Health Considerations

Decisions about return to school and the strategies used to mitigate the risk of COVID 19 transmission will be made in collaboration with students’ family, the student’s medical healthcare team, the nurses and educational staff.

COVID-19 Isolation Room

A nurse will triage and assess any individuals who are feeling unwell or present with any symptoms of Covid. A clinical decision will be made about next steps. Those with new onset of symptom(s) may be asked to isolate and be dismissed from school. We have designated a space for this within the health office suite. An employee will be present until the parent/guardian arrives to pick up the student.

Student Dismissal:

We ask that you pick up your child as soon as possible or within 30 minutes after a call is received that student will be dismissed due to illness. Parents/Guardians will need to call the health office at 802 383-6094 or 802 383-6040 to alert staff that they are in the parking lot. A member of the health office team will escort your child outside.

Low Risk

For individuals with solitary symptoms such as sore throat, nasal congestion, muscle ache, fatigue, diarrhea or rash, may be dismissed and may return 24 hours after symptom resolution

Moderate Risk

If more than 2 symptoms not including fever or fever and one symptom or fever alone, individual will be dismissed and may return at least 10 days after symptom onset of symptoms of which at least 24 hours of symptoms resolution without the use of fever-reducing medications.

High Risk

Individuals with a known Covid exposure and any symptom will be dismissed and likely will require covid testing.

Negative test: individual may return 7 days after onset of symptoms

Positive test: may return at least 10 days after onset of symptoms with at least 24 hours of symptom resolution without the use of fever-reducing medications.

Contact tracing is a strategy used to determine the source of an infection and how it is spreading. Finding people who are close contacts to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 and therefore at higher risk of becoming infected themselves, can help prevent further spread of the virus.

The Winooski School District health office team and educational staff will partner with the Vermont Department of Health on contact tracing.

• Role of the Health Department:

  • • When there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the school, a member of the contact tracing team will reach out to the case to identify close contacts.

    • The contacting tracing team will also reach out to school administration to determine next steps regarding exposure to students and staff.

    • If there is a cluster of cases in the school, the Health Department will work with school administrators to address and mitigate the situation.

• Role of the school:

  • Take measures so that persons exposed can be more easily traced :

    • Assigned seating in each class

    • Attendance in every class including teachers and contractors

    • Accurate records of any visitors other than students or staff, reason they visit, anyone they were within less that 6 feet from and areas of the building they were in

Hand Hygiene

How to’s of Hand Washing:

1. First wet your hands with water

2. Add soap

3. Scrub hands on all surfaces for 20 seconds

4. Rinse off soap and water

5. Dry hands with paper towel

6. Turn off faucet with the paper towel

• • All students, staff and contracted service providers should engage in hand hygiene at the following times:

    • Arrival to the facility

    • After staff breaks

    • Before and after preparing food or drinks

    • Before and after eating, handling food or feeding students

    • Before and after administering medication or medical ointment

    • After using the toilet or helping a child use the bathroom

    • After coming in contact with bodily fluid

    • Before and after handling facial coverings/face shields

    • After handling animals or cleaning up animal waste

    • After playing outdoors

    • Before and after playing with sand and sensory play

    • After handling garbage

    • Before and after cleaning

    • Prior to switching rooms or locations

  • Posters describing hand washing steps will be placed near sinks.

• • If hands are not visibly dirty, alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol can be used if soap and water are not readily available (monitor for ingestion of hand sanitizer among young children).

Facial Coverings & Personal Protective Equipment

• • All staff and students are required to wear facial coverings while in the building, as well as outside where physical distancing cannot be maintained.

  • The following stipulations are for students, as well as staff, where applicable:

    • Facial coverings are developmentally appropriate when children can properly put on, take off, and not touch or suck on the covering.

    • Students who have a medical or behavioral reason for not wearing a facial covering should not be required to wear one. These decisions should be made in partnership with the health care provider and school nurse.

    • Students/staff should not wear facial coverings while sleeping, eating or swimming (or when they would get wet).

    • Facial coverings with ties are not recommended for young children as they pose a risk of choking or strangulation.

    • Facial coverings may be removed during outdoor activities where students and staff can maintain physical distancing and have ready access to put them back as needed when activity stops.

    • Staff may take off their facial covering in select circumstances when physical distancing cannot be maintained, such as when a parent/caregiver is hearing impaired and reads lips to communicate.

    • The use of clear facial shields for students and adults is allowable as long as they meet all of the health guidance of the Vermont Department of Health.

Parents/Guardians of students with chronic medical conditions or that take daily medications at school are asked to contact their child’s doctor and request the following information:

1. Medication orders from the doctor

2. Medical emergency action plans

3. Please deliver prescription medications in the original pharmacy labeled bottles

A member of the health office team will reach out to you when they return to school the week of August 17th about scheduling at time to drop off the requested items