Dear EMS Community,

With the Omicron variant now the dominant strain in a host of countries including the U.S., our Medical and Dental Advisory Committee has been carefully reviewing and discussing our return-from-break protocols with our Health and Safety Team. Due to the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, it is likely that many of the vaccinated members of our community and most of the unvaccinated members will contract SARS-CoV-2 during the next few months. While most or all infections will be mild in vaccinated individuals, the impact on our learning environment could be significant if not managed carefully.

Our health and safety protocols are our first and most important line of defense against the impact of SARS-CoV-2. These proven and layered strategies for protection include wellness screenings, division and classroom cohorting, UltraHEPA filtration, increased ventilation and stringent masking, and enhanced sanitizing and disinfection procedures. We write now to share several important updates to our protocol, all of which align with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New Jersey Department of Health, and New Jersey Department of Education.

Community-wide testing will allow us to assess the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 following a time when many community members have departed from their usual routines and locations. Therefore, we are implementing testing prior to our return to campus. Please note the school schedule changes below regarding Monday, Jan. 3, and Tuesday, Jan. 4.

We recognize that these schedule changes are an inconvenience for many community members. Yet, we must remain agile in our response to the pandemic given the fast-changing nature of SARS-CoV-2. While we take all reasonable precautions, we also seek to maximize the amount of time our community members remain in school and avoid unnecessary closures.

All EMS students, faculty, and staff, vaccinated and unvaccinated, are strongly encouraged to seek testing (rapid or otherwise) prior to Monday, Jan. 3. Please email the school nurse to notify her regarding a positive result. Anyone who tests positive should remain home until directed otherwise.

Similar to our return-to-school testing this summer, all students, faculty, and staff will be required to participate, regardless of vaccination status. If you have not tested previously with the MediMobile, please complete the registration process in advance.

• In a departure from our prior plans, school will be closed on Monday, Jan. 3 and Tuesday, Jan. 4, to allow time to test, assess, and prepare based on the outcomes. Classes will resume on Wednesday, Jan. 5.

• On Monday, Jan. 3, the MediMobile will be on campus to conduct testing from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. You must register in advance if you have not previously tested with the MediMobile. Upon arrival at your test location, simply provide the technician with the name of the person being tested. Testing should take no more than a few moments. Once testing is completed, please depart campus immediately to ensure that parking is available for other community members.

• Morrow House students and all middle school and music faculty and staff will test in the Morrow House Music Room. Park in the Gymkhana lot or on Next Day Hill Drive and proceed to the Morrow House Music room while remaining properly masked and distanced.

• All Chilton House and Little School students and all Chilton House and Little School faculty and staff will test in the Cohen Center from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Park on Speer Avenue or in the mid-campus or Lydecker lot, then proceed to the Cohen Center while remaining properly masked and distanced.

• Families who do not wish to test on campus with the Medimobile must submit negative results for a return-from-break test to the school nurse no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 3. At-home or alternative lab tests for this return should be administered no earlier than Sunday, Jan. 2.

• We are reviewing the logistics required should conditions warrant remote learning within a cohort or classroom. Your child’s Division Head will communicate details if such a need arises. Campus will remain closed to all non-essential visitors, and events and activities remain subject to approval from the Health and Safety Team.

• We will resume our updated weekly testing program (see below) on Thursday, Jan. 6, testing all students who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. Students who have received both vaccine doses prior to winter break and reach full vaccination (2+ weeks beyond their second dose) while traveling will be considered fully vaccinated.

The following protocols only apply to symptom-free individuals. We will continue to require symptomatic individuals, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, to follow CDC guidance.

Any vaccinated student, faculty member, or staff member who is symptom-free may be cleared to return to school following a positive test result in as little as one day. To be cleared, the individual must take two rapid tests concurrently, both of which must show negative results, no sooner than one day after receiving positive test results.

When following the test-to-stay protocol, which minimizes disruption to learning, unvaccinated children who are named as close contacts due to their exposure to the virus may stay in school if they remain asymptomatic and receive negative COVID test results twice over the course of a week.

Beginning the week of Monday, Jan. 3, EMS will conduct rapid screening tests of unvaccinated students across all divisions two times during the week, on Mondays and Thursdays. This updated protocol may remain in place for up to six weeks, with modification upon review by our Medical and Dental Advisory Committee.

EMS will return to our previous recommendation of N95 / KN95 / KF94 masks for use on campus. Indoor masking protocols will be absolutely and strictly enforced.

For a child who will not tolerate the N95 / KN95 / KF94 masks, the best mask is the highest-grade type that fits well and allows for comfortable, extended wear throughout the day.

We have learned a great deal over the past year. Importantly, we have a better understanding of the impact the pandemic is having on the physical, social, and emotional health of children. We now also know that EMS, with our diligence and adherence to protocols and procedures, is one of the safest environments for our community members — faculty, staff, and students included. With this in mind, we will do all that we can to keep them in school, relying on the multiple, layered protocols that protect the health and safety of all of our community members.

Please join our Community Zoom to learn more about these updates from school leadership and our Medical and Dental Advisory Committee at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 2. We will provide a link next week via email before the event.

Again, we hope you are enjoying the break, and we wish you health, safety, and happiness through the holidays and the new year.

Kind regards,

EMS Health & Safety Team