MA COVID update – Aug 30, 2021
Dear MA Families,
Faculty Week is here! We met as a full staff this morning outside in the courtyard, and oh my goodness, did it feel good to reunite the team again. 🙂 We spent a large chunk of time in a workshop re-connecting with each other, and we can’t wait for your children to join us in this important work as well.
Last Friday, the Ministry of Education changed the screening protocols and we wanted to highlight the updates with you.
Changes with the Screening Tool
- Reduced symptom list – there are now only 5 core COVID symptoms you are screening for in your child. As per regular protocols, all sick individuals with any symptoms of illness – including those with symptoms not included on the screening tool – should stay home and seek assessment from their regular health care provider, if required.
- More questions – there are now 8 questions on the screening tool including a question about a positive screen on a rapid antigen or home-based self-testing kit.
- Consideration for immunization status – asymptomatic individuals who are fully immunized (equal to or more than 14 days after receiving their second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series or their first dose of a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine series) or who were previously positive within the past 90 days and have since been cleared, are not required to isolate if they are in contact with an individual who is symptomatic or who tests positive for COVID-19, unless otherwise directed by the public health unit.
- Isolation period – asymptomatic high-risk close contacts of a case are now required to isolate for 10 days, unless they are fully immunized or previously tested positive, as above.
- Siblings and other people in the household of the individual identified as a high-risk close contact can go to school, child care or work, but must not leave the home for other non-essential reasons. Household members who are fully immunized or who previously tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days and have since been cleared are not required to stay home.
- International travel – unvaccinated children under the age of 12 are now exempt from federal quarantine if they travelled in the company of someone who qualified for an exemption from quarantine based on vaccination status. However, they may not attend school or child care for 14 days after their arrival.
Change in Process
All staff and parents are required to complete the provincial screening tool and record the result in the Google Form provided. The links can be found below.
- This must be completed by 7:15 a.m. as all results need to be confirmed by the school before students start arriving for the early hours programs.
- Below you will find the link for every classroom. Please bookmark this form so you have easy access to it every morning. The school will also send out a reminder text message each day for the first two weeks of school starting Sept. 7.
- For the Elementary and Junior High, this is currently required for the first two weeks of school. For Toddler and Casa families, it will be ongoing.
- For parents who arrive without screening their child, you will be directed to stay outside of the building until this process is completed. Classroom teachers will review the results of each student’s screening and any student who is missing, a staff member will approach the parents upon arrival and you are to complete the process at your vehicle. At the Toddler and Casa levels, this will likely be the Site Supervisors at each of the locations and at Elementary we will have a staff member stationed on the sidewalk on both Kenneth and Piccadilly.
If you have a child participating in Phasing-in, you need to complete the process to come for the visit.
- Here’s a link to the Online Provincial Screening ToolÂ
- Here is link to a PDF of the COVID_screening_Student_Child Care_AODA.pdf
Self-Screening Links:Â Please log into the MA Parent Portal and visit your child(ren)’s Classroom Bulletin Board to find a link to the self-screening Google Forms.
As always, as things evolve and change, we will continue to adapt and adjust all of our protocols and procedures, while keeping you all informed. We look forward to meeting our new families in person at the outdoor parent information sessions!
Be well,
Tina Sartori
Executive Director
Executive Director