This is a strange time for schools and the educators, students, and administrators who spend time in them. Covid-19 has forced teachers to think outside the box. While some schools have opened for this fall and winter seasons, others remain closed.
The ones that have opened need to come up with ways to keep their students safe, not to mention teachers, security guards, cafeteria workers, custodians, and other faculty members and staff. Canopy tents are one of the tools that schools can use during this challenging time.
Let’s look at some of the reasons why a school might want to get some canopy tents today.
Emergency Preparedness
Emergency preparedness or actual emergencies are two reasons administrators might want to purchase some outdoors shelter for schools. They can contact a custom canopy tent company for:
1) Fire drills
2) Gas leak or chemical spill drills
Essentially, the schools can have these tents set up for any drill or actual emergency where they need their students and staff to leave the main buildings rapidly. They can also set the tents up so that the students and staff can keep practicing social distancing for as long as the pandemic continues.
Weather Protection
Custom canopy tents can help if students and staff need to go outside for some reason, such as if they’re getting ready to go on a field trip, for instance. While they’re out there, maybe they have some weather with which to deal. Maybe:
a) It’s raining
b) It’s snowing or hailing
They’ll be glad that the tents are there while they wait for the buses to arrive. The tents can even offer them some extreme heat protection on sunny days. The students can remain in the tents while waiting for their parents or a friend to give them a lift home.
Crowd Management and Safe Distancing Measures
Schools that haven’t reopened yet might still do so before students and faculty have had Covid-19 vaccines. Since the threat will still exist, they’ll need shelters where they can implement social distancing before, during, or after school hours.
They can set up custom tents as sheltered outdoor spaces where students and faculty can safely congregate. They can mark off areas and designate them for different purposes. They might even use them for socially distanced pep rallies or assemblies.
Covid-19 Testing and Screening
If students and staff do return before receiving vaccines, they can also use custom tents for testing and screening. All screenings and tests should take place outside of the school rather than inside the buildings.
Outdoor canopies will provide shelter for students, teachers, custodial staff, etc., while they go through the testing and screening processes. They won’t have to worry about the weather as they go through this each morning. It’s one of the better ways school attendees can deal with these difficult circumstances.
Tents will also allow everyone to practice social distancing while they wait for their turn.
Classes
It could turn out that schools in some districts can only reopen if they have outdoor classes. Local or state governments might decide that there’s too much risk if the students and staff meet indoors.
However, some students might not have internet access, so at-home learning might not be possible.
Custom tents can provide a possible solution. They can become private, reliable outdoor classrooms if the staff equips them with desks, chairs, etc.
The school board can even order customized tents with graphics that tell students which one their teacher and class are using. The tents will keep students and staff safe from weather and distractions while they learn and teach.
Conditions can change quickly right now, and the school can easily take down or put up more or less of these tents, depending on their needs.
Food Distribution Efforts
The staff can use the tents for food distribution when they need to. They might have lunches to give the kids, or they might use the school for community outreach projects, feeding the homeless or impoverished during these tough times.
Schools are not just for educational purposes. They can be beacons to which the community comes when there’s a crisis. The school can also use tents as a staging area to get ready to do neighborhood food deliveries.
These are extraordinary times, and custom tents are among the more useful tools a school might have to help staff, students, and the local community. School boards should look into getting some and utilizing them without delay.