Hello Vanguard Families,
I hope this email finds you all doing well on this wintry day. We are sharing an update to Covid-related guidance that was announced this morning by Chester County Health Department (CCHD).
Effective immediately, Chester County Health Department no longer authorizes schools to implement quarantine and has instructed all schools to fully discontinue contact tracing.
VFES and The Vanguard School, however, still believe communication is a very important mitigation strategy to NOT contracting this virus. Therefore, as a courtesy to our families, we will notify you if your son/daughter is identified as a close contact to a positive case while in school.
Please carefully read the following protocols as they are what Covid Case Managers (CCMs) will begin following today, January 20, 2022:
If your child has been identified as a close contact to a positive case at school:
1. CCMs will communicate through email. Please ensure you have your most up-to-date email address in the parent portal.
a. Please go to
https://www.vfes.net/vanguard. Then log into the Parent Portal (link is on the right side of the page) and enter your email address in the Student/Household tab.
b. Each email from CCMs will include the CCM's phone number for questions.
2. Regardless of Vaccine Status you will receive a “Close Contact Notification” email:
a. Asymptomatic children are expected to return to school the next day. If the student does not return (and remains asymptomatic) the absence will be considered ‘unexcused’.
b. Symptomatic children must be kept home until symptoms resolve.
3. Regardless of vaccination status, if you choose to test your child and your child is asymptomatic, they are permitted to return to school prior to knowing the results.
a. If the results are positive you will be expected to pick up your child as soon as possible and communicate the positive result to
casemanagers@vfes.net.
b. Do not send your child to school if he/she is exhibiting any type of symptoms. Please consult your family physician.
Per CCHD: If your child was placed on quarantine prior to today, your child must complete quarantine before returning to school.
The protocol for positive COVID-19 cases has not changed. Families of children who have tested positive for COVID-19 should keep their child at home and email CCMs at
casemanagers@vfes.net. Families are encouraged to consult the CCHD website and contact their healthcare provider if needed.
Mitigation Strategies Reminder:
• Symptom Screening. It is important that families continue to review the symptom check-list prior to sending their child to school. If your child is ill or has any COVID-19 symptoms, they should stay home from school.
• Masking. Face coverings continue to be required for all staff and students while indoors. Please do your best to send your child to school wearing either a surgical mask or a KN95 mask, regardless of his/her vaccination status.
• Rapid Testing for Vanguard School Students and Staff who become Symptomatic while at school/work will still continue. While supplies remain, we will continue to offer rapid antigen testing for symptomatic individuals.
Thank you for your patience with this evolving guidance. We hope to update our Student/Family Decision Tree by end of next week and will send that out as another document for families to reference.
I am extremely grateful to all our Vanguard School Families for your support during this crazy, uncertain time!
