NPMS Health and Safety Protocols

2022-23 School Year

Last Updated: Aug 15, 2022

GENERAL SAFETY MEASURES

  • Face masks are required when on campus except while eating or drinking. Recommend KF 94, N95 or KN95 if possible.

  • All people coming onto campus are encouraged to maintain physical distancing whenever possible and perform frequent hand hygiene to prevent spread of germs.

  • Only teachers, teacher’s aids, and students should be in the classroom when in session,
    With the following exceptions, for whom vaccination records will be captured:

    • Classes Pre-K through 1st grade, and CFL1-2

    • Room Parents

  • Parents may enter the campus to drop off their children. If parents want to remain on campus, please remain in the outdoor courtyard. Parents may enter the campus to sit in the outdoor courtyard to accompany children during their breaks.

  • Attendance of all students, teachers, and teacher’s aids will be kept for each session in case contact-tracing needs to be carried out.

  • COVID-19 Vaccination is strongly recommended. To be considered fully vaccinated and up to date on your vaccination series, a person must have completed their primary vaccine series and any eligible booster doses as recommended and defined by the CDC.

  • Before coming to school, it is strongly recommended that families perform a quick health screen (check for fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea) to ensure no one is feeling sick. Persons with new fevers, cough, or other symptoms of COVID-19 should not be present on campus, and rather should rest at home and test themselves for COVID-19.

  • Families are asked to report all cases of COVID-19 to the school by emailing covid-admin@npms.org so that appropriate health and safety protocols can be activated.


PROTOCOL FOR THOSE NEWLY ILL ON CAMPUS

If a student or staff member becomes ill (develops headache, sore throat, cough, or fever) during the course of the school day, they will be isolated from the rest of the students. Parents and/or guardians will be asked via cellphone to pick up their student immediately. Testing for COVID-19 should be performed by the parent at home. Health professional advice should also be sought, especially if moderate or severe symptoms develop. All positive tests should be reported to NPMS staff by emailing covid-admin@npms.org so that appropriate health and safety protocols can be activated.


DEFINING CLOSE CONTACTS

Average COVID-19 infectious window starts two days before symptom onset through a week or more after symptoms begin. Students and staff who shared a classroom with the infected person during this infectious window will be considered close contacts. For example, if NPMS receives notice that a student tests positive for COVID-19 on Monday, those persons sharing a classroom on the Saturday prior will be considered close contacts. For more information, see CDC guidance on defining close contacts.


ENDING ISOLATION FOR COVID-19 INFECTED INDIVIDUAL AND RETURNING TO NPMS

We will follow CDC guidance for ending isolation.

  • MILD ILLNESS: If your illness was mild and you are without fever for 24hrs without the use of fever-reducing medications, with no other symptoms of sickness, then you may end your isolation and return to NPMS for classes.

  • MODERATE ILLNESS: If you experienced shortness of breath and/or had difficulty breathing, then you must isolate for a full 10 days before returning to NPMS.

  • SEVERE ILLNESS or WEAK IMMUNE SYSTEM: If you were so sick that you required hospitalization, or if you have a weakened immune system, then you have a higher chance of shedding COVID-19 virus for a prolonged period. Please consult your doctor for guidance before ending your isolation.

Regardless of when you end isolation, avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 for at least 10 days. Continue to wear a high-quality mask when indoors or when you are in public. When two sequential COVID-19 antigen tests are negative at least 48hours apart, then you may return to the NPMS program. If you opt not to test with antigen tests, then you must continue to wear a mask when in public through day 10 (or potentially longer if you experienced severe illness and are instructed to do so by your doctor).


PROTOCOL FOR CLOSE CONTACTS OF THOSE INFECTED WITH COVID-19

For anyone who is a close contact (either while at NPMS or while at home or in the community), CDC guidance will be followed. You should wear a high-quality mask through day 10 after the exposure when indoors and in public. Get tested immediately and at least 5 days after exposure to ensure you remain negative even if you don’t feel any symptoms. Do not go places where you are unable to wear a mask. Even if you test negative on day 5, continue to wear a mask through day 10 after the exposure because you can still develop COVID-19 up to 10 days after you have been exposed.


GENERAL CAVEAT FOR THESE NPMS HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES

Because guidelines can evolve, recommendations may change. If protocols need to be adjusted, NPMS will send out additional information. The current Health and Safety protocols are based on CDC guidance as of August 11, 2022.