Dear Park West Families,

We are excited to welcome you and your family to school for the 2022-2023 school year next week. In this email you will find an overview of our COVID-19 protocols and policies for the 2022-2023 school year. We have aligned our school policies with the most recent CDC updates for COVID-19 mitigation and management guidelines for schools and the community. If you have questions regarding any COVID-19 or health-related items, please email health@parkwestcoop.org. 

Our COVID-19 strategy is focused on keeping students in school to optimize their learning while ensuring sick students and staff isolate at home to reduce the spread of illness. We intend to continue to maintain our protocols aligned with the most recent CDC, IDPH and CDPH guidelines for Early Childhood Education facilities.

Vaccination

At Park West, we are strongly encouraging everyone to be up-to-date on all routine vaccinations, including COVID-19. Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations is the leading public health strategy to prevent severe disease. Not only does it provide individual-level protection, but high vaccination coverage reduces the burden of COVID-19 on people, schools, healthcare systems, and communities. While we will discontinue the tracking of COVID-19 vaccination status of students, parents and caregivers moving forward, the majority of our parent community has already provided this information for the 2022-2023 school year. In addition, all Park West staff members are currently up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations.

Staying Home When Sick

  1. Each morning we ask that you evaluate your child for any symptoms of respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, such as cough, fever, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea. If they have any of these or any other COVID-19 symptoms, they should stay home.

  2. If your child is symptomatic, they will need the following to return to school:

    1. Be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication, 24 hours after diarrhea/vomiting have ceased, and all other symptoms have improved; AND

    2. A negative COVID-19 test result. This can be a PCR, lab rapid antigen or an at-home antigen test. Results should be emailed to health@parkwestcoop.org for your child to be cleared for return.

  3. If your child becomes ill at school (is exhibiting COVID-19 or other respiratory or gastrointestinal infection symptoms), we will bring your child to the infirmary on the 3rd floor, help them don a mask if they are not wearing one and call you to pick them up.

  4. If your child tests positive for COVID-19, they will be allowed to return after 5 full days of isolation (on day 6 or later) if the following conditions can be met:

    1. They have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, 24 hours after diarrhea/vomiting have ceased, and other symptoms have improved; and

    2. They are able to wear a well-fitting mask around others for an additional 5 days (days 6 through 10).

    3. Note: if they developed symptoms after testing positive, the date of symptom onset becomes day 0 and they will be excluded for at least 5 full days after the date of symptom onset.

Masking

  1. Universal Indoor Masking: 

    1. When the COVID-19 Community Level in LOW, masking will be optional for all staff, students and visitors indoors.

    2. When the COVID-19 Community Level is MEDIUM, the Co-Op will recommend staff, students and visitors wear masks indoors. 

    3. When the COVID-19 Community Level is HIGH, the Co-Op will strongly recommend staff, students and visitors wear masks indoors. 

  2. Masking will be required at all COVID-19 Community Levels:

    1. For individuals returning from isolation (days 6-10); and

    2. For individuals that have a known exposure to a positive case through day 10 post exposure.

  3. Please send 2 masks to be kept in your child’s cubby. We will also provide child-size and adult-size masks to anyone that needs them.

Exposure Protocols

The CDC has removed all quarantine requirements when an individual has been exposed to a positive case of COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status. All staff and students will be allowed to remain in school after an exposure (including school, community and household exposures). After a staff member or student is exposed to a positive case, they should do the following:

  1. Wear a well-fitting mask around others, including at school, through day 10 post exposure; and

  2. Test for COVID-19 on day 5 post-exposure.

*Note: for students under the age of 2 that have been exposed and cannot wear a mask, we will allow students to remain in school without a mask if they test each morning before attending school.

Park West will continue to employ the following COVID-19 mitigation strategies to reduce the spread of illness at school:

  1. Maintaining our HVAC air handler ventilation system and operating air purification units and humidifiers in each classroom.

  2. Teaching and enforcing handwashing and respiratory hygiene etiquette with all students.

  3. Dedicated cleaning staff to clean and disinfect classrooms and shared spaces throughout the day.

We know you will have questions as we start school and are happy to answer them. Please email health@parkwestcoop.org or call (773) 327-1115.

Resources: 

CDC: Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning

CDPH Health Alert: COVID-19 in Schools and Early Childcare Centers Update 

Updated CDC Guidelines for School and Child Care by Emily Oster