Health and safety guidelines and back-to-school procedures and protocols

2021-2022

Overview for 2021
Guiding principles

What is COVID-19 and how does it spread?
What is COVID-19?
How does COVID-19 spread?
How do you protect yourself and others?

What do we know about the Delta variant?

Hygiene habits we will use and teach

What is physical distancing and why should you do it?
What are the current physical distancing recommendations for schools?
What does physical distancing look like at Gordon School?

Cloth face coverings
Why cloth face coverings are important
Cloth face coverings: who wears them, when
Selecting a cloth face covering for school
How to wear cloth face coverings

The difference between cleaning and disinfecting
Cleaning responsibilities at school
Cleaning supplies for classrooms
Basic cleaning and disinfecting procedures
Cleaning and disinfecting shared materials

The healthy classroom
Practices to promote good health
Water
Lunch and snack
Food allergies
Outdoor play and recess
Bathroom protocols
What will a teacher do if a student seems ill?

The physically distanced office
Changes to how we work
Visitor policy

Screening protocols and considerations
My child doesn't feel well. Now what?
Gordon’s approach to screening

Travel guidelines
Information about symptoms

New guidance for symptomatic individuals

Chronic conditions and allergies
Close contacts and household contacts

Quarantine and isolation
Quarantine
Quarantine for close contacts
Quarantine exceptions
Isolation

Dropoff and pickup procedures

Safety and security
Campus security
Evacuation protocols

Overview for 2021

This guide documents the details of the health and safety procedures in place at Gordon in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for the 2021-2022 school year.

A broader view of the preparations for September 2021, including notes on what has changed since Gordon first reopened in the fall of 2020, is at www.gordonschool.org/possibilities. That webpage will give the reader important context for the guidelines below.

A guide for parents whose children don't feel well, in the form of a frequently asked questions list, is at www.gordonschool.org/covidqanda

Notes on travel guidelines, and circumstances when a child might need to stay away from school if they are not ill, are at www.gordonschool.org/travel

Guiding principles for fall 2021

As Gordon planned for the return of students, families, faculty and staff to campus in September, the school's leadership was guided by the following principles:

• We will design protocols that can assure a safe and secure learning and working environment.
• We will work toward achieving the maximum number of days of in-person learning for every student.
• We will maximize what we learned from the experience and success of the 2020-2021 school year and do our best not to recreate the wheel.
• Gordon’s decision making will be guided by the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Rhode Island Department of Education in consultation with our health and safety working group. We will be prepared to adjust protocols as circumstances evolve. We acknowledge that other schools may make different choices for their communities.
• Although COVID-fatigue is a real thing, our protocols will reflect that we are still in a pandemic.
• We acknowledge the importance of supervised, joyful child care until 5:30, and the health and wellness benefits of expanded social groups and after school activities.
• We acknowledge that the majority of our student population is unvaccinated and that one of the most effective ways to keep our community safe is for all eligible students, faculty, staff and caregivers to be fully vaccinated.

  ---

What is COVID-19 and how does it spread?

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is a coronavirus, a virus named for its crownlike appearance. The 19 refers to 2019, when the virus first appeared.

There are a number of other coronaviruses that circulate among humans, including strains that cause the common cold.

Symptoms range from mild to severe and typically show up two to fourteen days after exposure. They include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell
• Headache
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Nasal congestion or runny nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue

Individuals who test positive for the virus might not exhibit symptoms.

How does COVID-19 spread?

COVID-19 spreads mostly through respiratory droplets which can be inhaled or enter the body through the mouth, nose, and eyes.

While it can remain on surfaces, the risk of getting COVID-19 from surfaces is minimal.

How do you protect yourself and others?

Vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting vaccination helps schools safely return to in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports.

Like many schools, Gordon serves children under the age of twelve who are not eligible for vaccination at this time. For schools like Gordon, the CDC recommends using multiple prevention strategies together consistently to protect students, teachers, staff, visitors, and other members of their households and to support in-person learning.

Gordon acknowledges that no single strategy will keep COVID-19 off campus. Therefore, the school has a series of strategies that combine to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus.These include the following:

• Promoting vaccination
• Handwashing and respiratory etiquette
• Consistent and correct mask use
• Physical distancing
• Screening testing
• Ventilation
• Staying home when sick and getting tested
• Contact tracing, in combination with quarantine and isolation
• Cleaning and disinfection

Sources

• CDC Effective preventive strategies for schools
• CDC How COVID-19 spreads page
• CDC How to protect yourself & others 

What do we know about the Delta variant?

