Playground Safety

Hello everyone! My name is Helena Weisskopf and I am a senior nursing student at UVM that has been working with Nurse Moriah at Porters Point for the last six weeks. As you may have heard, we have some exciting news at PPS this week: the playground is open again during recess! With students not having been on the playground since the spring, a few of the students and staff have put together a great video on playground safety that can be found here. With the return of the playground, not only do we have to consider general safety, but new COVID precautions as well.

• Before going out to the playground, students will need to either sanitize or wash their hands. They have already been doing an amazing job with this!
• When on the playground, the students will still need to wear their masks and keep 3 feet of space between them.
• While using the playground, students should be moving in one direction in order to maintain 3 feet of distance.
• There are 3-foot-apart cones set up at different areas of the playground for students to wait their turn.

In addition to COVID precautions, there are a few safety tips to touch on so that everyone can stay safe and have fun on the playground. Some of these tips include

• While using the swings, students should use two hands and keep their bottom in the seat. If it's not their turn to use the swings, they should be waiting by the cone and not walking behind or in front of someone using the swing.
• When using the slide, slide down feet first. Students shouldn't be climbing or walking up the slide.
• Students should hold on tight when using the monkey bars to minimize the risk of falling.
• Remember to stay on the mulch!

As always, PPS staff will be outside with your children to supervise. We look forward to getting back out onto the playground at recess!

Holiday Travel

 This year it’s hard to balance our desire to celebrate the holidays with loved ones and the growing risk of COVID-19 infection. Travel or gathering does increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19, so we are asking families to think about how they can make their holiday plans safer. Make safety a priority for your family and take these steps: 

1. Check the map to find out the risk of COVID-19 infection at your destination

2. Decide if the risk is worth it for your family

3. Plan to have a safe trip or gathering, remain flexible and get your flu shot

4. Quarantine when you return. 

You can celebrate the holidays, but like other aspects of our lives right now, they will likely look different. Take extra precautions when attending or hosting an even and insist that people wear masks, keep gatherings small and cancel if anybody in your family is sick. More information can be found on the Health Department website and you can email with questions.