Health and Safety

COVID Health Protocols for Students and Staff (.pdf)

The health and safety of our students, staff and community are our highest priority as we plan for the reopening of school. It is absolutely critical that students and staff who show any signs of illness stay home and not report to school.

The State Department of Education has advised districts not to conduct temperature checks for the purpose of student admittance to school. However, the district urges parents to monitor their child daily for symptoms, including regular temperature checks, prior to coming to school. In addition, the state Department of Education is requiring districts to identify locations in each of its school buildings for isolation rooms. More guidance regarding isolation rooms will come from the state.

In addition to the review of this plan, the district will continue to work closely with the local health department and district medical advisor to follow all state and CDC guidelines for school closures and return to school protocols for sick students and staff. Students and staff will be required to stay home for 14 days and monitored for symptoms if they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

As the guidance to schools continues to evolve, we will inform parents of the protocols they can expect when a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 in a future communication. While the district is not responsible for contact tracing, we will work with health officials and will have a plan in place for notifying staff and families, as determined by state and local health department guidance. We will communicate these details as soon as they are available.

It is vital that we work together to keep our schools a safe place for everyone. With this in mind, we ask families to monitor the health of all family members, including COVID-19 related symptoms, and comply with guidelines set forth by the state. A detailed self-checklist, as well as additional guidance from our school nurses, will be sent home to all students and staff. (The self-checklist can also viewed here.) In preparation for the return to school, families can help keep our schools a safe place by:

•	Talking about the importance of wearing a mask, and avoiding face touching
•	Practicing mask wearing over the summer to get used to how it feels, and answering any questions
•	Talking about the important role hand washing plays in keeping us healthy, and demonstrating the proper way to wash your hands and for the proper amount of time

COVID-19 Symptoms

Cough	Shortness of Breath	Sore throat
Fever (100.0 or greater)	New loss of taste or smell	Congestion or runny nose
Chills	Fatigue	Nausea or vomiting
Muscle pain	Headache	Diarrhea

Out of State Travel

The State of Connecticut has issued travel advisories for anyone entering Connecticut from a list of states considered “hot spots” for the Coronavirus. All staff and students are requested to notify the building principal if they have traveled to a state identified by the Connecticut Governor as a “hot spot” within 14 daysprior to the first day of school attendance, as well as any time thereafter. (See latest CT.GOV travel advisory here.)

South WindsorPublic Schools