Delta is currently the predominant strain of the COVID-19 virus in the United States. The Delta variant causes more infections and spreads faster than early forms of the virus.

What we know:

• The Delta variant is more contagious: The Delta variant is highly contagious, more than 2x as contagious as previous variants.
• It’s still unclear whether or not the Delta variant is more virulent: While there have been some studies in Canada and Scotland that suggest the Delta variant might cause more severe illness than previous strains in unvaccinated persons, Yale Medicine reported as recently as six days ago that other data show no significant difference in severity between delta and early forms of the virus.
• More children are getting the virus, but they aren’t getting sicker than with previous strains: The numbers appear to show that severe illness, hospitalization and death are rare in children infected with the coronavirus. In states where data was available, less than 2% of all child COVID-19 cases required hospitalization and 0.00% to 0.03% were fatal.
• Unvaccinated people remain the greatest concern: Although breakthrough infections happen much less often than infections in unvaccinated people, individuals infected with the Delta variant, including fully vaccinated people with symptomatic breakthrough infections, can transmit it to others. However, the greatest risk of transmission is among unvaccinated people who are much more likely to contract, and therefore transmit the virus.
• Vaccination remains the most effective protection against Delta: Vaccines continue to reduce a person’s risk of contracting the virus that causes COVID-19, including the Delta variant. The COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States are highly effective at preventing severe disease and death, including against the Delta variant. But they are not 100% effective and some fully vaccinated people will become infected (called a breakthrough infection) and experience illness. For such people, the vaccine still provides them strong protection against serious illness and death.

At Gordon, we have been using the following framework to explain the importance of getting vaccinated in the face of the Delta variant:

• Vaccinated people are significantly less likely to contract the virus
• If a vaccinated person (without underlying conditions) does contract the virus, they are significantly less likely to be hospitalized.
• If a vaccinated person contracts the virus and is hospitalized, they are significantly less likely to die.

• Layered prevention strategies, such as wearing masks, are needed to reduce the transmission of the Delta variant: Given what we know about the Delta variant, vaccine effectiveness, and current vaccine coverage, layered prevention strategies, such as wearing masks even if you are vaccinated, are needed to reduce the transmission of this variant.

Sources

• CDC Delta Variant: What we know about the science (updated 08.19.21)
• Yale Medicine 6 Things to Know About the Delta Variant (updated 08.18.21)
• NPR Kids and COVID (updated 08.10.21)
• CDC How to protect yourself & others 

Hygiene habits we will use and teach

These practices are essential for keeping faculty and students free of COVID-19 and will also help to keep them protected from other illnesses such as the common cold, flu, and strep:

• Handwashing

• Wash for a minimum of twenty seconds with warm water and soap.
• Wash palms, between fingers, under nails, front and back of hands, and up your wrists.
• Dry your hands with a paper towel.
  

• Appropriate use of sanitizer

• Washing hands with soap and water is more effective than using hand sanitizer. If soap and water are not available, use a sanitizer solution with at least 60% alcohol to get germs out.
• Different sanitizers may require different amounts for application. Read the label.
• Apply the sanitizer to the palm of your hand and rub all over the surfaces of your hands until they are dry.
• Keep sanitizer out of reach of young children.
  

• Practice respiratory etiquette by covering your cough or sneeze

• Use a tissue when possible and throw it away immediately.
• If a tissue is not available, push your mouth into the upper part of your arm and cover your mouth like a vampire drawing its cape over its face.
• This is most effective when your mouth is completely covered or against your arm, preventing respiratory droplets from spreading.
• Wash your hands after coughing or sneezing.

Sources

• CDC When and how to wash your hands
• CDC Hand hygiene at school
• CDC Respiratory etiquette
• CDC’s How to protect yourself & others 

What is physical distancing and why should you do it?

Sometimes called social distancing, physical distancing is the act of limiting your interaction with others and increasing the space between you and others.

What are the current physical distancing recommendations for schools?

