Dear WSM Families,

As we start the 2023-2024 school year, COVID-19 numbers are rising as the CDC tracks the newest variant. Cold, Flu, and COVID-19 symptoms are nearly the same, and RSV is becoming more common in older children and adults. Your continued partnership is needed to keep our community healthy and safe.

Please read the following guidelines carefully, and let us know if you have any questions regarding our COVID-19/Illness policies.

Health and Safety Measures

The WSM Health & Safety Team has continued to follow the latest developments of COVID-19, specifically related to the impact in North Carolina and locally in Forsyth County. WSM will begin this school year with the following guidelines based on the latest requirements and recommendations from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) and the CDC.

We will continue to:

• Support those who choose to wear a mask/face covering at all levels
• Enhance air circulation (use of outdoor and patio spaces and air purifiers)
• Require regular and proper Handwashing
• Require regular environmental cleaning
• Identify close contacts (within 6ft for 15 minutes in a 24-hour period)
• close contacts will be required to mask for ten days. They may be asked to stay home if they cannot mask properly.
• household contacts may be asked to stay home for a 5-day quarantine period and will be required to mask for an additional five days.
• if anyone in your household (parents included) contracts COVID-19, please let Patricia know immediately.
• Support and encourage COVID-19 vaccinations for all eligible individuals in our school community.

When your child becomes sick:

• Please email your child's Guide AND Patricia at patriciaflavin@wsmontessori.org
• If your child develops an exclusionary symptom, we require a negative COVID test or an alternate diagnosis from their Doctor to return to school.
• Exclusionary Symptoms Include:
• fever 100.4 or above
• cough
• sore or scratchy throat
• nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• new loss of taste or smell
• shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• extreme fatigue

If your child becomes ill while they are at school, they will be brought to the front office to the "sick bed" they may be asked to mask, if age-appropriate, and parents and emergency contacts will be called until someone can be reached to come to pick your child up. Our policy is that your child be picked up within one hour of becoming ill. Upon arrival, you will sign a form that will explain why your child is going home and when they can return. If you ever have any questions about this form, why your child is being sent home, or when they can return, please ask to speak to Patricia directly.

Returning to school after sickness

Before your child may return to school following any illness, they must satisfy the following criteria:

• Anyone with any exclusionary symptoms must not return to school for five days from the onset of symptoms unless they have an alternate diagnosis from their doctor or a negative COVID-19 test,

AND…

• They are fever free for 24 hours with no fever-reducing medication. Note: a fever is 100.4 degrees using an ear, oral, or temporal thermometer and 99.4 under the arm.
• They must be free of vomiting/diarrhea for 24 hours.
• If they have thick or constant nasal discharge should remain home.
• If they have a constant, severe, or uncontrollable cough, they should remain at home.
• If they cannot participate in all classroom daily activities, they should remain at home.

FAQ's

What if I don't test my child or take them to the doctor?

Suppose you choose NOT to get your child tested for COVID-19 or take them to their Doctor for an alternate diagnosis (i.e., an ear infection, croup, strep throat, the flu, and so on). In that case, they will be presumed positive for COVID-19, and they cannot return to school for five days, with day zero being the day of onset of symptoms, and they will be required to wear a mask for an additional five days upon returning to school. If they are two and under and unable to mask, they must remain home for ten days.

If I test my child for COVID-19 and it is negative, when can they return?

With a negative COVID-19 test result, your child can return to school as soon as they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.

Can I use an at-home COVID-19 test for my child to return?

Yes, we accept any COVID-19 test.

If I take my child to the doctor, when can they return?

Once you have received an alternate diagnosis from your child's doctor, they can return to school as soon as they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication and otherwise advised by their doctor.

If my child is not feeling well, should I bring them to school?

You know your child best. If you notice they are not feeling well in the morning, please consider keeping them home to stop the possible spread of any virus. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Why do we still have to test our children for COVID-19 every time they get sick?

It is important to slow or stop the spread of COVID-19 as soon as possible. Knowing if you need to make an appointment for strep, flu, or RSV test if your COVID-19 test is negative is also helpful. Then you have your alternate diagnosis and a possible treatment for your illness.

