Per the American Academy of Pediatrics

• Individuals who exit isolation after 5 days post-symptom onset or positive test should wear a face mask for all activity around other individuals for a total of 10 days from onset of symptoms or positive COVID-19 test, including for all physical activity. If a face mask cannot be worn during their sport (ie, swimming/diving), these individuals may participate in other physical activity as part of their progression until their 10 days has been completed and then can return to their sport without a mask.

Please follow the instructions below. If you have an issue you can email a picture of the card to your school nurse.

If your child is experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, you need to keep your child home and have them tested as soon as possible. 

• Teacher or staff excuses student(s) from classroom, cohort or area within the school. Alert the School Nurse. If masking is not required at the school, provide student with mask as soon as possible.
• School Nurse takes individual(s) to isolation room/area and ensures individual(s) is/are properly supervised and masked. The parent, guardian, or caregiver is called. Arrangements are made for student(s) to either go home and seek medical attention. Note: If multiple ill individual(s) must be placed in the same isolation room/area, ensure mask use and stay at least 6 feet apart while supervised.
• Parent, guardian, or caregiver picks up student(s). Parent, guardian, or caregiver contacts healthcare provider for evaluation and possible COVID-19 test. Note: School can perform Flex Flow Rapid  testing and follow steps noted during the training process/PADOH guidelines for response to results. Parental consent is required and can be found in Power School under forms for you to complete. This test is OPTIONAL. It is only for symptomatic students/staff
• Clean and disinfect areas that the ill individuals(s) occupied. Ventilate the area(s), wait as long as possible before cleaning to let virus particles settle (at least several hours), and use personal protective equipment (including any protection needed for the cleaning and disinfection products) to reduce risk of infection. The later is done after school hours by the cleaning staff.

Power school will have an icon for mask requested by parent/guardian which will appear on teacher attendance sheets. Please notify Deb Sweeney, dsweeney@wssd.org or your child's school nurse of this request so we can add the icon in PowerSchool for your child.

WSSD maintains the ventilation systems in accordance with American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards. American Industrial Hygiene Association publication “Reducing the Risk of COVID-19 using Engineering Controls” indicates a relative risk reduction (in the transmission of the SARSCoV-2 virus) of 95% is achieved by establishing 6 air changes per hour (ACH). WSSD building HVAC Systems had the filtration upgraded and were tested before students returned to in person learning to ensure the systems meet or exceed the recommended air changes per hour. Our Heating Ventilating Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems continue to run as engineered, and the district continually ensures systems operate properly. WSSD currently only uses portable HEPA filters in smaller work areas which do not have adequate ventilation. Increased circulation of outdoor air by opening windows and doors is also permitted.

WSSD is working with our Environmental Risk Engineers to monitor CO2 levels as we transition to mask-optional situations to ensure our building ventilation systems are working as designed in all areas of our schools.

Contact tracing has been in place since we returned to school with our hybrid model in September, 2020. The district plans to continue with the contact tracing process though the end of the school year.

The definition of a close contact remains the same. Defined through Proximity and Duration of Exposure: Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person (confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three separate 5-minute exposures equaling a total of 15 minutes.

An infected person can spread SARS-CoV-2 starting from 2 days before they have any symptoms (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days before the positive specimen collection date), until they have meet the criteria for discontinuing home isolation.

The K-12 exception will no longer apply.

Zoom protocols will remain in place.  If you are unable to attend school in-person due to quarantine or isolation, attending via Zoom will be done synchronously and will not be considered an absence. Zooming is only permissible if your absence is related to COVID-19. Building principals are the liaison regarding Zoom and online education. 

Your child will be able to Zoom if teachers receive notification by 5 p.m. as follows:

Monday = Wednesday start on Zoom
Tuesday = Thursday start on Zoom
Wednesday = Friday start on Zoom
Thursday = Monday start on Zoom
Friday = Tuesday start on Zoom
Saturday/Sunday = Wednesday start on Zoom

You will not need to wait for results. Your contact information is at the bottom of the QR code, if your child tests positive you will hear from one of the nurses within 15-20 minutes.

Extreme temperatures may effect the time development of test results. Please be aware that you may need to wait up to 30 minutes prior to sending your child to school. Late passes will be provided.

Please contact our Lead Covid Nurse, Deb Sweeney, at dsweeney@wssd.org.

See the FAQs: Test to Stay section on this page for the Test to Stay program information.

A completed consent form located in the Forms section of PowerSchool is required to test your child.

Download document here.

We encourage people to use Personic Health at the Springfield Mall parking lot (1250 Baltimore Pk. in Springfield). They do both a rapid antigen test and a PCR at the same time. Please mention you want the PCR. The turn around time on a PCR is approximately 48 hours. Their signs say that they take both sign ups and "walk-ins". If you are un-insured it is not a problem as Personic Health will test the uninsured.  

LabCorp is now offering asymptomatic return to school testing. 

Binax Home Kits are acceptable only for a positive result. Any home testing kit that is negative requires either a PCR for clearance or five days of isolation - whichever you are able to achieve first.

Student(s)/ Staff found to have COVID-19 will begin home isolation.

LEAD COVID Nurse in conjunction with the building school nurse starts a list of close contacts of the ill individual(s)and informs staff, parents, guardians, or caregivers of close contacts of possible exposure.

