Covid at SFS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bigger issue is that it’s been over a week since 11/11 and still no word from SFS? This is borderline negligent.

You need to reread the SFS protocol. There is nothing there that I can find that says the school will notify anyone about positive tests, nor should they. That is the job of the health department in contact tracing.

Ask the parents of kids who had classes with the infected student and had to figure out amongst themselves who might have had contact. this is a massive fail by the school, the protocol is insufficient. safety AND confidence are key if this is going to work

Well I agree with that. I assume affected parents contacted the school. Can you share results of that?

[Anonymous]

You may be right, I’m not arguing about what’s in the protocol. Perhaps the school could consider modifying the protocol to adapt to concerns of many in the school community as Covid rates in the region surge. DC enjoys in-person as much as anyone and we’d like to make the decision to continue to send them for hybrid with our eyes open and with timely transparent information. I don’t think that’s asking for too much, no matter how one feels about hybrid, do you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You may be right, I’m not arguing about what’s in the protocol. Perhaps the school could consider modifying the protocol to adapt to concerns of many in the school community as Covid rates in the region surge. DC enjoys in-person as much as anyone and we’d like to make the decision to continue to send them for hybrid with our eyes open and with timely transparent information. I don’t think that’s asking for too much, no matter how one feels about hybrid, do you?

I’m a big supporter of reopening and completely agree with you. Maybe this is actually the heart of the problem- as outstanding as Sidwell’s precautions are, if they do not involve notifying parents of potential exposure their child may have had on campus, they will not get the confidence and trust needed by more parents to send their kids back. If my kid tested positive, I would want the school to notify everyone in cohort. They certainly don’t have to use names- just advise of a possible exposure.

Please, let’s email Bryan about this. If this is the missing link in the protocol it seems like it can be fixed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

While it may not be a solicitation (I think it actually is) or an event announcement, it most certainly is not an event "sponsored by the School or through the PA." Come on, now.

Do you hold this same view of parents who have used the directory to send out class wide invitations to birthday parties?

No, I don't. Not the same thing. If you want to argue the merits of how they are the same, feel free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You may be right, I’m not arguing about what’s in the protocol. Perhaps the school could consider modifying the protocol to adapt to concerns of many in the school community as Covid rates in the region surge. DC enjoys in-person as much as anyone and we’d like to make the decision to continue to send them for hybrid with our eyes open and with timely transparent information. I don’t think that’s asking for too much, no matter how one feels about hybrid, do you?

I’m a big supporter of reopening and completely agree with you. Maybe this is actually the heart of the problem- as outstanding as Sidwell’s precautions are, if they do not involve notifying parents of potential exposure their child may have had on campus, they will not get the confidence and trust needed by more parents to send their kids back. If my kid tested positive, I would want the school to notify everyone in cohort. They certainly don’t have to use names- just advise of a possible exposure.

Please, let’s email Bryan about this. If this is the missing link in the protocol it seems like it can be fixed

Agree. 🙏🏼

Let’s think if there are any other constructive ideas for modifying the protocol here, while maintaining confidentiality. From a few previous posts, I saw the following ideas:

- email as PP indicated above
- dashboard updated and email to confirm date of communicating to those with potential exposure (I.e. those in same classroom or sport with the student or other identifiable cohort)
- dashboard updated and email to confirm that above persons have been tested and/or are quarantining.

Thoughts? Anything else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You may be right, I’m not arguing about what’s in the protocol. Perhaps the school could consider modifying the protocol to adapt to concerns of many in the school community as Covid rates in the region surge. DC enjoys in-person as much as anyone and we’d like to make the decision to continue to send them for hybrid with our eyes open and with timely transparent information. I don’t think that’s asking for too much, no matter how one feels about hybrid, do you?

I’m a big supporter of reopening and completely agree with you. Maybe this is actually the heart of the problem- as outstanding as Sidwell’s precautions are, if they do not involve notifying parents of potential exposure their child may have had on campus, they will not get the confidence and trust needed by more parents to send their kids back. If my kid tested positive, I would want the school to notify everyone in cohort. They certainly don’t have to use names- just advise of a possible exposure.

Please, let’s email Bryan about this. If this is the missing link in the protocol it seems like it can be fixed

Agree. 🙏🏼

Let’s think if there are any other constructive ideas for modifying the protocol here, while maintaining confidentiality. From a few previous posts, I saw the following ideas:

- email as PP indicated above
- dashboard updated and email to confirm date of communicating to those with potential exposure (I.e. those in same classroom or sport with the student or other identifiable cohort)
- dashboard updated and email to confirm that above persons have been tested and/or are quarantining.

