COVID Guidance for Parents in Summary
What if my child has a temperature of 100.4 F (or higher) OVER THE WEEKEND?
What if my child has any one of the other "major symptoms" OVER THE WEEKEND? (Major symptoms include any one of the following: fever of 100.4 or more; or new, unexplained loss of taste or smell; or respiratory symptoms that include lung congestion, shortness of breath, or new, unexplained cough.)
For any one of the major symptoms listed above, the individual must either be tested for COVID (using the PCR test and NOT the rapid test) and provide the negative results to the school before returning; OR the individual must remain out of school for a full 10 calendar days since the onset of symptoms and be symptom-free for 24 hours without the aid of fever reducers. WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE GETTING TESTED TO HELP REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ABSENCES IF IT IS NEGATIVE AND TO ALLOW US TO ISOLATE ANY POSSIBLE CONTACTS IF IT IS POSITIVE.
Please notify me (Tonya Snyder, Head of School), over the weekend or during the week in the evenings, by email at tsnyder@contactccs.org that your child is experiencing symptoms (or if your child has been diagnosed with COVID) so that I can determine any necessary steps on behalf of the school. I will follow up with you as soon as possible.
What kind of COVID test is acceptable?
We are currently unable to accept negative results from the rapid test; please be sure to have the PCR test performed to avoid the period of 10 calendar days of isolation.
What kind of reporting is required of me?
All parents are responsible for reporting as follows:
Daily COVID Screening (submitted via the CCS app)
Reason for Absence form (submitted via the CCS app) when a child is not coming to school on any given day for any reason; submit daily, please, even if it is for the same reason as the previous day
ALL COVID Test Results (negative OR positive, when a COVID test has been performed) before being able to return to school; please email your child's test results to Tonya Snyder (tsnyder@contactccs.org) as soon as you receive those results if they are received outside of school hours. You can email Linda Hodgkins (lhodgkins@contactccs.org), our school nurse, if the results are received during school hours.
When can my child return after an illness?
When your child has been specifically diagnosed by a health care provider for a non-COVID illness (such as strep throat) with documentation from the health care provider, your child can return to school when no longer contagious (after taking antibiotics for 24 hours) and when fever-free (without the aid of fever reducers)
When your child has received negative results from a PCR COVID test AND HAS NOT KNOWINGLY BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID, after the test results have been submitted to the school, and the child is symptom-free and fever-free without the aid of fever reducers for 24 hours
When your child tests positive for COVID, the student can return to school 10 days after the date of the test (and test results have been submitted to the school) AND the child is symptom-free for 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducers.
When can my child return after exposure to COVID?
Your child must be tested using the PCR test to determine if s/he has contracted COVID so that the school can determine any possible need to close a cohort. After being tested, your child can return when your child has either been tested and has had a:
Negative result; after 14 days of quarantine since exposure to COVID and after being symptom-free for 24 hours and without the aid of fever-reducers; please submit negative test results to the school so that closure of a cohort can potentially be avoided
Positive result; after 14 days of quarantine since exposure to COVID and after being symptom-free for 24 hours and without the aid of fever-reducers
When can my child return after experiencing only "minor symptoms?"
If your child has not had ANY of the "major symptoms," s/he may return after the child has been without symptoms for 24 hours. Please note that major symptoms include: fever of 100.4 or more; or new, unexplained loss of taste or smell; or respiratory symptoms that include lung congestion, shortness of breath, or new, unexplained cough.
When should I share COVID test results with the school?
Please share results with the school any time you receive COVID-19 test results (negative or positive). Please notify Tonya Snyder at tsnyder@contactccs.org as soon as you have received results. The school will be able to respond to any needs for contract tracing or alerts to be started or canceled based on your child's results.
What if my child travels outside the state?
Please be sure to note this on the Daily COVID Screening (via the school app). Use the comment field to tell where your child has been so that we know what to expect from you regarding the need for testing. If your child has traveled to a "red state" and has been there for 24 hours or longer, you must have your child tested upon return to Connecticut (using the PCR test, not the rapid test). Your child can return to school when s/he has received negative results from a PCR COVID test AND HAS NOT KNOWINGLY BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID and after the test results have been submitted to the school.
For additional details, please CLICK HERE to refer to our COVID Addendum to the Parent-Student Handbook. The above information will be posted as a reference on the school app under NEWS, on Schoology's School Office page, and on Sycamore's home page.