LEAD COVID Nurse alongside the school nurse works with local health officials to assess spread and support follow up with staff, parents, guardians, or caregivers of student(s) that had contact with the ill student(s).

The ill individual(s) can return to school and end isolation once the following are met:

5 days out from the start of the symptoms, AND
Symptoms are resolving or you are symptoms free
Fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication, AND
Continue to Mask for an additional 5 days

****the five day count begins day of symptoms onset or day of test positivity in asymptomatic individuals****

IF the Student/Staff is symptomatic in school they will be provided with CUE testing. If they are home, they will be sent for confirmatory PCR testing.

If the Student/Staff is asymptomatic they can return to the normal academic day with CUE testing in school. If home, please contact dsweeney@wssd.org if known exposure has occurred for proper testing window. (See definition of Close Contact on FAQs.)

What is it?

• A process that prevents further transmission of disease by separating people who have (or may have) an infectious disease from people who do not.

Who performs it in the School?

• Community Health Nurses: Public health staff, like the committed School nurses, are the backbone of contact tracing. All additional resources put in place are to help bolster and strengthen the long-term infrastructure of COVID-19 contact tracing efforts. 

Close Contact through Proximity and Duration of Exposure: Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person (confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three separate 5-minute exposures equaling a total of 15 minutes). An infected person can spread SARS-CoV-2 starting from 2 days before they have any symptoms (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days before the positive specimen collection date), until they have meet the criteria for discontinuing home isolation.

Delaware County Department of Health\

• If vaccinated and asymptomatic: None, please refer to previous question.
• If unvaccinated and asymptomatic: quarantine for 5 days - see previous question.

Household close contact – vaccinated:

Per our Health and Safety Plan, close contacts will receive the following guidance:

• Get tested at least 5 days after your first exposure. A person with COVID-19 is considered infectious starting 2 days before they develop symptoms, or 2 days before the date of their positive test if they do not have symptoms.
• Get tested again at least 5 days after the end of isolation for the person with COVID-19.
• Wear a well-fitting maskwhen you are around the person with COVID-19, and do this throughout their isolation period.
• Wear a well-fitting maskaround others for 10 days after the infected person’s isolation period ends.

Available to all vaccinated close contacts

TEST TO STAY (Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Spencer house 6:45-8:15a on Middle school grounds)

Please see: Overview and Requirements for Test to Stay

A positive individual should stay at home for 5 days and continue to wear a mask for 5 additional days. The 5-day count for isolation begins the day after symptom onset or the day after test positivity in asymptomatic individuals. Upon returning to school, for 5 days, staff and students will be placed in an alternative lunch setting. 

Asymptomatic staff and students to continue attending school in person under a 7-day “modified quarantine” during periods of high community transmission (otherwise known as “mask to stay”). Individuals who are exposed to COVID-19 from others outside of their household may attend school and will be required to wear a mask at all times during this 7-day period. 

A student or staff member should participate in only online or virtual school activities during their quarantine period.  They may complete work or assignments from home during this time, depending on how well they feel.  They can engage with other students, teachers, or staff through phone conversations, online meetings, or fully virtual engagement.

It is important for a student or staff member in quarantine to remain at home, separated from other people as much as possible, during the entire quarantine period. They should not attend other extra-curricular or social activities while they are in quarantine. They should not participate in activities like sporting events, play dates, parties, social and family gatherings, music or theater performances, and other events where they may come into contact with other people. To prevent other people from possibly getting COVID-19, make every effort to limit the person’s contact with other people, including members of their household, while they are in quarantine, even if the person is wearing a mask.

If you are unable to attend school in-person due to quarantine or isolation, attending via Zoom will be done synchronously and will not be considered an absence. Zooming is only permissible if your absence is related to COVID-19. Building principals are the liaison regarding Zoom and online education. 

Your child will be able to Zoom if teachers receive notification by 5 p.m. as follows:

Monday = Wednesday start on Zoom
Tuesday = Thursday start on Zoom
Wednesday = Friday start on Zoom
Thursday = Monday start on Zoom
Friday = Tuesday start on Zoom
Saturday/Sunday = Wednesday start on Zoom

Secondary Students
A student who has a positive COVID-19 test or has been placed in quarantine for COVID-19 exposure is permitted to begin attending all classes via Zoom within 24 hours of teacher notification. Students may remain in “Zoom attendance status” for the duration of the quarantine/isolation.

Elementary Students
A student who has a positive COVID-19 test or has been placed in quarantine for COVID-19 exposure is permitted to begin attending core courses (Math & Reading, Morning Meeting, and any services they receive) via Zoom within 24 hours of teacher notification. Students may remain in “Zoom attendance status” for the duration of the quarantine/isolation. Note: Devices will be made available to students within the 24 hour time period for elementary students. Secondary students should have devices with them at all times.

You will need to submit proof of testing to Debbie Sweeney, dsweeney@wssd.org, so that she can give permission to  Zoom while your student awaits the results.

Students who are ill, for reasons outside of COVID-19, are not permitted to attend classes via Zoom. Learning and subsequent make-up work will be handled in the manner in which it took place prior to the pandemic.

Students will use the Learning Management System for his/her/their school level (SeeSaw K-2, Google Classroom 3-12) for the submission of assignments and other teacher/class correspondence.