Health and Safety Protocols, including:
Masks
Physical Distancing
Daily Health Screening
Frequent Hand-washing
Stay at Home When Sick or Symptomatic
Return to School Following Illness/ Symptoms
Contact Tracing and Quarantine/Isolation
Our goal is to keep our students learning safely in person for the whole school year! In order to do that, it is important we follow all health and safety protocols that help reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Thank you for reinforcing these expectations with your children.
(Updated 12/16/21)
COVID-19 infection rates in Oswego County remain very high. It is as important as ever that all members of our school community continue to follow our COVID safety protocols.
Complete the daily health screening for each enrolled child: This is an excellent way to establish a routine of assessing your child's health status each day before school. It will help them learn to self-monitor and report symptoms when they occur.
Keep your child home if they are sick or have symptoms: Get your child COVID tested when they are symptomatic (see symptomatic testing update above). A symptomatic student may return to school only when they have a negative test result , their ymptoms are resolving and they are fever-free without medication for at least 24 hours.
Remind your child to wear mask over their mouth and nose while at school and on the bus.
Help your child understand the importance of maintaining physical distance from others.
Have children wash their hands often.
Vaccinations are available for children age 5 and older. Please reach out to your child's doctor , the Oswergo County Department of Health or our school nurses if you need information.
Limit potential exposure by avoiding large indoor gatherings.
(Updated 12/16/21)
In NYS, health regulations require that masks be worn in our schools at all times. This includes all school events and activities. This requirement applies to the school day, as well as any after-hours events.
Commissioner’s determination pursuant to 10 NYCRR 2.60:
"The state’s masking requirement is extended to any gathering on school grounds...where students are or may reasonably be expected to be present."
This means that:
Students, staff and visitors over the age of two must wear masks that cover their mouths and noses.
Visitors not wearing masks will be reminded to put one on and offered a mask, if needed. Those who do not comply will be directed to leave school property.
Communication will also be sent to families of students who participate in athletics and extracurricular activities outlining these requirements and expectations for attending events.
Students and staff will be required to wear masks/face coverings when indoors and on school district transportation, regardless of vaccination status.
Visitors/spectators will be required to wear masks at indoor events.
Masks are not required outdoors.
Masks will be provided to staff, students and visitors who do not have their own.
Mask breaks will be provided throughout the school day.
FCSD will follow current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance to maximize physical distancing in school and at school activities, while still providing in-person learning for all students. This balance will include:
Maintain three feet of distance in classrooms, whenever possible.
Physical distancing is not currently required on school bus transportation.
Physical distancing will be maintained at six feet for certain activities, such as physical education and music, whenever possible.
Seating charts will be maintained for contact tracing purposes.
Families and staff will continue to complete daily health screenings online.
Families should complete the daily health screening each day.
Families will receive the daily screening form via text, FCSD app and email.
Families will receive an email with their child's lunch ID which will be used to complete their daily health screening.
Families will also get reminder calls/messages about the health screening when it is not completed.
Wash frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Use hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.
All students and staff must stay at home when they are sick or have any of the following symptoms:
Temperature of 100 degrees or higher
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
Any student with new or worsening symptoms of COVID-19 must stay home from school, regardless of vaccination status. If a student is at school and has symptoms they will be sent home by the nurse.
To return to school, the student must:
have a negative COVID test result, o
remain out of school for a minimum of 10 calendar days from the day symptoms began.
In addition, in order to return to school, symptoms must be improving and the child must be fever-free without medication for at least 24 hours.
If your child has a documented, pre-existing medical condition, with symptoms that are not new or worsening, or a chronic condition or acute illness with symptoms that are unchanged, please consult with the school nurse at your child's school about required documentation. In some very specific cases, alternate documentation can be provided in place of a negative COVID test result.
Quarantine and isolation orders come from the Department of Health.
FCSD assists with contact tracing by providing information about close contacts*, duration of exposure, vaccination status and mask-wearing.
Vaccinated individuals who have been in close contact* with a COVID positive individual are not required to quarantine, as long as they do not have symptoms. Individuals who have been exposed to COVID should monitor closely for symptoms.
Unvaccinated individuals who have been in close contact* with a COVID positive individual will be required to quarantine.
Individuals who are COVID positive are required to isolate.
*Close contact currently is defined as a person within 6 feet for 15 min. or more over a 24-hour period.