Saint Catherine of Siena School will be following the NJ Department of Health Covid-19 guidelines for the 2023-2024 school year. These guidelines are subject to change throughout the school year.
- Saint Catherine of Siena School is mask optional/friendly. Exceptions include:
- Asymptomatic individuals returning to school after Covid-19 positive diagnosis on days 6-10 both indoors and outdoors. • Specific recommendations by the Department of Health (i.e., significant increase in transmission or outbreak) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
- Isolation is required for individuals who test positive for Covid-19 and students/staff must stay home when experiencing symptoms of Covid-19. Day 0 is the first day of symptoms or positive test with no symptoms. Day 1 would be the following 24 hours and day 2 would be the next day. Please notify School Nurse via phone/email, as the Department of Health monitors numbers of weekly Covid-19 cases in the school and district. The student can return to school with a mask on days 6 – 10 if he/she has NO symptoms of Covid-19 OR If the student/students have access to antigen tests, you should consider using them. With two sequential negative tests 48 hours apart, you may remove your mask sooner than day 10.
- Quarantine is no longer recommended for people who are exposed to Covid-19 in schools and early Childhood Education settings (CDC, August 2022). However, it is strongly recommended that the student wear a mask for ten days if exposed to Covid-19 at home or in the community.
- SCS will not provide remote access to our classrooms due to Covid related absences. We are moving back to pre-pandemic protocols, therefore, absences for Covid-19 or other illnesses will be handled like any other absence and school work can be picked up after 3:00 pm. Please call the main office or send an email to Mrs. Wilson (t.wilson@scs-school-cedargrovenj.org) by 8:00 am and request missed school work via phone/ email.
- In addition to the above requirements, parents make masking and testing decisions for themselves and their children – in school and out in the community. Please understand that your child/children could be exposed to Covid-19 at any time.
- If your child experiences any signs of Covid-19 or infectious illness during the school day including: Flu like symptoms- fever, headache chills, body-aches, sore throat, cough, runny nose and severe congestion, vomiting, diarrhea, red/swollen/itchy eye(s), open sores on nose, mouth or other areas of the body, a parent will be notified to pick the child up within 45 minutes of the first call home. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
- Students must be fever free for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medications before returning to school. The child must be free from vomiting for 24 hours before they return. If placed on antibiotics, the child cannot return until they have been on the medication for 24 hours.
- The NJDOH recommends all staff and students get vaccinated for Covid-19. Children 6 months and older are eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine and children older than 5 are eligible for a booster. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html
Some useful links: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/parentsforhealthyschools/ p4hs.htm