As of August 23, 2021, the CDC and the Rhode Island Department of Health make the following recommendations:

• In stable groups of vaccinated students, physical distancing is not required.
• In stable groups of elementary-aged children or children ineligible for vaccination, physical distancing of at least three feet is recommended as much as possible.
• At least six feet of physical distance is recommended between stable groups for indoor activities in shared spaces (e.g., fifth and sixth grades in the theater at the same time).
• Outdoor learning experiences and dining are encouraged whenever possible.
• During lunch and snack: recommendations require physical distancing of at least three feet when eating unmasked indoors. Gordon will also maintain three feet of distance while eating outdoors. This protocol exceeds the CDC and RIDOH recommendations, but given the unknowns about how contagious the Delta variant is in outdoor settings, the school feels this is the best approach to open the year.

The CDC and the Rhode Island Department of Health recognize the importance of in-person learning. When at least three feet of physical distance is recommended but is not possible, rather than going to remote learning, they recommend in-person learning with other layers of precaution in place.

What does physical distancing look like at Gordon?

Gordon is a progressive, Nursery to eighth grade school. The ages of the students and the nature of experiential education make it more challenging to require physical distancing between students and teachers at all times.

The recommendations above align with many of the distancing protocols Gordon put into place for the 2020-2021 school year. While our stable groups have expanded to the full grade level, and school staff may now move between classrooms, we will continue to employ the multiple layers of safety recommended by RIDOH and the CDC (i.e., universal mask use, screening, ventilation, hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, etc) and continue to take advantage of the benefits our campus provides (i.e., outdoor learning spaces, outside doors for entering and exiting classrooms, limited indoor traffic). See more at gordonschool.org/possibilities.

Sources

• CDC Physical distancing and cohorting 
• CDC’s How to protect yourself & others 

Face coverings (also known as “masks”)

Note: this guideline was updated in January 2022 to reflect the move from cloth masks to medical masks.

Why face coverings are important

COVID-19 primarily spreads through respiratory droplets that can be spread by actions such as coughing, sneezing, talking, and singing.

Face coverings, when worn properly, and especially when combined with physical distancing and hand washing, have proven to be effective in preventing the virus from spreading.

Consistent and correct mask use is especially important indoors and in crowded settings, when physical distancing cannot be maintained.

Face coverings: who wears them, when

• Who should wear face coverings at Gordon

• All employees, in the building and on the outdoor campus
• All students, in the building and on the outdoor campus, including when playing sports.
• Parents and caregivers during arrival and dismissal.

• Parents doing car dropoff or pickup should have masks on when windows are down and talking to Gordon employees or other parents.

• Any visitors to the school building. Masks should be worn as soon as they leave their car to walk to the building.
  

• Face shields

• Face shields are no longer recommended
  

• “Mask breaks”

• Everyone will need to take mask breaks, and there may be moments when mask wearing interferes with a lesson (e.g., when teachers need students to see their mouths for instruction). For mask breaks, physical distancing of at least three feet should be maintained.
• Mask breaks should be mindful moments where students are outside, stationary, and at least three feet apart from other people within their stable group.
• In those instances where a student may be taking a mask break near someone outside their stable cohort, at least six feet of physical distance is recommended.
  

• Meal times

• During meal times, within stable groups, at least three feet of physical distance should be maintained any time that masks are removed.

Selecting a cloth face covering for school

Gordon is asking all students and employees to move from cloth masks to a medical mask by Monday, January 10th.

The following medical masks are made of materials that can effectively filter both the large droplets and small aerosols or particles potentially carrying an airborne virus:

• Three-ply, FDA approved disposable surgical masks
• KN95 masks
• KF94 masks

When selecting a mask, look for...

• Multiple layers of tightly woven, breathable fabric
• A nose wire

Non-acceptable masks:

• Bandanas
• Single layer or masks made of thin fabric that don’t block light
• Neck gaiters (single-layer cloth tubes that wrap around the face)
• Masks with valves (these only protect the wearer)
• Knitted or fleece masks
• Cloth masks

How to wear face coverings

• Putting it on

• Wash your hands.
• If you are using a reusable mask, identify the inside of the mask and always use that side close to your face.
• Cover your nose and mouth, then secure the mask under your chin.
• Make sure your mask fits snugly on your face.
• Make sure you can breathe easily.
  

