COVID-19 Testing is being offered in school this year to limit learning disruptions to the greatest extent possible.  The program for the 2021-2022 school year has three components: Symptomatic for students who show symptoms of COVID-19 at school, Test and Stay for students who may have been exposed while in school but are not showing symptoms, Weekly COVID Safety Testing to prevent the spread of the virus undetected among students who are not showing symptoms.

Each of these is a quick, non-invasive nasal swab that is collected under the supervision of a school nurse or trained health provider. Unlike COVID-19 tests of the past, these are not uncomfortable and easy to do.  An overview of the three different testing programs we are planning to offer this year is below.

Symptomatic rapid antigen testing for students that become ill while at school.

• Students with mild symptoms will be able to remain in school with a negative rapid test. Students with more severe symptoms will need to go home, but may return to school when symptoms have resolved.  Students with negative rapid tests will not need a backup PCR test this year.   

Test and Stay rapid antigen testing for unvaccinated students that are deemed close contacts from a school exposure. 

• Students deemed close contacts (within 3 feet of a positive student in the classroom) will report to school each morning and have a rapid antigen test performed for 7 days.  Students may remain in school if they continue to have negative tests and remain symptom free. Parents must remain close to the school for 15 minutes, until the results are in. Results will be sent via text message or the health office will call you if positive and you must immediately come pick up your student. 

Weekly Covid Safety Testing, which will be a grouped weekly PCR test.  

• This program is similar to last year's pool testing.  If students are in a positive pool they will report to school for a backup rapid antigen test the next day.  If an antigen test is negative, students may remain in school. Tentative start date TBD. 

We are currently up and running for Symptomatic Rapid Antigen Testing and the Test and Stay Rapid Antigen Testing. If you would like to have your student participate in these programs sign up using the link below. Students MUST be pre-registered to participate in these programs. If you choose not to have your student participate they will need to remain out of school if they are close contacts or if they are symptomatic for the above COVID-19 symptoms. 

Register Here: https://pbcovid.cic-health.com/register/with-code?code=KDHEHV
Code: KDHEHV

***Due to the overwhelming number of schools that have signed up with the state to run COVID testing programs, we have been moved to CIC Project Beacon testing platform.  If you had previously registered your student under the CIC consent from the newsletter, you will need to sign them up for this testing platform in order for them to participate.   

If your student has received their COVID-19 vaccine please send in proof of immunization.   Vaccinated students will not be required to quarantine if they are considered close contacts unless they become symptomatic. 

COVID-19 Symptoms List

• Fever (100.0’F 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 of other symptoms
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, when in combination of 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

If your child is ill please have the child remain home and reach out to the appropriate Health Office: 

100 Longwater (K-8)
Darcie Edwards, RN [email protected]
Jaime Kjelgaard, RN [email protected]
781-981-4202  x104 

700 Longwater (9-12)
Barbara Folan, RN [email protected]
781-982-4202  x182

Thank you for your continued support as we kick off the 2021-2022 school year. At SSCPS, keeping your students safe and in school is our top priority. We have learned more about COVID-19 over this past year and our current guidance and procedures reflect the most updated recommendations from the CDC and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. 

For the 2021-22 school year, we are offering an extra layer of protection to prevent the spread of COVID-19, our COVID-19 testing program at school. This program has three components: symptomatic testing for students who show symptoms of COVID-19 at school, routine COVID safety checks to prevent the spread of the virus undetected among students who are not showing symptoms, and test and stay for students who may have been exposed while in school but are not showing symptoms. Each of these is a quick, non-invasive nasal swab that is collected under the supervision of a school nurse or trained health provider. Unlike COVID-19 tests of the past, these are not uncomfortable and easy for students to do themselves.

Students only participate with permission from a parent or guardian. It is important to our school that you are fully informed regarding the process and that we can answer any questions that you might have in advance of asking you to sign the linked consent form. Below we describe each of the three parts of our testing program, how they are conducted, and what they are used for. 

• Symptomatic testing is used when a student is showing symptoms of COVID-19 during school; students should not come to school if they are feeling sick while at home. Some symptoms of the virus look identical to other illnesses like the cold or flu, and this test tells us whether a symptomatic student has COVID-19 or not. This is a rapid test, and we receive the results of this test within 15 minutes. If a student has minimal symptoms and tests negative, they can remain in school.
• Routine COVID safety checks minimize disruption to learning by helping us catch potential spread of the virus before it starts. Each student administers the safety check on a weekly basis. Samples are collected at school in groups of 5-10 individuals. The samples are grouped together at school. Once the samples get to the lab, all the samples in the group are tested for COVID-19 together. In almost all cases, it will take less than 24 hours to receive safety check results. Students can continue to come to school while awaiting safety check results; they do not need to quarantine while awaiting results. If a safety check test is positive, the students in the group will take individual tests to determine which student(s) in the group produced the positive test.
• Test and stay allows students who have had close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 while at school to stay in school if the student is not showing symptoms. Instead of needing to quarantine and miss school, these students will take a daily rapid test while they remain in school as long as they are not symptomatic. Students participate in test and stay for at least five days after they may have been exposed. 

If a student tests positive for COVID-19, they must quarantine at home for the CDC-recommended ten days since symptoms appeared or ten days after the positive test before returning to school. The student must also be without a fever for 24 hours.
Although students who are vaccinated are much less likely to spread or contract the virus, it is important for us to create an inclusive environment for both vaccinated and unvaccinated students. 

To participate in the program, you must complete the linked consent form on behalf of your student. There is no charge for participating. It is our hope that these measures will work together to keep our schools safe and your children in school.  Thank you again for your support.

 Please see the Health Office page on the SSCPS website for more information on COVID-19 testing, along with other COVID-19 information.

If you have any additional questions or need any additional information please do not hesitate to reach out to the nursing staff.  

K - 8:  781-982-4202 x 104
High School: 781-982-4202 x 182
​
Darcie Edwards, RN
Susan Dupras, RN
Jaime Kjelgaard, RN
Barbara Folan, RN