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Health & Safety

As we welcome our students and staff back to our schools for the 2021-2022 school year, health and safety are our top priorities.  As a result, the following measures and protocols have been implemented to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
COVID-19 Diagnostic Screening Testing

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COVID-19 Diagnostic Screening Testing
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SUHSD now offers COVID-19 diagnostic screening testing to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Through our partnership with Worksite Labs, any staff member, student, or family member who wishes to get tested will be able to at no cost with or without symptoms or exposure at any designated locations.
 
The testing program will launch on Monday, September 20, 2021 and will be available on-site Monday through Friday from 9:30AM-5:30PM at the locations listed below:
 
  • Mondays: Woodside + Carlmont
  • Tuesdays: Menlo-Atherton + Sequoia
  • Wednesdays: East Palo Alto Academy
  • Thursdays: Woodside + Carlmont
  • Fridays: Menlo-Atherton + Sequoia
  • 1st Wednesday of the Month: TIDE Academy 
  • 2nd Wednesday of the Month: Redwood 
 
Please read our COVID-19 Testing Program Overview and COVID-19 Testing Program FAQs for information and details on:
 
  • Testing Process
  • Test Results
  • Testing Registration
  • Testing Sites, Dates and Times
  • Customer Support
Masks/Face Covering

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Masks/Face Covering
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SUSHD will follow the California Department of Public Health K-12 Schools Reopening Framework and Guidance (CDPH Framework), directives and guidance from the San Mateo County Public Health Department (SMCPHD), and San Mateo County Coalition for Safe Schools and Communities Pandemic Recovery Framework, which require K-12 students to wear masks indoors, with exemptions. Adults in K-12 school settings are also required to mask when sharing indoor spaces with students or others. Masks are optional outdoors for all in K-12 school settings, including during activities and sports. 
 
Students that inadvertently forget a mask or those students that do not wear masks will be provided one; students that need extra support following health and safety measures will experience a restorative justice and MTSS-aligned education opportunity. Parents/guardians will be included in the education program; students that continue demonstrating the need for additional support will have a parent/guardian conference to discuss a transition to the district’s Independent Studies program under AB130.
Exemptions include but are not limited to:
 
  • Persons younger than two years old 
  • Persons with a medical condition or mental health condition
  • Persons with a disability that prevents wearing a mask
  • Persons who are hearing impaired or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication
  • Persons for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to the person related to their work as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.
 
For more information, you can visit:
Handwashing and Respiratory Etiquette

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Handwashing and Respiratory Etiquette
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Staff, students and visitors will practice handwashing and respiratory etiquette (covering coughs and sneezes) to keep from getting and spreading infectious illnesses, including COVID-19. SUHSD will monitor and reinforce these behaviors and provide adequate handwashing supplies.
 
SUHSD will continue to promote handwashing and provide adequate supplies for COVID-19 prevention.
For more information, you can visit:
 
 
Health Checks/Screening

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Health Checks/Screening
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All students, staff, and visitors are required to screen themselves for COVID-19 symptoms and/or potential exposure daily before entering any SUHSD school campus or facility. 
 
Although the daily health screening will not be submitted to your school or district, people should remain offsite and notify the appropriate school staff member of their absence reason when any of the following are true:
 
In the last 5 days, person has:
 
  • Tested Positive for COVID-19
  • Been a close contact to someone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19 (within 6 feet of the individual for at least 15 minutes or been coughed or sneezed on)
  • Been a close contact to someone feeling symptoms of COVID-19 (within 6 feet of the individual for at least 15 minutes or been coughed or sneezed on)
  • Been identified by a healthcare provider, public health department, or contact tracer as someone who should get tested
 
In the last 24 hours, person has experienced any of the following symptoms:
 
  • Fever or feeling feverish (chills, sweating)
  • Cough that's new or worsening (continuous, more than usual)
  • Shortness of breath (out of breath or unable to breathe deeply)
  • Sore throat (not related to seasonal allergies or other known causes/conditions)
  • New headache that is unusual or long-lasting (not related to migraines or recurring headaches)
  • Unexplained muscle or body aches
  • Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
  • New loss of taste or smell
COVID-19 Positive Case Protocol

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COVID-19 Positive Case Protocol
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The following steps will be taken when a person tests positive for COVID:
 
STEP 1: Positive case is reported to the School Health team.
 
