Each case will be evaluated based upon the individual circumstances and may be handled differently as determined by medical professionals, CDC, and Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services. Q: At what point do you send a child home from school? A: (from our handbook) Children and staff who have any of the following symptoms are required to stay home. Children and staff that develop any of the following symptoms while in school will be sent home immediately. - Cough - Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing - Chills - Repeated shaking with chills - Muscle pain or body aches - Headache - New Rash - Congestion or runny nose - Nausea or vomiting - Sore throat - Loss of taste or smell - Diarrhea - Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.4 degrees This list does not include all possible symptoms. HPUMC Day School will defer to the CDC website for the most up-to-date information, as we continue to learn more about COVID-19. Q: I have two children enrolled. One has a runny nose and cough, and the other child feels fine. Do they both need to stay home? A: Yes. The child with no symptoms is in close contact with the child who is experiencing symptoms. Both children will need to remain at home for the exclusion period. Q: If my child is sick, when can he/she return to school? A: (from handbook) Your child may only return to school until he/she has met one of the following criteria:
Q: Does my child need to have a COVID test in order to return? A: No. You may keep your child at home for 10 days following the onset of symptoms. Your child must also be symptom free for at least 24 hours prior to returning to school, without the use of medication. Q: My child has seasonal allergies that are causing runny nose and sneezing, which are listed as symptoms of COVID. How will you know the difference? A: We encourage you to speak with your pediatrician regarding a treatment plan to manage and prevent those ongoing symptoms. We are not able to determine the difference, as COVID symptoms can apply to many common illnesses, especially allergies, cold, and flu. Some people have very mild or no symptoms. Please provide a physician statement regarding your child’s known allergies and treatment plan for our records. Q: Children have runny noses all the time. Are you going to exclude or require a physician’s note each time? A: Yes, if it is a new or worsening symptom that has not been evaluated by a medical professional. We must take every precaution to protect all of the children and staff. We understand that it is inconvenient, especially for mild symptoms; however, these are unprecedented times with rapidly changing information as we learn more about COVID-19. It is highly contagious. Q: If a teacher or child tests positive for COVID, how will you determine what actions to take? A: We will gather information regarding symptoms and when they first began, when the person was present in the Day School, and who was in close contact. We will make a report of communicable disease to the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services and to Child Care Regulation. They will provide additional guidance, and their determinations are final. Q: How soon after I am exposed to someone with COVID-19 will I start to have symptoms? A: Please consult with your physician. Additional information from Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services about contact with COVID-19 can be found here. Q: What should I do if my child gets COVID-19? A: Click here for guidelines set forth by Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services on what to do if you or your child gets COVID-19. Q: You closed the school for one day to deep clean after a person tested positive. Are you going to close the whole school every time? A: No. We do not anticipate closing the school again unless we are instructed to do so by the Health Department. The closure was after our first positive COVID-19 exposure in the school and with close contact to others. The positive test was reported on a Sunday afternoon and several employees were exposed. We have since strengthened our preparedness plan to take every measure to prevent a school-wide closure. We are required to close a classroom where a confirmed positive test and close contact exposure has occurred, but this should not affect the rest of the school. We will evaluate on a case by case basis. Q: Will the entire school receive notification if someone tests positive? A: Yes. We will notify all families and employees if an enrolled child or Day School employee tests positive for COVID-19. This message will be sent in Brightwheel. The classroom directly affected will be notified if an exposure has occurred requiring quarantine. Q: Will you identify the person who tests positive? A: No. Our communication will use the following language: On <DATE>, we received confirmation that an individual present at the Day School has tested positive for COVID-19. This individual was last present at the Day School on <DATE>. We will not designate if the individual who tests positive for COVID-19 is an employee or a child in order to maintain confidentiality. Scenarios that we have experienced: 1) A co-worker of a parent tested positive and was in close proximity with the parent during the 2-3 days prior to onset of symptoms. The children stayed home while the parent was tested and waiting for results. Since the parent was exposed and could be infected, all household members could potentially be infected and contagious without having any symptoms yet. The parent’s test was negative, so the children were able to return. If the parent had not been tested, the children would have been required to be excluded for 14 days 2) Day School employee tested positive after experiencing loss of taste and smell. The employee had not been at work for the 5 days before this started. The Health Department determined that there was no risk of exposure in the school. The employee quarantined for 10 days following the positive test. In order to return before the 10 days, the person must have two negative COVID-19 test results that are at least 24 hours apart. 3) A parent tested positive after having very mild symptoms. The rest of the family tested the following day. A child tested positive with no symptoms. The child had been present within the 2-3 days prior to the parent’s onset of symptoms and their own positive test result. The classroom was closed and those families and employees were required to be excluded for 14 days while monitoring their own health. The COVID-19 Parent Handbook is posted here on the Day School Parent Portal. This version is updated as new information becomes available and is reviewed by the Day School COVID-19 Task Force and Church Leadership prior to changes being implemented. |
Amy LawsonHPUMC Day School Director Archives
April 2021
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