• While wearing your mask

• Try not to touch your face. If you need to, wash your hands first.
• Try not to touch your mask. If you do, wash your hands afterwards.
• Make sure your face and nose remain covered.
• It’s best not to move your mask around your neck or on your forehead when taking a mask break.
  

• How to take your face covering off

• To remove your mask, start with the loops behind your ears or the ties behind your head.
• Handle it only from the ties.
• Avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, mouth, or nose.
• Fold the outside corners together to avoid contaminating the inside of the mask.
• Wash your hands.

It’s important that students have masks that fit properly. If you notice that your child’s mask is getting stretched out or keeps dropping below their nose, please replace the mask as soon as possible. Gordon will also have a supply of masks in various sizes on hand, so that masks can be replaced, if necessary, during the school day.

The difference between cleaning and disinfecting

Cleaning physically removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces or objects by using soap or detergent and water. This process does not necessarily kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.

Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects. Disinfecting works by using chemicals to kill germs. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.

Cleaning responsibilities at school

Gordon’s Buildings and Grounds crew and the cleaning company will be responsible for cleaning and disinfecting...

• common spaces, including bathrooms in classrooms
• surfaces that are touched often, throughout the day and at night.

Classroom teachers are asked to support the Building and Grounds crew by disinfecting surfaces that are touched often in their rooms regularly. These surfaces include:

• desks and chairs (before and after lunch if lunch is indoors)
• sinks and faucets
• light switches
• doorknobs

The Building and Grounds crew will be doing much of this disinfecting during the school day, but faculty have been asked to incorporate cleaning and disinfecting routines that make sense for the classroom schedule.

Cleaning supplies for classrooms

All classrooms will have hand soap and paper towels for cleaning.

All classrooms will have a supply of alcohol wipes for disinfecting. These wipes kill the COVID-19 virus, are allergen free, and are safe for both teachers and students to use.

For disinfecting, teachers should only use the wipes provided and should not bring products from home or spray any products into the air.

Teachers have been advised to keep cleaning products out of reach of children.

Basic cleaning and disinfecting procedures

To disinfect something in the classroom, wipe the item or surface with the alcohol wipes and allow to air dry completely before using.

Employees and students should wash masks at home regularly according to the care instructions. If a child needs a new mask during the school day, a disposable one can be procured from Health Services.

Cleaning and disinfecting shared materials

Given what we understand about how COVID-19 is transmitted and spread, teachers will not be required to limit the use of shared materials in the classroom. Teachers have been asked to keep physical distancing in mind when considering shared materials and to clean as they normally would to prevent the spread of the common cold and other viruses.

The healthy classroom

The best way to keep the risk of transmission and spread of the virus low is to build routines into the classroom that re-teach and reinforce healthy hygiene habits, including the following:

• Proper and consistent use of masks
• Regular handwashing
• Physical distancing
• Avoid touching of eyes, nose, and mouth
• Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that are touched often
• Alternatives to high fives and hugs such as waving, giving thumbs-up, and air hugs
• Room ventilation

Practices to promote good health

Teachers have been asked to use the outdoors as much as possible.

• Each grade level has designated outdoor classrooms.
• Each outdoor classroom will have a bin with chairs and other supplies.
• Students should remain masked outdoors unless eating or on a mask break.

Teachers have been asked to create a handwashing schedule and maintain easy access to hand sanitizers, if applicable, to make hand hygiene efficient.

• Soap and water are best and hand sanitizer should be used when soap and water are not readily available.
• Hand sanitizers have been installed at every interior and exterior classroom door.

Teachers have been asked to open windows, use the air conditioner in “clean air” mode, and move outside as much as possible.

• Ventilation is critically important in reducing virus spread and air flow sensors have been installed in every classroom.
• Last year, we learned that our classrooms performed exceptionally well even when the windows were open just a few inches. This means that there is no reason for students or teachers to be cold in their classrooms.
• Gordon has installed ventilation sensors in every classroom. The devices are set to notify the Buildings and Grounds team well before there are any air flow concerns.
• Security personnel will continue to monitor the campus this year. This will allow teachers to open classroom doors to increase ventilation if necessary.

Water

• Water fountains cannot be used. Water bottle fillers are scheduled to be installed later this year.
• Until water bottle fillers are installed in the building, students should come to school each day with a filled water bottle and enough water to get through the school day.
• Classrooms will have a supply of water for students who run out. If a student is regularly running out of water, parents will be notified so that a larger water bottle can be procured. Last year, Gordon did have problems with refilling water bottles because of concerns about shared surfaces (i.e., water pitchers or jugs). We do not anticipate this problem this year, but families can be helpful by purchasing large bottles if your child is a big water drinker.

