• We will open classrooms back to 5^th-8^th grade students effective on Monday, December 7 for in-person learning.
• We will continue adhering to further Red Phase measures outlined on November 13 and the Return-to-School guidelines set forth in August to keep SMES safe and healthy through the winter season, and beyond.
• Based on MD’s Department of Health Travel Advisory and CDC Travel Guidelines, we implemented a Travel Policy that will continue through the holiday season, including:
• Travel out-of-state, whether it is overnight or not, must be communicated to the Office Manager/Health Assistant, Jan Wilder: jwilder@stmartinsmd.org who will help determine your child’s return to in-person learning.
• Those traveling to states where the positivity rate for COVID-19 is 10% or greater, and those traveling internationally, must meet the following criteria before returning to in-person learning:
• St. Martins will determine the positivity rate based on an average of daily positivity rates taken for the entire length of stay.
• Students traveling to specific areas with elevated positivity rates (10% or greater) will be required to quarantine upon their return until such time as either they provide evidence of a negative RT-PCR test result for COVID-19 and are asymptomatic or they complete an entire 14-day quarantine.
• To determine who is able to return to school, we encourage these simple guidelines:

• Do NOT return to school if there are:
• COVID-like symptoms of fever (100.4 or higher), cough, shortness of breath, and sudden loss of taste or smell, in addition to other symptoms of headache, sore throat, congestion/runny nose, muscle aches, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea and chills. These students may NOT return to school without a doctor’s note and/or a copy of a negative RT-PCR test result.

• Return to school if the following criteria has been met:
• No known exposure to COVID-19.
• Out-of-state travel has been reported and a copy of child’s RT-PCR test result has been sent to Jan Wilder.
• No one in the family is being tested for COVID-19.

• Finally, some general reminders and enhancements of our protocols:
• Send blankets and hats as lunches and PE will be held outside as much as possible.
• Multi-layered and snug-fitting masks worn at all times. Please wash regularly.
• Washing hands and hand sanitizing will be done often.
• 6-feet of distance will be practiced during indoor and outdoor lunch and PE.
• Mask breaks are only allowed outside and for a limited period of time.