APS fall guidelines posted- masks and quarantine

[Anonymous]

CDC about to issue revised guidance calling for all teachers, students and staff in K-12 to be masked regardless of vaccination status.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/07/27/cdc-masks-guidance-indoors/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, tests are free and available for APS students. I had to get tested last week and coincidentally it was my DS's school nurse doing the testing. She asked me to spread the word and remind families that the testing is available.

On-site?

[Anonymous]

I'm just glad they aren't requiring masks for outdoor recess, that seems reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about lingering sniffles and a negative test?

Out for a week?

I don't think so. I have had kids in my summer school class with colds return after a negative test (still sniffly, with mild cough)

What is the threshold for requiring a student get a Covid test? Any cough or sneeze? We weren't in APS last year. Are tests free and readily available in Arlington? I'm just curious what to expect if we have to deal with this. Thanks.

Yes, tests are free and somewhat readily available.
https://curative.com/sites/27891

AND they were required in the spring for every sniffle. Some schools also required a doctor’s note to return to school.

Literally every symptom under the sun is considered a covid symptom. Just assume you will need a doctor's note and negative covid test to come back. Two of my kids had stomach aches in the spring and needed both of these to come back to school.

Thanks, everyone. This is all very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, tests are free and available for APS students. I had to get tested last week and coincidentally it was my DS's school nurse doing the testing. She asked me to spread the word and remind families that the testing is available.

On-site?

Not at every school but at multiple locations across the county. I went to the Kenmore site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m an APS elementary teacher who is fully vaccinated and also a parent of 2 APS high schoolers who are also vaccinated and one kid who is too young for the vax. I support full masking at all levels. I really think the parents are the ones with issues. My kids all had no issues wearing masks in the spring and in any of their activities this summer indoors. As an adult I am totally over wearing masks, but that doesn’t mean I won’t continue to do so for health purposes because it’s safest. We can all agree wearing a mask sucks. But we do things that suck all the time in the name of health such as eating certain foods, wearing seatbelts, bike helmets, life jackets, looking both ways before crossing the street, etc. wearing a mask is not a big ask if it allows us to return to full time in person school.

Yes to all this. Mask them up and get them back in school. If case counts get low again, and STAY LOW, allow vaccinated people to take them off. If they get even lower, allow everyone to take them off. If they go up, PUT THEM BACK.

Mask wearing should not be seen as one decision for all time. It should be in response to case counts in the community. It's such an easy, simple, no cost mitigation strategy not ONE PERSON should be fighting it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm just glad they aren't requiring masks for outdoor recess, that seems reasonable.

Yes I agree with this. Or if the teacher wants to take them outside to get fresh air, they can take them off.

I also hope they do PE outside as much as possible.

[Anonymous]

And now with the CDC requiring masking in school we’re in good shape!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
If an elementary class gets shut down because of a positive test, will it go virtual until in person can resume?



Interesting question. My understanding is that virtual is over unless you are in the virtual school.

If your family didn't sign up for virtual school, there will be no virtual school. You don't get to have your cake and eat it too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If an elementary class gets shut down because of a positive test, will it go virtual until in person can resume?



Interesting question. My understanding is that virtual is over unless you are in the virtual school.

If your family didn't sign up for virtual school, there will be no virtual school. You don't get to have your cake and eat it too.

Dp. Not sure what having one’s cake and eating it too means in this school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If an elementary class gets shut down because of a positive test, will it go virtual until in person can resume?



Interesting question. My understanding is that virtual is over unless you are in the virtual school.

If your family didn't sign up for virtual school, there will be no virtual school. You don't get to have your cake and eat it too.

I don't see why if a class has to quarantine that they can't go virtual. Why have all of these iPads and computers if you can't use them as needed.

It's not eating cake. It's part of endemic classroom management, and not sustaining more learning loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I don't see why if a class has to quarantine that they can't go virtual. Why have all of these iPads and computers if you can't use them as needed.

It's not eating cake. It's part of endemic classroom management, and not sustaining more learning loss.

I'd guess this is the big challenge APS needs to figure out. If an entire class needs to quarantine, like an elementary school homeroom, they can probably fairly easily switch to virtual for that timeframe. The real question is what will happen to a student who has to quarantine either because they have covid or were identified as a close contact of someone with covid. Will there be any sort of virtual teaching available to them or will those kids essentially miss two weeks of school?

This is the major outstanding issue that APS needs to address that will have huge repercussions. It's also why they are hopefully going to have every possible safety precaution in place including masks, air filters, ventilation, outside lunch, and the works to keep staff and students as healthy as possible.

[Anonymous]

Better charge up those ipads.

[Anonymous]

CDC says the class does not quarantine if all are masked. This goes out the window with cafeteria lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And now with the CDC requiring masking in school we’re in good shape!

Until they change there mind again and recommend schools close.