The 2021-22 school year could be the most pivotal any educator has experienced in their lifetime. Students will return to schools in a world forever changed by the pandemic. Undoubtedly, students have learned a variety of survival strategies in terms of how to work in isolated remote environments, use technology to complete assignments and be more sensitive to safety concerns, but many students have also missed out on the social and physical connections they could have made in a non-pandemic year.

School leaders today have an incredible challenge and opportunity to set the stage for school community success by creating a dynamic reopening that focuses on four key factors: 1) Emphasizing safety first, 2) Designing and implementing inclusive activities to strengthen community and interpersonal skills, 3) Creating opportunities for staff to explore curriculum and make it applicable, and 4) Practicing visible and approachable leadership that focuses on all stakeholder success.

Any school year should begin with an emphasis on safety. Families, students and staff want to know that they are going to be in a place where their safety is the highest priority. For some schools, this may encompass reviewing or adapting safety protocols. Students may need to review what district and site rules are regarding face mask coverings, personal hygiene and protocols regarding leaving class to go to an office. These may seem like small details, but creating a well-informed community alleviates the possibility of questionable outcomes.

Paramount for families is to understand what they can do in terms of accessing the campus and where to drop off or pick up their students. We now educate in a time where visitors on a campus need to be quickly identified and vetted so that the entire school community remains safe. Visitors on sites should be easily identifiable by some sort of pass or badge so that students and staff can quickly scan who should and should not be on campus. Such attention to detail can lower anxiety levels and allow students and staff to focus on their academic and social environment without the threat of harm or harassment.

Although nobody wants to experience crises such as natural or chemical disasters, schools should engage in purposeful evacuation drills within the first three weeks on campus. All adults on campus need to know what is expected of them and the steps to take in an emergency. Students need to know what is expected of them, so they are better prepared to appropriately respond to dangerous situations. In addition, if students know what to do in a disaster, they can play a pivotal role in the collective intelligence of a school community as they can support their peers and even help substitute personnel better understand and clarify student and adult expectations.

Running initial safety drills sets the tone that the school places importance on student and staff safety. School leaders may want to publicize emergency drills to the media as such communication and transparency fosters positive public relations. Local fire and police authorities also could be invited to review and evaluate the effectiveness and make suggestions for improvement sending a clear, unified message that the entire community cares about safety.

While the student body’s academic standing should be a key barometer of overall school success, it cannot be the sole focus. As students transition back into the physical classroom environment, it is imperative that the social-emotional well-being of the student is accounted for and supported. Providing students the opportunities to reconnect with the shared values and established culture of their school will help build the foundation for future academic achievement.

During the first few weeks of the school year, additional attention should be directed toward student reconnection with the school. Sacrificing a few instructional minutes early on in the year for the multitude of benefits it will bring later is well worth the time and effort. Consider hosting a school-wide assembly or all-day activity to draw students back into the fold of school culture. These activities should be fun, inclusive, and operate through the lens of the characteristics you want your students to embody.

Clubs and athletic programs on campus are also an excellent way for students to reconnect with the school and each other. Remember that most students have had minimal interactions with their peers for over a year. Providing students the opportunity to build positive relationships with each other through school-sponsored clubs will lead to stronger bonds between the students and the school.

Registration and orientation activities for the upcoming year should be inclusive for both students and their families. School clubs may want to participate to promote their programs and recruit new members. In the first three weeks of the new school year, students should also have additional exposure to clubs and activities during the school day to give them additional opportunities to make connections. Hosting a club carnival at lunch or an assembly where students can go to booths and join clubs that they identify with can be a great way to help students connect to the campus. Furthermore, such activities are a great way to recruit new teacher advisors to bolster and expand club offerings on campus and bring newfound energy, especially considering what schools have experienced in the past year.