Lunch and snack

• Lunch and snack will take place outside as much as possible.
• Both indoors and outdoors, adults and students should maintain at least three feet of physical distance while eating.
• Nurse Hoey will support teachers in remaining cognizant of food allergies (see next section).
• Students should wash hands before and after eating and should not share food.

Food allergies

• For the 2021-2022 school year, food products containing peanuts and tree nuts will not be allowed in Gordon classrooms.
• Nurse Hoey will work with individual students, teachers, and families to develop safe lunch plans for students with food allergies.

Outdoor play and recess

• Health and hygiene

• Students should wash or sanitize hands when they return from outdoor play or recess.
• To start the year, students will wear masks during recess. They can run, play and socialize with other students in their grade. At least six feet of distance should be maintained between different grade levels.
• Grade levels will have their own designated areas for snack and lunch recess. Seventh and eighth graders will have recess together.
• There are no restrictions regarding shared playground equipment, sports equipment, etc.

Bathroom protocols

It is important that bathrooms be used in a manner that eliminates the possibility of close contacts outside of a student’s stable group. Teachers will encourage these bathroom habits:

• No social gatherings in the bathroom
• No idling: if students are not actively using or walking toward a bathroom fixture, it is time to leave
• If bathroom is at capacity, students will wait outside in the hall or look to see if another bathroom assigned to them is available
• No use of air dryers.
• Washing of hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Use of bathrooms

• Nursery through fourth grade have been assigned bathrooms, or fixtures within bathrooms, solely for their grade's use.
• Grade level bathrooms are not assigned in the Middle School. Students will enter and exit quickly to avoid close contact with students in another grade level.
• Faculty and staff can use any bathrooms in the building.

What will a teacher do if a student seems ill?

• As a reminder, symptoms may include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell
• Headache
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Nasal congestion or runny nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue

• If a student becomes ill during the school day, the teacher or school will:
  

• Ensure that the sick individual is wearing a mask
• Radio Nurse Hoey and let her know a student is on the way. Middle School students can walk themselves down. If it is not possible for a teacher or teaching assistant to escort a younger student, Nurse Hoey will go to the classroom and escort them to the Health Services isolation space: the Home Zone.
• Remember to maintain the student’s privacy.
• Follow the cleaning protocol for the classroom in case of a sick child.
• Contact the child’s caregiver for pickup within the hour.
• Depending on the advice from the Rhode Island Department of Health, the school will follow up as directed.

• If an adult becomes ill during the school day, they will:
  

• Try to separate themselves from other people.
• Arrange for coverage, if needed, and then go home immediately.
• Once at home, follow the protocols outlined in the screening considerations section of this handbook, which may include rest, contacting Nurse Hoey or their healthcare provider, or getting a COVID-19 test.

The physically distanced office

Though all Gordon employees are fully vaccinated and It is very unlikely that COVID-19 would be transmitted or spread through shared surfaces and brief human encounters, the following protocols are in place to reduce the number of possible close contacts should there be a COVID-19 infection. These protocols will also prevent the spread of other kinds of viruses like the common cold.

Changes to how we work

• How adults greet and interact with each other will change
  

• While hugs and handshakes returned for a brief time this summer, it’s best to avoid them as the year begins.
• Waves, “foot fives” and other non-touch greetings from afar will return.
• Faculty and staff are encouraged to find ways and help students find ways to show emotion, feeling, and warmth when they cannot see each other’s faces.
  

• Most changes to office setups, break rooms, shared spaces and shared equipment will continue with a focus on hand hygiene, ventilation and distancing.
  
• We are proud that all Gordon employees are fully vaccinated, but they have been told not to come to school if they are sick.
  

• Many of us are guilty of coming into work when we’re not feeling as well as usual because we have important meetings, lots of work, don’t want to burden our colleagues, or are used to pushing through the illness. This year, showing up sick could needlessly expose our school community to the COVID-19 virus.