Thoughts? Anything else?

Are students allowed to carry cellphones and leave them on in class? The DC CAN and VA's COVIDWISE apps are designed to do the kind of notifications you are trying to set up here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You may be right, I’m not arguing about what’s in the protocol. Perhaps the school could consider modifying the protocol to adapt to concerns of many in the school community as Covid rates in the region surge. DC enjoys in-person as much as anyone and we’d like to make the decision to continue to send them for hybrid with our eyes open and with timely transparent information. I don’t think that’s asking for too much, no matter how one feels about hybrid, do you?

I’m pretty sure one of Bryan’s first emails announcing hybrid said the school would immediately alert the community to any Covid positives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hard to have confidence in the school when we are having to learn from here that our children may have spent hours in an enclosed classroom with someone carrying Covid.

The student in question was never on campus with COVID, so, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hard to have confidence in the school when we are having to learn from here that our children may have spent hours in an enclosed classroom with someone carrying Covid.

If that’s the case you’re not paying attention. All of this information is on the school dashboard. Sidwell currently has the lowest positivity rate in weeks. Closing now is a travesty for the children- but apparently their well-being is not the Boards greatest concern.

The dashboard is not enough when your child is in the same grade and possibly same classes. Even my doctor’s office sent me a letter saying that there was a positive patient around the same time frame that I was there. I would expect at least an email from the school when there is a child positive in our section. yet we get an email that a staff worker tested positive who was nowhere near the classrooms??

Unless your kid plays on the same lacrosse team, your kid was never in contact with nor vicinity of, the kid who tested positive. Stop being so dramatic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hard to have confidence in the school when we are having to learn from here that our children may have spent hours in an enclosed classroom with someone carrying Covid.

The student in question was never on campus with COVID, so, no.

Really? How do you know that? If they turned up in last weekend’s Covid testing, then they likely were on campus unless they picked it up sometime between Friday at 3pm when school let out and Saturday when the test was administered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hard to have confidence in the school when we are having to learn from here that our children may have spent hours in an enclosed classroom with someone carrying Covid.

The student in question was never on campus with COVID, so, no.

Really? How do you know that? If they turned up in last weekend’s Covid testing, then they likely were on campus unless they picked it up sometime between Friday at 3pm when school let out and Saturday when the test was administered.

Sigh. The student was not identified on Saturday as positive. The hysteria is so unproductive. Go to the school if you have questions.

[Anonymous]

Everybody calm down. This is now about tweaking the protocol to make sure it can be adapted with the experience we have all had with it. I cannot see how the school would deny a reasonable request to improve communication going forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hard to have confidence in the school when we are having to learn from here that our children may have spent hours in an enclosed classroom with someone carrying Covid.

The student in question was never on campus with COVID, so, no.

Really? How do you know that? If they turned up in last weekend’s Covid testing, then they likely were on campus unless they picked it up sometime between Friday at 3pm when school let out and Saturday when the test was administered.

Sigh. The student was not identified on Saturday as positive. The hysteria is so unproductive. Go to the school if you have questions.

There’s only hysteria because most of us are in the dark about whether our child was exposed in a particular class. Looking at the dashboard that says 1 positive in US doesn’t help narrow it down. You all are not concerned bc it’s probably some popular LAX lifer who is part of your circle of friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hard to have confidence in the school when we are having to learn from here that our children may have spent hours in an enclosed classroom with someone carrying Covid.

The student in question was never on campus with COVID, so, no.

Really? How do you know that? If they turned up in last weekend’s Covid testing, then they likely were on campus unless they picked it up sometime between Friday at 3pm when school let out and Saturday when the test was administered.

Sigh. The student was not identified on Saturday as positive. The hysteria is so unproductive. Go to the school if you have questions.

hysteria...Karen is hitting the chardonnay hard already

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bigger issue is that it’s been over a week since 11/11 and still no word from SFS? This is borderline negligent.

You need to reread the SFS protocol. There is nothing there that I can find that says the school will notify anyone about positive tests, nor should they. That is the job of the health department in contact tracing.

Ask the parents of kids who had classes with the infected student and had to figure out amongst themselves who might have had contact. this is a massive fail by the school, the protocol is insufficient. safety AND confidence are key if this is going to work

Again, if DC Health determines your child is at risk of exposure, you will be notified. If you are not notified, your child s not considered to be a direct contact and at risk. There’s no need to be ferreting out info...if you need to know something, you will.