ANXIETY RUNNING HIGH AS COVID-19 THREATENS BACK-TO-SCHOOL

Students across the U.S. are starting another school year under a cloud of uncertainty as the delta strain of the coronavirus rips through the country, threatening to disrupt plans for a second consecutive academic year.

The pandemic’s unpredictability has sparked high anxiety among children and teachers alike as they attempt to return to in-person school for the first time since March 2020, with lingering fears that COVID-19 could jeopardize educational routines again.

The back-to-school season has left children and families with mixed feelings. Many are excited to return to in-person class after months of virtual learning, while some adults are keeping a wary eye on rising pediatric cases and hospitalizations.

“Routines are so important for children, and we are all living in a state where routines are impossible to predict,” said Sheila Desai, the director of educational practice at the National Association of School Psychologists. “So of course with uncertainty comes anxiety.”