Will my child's community be told they have been exposed to a contagious illness?

YES! When your child is diagnosed, please email their guide and Patricia. An email will go to your child's community, letting them know what the illness is. If the illness is COVID-19, the email will state when the child was last in class. A child will never be listed by name. Please refrain from sending a communication to parents of students in your child's community about illnesses. We will send the illness notification as soon as we confirm a specific illness. We can only send an email about an illness to our community once we have confirmation from the student's parent confirming a diagnosis. Please email us as soon as possible.

Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to the health and safety of our entire community. We know this will be another great year because we have a fantastic community. As always, please contact any Health & Safety Team member directly if you have any questions or concerns.

In Health,

Patricia Flavin

On behalf of the Health & Safety Team

Corona Virus or COVID-19

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a virus (SARS-CoV-2). It is very contagious and can easily spread. Although vaccinated people sometimes get infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines significantly lowers the risk of getting very sick. Click here to find a COVID-19 vaccine near you.

COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. It sometimes feels like a cold or flu, but it can also harm other parts of the body. Infected people have reported a wide range of symptoms–from mild to severe illness.

COVID Symptoms Can Include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

The virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread up to 2 days prior to persons showing symptoms. People infected with COVID-19 may be able to infect others for up to 10 days after becoming infected. Some people might be able to infect others for an even longer time if they continue to test positive or have symptoms lasting longer than the 10-day incubation period.

Steps you can take to help prevent the spread of COVID

• The first and most important step in preventing Covid is to stay up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccines.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, not your hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Isolate for the required amount of time when you test positive for COVID-19
• Wear a mask when you have ANY symptoms of COVID-19.
• If you are identified as a close contact, you must mask for 10 days.
• If this is a household close contact, you must be in touch with Patricia BEFORE your child comes to school.

Anyone can become infected with COVID-19, even healthy people, and serious problems related to COVID-19 can happen at any age. Still, some people are at higher risk of developing serious COVID-19-related complications if they get sick–like older adults and people with underlying medical conditions–this includes people 65 years and older, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), and pregnant people.

Influenza or Flu

Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. Per the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), the first and most important step in protecting you, your family, and our community from the flu is to get vaccinated. I have included a link here to help you find a flu shot near you.

Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone, and testing will be needed to help confirm a diagnosis.

Flu Symptoms can include:

• Fever or feeling feverish/chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle pain or body aches
• Headache
• Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

People with flu are most contagious in the first 3-4 days after their illness begins. Some otherwise healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five to seven days after becoming sick. Some people, especially young children and people with weakened immune systems, might be able to infect others for an even longer time.

Steps you can take to help prevent the spread of the flu

• The first and most important step in preventing the flu is to get a flu vaccine each year.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, not your hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Anyone can get the flu (even healthy people), and serious problems related to the flu can happen at any age. Still, some people are at higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications if they get sick. This includes people 65 years and older, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), pregnant people, and children younger than five years.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV

Respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. People infected with RSV typically show symptoms within 4 to 6 days after getting infected. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults. RSV can also cause more severe infections, such as bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the small airways in the lung, and pneumonia, an infection of the lungs. It is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children younger than 1 year of age.

Symptoms of RSV infection usually include:

• Runny nose
• Decrease in appetite
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Fever
• Wheezing

People infected with RSV are usually contagious for 3 to 8 days and may become contagious a day or two before showing signs of illness. However, some infants, and people with weakened immune systems, can continue to spread the virus even after they stop showing symptoms for as long as four weeks.

Steps you can take to help prevent the spread of RSV

• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, not your hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid close contact, such as kissing, shaking hands, and sharing cups and eating utensils, with others
• Clean frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs and mobile devices.

Ideally, people with cold-like symptoms should not interact with children at high risk for severe RSV disease, including premature infants, children younger than two years of age with chronic lung or heart conditions, children with weakened immune systems, or children with neuromuscular disorders.

We are looking for a limited number of medical professionals, as well as parents of any profession, to join us on our Health & Safety Team. If you think you might be interested, please email Patricia at patriciaflavin@patriciaflavin@wsmontessori.org.

Winston-Salem Montessori School