help children celebrate.
If your classroom has been empty due to the coronavirus outbreak, this summer will be an especially fun and exciting time for your students. Getting to see their friends and return to the teachers and routines they know will be fun for them.
Want to make your summer break preparations easier for your childcare center? iCare Software makes staffing, administration, billing, classroom interactions and communication with parents simpler. That leaves you more time to enjoy summer break as well. Schedule a demo to see iCare Software and experience the difference it could make for your staff, teachers and parents.