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COVID-19 Questionnaire
Dear SMMCS Families,
On August 10th, the Archdiocese and the Catholic Schools Office sent out a notification that all schools would require masks at this time. As of now, masks will be mandatory for all entering the school. We will continue to monitor the status of COVID –19 and make changes accordingly. While we would love to get back to a normal school year, the health and safety of our SMMCS family comes first. Please read the revised Health and Safety Plan for the new school year. We pray that this is only temporary and will be closely monitoring the situation, making changes that keep our SMMCS family safe.
Cloth Face Coverings Use and Maintenance
Wearing cloth face coverings are required for all staff members and students, regardless of vaccine status. We will teach and reinforce the proper use of masks for students and staff as much as possible throughout the school day. Wearing a mask of at least 2 ply materials, pinched at the nose, is most important when students and staff cannot maintain 6 feet of distance between each other. No student or staff member will be allowed to enter the school without a face mask. Face shields may be worn along with a mask, but not as the only face covering. New research shows face shields to be ineffective when used alone. No buffs, bandanas, or loose face coverings will be allowed in place of mask. No masks will be worn while outside. Masks can be removed while at desk due to the use of barriers in our classrooms as we did last year.
Classrooms will be set up to create and maintain as much space between individuals as possible during the day, recognizing that it is not always feasible to have 6 feet of social distancing, but every effort will be made to keep as much distance between students as possible. The clear barriers will be used between desks in the classroom.
Hygiene practices
Daily routines of hand hygiene will be included into the classroom schedule for all students and staff, including handwashing and sanitation breaks during or between classroom activities.
We will teach and reinforce handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and the safe use of hand sanitizer that contains at least 75% alcohol by staff and older students.- Students will always be under the supervision of staff when using any hand sanitizers.
- Any children or staff with sensitivity or skin reactions to hand sanitizer can use soap and water.
- Staff will reinforce handwashing during key times including but not limited to: arrival and dismissal; before, during, and after preparing or eating food; after using the bathroom; after blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing; after touching objects with bare hands that have been handled by other people.
- Nurse will do handwashing activities with students to teach proper hand hygiene and avoiding germs.
- Children be reminded to keep from touching face as much as possible.
- To promote health at home, shower and change clothes upon getting home and “wash the day’s germs away”—especially before climbing into your bed.
- Keep long hair up and out of the face—hair acts as a big air filter and traps particles and germs.
- Shoes and any belongings going into the school will be sprayed with an appropriate disinfectant spray before entering.
For some fun activities to do with your children and teach them about proper hand hygiene, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/training-education.html
Video pf proper hand washing:
https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/handhygiene/index.html
Lunches and Water Bottles
We will have our class lunches in the classrooms this year. Students may bring their lunch or buy hot lunches. All students should bring their water bottles to refill during the day. The water fountains will not be available for use.
Backpacks and Personal Items
Students are allowed to bring their backpacks and personal items. Please make sure your student has a change of clothes every day. There will be no extra clothes on site to lend them. Accidents happen no matter the age so make sure they have a back up. Lockers for the middle school students will be used this year and they may keep personal items in their lockers
Visitors:
Visitation will be limited to essential visitors who have a scheduled appointment. This includes parents and volunteers. There will be more information regarding the first day of school visitor policy at the Parent Expo. Please check our website for any updates regarding the visitor policy.
Monitoring and Excluding for IllnessYOU MUST SCREEN YOUR CHILD BEFORE COMING TO SCHOOL
*Ask them how they feel.
* Look at them—do they look like they feel ok?
*Have you been around anyone who is ill? Is anyone ill at home?
*Are you or anyone in the home experiencing any of the symptoms:
- Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 (24 hours fever free before return to school.)
- Loss of taste or smell
- Cough
- Difficulty breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Headache
- Chills
- Sore throat
- Shaking or exaggerated shivering
- Significant muscle pain or ache
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
IF YES TO ANY OF THESE, ONE MUST STAY HOME & KEEP SIBLINGS HOME UNTIL A DIAGNOSIS IS DETERMINED.
** Please note that regular screening for symptoms, and ongoing monitoring throughout the school day will be conducted as this can help to quickly identify signs of illness and help reduce exposure. Staff and students should be encouraged to self-monitor symptoms throughout the day. Staff or students who develop symptoms during the school day must notify school nurse immediately.