STEP 2: School Health team in collaboration with district office staff initiates case investigation, in collaboration with San Mateo County Health.
 
STEP 3: School Health team in collaboration with district office staff initiates contact tracing, in collaboration with San Mateo County Health.
 
STEP 4: Notify and communicate with identified close contacts regarding exposure, referring them to testing, monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms, connecting contacts to resources to support self-quarantine or modified quarantine. (Refer to Contact Tracing Flowchart)
 
STEP 5: A General Exposure Notice will be sent to classmates, guardians, teachers, and others potentially exposed during the case's infectious period on campus. AB 685 Notice will be sent to all staff who were on campus at the same time as the positive case's infectious period.
 
STEP 6: Complete internal reporting with information compiled from steps 1-4.
 
STEP 7: Complete San Mateo County Health reporting with information compiled from steps 1-4.
 
STEP 8: Complete San Mateo County Office of Education reporting with information compiled from steps 1-4.
 
STEP 9: Site Administration confirms affected spaces were disinfected, per guidelines.
 
Please note: each case is unique; response is determined in consultation with SMC Health. Additional measures may occur.
 
Contact Tracing, Isolation, Quarantine, Collaboration with State and Local Health Departments

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Contact Tracing, Isolation, Quarantine, Collaboration with State and Local Health Departments
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The District will continue to work with SMCPHD on contact tracing and to receive isolation and quarantine recommendations and direction for employees and students with COVID-19 or who have been exposed (close contact) to COVID-19.
 
*Note: a close contact is defined as someone who was within six feet for a total of 15 minutes or more within 2 days prior to illness onset, regardless of whether the contact was wearing a mask.
 
The District will continue to collaborate with state and local health departments, to the extent allowable by privacy laws and other applicable laws, to confidentially provide information about people diagnosed with or exposed to COVID-19.
 
For more information, you can visit:
Post Exposure Testing and Screening 

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Post Exposure Testing and Screening 
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SUHSD offers post-exposure testing for staff who may have been exposed to COVID-19 or are identified as close contacts to a positive case in the school setting; staff and students will also be referred to their healthcare provider. 
 
Testing Recommendations & Resources: 

Cleaning and Maintaining Healthy Facilities, including Improving Ventilation

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Cleaning and Maintaining Healthy Facilities, including Improving Ventilation
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Healthy Facilities 
SUHSD is using EPA approved products that are designed to combat COVID-19 to clean and sanitize classrooms and surfaces, as listed below:
 
  • Broad Spectrum Disinfectant – Multi-Surface Cleaner
  • Disinfects and deodorizes by killing common germs and controlling their odors
  • Antibacterial, Germicidal, and Fungicidal
  • Cleans tough messes, removes food stains, removes bathroom dirt and stains and is tough on soap scum and grease
  • Deodorizes and has a clean, fresh scent
  • Peroxide Multi-Surface Cleaner and Disinfectant
  • Easily disinfects high-touch-points
  • Kills SARS-CoV-2 in 30 seconds
  • Kills Norovirus in 45 seconds
The custodial staff will ensure that restrooms are clean and sanitized throughout the day, as well as other high touch areas, as listed below:
 
  • Offices 
  • Door handles 
  • Countertops
  • Entrances
  • Hallways
  • Stairwells
  • Classrooms
  • No-touch water bottle filling stations 
Ventilation
 
Maintenance and Operation staff have completed an audit for the HVAC system district-wide. The district has increased fresh outside air changes in each room to be compliant with the Center for Disease Controls requirements for indoor ventilation during COVID-19. This includes the addition of wall exhaust fans for certain rooms. Other room units have had modifications, such as a larger outside air duct installed to achieve the higher air change requirements. Proper air changes during occupancy have been implemented during lunch and passing periods. 
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