UPDATE: The Weekly Safety COVID Testing will begin on Tuesday, January 4, not tomorrow as stated in yesterday's email. Included below is additional information including directions from the Health Office as to how to sign your child up for all COVID-19 testing programs.
Weekly Safety COVID Testing will be weekly on Tuesdays. This is a shallow nasal swab that most students will be able to do by themselves. About 10 swabs are put in the same pool test and a PCR test is run. This takes about 24 hours. You will only be notified if your student is in a positive pool test. If this happens, all individuals will be tested separately using the Rapid BinaxNOW test at school to try to identify the positive individual. If your student is negative, then they can return to class and learn. If your child is positive, then we will ask you to come pick them up and quarantine. Please sign up for COVID testing with the link below. https://pbcovid.cic-health.com/register/with-code?code=KDHEHV Please enter the student’s information when registering. When creating a secondary profile please remember to include the school’s organization code: KDHEHV If you have a student currently signed up for COVID testing and would like to opt out of the Weekly Safety Testing, Please email Jaime at [email protected] to opt out in writing or send a note to the health office. Dear SSCPS Families, I hope this email finds you well and safe. This email is being sent to provide you with the latest updates from the Massachusetts Department of Education (DESE). Below please find the Updated Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios updated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Public Health (DPH). Updated Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios As indicated earlier this week, DESE and DPH have updated our joint guidance on Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios - SY 2021-22 (Coronavirus/COVID-19: Guidance/On the Desktop Messages (mass.edu). The updated Protocols document includes new language on isolation and quarantine durations, as well additional flexibility in the use of antigen tests for symptomatic individuals. In addition to posting the latest guidance document at the link above, we are also attaching a PDF version that highlights the revisions made for ease of use. We also wanted to include below one important FAQ as you work to implement these new protocols. We will be releasing additional FAQs soon. Q: Does the DESE/DPH guidance recommend that individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 take another test before returning to school after the 5-day isolation period? A: No, the DESE/DPH guidance does not recommend repeat testing prior to returning to school, so long as individuals are asymptomatic and/or their symptoms are improving. Individuals must mask when around others for an additional five days after the isolation period. Please note that DESE is still requiring all schools and districts to be in-person, full time, five days a week. We understand that this may be a cause for concern for some families. Parents and guardians retain the right to use their best judgment before sending their child to school. Our faculty and staff will continue to post all assignments on Google classroom for our students in grades 5-12 and learning bins will be available for students K-4 to accommodate those students learning from home due to isolation and quarantine. Monday morning we begin the weekly COVID-19 safety testing program. This program will be added to our symptomatic as well as test and stay testing programs already in place. We are hopeful that these three testing programs will assist in making our learning environment safer for all students and staff. Lastly, I would like to thank you for your ongoing support throughout this year. It has been a demanding year to be an educator, but there is no job more demanding than being a parent. As we face a new year and new challenges, your support and patience mean more than ever. Sincerely, Alicia -- Alicia E. Savage Executive Director South Shore Charter Public School 781.982.4202 Ext. 101 www.sscps.org Comments are closed.
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