(Updated January, 2022)
COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan
New Morning School’s Peak Performance Wellness Plan (PPWP) for New Morning School follows for what to do in case of illness. Accommodations need to be made for now, but not forever. We can each follow the procedures below to help those in our community from getting sick.
Changes as the Weeks Progress
We hope that as the year goes on and COVID circumstances change that we can modify some of the guidelines. We recognize that the COVID situation remains fluid.
Highlights in red are changes to our COVID plan.
FACE COVERINGS
- Masks are to be worn by all students and adults when inside the building.
- The exception is when students and adults are eating lunch or having snack.
- Certain face masks provide more protection for your child. N95, KN95, or paper surgical masks are preferred.
- There are adult- and child-sized surgical masks at the front desk.
WELLNESS POLICY
Please call the school office if your child is sick and will not be attending. The school is required to report communicable diseases to the health department. In addition, for the health of all children and staff please keep your child at home if he/she has any of these symptoms:
- Fever or chills– must stay home 48 hours with no fever (defined as <100.0)
- Rash (if not yet treated by a doctor)
- Difficulty breathing
- Nausea or vomiting (must stay home 24 hours after vomiting)
- Abdominal pain
- Cough
- Diarrhea (must stay home 24 hours after diarrhea)
- Sore throat or pain swallowing
- Mild to severe congestion – runny or congested nose
- Other communicable diseases
- Is unable to go out for recess
- Headache that is unusual or long-lasting
- Muscle aches or extreme tiredness
- Decrease in smell or taste
If your child shows any of these symptoms at school, we will notify you, so that you may pick up your child(ren).
Child, Teacher or Aide is Sick
A school member with any of the symptoms above must contact his/her physician/healthcare provider for instructions on returning to school. Either a note from your physician/ health care provider or a negative COVID test is required to return to school.
COVID Testing
A PCR test is preferred for all symptomatic school community members. Rapid antigen testing will be accepted.
If the rapid antigen COVID test is positive, we ask that you contact your child’s physician and receive a confirmatory PCR test also, as this may be helpful in future contact tracing. Rapid antigen test kits are available in drug stores or at your physician’s office. If you order ahead, try Amazon for test kits.
The following applies to our school members – children, staff, and parent aides.
School Member Tests Positive for COVID
The infected person must stay home for 10 days, regardless of vaccination status. They may return to school on day 11, if fever free for 48 hours without fever-reducing medications and symptoms are improving.
Household or Family Member is Sick
If a family member is sick, the other family members must stay home from school as well. If the rapid or the PCR test is negative, the other children in the family may return to school while the sick child or adult is recuperating at home.
If a family member has a positive COVID test:
The remaining family members who are not vaccinated are to quarantine at home and may not attend school for 10 days.
The remaining family members who are fully vaccinated may stay home and follow this protocol:
- Test on day 3 – PCR test only.
- Stay home through day 5.
- If asymptomatic, may return to school on day 6.
Close Contacts at School
A child or adult who wears a mask correctly will not be considered a close contact at school. This means that children or adults at a lunch table (without masks) may be considered the only close contacts.
If a student is a close contact at school and is not vaccinated, they will stay home for seven (7) days and test on day 6 or 7. They may return on day 8 if the test is negative OR they may return after 10 days if asymptomatic the whole time.
If a student is a close contact at school and is fully vaccinated, the student will stay in the classroom and test once on day 3, 4, or 5 and monitor symptoms for 14 days.
Exposure through Sports or Other Community Activities
Our jurisdiction is for the school only. If your child may have been exposed through a sports team or other, the child should not come to school until their physician has been contacted or there is specific direction from Wayne County Health Department.
Vaccinations
All paid staff and parent aides are required to be vaccinated. If a person chooses not to be vaccinated or has a medical condition precluding it, then that person will submit the results of a COVID test weekly.
It is important not to let our guard down. Our success rate is because of the precautions we are taking. Thanks for all that you are doing to meet our standards.
Respectfully submitted,
Elaine Kennedy, Head of School
Joan Barrett, Admissions
Hamid Ghanbari, MD, University of Michigan
Heather Johnson, PA-C, Physician Assistant
