School Nurse / COVID-19 Masking & Health Guidelines

Our COVID-19 Health Guidelines
We are looking forward to a successful 2022–2023 school year as we learn how to live healthy and productive lives with COVID-19. This would not be possible without guidance from the MA Department of Public Health (MA DPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC Guidelines put forth on August 11, 2022, and the MA DPH Guidelines became effective on August 15, 2022, are outlined below.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO STUDENTS & PARENTS
For any medical issue you might have, including surgery, illness, exposure to a COVID-positive individual, or if they need to be tested or have been tested for COVID-19, please notify our school nurses and NOT the academic or shop teachers.

Fever & Symptoms
We have learned that many symptoms of COVID-19 are the same as the flu, a bad cold, or bad allergies. Please do not assume it is another condition. When in doubt, keep your child home.

COVID-19 Symptoms
• Fever (100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or higher), chills or shaking chills
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• New loss of taste or smell
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Cough (not due to other known causes, such as a chronic cough)
• Sore throat when in combination with other symptoms
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea when in combination with other symptoms
• Headache when in combination with other symptoms
• Fatigue when in combination with other symptoms
• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies)
when in combination with other symptoms

We understand it is impossible to get through a school year without illness. For this reason, please call our Nurse's Office at 508–529–7758 x3006 or x3005 to discuss any symptoms your child may be experiencing and whether they should come to school or not. We acknowledge that this time frame is too late as students are already en-route to school. Again, when in doubt, keep your student home. For these families, you can call the Nurse's Office any time after 8:00 a.m. to further discuss and have questions answered.

Illness at School
For students who become ill at school and are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, they will be in a separate part of the health suite, away from any staff or students who do not have ill-appearing symptoms. Please make sure your Emergency Contact Information is up-to-date in PowerSchool and with the Nurses' Office so that if your child is dismissed due to illness, it can be done promptly.

Quarantine & Isolation
Regardless of vaccination status, QUARANTINE is no longer required.

• All exposed individuals may continue to attend school as long as they remain
asymptomatic.
• It is recommended individuals mask through day 10 after exposure.
• It is recommended you test on day 6 after exposure. Day zero is the day of exposure.Symptomatic individuals
• Should perform a rapid antigen test at home.
• If a home test is negative, they may return to school if symptoms remain mild,
they have been fever free for 24 hours without Tylenol/Ibuprofen, or if a medical
professional makes an alternative diagnosis. A negative test is strongly recommended
for a return to campus.
• Upon return, they should wear a face mask until symptoms are fully resolved.
• DPH recommends a second test within 48 hours if the initial test is negative.

Isolation
• Students and staff who test positive must be isolated for 5 days.
• Day zero is the day of a positive test for asymptomatic individuals OR the first day of
symptoms for symptomatic individuals.
• Students and staff may return to school on day 6 if they have no symptoms of illness,
their symptoms of illness are greatly improved, and they have been fever free for
24 hours without Tylenol/Ibuprofen.