Dear WES Families, 

I hope your week is going well. We were excited to welcome the rest of our students back to campus during the past couple of weeks. The students were quite eager to be here; their joy could be seen even under their masks.

We have begun to settle into a new rhythm. Our protocols seem to be working well, and it’s impressive how quickly our Dragons have adapted to them. There are a few updated policies I would like to share with you today. 
 
Upcoming COVID Testing Schedule
We were very pleased with how smoothly our first two mandatory testing sessions proceeded. COVID-19 testing will most likely continue to be covered by insurance for the coming months, so we have decided to implement on-site testing through January 8. Over the next several weeks, we will explore the potential to continue testing through the winter and spring. 

  • WES will conduct regular COVID testing for all students and employees.
  • Testing is mandatory for all students and employees who choose to participate in any on-site learning or activities.
  • Tests will be conducted on the following Fridays: October 23, November 6, November 20, December 4, December 11, and January 8.
  • Students can test at a location of their choice, but the test must be a PCR test. Results should be emailed to covid@w-e-s.org.
  • Any student moving from at-home learning to on-campus learning must be tested within seven days prior to returning to campus. 
  • Further details about testing logistics will be shared next week. However, moving forward, please note that Early Childhood will no longer dismiss early on testing days.

Plans for the Upcoming Holidays
We are aware that many families and employees will either travel for the holidays or welcome guests into their home. To protect the health and safety of our community, we have decided that all students will learn at home during the weeks directly following Thanksgiving and winter break:

  • All students will learn virtually November 30-December 4 and January 4-8.
  • There will be mandatory testing on campus before on-site learning resumes. Testing will take place on December 4 and January 8.
  • Please do not use these weeks of virtual learning as an opportunity to extend holiday travel. Depending on the circumstances, doing so may further delay your child’s ability to return to on-site learning. We will follow all of the guidelines in our updated travel policy (below) when making these decisions. 

Updated Travel/High-Risk Events Policy
Due to new safety regulations, we have updated our travel policy, as well as expanded it to include high-risk events.

Airplane/Train Travel
If a student or employee travels by airplane or train, they must move to at-home learning for two weeks upon their return. A negative COVID-19 test will not suffice to resume on-site learning.

Household Airplane/Train Travel (student/staff did not travel)
  • If a member of a student’s or WES employee’s household has traveled by airplane or train, the student/staff member must move to at-home learning/teaching for 14 days. However, they may return to on-site learning earlier IF: 
  • All persons who traveled test negative* OR
  • All persons who traveled isolated themselves from the student/staff within the home immediately upon return. Household members who did not travel must not have close contact with those who traveled.
  • Please note that out-of-town guests staying in your home who have traveled by plane or train should isolate themselves from WES students/staff until receiving a negative test.*

*Testing Requirements:
  • The test must be a PCR test.
  • The test must be taken after the start of symptoms OR between days 3 and 7 after last possible exposure or high-risk event. 
  • The test results should be emailed to covid@w-e-s.org.

High-Risk Events
  • The CDC designates the following as high-risk events:
  • Social gatherings such as weddings, funerals, and parties.
  • Mass gatherings such as professional sports events, concerts, theme parks, and events where distance protocols cannot be maintained.
  • If you attend a high-risk event, please report it through our travel reporting form. Depending on the circumstances of the event, students and staff may be required to move to at-home learning for two weeks. 

Our updated travel policy will take effect Monday, October 26. We have created this chart to serve as a reference tool and we have also updated our travel/event reporting form. 

Thank you once again for your patience, flexibility, and cooperation. We are pleased by how well on-site learning is progressing, and we look forward to the weeks ahead. 

Sincerely,
Danny Vogelman