Spring 2022 COVID-19 Protocols

In consultation with local health authorities, the school has developed the following protocols to support a full in-person learning program. The layered mitigation strategies described below aim to prioritize the building of community along with safety. With measures such as vaccination, masking, symptom monitoring, and ventilation in place, physical distancing need not be emphasized and students can enjoy more freedom of movement and meaningful opportunities to build relationships with peers and teachers.

As new information emerges, the school will regularly review and update this plan. The information below is as of Thursday, April 21.

Pool Testing

Given the national surge in COVID-19 cases, we are delighted to partner with Concentric by Ginkgo to launch a weekly COVID-19 testing program. The program entails a double-collection approach to pooled PCR testing. Students, faculty, and staff will self-administer two anterior nasal swabs, one for the pooled testing tube and the other for an individual tube that will only be tested in the event that the pool tests positive. A medical professional will communicate directly in the event of a positive result.

Vaccination

All students, faculty, staff, and visitors are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Each student’s vaccination status must be known by the Health Office prior to the start of school for the purposes of managing quarantine protocols, which differ for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Vaccine records should be uploaded to Magnus as soon as possible. Those in the school community who have received the vaccine protect themselves against serious illness and also enhance the safety of our youngest students who are not yet eligible.

As some of our peer schools will not welcome unvaccinated individuals to their campuses, students who are eligible for the vaccine but are not yet fully vaccinated may experience limitations to their participation in extracurricular activities.

Masking

Governor Baker announced that the statewide mask mandate for K-12 schools will be lifted on February 28. To align with this, Newton Country Day will transition to a mask-optional policy beginning Monday, February 28.

Our pooled testing program will return to weekly beginning the week of February 28 to add an additional mitigation layer for the community.
Masks will be required on buses, in the Health Office, and if completing the protocol after testing positive.

We respect that people have different risk tolerance levels, and we support their choices regarding mask-wearing.

The school will monitor the health of our community, and will modify protocols as needed to continue to maintain a safe environment.

Symptom Monitoring

All members of the school community are asked to self-monitor for symptoms and stay home and seek PCR testing before returning to school if they experience any of the following:

Fever (100.0℉ or higher), chills, or shaking chills
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
New loss of taste or smell
Muscle aches or body aches
Cough (not due to other medically documented cause) Sore throat
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
Headache when in combination with other symptoms
Fatigue
Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to a history of allergies which has been medically documented by a physician and uploaded to Magnus)

Quarantine and Isolation

Per current guidelines, individuals testing positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 would need to self-isolate for a minimum of 5 days after symptom onset or after positive PCR or antigen test, if asymptomatic. An individual may return to school on day 6 as long as they have been without fever for 24 hours (without taking fever-reducing medications) and have experienced significant improvement of symptoms.

The following scenarios apply to individuals identified as close contacts, defined as individuals who have been within 6 feet of a COVID-19 positive individual while indoors and unmasked for at least 15 minutes during a 24-hour period. The at-risk exposure time begins 48 hours prior to symptom onset (or time of positive test if asymptomatic).

If fully vaccinated* and not experiencing symptoms, close contacts would not need to quarantine. These individuals would need to monitor for symptoms for 10 days and quarantine and test if any symptoms arise.
If not fully vaccinated, close contacts would need to quarantine for at least 5 days from the date of exposure. They may return on day 6 provided that they remain asymptomatic, and conduct active monitoring for symptoms through day 10, self-isolate if symptoms develop, and adhere to strict mask use for an additional 5 days.

In the event of a case within the school, the Health Office would conduct contact tracing to the extent feasible, inform close contacts of their exposure, communicate quarantine and/or symptom-monitoring expectations to each affected individual, and update our COVID-19 dashboard.

* Fully vaccinated is defined as two weeks following the completion of the Pfizer or Moderna series or two weeks following a single dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

Ventilation

Appropriate air movement and exchange with outdoor air has been shown to curb transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19. The school building’s HVAC system meets the ASHRAE guidelines for COVID-19 risk mitigation, with particular attention to the number of air changes per hour and exhaust fan capacity. The school also utilizes windows, doors, fans, and/or air purification systems.

Hand Hygiene

Distancing

Due to the aerosol nature of transmission and the layered mitigation strategies described above, physical distancing is not central to these protocols. As such, classrooms have been redensified with student desks spaced 3 feet apart. All students in a course will learn together in the same classroom. Physical distancing will be implemented for higher transmission risk activities such as indoor eating and singing.

Travel

COVID-19 Dashboard

*Masks must provide adequate fit and filtration. A well-fit mask covers both the nose and mouth, sits snugly against the sides of the face, and fits securely under the chin. ASTM-certified surgical masks and multi-layer (3+) cloth masks (especially with a filter insert) are sufficient, while KN95 and KF94 masks have been shown to provide additional protection. When eating indoors, masks may be removed but should be put back on when leaving the table or when not eating or drinking.

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