Co-Vid 19 Protocols 2021-2022

SAINT MARY SCHOOL PLAN FOR CO-VID 19 - 2021-2022

After consultation with medical and public health experts; careful consideration of recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Center for Disease Control and many educational sources which include collaboration with local school districts, while also monitoring the recent increase of Co-Vid cases in our state and local area. We believe mindful consideration is given of how to balance the risks associated with both COVID-19 with the social, emotional, and academic benefits of a return to a more “normal” school experience. 

Operational Protocols for the 2021-22 School Year for grades K-8

• Beginning the school year with a requirement that all students, staff, and visitors wear a mask regardless of vaccination status, and frequently re-evaluating in light of updated local and state COVID-19 data along with medical and public health recommendations.
• Masks must be worn on buses per federal transportation mandate. Masks will be removed when eating and drinking, and we will continue our approach from last year where mask breaks will be provided.
• Masks are not required for any outdoor activities.
• A return to typical lunch and recess procedures
• Implementation of strong ventilation in the classroom along with hand hygiene before snacks and lunch.
• Sanitizing surfaces after lunch and in the classrooms after use.
• A return to typical classroom instructional configurations, including desk arrangements for smaller group work; assigned seats when possible.
• Hand sanitizing stations set up throughout the school for student and staff use.
• We expect to hold school events, with masking if the event is indoors. Events that typically have larger audiences may be modified as needed. 
• Visitors/Volunteers Visitors will be allowed in buildings, subject to the mask requirement indoors. Volunteers will also be allowed; given that this is an unusual transition year, it is likely teachers will establish classroom routines before inviting classroom volunteers to come in.

Physical Distancing 

The Department of Elementary & Secondary Education has removed any mandates regarding physical distancing, and strict physical distancing between students will not be required. The CDC guideline of maintaining at least three feet of distancing where possible will be followed. In order to provide a more normalized school experience, there will be times when distance between students will be less than three feet. This is due to the importance of flexibility for instructional seating arrangements for small group work, the social emotional importance of a more normal lunch experience, and the ability to utilize gymnasiums for physical education and activity. Teachers will be required to maintain seating charts for classroom seating in order to assist if/when contact tracing is necessary. 

School Testing

This year our school will offer diagnostic testing.We will be using BinaxNOW rapid antigen test, this is an important tool for use in testing asymptomatic close contacts. Diagnostic testing is especially important this year, as we head into the cold and flu season. With parental consent we will be able to test students and allow them to stay in school with a negative test result. More information to follow which include a consent to test form and a full explanation of the program.

COVID-19 symptoms 

Below is the full list of symptoms for which caregivers should monitor within their children. If your child is experiencing ANY of the following they should NOT come to school. 

COVID-19 symptoms list: 

• Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills 

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath 

• New loss of taste or smell 

• Muscle aches or body aches 

• Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough) 

• Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms 

• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea when in combination with other symptoms 

• Headache when in combination with other symptoms 

• Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms 

• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms

Quarantine and Close Contacts 

The school will follow the state requirements for quarantining of individuals who test positive or who are deemed to be a close contact of a positive individual, as described in detail at https://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/on-desktop/protocols/protocols.pdf. 

This includes the following guidelines: 

• An individual who is diagnosed with COVID-19 must quarantine for 10 days from the onset of symptoms (or positive test if asymptomatic). They may return to school after 10 days without a fever and other symptoms have sufficiently resolved.
• A close contact remains defined as either someone who is within six feet of a positive individual for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more in one day. However, the following are exempted from being defined as a close contact for testing and quarantining protocols: 

○ Individuals who are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic 

○ Classroom close contacts where both individuals were masked and at least three feet apart 

○ Bus close contacts where all individuals are masked and windows open 

○ Individuals who have had COVID-19 in the past 90 days and are asymptomatic 

• Close contacts who are asymptomatic but not vaccinated may continue to attend school if they participate in the “Test and Stay” protocol, where individuals are tested daily for seven days from date of exposure using a rapid antigen test at school, and may stay at school if they test negative.

• Close contacts who are asymptomatic but not vaccinated and who do not participate in “Test and Stay” will need to remain home on quarantine for at least seven days (returning on the eighth day if they have a negative COVID test and no symptoms; if no test, returning on the eleventh day if no symptoms 
• Any individual who is symptomatic, whether vaccinated or not, and who is not a close contact must remain out of school while they have symptoms, but may return if they receive a negative COVID test, is given an alternative diagnosis by a health professional, have improvement of symptoms, and is fever-free for 24 hours

** ”These requirements are based upon the current recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatricians, the CDC, and local public health officials, due to the documented efficacy of masking to limit risk of transmission of the virus, the emerging concerns regarding the contagiousness of the Delta variant, and the finding that vaccinated individuals can unknowingly transmit the virus.”