Post winter break covid-19 testing
Required COVID-19 Screening Testing
Following the winter break, all Park West Co-Op staff and students (2AM, 3AM, 4AM & JK) returning to in-person learning the week of January 3 and January 10 will be required to submit two (2) COVID-19 test results. The first must be from a test conducted on Sunday, January 2, Monday, January 3 or Tuesday, January 4 and the second test must be conducted on Sunday, January 9, Monday, January 10 or Tuesday, January 11. The test result can be PCR (preferred) or antigen, but cannot include results from at-home testing kits.
At School Testing: Park West will be providing testing on-site on Sunday, January 2 and Sunday, January 9 from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm. We have partnered up with the Elterman Center for Women’s and Men’s Health to administer the test. This test will be a saliva PCR test (students will collect a small amount of their saliva/spit in a tube). For students unable to generate enough saliva, we will also have gentle nasal swab rapid antigen testing available. Any Park West student or family member may participate in the on-site testing and results will be received in each individual’s patient portal within 24 hours.
To participate in the on-site testing, each family must complete the following steps by Tuesday, December 28:
Pre-register for testing for each individual. If the individual participated in the post-Thanksgiving testing they DO NOT need to pre-register again. The letters ‘PW’ must be entered after the individual’s last name when pre-registering. So, for example, a student with the name John Smith would enter the following for last name: ‘Smith - PW’.
Email a copy of your insurance card, if you have one, to office@eltermancenter.com. Their services will be billed to your insurance. There is no deductible or out of pocket cost. If you do not have insurance, you will still be eligible to receive the test free of charge.
Sign-up for a 30 minute time slot for testing. Testing will generally not take 30 minutes but we want to give you a window in which to arrive.
This saliva testing does require that the individual being tested not eat, drink (including water), smoke or chew gum in the hour prior to being tested.
FAQ for At School Testing:
Can everyone in my family get tested?
Yes, everyone is eligible to be tested
Will the family members who do not attend Park West need to pay?
The test is free to everyone
I am vaccinated. Should I get tested?
Yes, being tested will help protect your unvaccinated household members
I am vaccinated. Can it cause a false positive result?
No, it can not
Is the test intrusive?
It is not. This is a saliva test
When will the results be ready?
All samples will be processed on Sunday night and uploaded to the Elterman center portal on Monday morning
How will I get my results?
When you register on the site, a patient portal will be created for you. The results will be uploaded there. Anyone positive will receive a phone call.
Can I use this test at my place of work/study
Yes, this is an FDA authorized PCR test
My situation is unique and this is why…
Please contact the Elterman center and they will work with you to help you meet the requirements
Students tested at school will not need to submit results to health@parkwestcoop.org.
Alternate Testing Options: Parents may choose to have their children tested off-site at any testing location, including outside the state of Illinois. Park West has a list of local testing locations posted on the parent portal. Test results must be submitted via this form upon receipt but need not be submitted before a child returns to school. In other words, students can test on Monday, January 3, return to school on that same day and submit test results as they are received. If a student does test positive, that student will be required to quarantine, as will their class if they were in the classroom within 2 days of the test collection date.
Any questions can be directed to health@parkwestcoop.org.