Safe School Plan

2024-2025 Hilldale's Safe School Plan: Covid Specific Policies and Practices included

Hilldale is proud to have successfully maintained its rigorous academic standards and deeply nurturing community during the pandemic. As always, we remain committed to supporting our families and our staff.

VACCINATION:

All students and staff are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. There is no requirement currently for boosters; nevertheless, boosters remain strongly recommended.
All students and staff are required to be vaccinated against influenza.

VISITORS & VOLUNTEERS:

Visitors and volunteers must sign in every time they come onto campus in the main office to assist with contact tracing.
Visitors who are symptomatic are required to mask or leave campus.

TESTING:

Symptomatic testing is conducted whenever a child experiences symptoms.
Response testing is conducted when there is a known close contact.
Screening testing will be conducted at the discretion of the administration and based on the current environment.
Over the counter (OTC) COVID-19 testing is required for all students and staff prior to returning from breaks or if students have been sick at home. Families who travel via plane should also test between Days 3-5 of return home.
1. Families need to report results to the office.
All families will need to register their children through Primary.Health so that the school may administer tests and test results. Only one parent from each family is able to receive results through their system.
https://sesamecare.com/covid is a resource for those who want a Free Virtual COVID-19 visit for children and adults 12 years and up.

TRAVEL

People who travel via plane are required to self-test upon return and again within 3-5 Days after returning (or sooner if symptomatic).
If masks are not worn on the plane, masks must be worn at school until a negative test is received between Days 3-5 after arrival.
Monitor for symptoms for at least 5 days.

MASKS:

Masks are optional, but no one will be disallowed from wearing one.
1. If directed to do so by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) or California Department of Public Health (CDPH) or San Mateo County Office of Health this policy will change.
2. All students MUST have at least one mask in their backpack for times when it is necessary to wear it as directed by school personnel.
If a member of a student or staff’s household is currently positive, students and staff must wear a mask at school for the duration of the household member’s positive result, AND until they have a negative test after the case is no longer positive.
Close contacts must wear a mask if symptomatic or until they receive a negative test between Days 3 and 5 of exposure.
Cloth masks are not an acceptable face covering. Masks may be surgical masks, KF94, N95, or KN95 (or similar) to qualify for an acceptable face covering.

Additional Resources and Graphs on Masks

Observing Symptoms and Reporting Cases

What do I do if my child has symptoms?

Contact Mr. Lee, Office Manger at [email protected].
Test your child at home.
Report the test results to the school.
Keep your child out of school (unless minor sniffles or symptoms are known to be due to allergies).
Monitor your child's symptoms.
Return your child to school only after a negative test result AND when they are fever-free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medication) AND when symptoms have improved.

What do I do if my child tests positive?

Your child must follow a minimum 3-day quarantine from the onset of symptoms (or the first positive test). Your child may return to school after Day 3 if:

Your child tests negative for COVID on an antigen test, AND
All symptoms resolve, AND
Your child is fever free for at least 24 hours (without medication).
NOTE: Your child may not return to school if they are symptomatic and positive on an antigen test, as this indicates that they are likely contagious.
NOTE: If your asymptomatic child returns prior to testing negative (Day 4 or later), they must wear a mask for the duration of the positive period.

Calculating Day 0:

If positive and symptomatic, the day the case first experienced symptoms is Day 0. The next full day is Day 1, regardless of when the case first tested positive.

If positive and asymptomatic, the day the case first tested positive is Day 0. The next full day is Day 1.

In all POSITIVE cases:

Parents should also notify all close contacts* outside of school.
The school will notify the class (and teachers) that a child has tested positively in their class.
No quarantine is required unless they become symptomatic. The class will be tested immediately and between Days 3-5.

*Close Contact means sharing with a person, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, during the person’s infectious period, the same indoor space or outdoor space for fifteen minutes over a twenty-four-hour period, whether that fifteen minutes occurs in one unit of time, or over a series of incremental periods. Close contact in an outdoor space is defined as being within six feet of an infected person for that fifteen-minute cumulative period.

What do I do if my child was a close contact?

No quarantine is required unless the close contact becomes symptomatic.
The close contact should be tested immediately and between Days 3-5 (whether at school or at home).
The close contact is encouraged to wear a mask indoors at school until cleared on the second test between Days 3-5 of contact with the positive case.
Close Contact means sharing with a person, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, during the person’s infectious period, the same indoor space or outdoor space for fifteen minutes over a twenty-four-hour period, whether that fifteen minutes occurs in one unit of time, or over a series of incremental periods. Close contact in an outdoor space is defined as being within six feet of an infected person for that fifteen-minute cumulative period.
Indoor space is defined as less than or equal to 400,000 cubic feet per floor. (Examples include a home, a clinic waiting room, or an airplane.) Spaces such as offices or waiting areas fully separated with floor-to-ceiling walls are considered distinct indoor air spaces.
Outdoor space means outside or in an indoor space with more than 400,000 cubic feet per floor. (Examples include open-plan offices, warehouses, large retail stores, manufacturing, or food processing facilities.)
Infectious period for a symptomatic person is from two days prior to the onset of symptoms through Day 10. If a fever is present, the person must be fever free for an additional one day post Day 10 and if symptoms have improved.
Infectious period for an asymptomatic person is from two days prior to the positive test result through Day 10 unless a negative test result is obtained between Days 5-10.

What do I do if someone in my house other than my child tests positive?

The sibling(s) and parents (and all household members) should test immediately, between Days 3-5, and again on Day 10 if the household member remains positive.
The case should be isolated from the family and should wear an N95 mask (or similar) if leaving their isolation area (i.e. to use the bathroom).
The household members must monitor for symptoms and are strongly recommended to mask in any shared spaces at home.
Once the case tests negative, household members should test again in 3-5 days and continue to monitor for symptoms for the duration of the positive case.
The negative-testing child or sibling may attend school throughout the duration of the household member’s positive test, but must wear a mask when indoors (or outdoors if in very close proximity) if the case has not isolated.
If an additional family member(s) become symptomatic or test positive, the process resets for the other members of the house.

Do both my kids have to stay home if only one is positive?