Staying Up to Date on Vaccinations

According to the CDPH Guidance:

"Vaccinations prevent illness by working with the body's natural defenses to help safely develop immunity to disease. Not only do vaccinations provide individual-level protection, but high vaccination coverage reduces the burden of disease in schools and communities and may help protect individuals who are not vaccinated or those who may not develop a strong immune response from vaccination.

1. Recommended Actions:
   a. California strongly recommends that all eligible individuals get vaccinated against COVID-19 and remain up-to-date to protect oneself and reduce transmission of the virus.
   
   b. Additionally, children have fallen behind on receiving other vaccines over the course of pandemic, placing them and their communities at increased risk of falling ill from other vaccine-preventable illnesses. Schools should review statutory requirements for vaccination requirements for entry into K–12 schools and visit Shots for School for information."

To locate a free COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Santa Clara County, visit sccfreevax.org or phone 2-1-1.

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Optimizing Indoor Air Quality

To ensure healthy indoor air quality we have optimized our ventilation systems in accordance with the CDPH Guidance on Ventilation. Our HVAC systems are equipped with Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) 13 filters. A MERV rating of 13 or higher (MERV 13+) means that the filter gets rid of at least 90% of the particles the size of virus-containing aerosols.

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Using Facemasks

The CDPH guidance recommends use of face coverings for all staff and students, regardless of vaccination status.

Masks, particularly high-quality and well-fitting masks (PDF), remain highly effective, inexpensive, and dynamic tools to protect oneself and mitigate transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory pathogens.

In accordance with the guidance:

• Wearing masks is no longer a requirement for K-12 and Childcare settings, regardless of vaccination status. Students and staff should follow CDPH masking guidance for the general public, unless otherwise directed by local health departments or as indicated for specific situations.  See the Guidance for Use of Face Masks web page. 

• Students who use face coverings will use those provided from home. Schools will maintain a supply of  masks in case a student or staff member does not have one and needs one for the day.

• People do not need to wear masks when outdoors.

• No person can be prevented from wearing a mask as a condition of participation in an activity or entry into a school, unless wearing a mask would pose a safety hazard (e.g., watersports).
• Beginning April 3, 2023, masks will no longer be required in indoor high-risk and health care settings.

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Maintaining Clean Hands

Hand hygiene can prevent the spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

As recommended in the CDPH guidance, our staff will teach proper handwashing (soap and water or hand sanitizer) and conduct routine, frequent hand-washing activities throughout the school day. Hand hygiene instruction will include:

• Reinforce washing hands, avoiding contact with one's eyes, nose, and mouth, and covering coughs and sneezes among students and staff.
• Promote hand washing throughout the day, especially before and after eating, after using the toilet, and after handling garbage, or removing gloves. 
• Ensure adequate supplies to support healthy hygiene behaviors, including soap, tissues, no-touch trash cans, face coverings, and hand sanitizers with at least 60 percent ethyl alcohol for staff and children who can safely use hand sanitizer.

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Managing Individuals with Symptoms

Daily screening for symptoms an essential measure to reduce spreading illnesses, including the coronavirus. 

Before sending your child to school or the bus stop:

• Parents/Guardians need to check their child for symptoms of illness. Common symptoms on the virus that causes COVID-19 are: Fever or chills; Cough; Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; Fatigue (tiredness); Muscle or body aches; Headache; New loss of taste or smell; Sore throat; Congestion or runny nose; Nausea or vomiting; Diarrhea.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU TEST POSITIVE

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All persons with COVID-19 symptoms, regardless of vaccination status or previous infection, should

• Isolate. If the student is sick, keep the child at home and report the absence to the school.
• If symptoms are concerning for COVID-19, it is strongly recommended that students wear a mask and consider getting tested*. Students should also follow CDPH recommendations  isolating if results are positive.

* CDPH recommends that antigen tests be the primary option for detecting COVID-19 in schools, rather than PCR tests. Both the professional, on-site antigen tests as well as over-the-counter (OTC) at-home antigen tests have been effective in identifying persons who have infectious levels of all known variants of the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2).

Note:
Due to the increased travel and social interactions that often occur during school-breaks, it is recommended that students and staff get tested for COVID-19 prior to returning to school following major breaks (e.g., summer, winter, spring). As supplies are available, the school will provide an antigen test for each student. 

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Reporting COVID-19 Disease burden to local health authorities

Prompt reporting of positive COVID-19 cases can help to reduce greater transmission of the virus.

By law, health care providers (HCP) and laboratories are required to report cases of COVID-19.  

When using an at-home test, please notify your healthcare provider of any positive test results. If your child tests positive, please keep the child at home and contact the school  to report the absence due to COVID-19. If you do not have a healthcare provider, please contact the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.

Schools are no longer responsible for tracking and tracing student cases. The Public Health Department will manage all tracking and tracing. The California Department of Public Health offers this link to a secure platform for reporting at-home COVID-19 test result to your California Local Health Department. Please report both negative and positive results to help your local health department track COVID-19 in your community. (https://my.primary.health/l/caschools)

Guidance for isolating and testing is available from the Public Health Dept. and/or your healthcare provider.

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Managing Students Diagnosed with COVID-19

Students diagnosed with COVID-19 should follow recommendations listed in Table 1 (Persons with COVID-19) of CDPH's guidance for the general public, including staying home for at least 5 days and wearing a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings.

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Managing Students Exposed to COVID-19

Prompt notification to students and families regarding exposure to infectious diseases, including COVID-19, can allow for rapid testing, early treatment, and prevention of further spread.

It is recommended that families notify schools if their child has COVID-19 and was on school grounds during their infectious period. 

When the school is notified of a positive case, the school will send a general notification, via ParentSquare, to families of students who may have shared air space with an individual who is confirmed positive for COVID-19.

All students with known exposure to persons with COVID-19 should follow recommendations listed in Table 2 (Asymptomatic Persons Who are Exposed to Someone with COVID-19) of CDPH's guidance for the general public. If they remain without symptoms, students may continue to take part in all aspects of K–12 schooling including sports and extracurricular activities. As recommended in Table 2, they should wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days and get tested 3–5 days after last exposure.

We will continue to follow County Public Health Department notification guidelines, which include protections for student and family privacy.

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Managing COVID-19 Outbreaks

CDPH will continue to support local health and education officials in managing suspected or confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19. 

• Broad disruptions to in-person learning, such as temporary school or classroom closures, due to COVID-19 should remain a last resort and considered only after all available resources have been exhausted, and only after conferring with local health officials.
• Local public health officials are encouraged to contact CDPH to learn more about consultation, testing and vaccination resources to support management of COVID-19 outbreaks.

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Visitors on Campus

We value the participation of family members in their student's education, and welcome their visits to our campus with the following understanding:

• Symptomatic individuals should not come to school.
• Parents/Guardians may walk their student to/from class.
• Masks are strongly recommended, and not required.
• Families may come onto campus for various school events, such as plays, celebrations, graduations, and will not be required to show proof of vaccination to attend.

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Cleaning Facilities

In general, routine cleaning is enough to sufficiently remove the virus that causes COVID-19 from surfaces. 

“Cleaning” involves water and soap or a detergent, does not use disinfecting agents, and significantly decreases germs on surfaces and decreases infectious risks. 

The District uses greener products for cleaning and disinfecting, and keeps those products away from students. Use of disinfectants follows health and safety guidelines for school settings. 

“Disinfection” kills germs on surfaces using specific agents (see below for those approved for use). Frequent disinfection can pose a health risk to children and students due to the strong chemicals often used. 

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