Siblings of Sick Students
If you have multiple children attending SMMCS and one of your children is sick, you must keep all of your children home until COVID-19 is ruled out. Once the sick child has received a negative COVID-19 test result and alternate diagnosis, the other children may return to school. The sick child must stay home until symptoms have improved or resolved. If the sick child is positive for COVID-19, siblings then will be in exposure quarantine protocol as defined in this document.People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.
Please report immediately if you or your child have symptoms of COVID-19, a positive test for COVID-19, or had a close exposure to someone with COVID-19 within the last 14 days and stay home. Reporting this to Nurse Lori will remain consistent with applicable laws and privacy policies, including with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
- 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
- Students, Staff, and Parents will prescreen prior to coming to school. Random temperature checks will be conducted during the day.
- DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL SICK. If you or anyone in the home is sick—keep your child home.
Siblings of students who are ill with COVID symptoms should remain home until a negative diagnosis is confirmed through proper testing of the ill student. We must limit exposure to our other students and staff as much as possible.
**Please do not medicate your child for a fever and send them to school. Doing this could mask symptoms of a serious illness and expose other children and staff members. Violators of this policy will be turned over to Administration and could face expulsion.
Handling suspected or confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 at SMMCS
For staff or students who have been sent home, or exhibit signs of Covid19 please see the criteria for returning to school below.
Any lab confirmed positive cases at school will be reported to the Harris County Health Department and the CSO, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and a contact tracing will be conducted. We will close off areas that are heavily used by the individual with the lab-confirmed case (student, teacher, or staff) until the non-porous surfaces in those areas can be disinfected. Consistent with school notification requirements for other communicable diseases, and consistent with legal confidentiality requirements, we will notify all teachers, staff, and families of all students in the school if a lab-confirmed COVID-19 case is identified among students, teachers, or staff who participate in any on campus activities.
Make-Up Work
Students out with illness or quarantine will be required to email their teachers and arrange to pick up work or to develop a make-up work schedule with their teacher, as no asynchronous learning is available at this time. Teachers and staff will work with parents and students to get caught up.
Positive test—when can student/staff return to school?
In the case an individual who was diagnosed with COVID-19, the individual may return to school when all three of the following criteria are met:❑ 1 day (24 hours) has passed since recovery (resolution of fever without the use
of fever-reducing medications); and
❑ the individual has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of
breath); and
❑ at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
Student/ staff who are exposed to COVID –How long will I be out?
If you have been in close contact* with an infected individual, you have been exposed. The period this year for individuals who were exposed to COVID-19 are as follows:- 7-day quarantine with PCR test and NO symptoms: Individual tests on day 5 or after exposure and after receiving a negative PCR test and having no symptoms may return on day 8. The individual is then monitored for symptoms and isolates with mask on until the 14th day at school for symptoms.
- 10-day quarantine with NO test and NO symptoms: If you choose not to have a PCR test and have no symptoms the individual may return on day 11. The individual is then monitored for symptoms and isolates with mask on until the 14th day at school.
- If the individual has or develops symptoms, they must immediately self-isolate and retest for COVID-19.
*Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes in a 24 hour period. An infected person can spread COVID starting from 2 days before they have any symptoms at all.
Symptomatic Individual - I am sick, what does the school need?
If an individual has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to school
or work the individual must:- Obtain medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on a negative PCR COVID-19 test and an alternative diagnosis. (if they provide only a negative PCR, with no alternative diagnosis, they may not return until symptoms cease.) No rapid or home tests will be accepted.
Or—if no PCR test
- May return school or work after 10 days with 24-hour fever-free and non-use of fever reducing medications and symptoms have ceased or improved.
People who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 3 months and recovered do not have to quarantine or get tested again as long as they do not develop new symptoms. Individual must show positive COVID-19 test result with date of specimen
Who does not have to quarantine?**In the event of a student or staff member reporting or exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID19, they will be isolated and sent home. Students will have to be picked up in 30 minutes as per SMMCS Family Handbook. A letter will be sent to the class’ parents to alert them of possible exposure so they can watch out for signs and symptoms.
This is a fluid situation that is based on the most recent guidelines provided by the CDC and TCCB-ED. This may change due to the ever-evolving conditions within our community. Updates will be immediately posted on our website and sent to parents if needed.
Please monitor the SMMCS website for COVID resources and protocol changes. -
