|
Dear NDB Students and Families,
Thank you for your patience and understanding as NDB has responded to the changing COVID situation. Since there have been some significant developments over the break, we wanted to take a moment to communicate all of our updates here in one letter, as well as our path forward. This letter will be linked on our COVID updates webpage, for easy reference.
Plan for the week of January 10
- After today, Monday, January 10, NDB will have only one more day of online learning on Tuesday, January 11.
-
NDB will return to in-person learning on campus on Wednesday, January 12. This date is firm. Please rest assured that there will be no further delay of in-person instruction due to testing delays.
- All NDB students, faculty and staff will be tested on campus on Wednesday, January 12.
-
Students who tested positive on Thursday, January 6 or before, sent their test results to bwylie@ndhsb.org, and are in their isolation period, may come to school on Wednesday, January 12 if they meet the criteria listed below.
-
Starting on Wednesday, January 12, any student required to remain home may also access online instruction through NDB’s Temporary Online Learning Protocol For Students With Excused Absences, which was shared with families on January 7.
Updated Quarantine Policy
On January 4, the San Mateo County Department of Education (SMCOE) adopted recommendations from the CDPH to reduce the isolation period in the event of an individual testing positive for COVID. The SMCOE requirements for a student with a positive COVID test result are now as follows:
- Stay home for at least 5 days.
-
Isolation can end after day 5 IF the following criteria are met:
- No fever for 24hrs (without medication).
- Symptoms are improving (cough, headache, sore throat etc).
-
AND a diagnostic specimen (antigen test preferred) collected on day 5 or later, tests negative.
- If your symptoms have improved and you have a negative antigen test, you still should wear a well-fitting mask at all times around others for a total of 10 days.
- If you are unable to test or choose not to test, and symptoms are not present or are resolving, isolation can end after day 10.
- If symptoms are not resolving, continue to isolate until symptoms are resolving or until after day 10.
Additional COVID Updates for January
NDB is also putting in place some additional measures during the month of January, while San Mateo County is in the Red (or high) transmission rate tier with COVID cases. At the end of the month, we will reassess the situation and see if an extension is needed. These temporary NDB policy changes include the following:
Masks
- Everyone - including students, staff, faculty, parents, and vendors, etc. - MUST wear a mask at all times on campus, both inside and outside. The only time that masks can be removed is to eat or drink, and should be put back on immediately afterwards.
- Students at NDB may continue to wear cloth masks, providing they are well fitting and clean.
- Please note that Serra and Mercy have adopted a new policy that requires students to wear KN95, N95 or surgical masks on their campuses.
- NDB students will therefore need to comply with those schools' policies if they attend Tri-school classes or events. We have stocked our vans with KN95’s if needed.
COVID Testing
As noted above, NDB will be testing all students, faculty and staff on campus on Wednesday, January 12.
-
Starting next week (January 18), all fully vaccinated students, staff and faculty will be tested once a week by Virus Geeks on the NDB campus, as follows:
- Monday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (all students)
- Tuesday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (all staff, faculty, and athletes)
-
All students, staff and faculty who are not fully vaccinated will be tested twice a week, also free of charge, as follows:
- Monday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (all students)
- Thursday from 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM (all students, faculty and staff who are not fully vaccinated)
Contact Tracing
Due to the increase in positive COVID cases, several local school districts have decided to focus their limited resources on testing, policies, and contact tracing for students who are not fully vaccinated. For the month of January, NDB will send out regular emails indicating the number of positive cases, but will not be conducting contact tracing for each individual case. Everyone on campus should therefore consider themselves as a close contact and do their utmost to protect themselves. This includes taking the following precautions:
- Wear masks not just on campus but also out in the community.
- Wash your hands and use hand sanitizer before eating or drinking.
- Give yourself plenty of space when eating without a mask.
- Monitor yourself for symptoms and stay home if you develop any symptoms.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as NDB responds to the changing COVID situation, to ensure continued access to a rich school experience, while also protecting the safety and health of the community. As noted above, NDB is committed to moving forward with in-person learning on campus, from Wednesday January 12 through the remainder of the semester. We believe that the plan outlined above will allow us to achieve that goal. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
|
