Glendale Schools Turn Into Free, Sanitized Day Cares to Help Parents

Glendale Unified School District is one of many districts in the state that can’t bring teachers back inside the classrooms for in-person instruction because coronavirus is too widespread in Los Angeles County, but they will welcome about 1,000 young people back to campus in August for day care.

Glendale Unified is disinfecting and preparing 20 elementary schools to provide free day care for about 1,000 children whose parents can’t stay home to help them with online learning when school resumes Aug. 19.

"We have parents who may not speak the language of instruction, parents who are looking for a job because they were unemployed, parents who have multiple kids and they don’t want the older kids to have to take care of the younger ones and interrupt their learning," said school superintendent Vivian Ekchian.

An 11-year-old dog had spent his whole life on a chain, eating the family's leftovers. This woman saw him and started visiting him three times a day. He was always so excited to see her — and six months in, his family agreed she could take him. Now he's found a forever family!

Ekchian said each classroom will hold up to 12 children, with desks spaced apart to allow for physical distancing. Each child will get their own headphones and chrome book computer to allow them to listen to their individual teacher who will be doing online instruction from a remote location. A teachers aid will be in the classroom if kids need help.

Before entering the building each day, everyone will have their temperature checked.

Hallways are marked with one-way stickers to allow students to remain physically distanced.

Drinking fountains have been converted to hand washing stations.

Each child will be assigned their own pencils and Chrome books which will stay at school. A separate Chrome book will be given to each child to keep at home.

Breakfast and lunch will be served inside the classroom and kids will only be allowed outside for recess with other members of their pod. None of the children will ride school buses.