Visitor policy

The following visitor policies will reduce the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus:

• Until October 1st, visitors to the Gordon building are restricted to essential personnel only. Essential personnel are defined as people who need to be in the building to do their work and other personnel whose business cannot be conducted virtually.
• Should faculty or staff need to welcome a visitor into the building, every attempt should be made to schedule in-person visits outside of school hours and never when a space is occupied by students.
• All visitors will complete the guest safety app using a QR code or the link www.gordonschool.org/guest 
• Visitors to the building must wear a face covering at all times.
• Visitor movement within the building is to be limited to the fullest extent possible.
• Parents are not allowed in the building unless it is determined necessary by a member of the Leadership Team or Nurse Hoey.
• This policy excludes cleaning company personnel and the admissions office who are guided by a separate protocol.
• Gordon will reevaluate the visitor policy by October 1st and update the community on any revisions.

Screening protocols and considerations

My child doesn't feel well. Now what?

An extremely detailed step-by-step explanation of this question, and all its implications, is at www.gordonschool.org/covidqanda

Gordon’s approach to screening

Gordon will be using a variation on the most recent screening tool provided by the Rhode Island Department of Health. You may notice other schools or businesses using a different or modified set of questions. Gordon developed its questions by modifying the COVID-19 Employee and Client Screening Tool to acknowledge the fact that the majority of our student body is unvaccinated and to support our commitment to maximizing in-person learning for all Gordon students.

The purpose of any health screening tool is to identify anyone who may possibly be infectious. The ultimate objective is to keep sick people off campus.

All Gordon faculty, staff and students will be asked to complete the safety app each day.

Travel guidelines

The current CDC and Rhode Island guidelines strongly recommend, but do not require, that all unvaccinated domestic travelers get a PCR test upon return to Rhode Island and also quarantine for seven days.

Requiring testing and quarantining after travel implies that travel is somehow more dangerous than other activities like attending crowded, local social events, which it is not.

After conversations with our health and safety team, and bearing in mind Gordon’s multiple layers of safety, we are asking families to respond to the safety app honestly, and continue to follow the health and safety strategies that have been proven to limit the transmission and spread of COVID-19 (masking, hand hygiene, distancing, etc.). The Rhode Island travel recommendations and guidelines are subject to change and we will keep you informed of any changes to Gordon’s travel policy.

Information about symptoms

You can find the list of symptoms of COVID-19 on page 7 of the Rhode Island Outbreak Response Protocols for Pre K-12 Schools. We have also been calling this document the “RI Playbook" and we have created a shortcut to it at www.gordonschool.org/playbook. 

An important update from last year: the playbook no longer makes a distinction between being “symptomatic” and being a “probable case.” Now, in the absence of a more likely diagnosis, any person with one or more of the following symptoms should be considered a “probable case,” indicating the need for a COVID-19 test.

Symptoms of COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Cough (new)
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell (new)
• Headache
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Nasal congestion or runny nose (new)
• Muscle or body aches
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue

New guidance for symptomatic individuals

The current guidance from the Department of Health indicates that if a child or adult is experiencing any symptom of COVID-19, they should stay home, seek medical advice, and get a PCR test.

Gordon has decided to provide symptomatic students, faculty and staff with the following options to in order to return to campus:

• Symptomatic individuals who only have one symptom, and have been fever free for twenty-four hours without use of fever-reducing medication, and have seen the symptom improve and are back to usual health can return without a PCR test.
• Symptomatic Individuals (one symptom) who are not back to their usual health within twenty-four hours or have worsening or additional new symptoms of COVID-19 can only return with a negative PCR test and attestation form.
• Symptomatic individuals with two or more symptoms must get a PCR test and can only return with a negative result and attestation form. The attestation form can be found at www.gordonschool.org/attestation.
• Important note: if an individual has one of the four “major” symptoms of COVID-19: new cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or loss of smell, the individual should stay home and get a PCR test. The individual can return to campus with a negative PCR test result and an attestation form.

According to the RI Playbook, unvaccinated household contacts of a symptomatic individual always have to stay home while the individual recovers (within twenty-four hours) or awaits the results of their COVID-19 test.

This sounds like there will be a lot of people staying home.

Probably. Some patients with COVID-19 have presented with only one mild symptom or atypical symptoms, so health care providers may recommend testing even when a child has only one symptom.

