Keeping parents, students, and faculty and staff informed is of utmost importance during this changing environment, but we also must abide by all applicable HIPPA privacy laws. We will carefully consider the scenario and decide if the communication goes to the classroom, the grade, the division, or the full school. Communications will include detailed information provided to us from the Virginia Department of Health, and sample letters may be reviewed here.
We understand our whole community may have many questions if a case of COVID-19 is identified in the school. Given this, the local health department has outlined the procedures we will follow in the event of a case:
If a student or teacher has a confirmed positive case of COVID-19, all classroom members will be notified with an email sent home to families impacted and follow up phone calls. Any students who may have come in close contact with the positively testing individuals in any school environment will also be notified of their exposure level. Students identified to have medium to high risk of exposure will be required to quarantine at home beginning the following day after exposure. The Rappahannock Rapidan Health District will contact families by phone to provide instructions for quarantining.
These same procedures will apply if a student or staff member becomes symptomatic during the school day, and COVID-19 is suspected.
If a symptomatic student tests negative for COVID-19, all students may return to school the following day. If the symptomatic student tests positive, all students who may have been exposed will be required to quarantine at home for 14 days. Parents will need to plan accordingly for childcare needs in the event your student needs to be home unexpectedly.
The families of all students in the school will be notified that a confirmed case of COVID-19 has been identified in the school. Most likely, most students and staff school-wide will be considered low risk due to the social distancing, use of masks, and handwashing in the school. Some students who may be identified as a close contact by a health department investigation of the individual may be required to quarantine for 14 days. Families will be provided with information on monitoring for symptoms and a reminder of the precautions to prevent the spread of disease.
In certain circumstances, such as a large outbreak of cases, the school may have to return to an online learning environment for a period of time. Families should have contingency plans in place should the school need to close for several weeks.