Health and Safety

We will follow the guidance of the State of Connecticut and the Farmington Valley Health District.

• Masks are required, the masks must be worn properly and cover the nose and mouth in all indoor areas and transportation.
  • Mask breaks will continue to be provided
  • Masks will be removed for eating as long as proper social distancing is maintained.
• We will continue to monitor the state’s and FVHD’s recommendations and our own health data to determine the proper guidance on mask wearing.
• Families of students with special accommodations and require specialized accommodations in respect to masks should contact their case manager and/or principal to discuss.

As a public school district, we follow the recommendations and requirements of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Education (CSDE) and our regional health district, the Farmington Valley Health District (FVHD), whenever we face a health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In turn, we will follow the recommendations of our health experts at DPH and the FVHD in the case of mask requirements for the coming school year.

During the 2020-2021 school year, based on state mandates and/or requirements from the DPH, CSDE and FVHD, we implemented several strategies to mitigate the effects of COVID-19, including social distancing, frequent hand washing, and the use of masks by students and staff, in order to protect the health of our students, staff and community. Based upon their mandates and guidance last school year, our layered mitigation measures allowed us to keep all of our schools open for in-person learning the entire school year.

The rise in cases over the last few weeks due to the Delta variant is a concern compared to where we were at the end of last school year, but we remain confident that our schools will open safely with the implementation of the guidance we have and will continue to receive from our health experts at the DPH and FVHD.

We know that we will have students who become ill or have a fever during the day. This historically occurs each day within our schools. Your child will be brought to an Health Office for evaluation. Then, your child will wait in the Health Office Annex, with an adult present, and you will need to pick your child up immediately.

Per the CSDE’s Reopening Schools Plan we must maximize social distancing if feasible.

• Staff and students will be encouraged to maintain reasonable social distance in all areas.
• Unvaccinated staff and students should take extra care to maintain distance from other individuals, particularly if they are not wearing a mask (if masks are not required).
• Dividers and desk shields will no longer be required as a barrier between individuals. The use of desk shields may be an option in certain cases or for certain individuals who feel this provides an extra layer of safety.

• Volunteers and guests will be welcomed back to the schools but must have prior approval from the principal.
• Volunteers and guests will be encouraged to be vaccinated and/or wear a mask. We are awaiting DPH guidance for volunteers. This is subject to change given DPH guidance.

• Katie Saunders, RN, saundersk@fpsct.org

• Karen Edgar, RN, edgark@fpsct.org

• Monika Liberda, RN, liberdam@fpsct.org

• Erica Wisniewski, RN, wisniewskie@fpsct.org

• Laura Molusis, RN, molusisl@fpsct.org

• Kristin Paye-Baker, RN, payebakerk@fpsct.org

• Lauren Foote, RN, footel@fpsct.org

• Katie Saunders, RN saundersk@fpsct.org

We will not disclose names of individuals who are sick. We are obligated to keep all health information about all individuals within our school district private at all times.

Under the direction of DPH, this is not feasible or advised by health experts since a negative test only represents a moment in time.

Yes, we ask that all families check temperatures and symptom checks each morning prior to boarding the bus or entering the school (if your child is driven to school). Also, please closely monitor your child’s health and any symptoms they may be experiencing. Do not send your child to school if your child is having symptoms of illness.

No, the school district will not administer COVID-19 tests. Our website provides testing sites in the area for your convenience.

Please keep your child HOME if your child is feeling sick. If your child is feeling sick:

• Call the school nurse
• Call your child’s physician for guidance

With the guidance and assistance of the FVHD, we have developed protocols for communicating to our school communities if we experience a positive case of COVID-19. Please immediately contact the school nurse if your child has been exposed to an individual who has tested positive or if your child has tested positive for COVID-19. In the case that we are notified that a student, faculty or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 who have been in a school prior to testing positive, we will identify those members of a class/classes or cohort who have had close contact with the individual who has tested positive. Close contact is defined as being within 3 feet of an individual for more than 15 minutes.

• If an individual tests positive for COVID-19, we will engage the Farmington Valley Health Department (FVHD) in contact tracing and quarantine individuals as necessary;
• We will notify members of the school community if an individual within the school community tests positive; and
• We will not release the name of any individual who tests positive. We will, as noted above, work with the health department in making determinations about who must be quarantined if necessary.

Our nurses have illness tracking protocols in place including a separate space to quarantine individuals who are not feeling well at any time during the day. In collaboration with the FVHD, the school district will provide families with guidance about when students should remain home due to illness or when students experience close contact with an individual who has COVID-19 on a case-by-case basis. Again, we will need families to immediately communicate with us when students or family members have been exposed to or contracted COVID-19. In all communications, we will focus on HIPAA confidentiality and privacy requirements in consultation with the FVHD.

Yes, protocols for regular handwashing and hand sanitizing will be in place for all students, faculty and staff.