We will learn a lot in the first weeks of school. But the potential inconvenience is worth it to avoid a possible outbreak of any illness at Gordon. Taking twenty-four hours to determine the appropriate school response and provide the right direction to employees and families will give us the best possible chance to keep our school safe and keep our doors open.

Chronic conditions and allergies

When an adult or child with a history of allergies or some other chronic condition has a new onset of ANY symptom, the Department of Health instructs families to assume that it’s COVID-19 and not allergies. The symptomatic person should stay home, contact their healthcare provider, and get a PCR test.

If the symptoms are a result of allergies, then the symptoms could be present for as long as the allergen is present. This could be for weeks or longer.

Therefore, the symptomatic person may come to school as long as there is no fever, no new symptoms of COVID-19, and no sudden change in symptoms. The school will also need a note from the symptomatic individual’s doctor indicating that the symptoms are due to a chronic condition.

If there is any new additional COVID-19 symptom or sudden change or worsening of symptoms, particularly runny nose or nasal congestion, then the symptomatic person should stay home, seek medical advice and get tested, as required, to return to school.

Close contacts, household contacts and positive cases

The Rhode Island Department of Health defines close contact with an infected person as “being within six feet of an infected person, with or without a face mask, for at least fifteen minutes, or having unprotected direct contact with secretions or excretions of a person with confirmed COVID-19 during their infectious period.”

Individuals living in the same household are considered household contacts. The definition of a household contact is the same as a close contact. However, the isolation or quarantine protocols may differ between the two.

Last year at Gordon, students and teachers in the same house were considered close contacts. For the 2021-2022 school year, close contacts of a positive case will need to be determined on a case-by-case basis through contact tracing.

To determine close contacts, Gordon and the Rhode Island Department of Health will be looking at whether or not physical distancing was able to be maintained at all times during the exposure to the infected person.

Quarantine and isolation

Quarantine 

Quarantine is for unvaccinated individuals who were identified as a close contact to an infected person:

• Quarantine keeps someone who may have been exposed to the virus away from others.
• These individuals must stay home and monitor for symptoms.
• Last date of exposure is considered “Day Zero” for quarantine.

Quarantine for close contacts

• Close contacts of a positive case must remain in quarantine for seven days from the last day they were in contact with the infected individual. The close contact should get a PCR or antigen test on day five or later and continue to watch for symptoms through day fourteen.
• If the results of the PCR or antigen test are negative, the person may return to Gordon’s campus on day eight.
• The last day of exposure is day zero of quarantine.

Quarantine exceptions

• School close contacts of a confirmed positive case do not have to quarantine if they are vaccinated.
• Currently, the RI playbook indicates that vaccinated household contacts of a confirmed positive do NOT have to quarantine. However, given the more contagious nature of the Delta variant, Gordon will require vaccinated household contacts of a positive case to quarantine.
• Students who are in the same stable group as a positive student case may be exempt from quarantine. Through the contact tracing process, Nurse Hoey will work in consultation with the Department of Health to determine if there are student close contacts in an impacted grade that meet the quarantine exemption requirements. Details about the K-12 quarantine exemption can be found in the RI Playbook.

Isolation

Isolation is for the ill or infected. It involves...

• Separating individuals who are infected with COVID-19 from others.
• Staying home and isolating from household members as much as possible.

Duration of isolation depends on whether the individual is:

• Symptomatic or asymptomatic
• Immunocompromised

Generally, individuals who test positive for COVID-19 will need to isolate for ten days from first onset of symptoms or, if they are not showing symptoms, ten days from the date they were first tested.

In consultation with the Department of Health, Nurse Hoey will advise infected individuals and their families on isolation, including quarantine instructions for household contacts. You can find out more about isolation protocols in the RI Playbook. 

Dropoff and pickup procedures

The parent and caregiver's guide to dropoff and pickup is at www.gordonschool.org/dropoff

Safety and security

Campus security

Due to the increased use of outdoor classrooms and the recommendations to open doors to increase ventilation, Gordon has hired security to patrol and monitor the campus from 7:45am to 3:30pm each day.

Evacuation drills

Evacuation drills are performed regularly throughout the school year. For the first drill of the school year, the school receptionist Kim O’Donnell alerts the division directors so teachers (especially in Early Childhood) can be prepared and prepare the students. Following that, evacuation drills will occur without warning.

For the 2021-22 school year, Gordon will not conduct any lockdown drills with students.