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Responding to Cases or Symptoms

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Summary: Learn about what to do if your student has COVID symptoms or has been a close contact to someone who has had COVID.

A hand holds a thermometer

Responding to Cases and Suspected Cases of COVID-19

Symptoms Without Close Contact with Someone with COVID-19

What to do if your student has a symptom or symptoms of COVID-19 but has not had close contact with someone with COVID-19.

Steps for Parents and Guardians

  1. Keep your student home from school
  2. Notify your school
  3. Determine if a COVID test is necessary

Students with only one of the following symptoms

If a student or staff member has ONLY one of the following symptoms (headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, fatigue, diarrhea, congestion or a runny nose) AND no fever within the past 24 hours (without using medication) and symptoms have significantly improve they can return to school or work. ​

If the student has more than one of these symptoms or one of these symptoms that lasts longer than 24 hours, they must isolate and get tested for COVID-19. ​

An illustration representing a person with a pain in their head
Headache
An illustration representing a sleeping person
Fatigue
An illustration representing a person with pain in their throat
Sore throat
An illustration of person with sad face and thinking bubble with a toilet
Diarrhea
An illustration representing a person with dizzy marks above their head and liquid coming from their mouth
Nausea or vomiting
An illustration representing a person with a runny nose
Congestion or runny nose

Students with the following symptoms should get a COVID test

If a student or a staff member has a fever, muscle or body aches, difficulty breathing, new loss of taste or smell, or cough, they need to stay home and get tested for COVID-19. ​

An illustration of blue person with thermometer
Fever >100.4 F or chills
An illustration of a person with a cross out over their nose and mouth
New loss of taste or smell
An illustration of person with pain on their shoulders
Muscle or body aches
An illustration representing a person coughing
Cough (new, changed, or worsening)
An illustration of a person breathing
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

When can my student return to school?

Negative COVID-19 Test Result

  • 24 hours after fever has resolved (without medication)
  • AND other symptoms have significantly improved.
  • OR alternative named diagnosis.

Positive COVID-19 Test Result

See below.

How will student learning be supported?

Your student’s teacher will post instructional plans on Schoology and SeeSaw each week. If you have questions about your child’s learning, please communicate directly with your student’s teachers.  

  • Posted plans will include assignments/homework, learning objectives, required activities, and assessments, with any associated due dates, and may also include links to resources. Teachers may also send additional communications such as emails and newsletters.  
  • Classroom teachers are expected to respond to all parent/guardian and student communications within two business days when possible.  
  • If your student has an IEP or 504, please consult with your IEP case manager and/or 504 coordinator for additional supports or accommodations during this time.  

If your child is required to quarantine, the absence will be excused.

Positive COVID Test Results

What to do if your student has a positive COVID-19 test result. Confirmed COVID-19: a person (with or without symptoms) who received a COVID-19 positive result.

Steps for Parents and Guardians

  1. Keep your student home from school
  2. Notify your school

Step 1: Keep your student home from school

When can my student return to school?

Anyone who has a confirmed COVID-19 test result, is waiting test results, or is showing symptoms associated with COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, should stay home and isolate from other people for at least 5 full days.

  • Day 0 is the day you or your student’s positive test collection occurred. Day 1 is the first day after the positive test was collected.  
  • Any person testing positive for COVID-19 must continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public until day 10 (Day 6 through day 10). If you are unable to wear a mask when around others, you should continue to isolate for 10 days.
  • Avoid people who are severely immunocompromised or at high risk of severe disease, and other high-risk settings, until after at least 10 days.
  • Do not travel during your 5-day isolation period. After your isolation period, avoid travel until 10 days after the day of your positive test.

Has COVID-19 Symptoms

  • Can return five (5) days after the symptoms appear if:
    • Fever free for 24 hours without use of fever-reducing medication
    • And no symptoms are present or symptoms are resolving
  • Can return in 10 days if severely immunocompromised or are unable to wear a mask when around others.

A negative test is not required to return after five (5) full days of isolation and criteria for return is met.

Does NOT have COVID-19 Symptoms

  • Can return to school building after five (5) full days after since the date of positive PCR COVID-19 test collection.
  • Can return in 10 days if severely immunocompromised or are unable to wear a mask when around others.

A negative test is not required to return after five (5) full days of isolation and criteria for return is met.

Step 2: Notify your school

School staff or the SPS contact tracing team will contact the family of the student with a positive COVID-19 test to  determine when the student can return to school (see step 1). 

School staff identify any potential close contacts of an infectious individual.

The school  notifies families when there is a positive case in their student’s classroom.

Step 3: Work with the SPS contact tracing team to determine next steps

School staff or the SPS contact tracing team will contact family of student directly via phone or email with confirmed COVID if the student is symptomatic or asymptomatic and determine when the student can return to school (see step 1). 

How will student learning be supported?

Your student’s teacher will post instructional plans on Schoology and SeeSaw each week. If you have questions about your child’s learning, please communicate directly with your student’s teachers.  

  • Posted plans will include assignments/homework, learning objectives, required activities, and assessments, with any associated due dates, and may also include links to resources. Teachers may also send additional communications such as emails and newsletters.  
  • Classroom teachers are expected to respond to all parent/guardian and student communications within two business days when possible.  
  • If your student has an IEP or 504, please consult with your IEP case manager and/or 504 coordinator for additional supports or accommodations during this time.  

If a full class or school needs to quarantine, students will shift to the 100% remote model used during the 2020-21 school year. Bell times will remain on the current schedule.  

If your child is required to quarantine, the absence will be excused.

Close Contact with Someone with COVID-19

What to do if your student is a close contact of someone with COVID-19 at school.

Students identified by school staff as close contacts are notified via email and phone call. Read more about what to do if your student is exposed to COVID-19.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

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