COVID-19 Updates
1. The health and safety of all students, caregivers, faculty, and staff continues to be our highest priority. GSFS will:
* Follow all regulations and directives from state and local government.* Continue to learn about how the virus is spread and what the transmission rates and risks associated with different segments of our school community are.
* Recognize the diversity of demographics and family structures that exist in our community.
* Monitor the disparate and inequitable impact of the virus on different communities, particularly Black and Brown families; and prioritize health and safety of all.
* Ensure that faculty and staff are provided with adequate support to perform their jobs safely; and
* Develop and revise all safety plans and educational programs with our mission in mind.
2. We rely on facts, data, science, and the advice of medical professionals in making decisions.
* We follow advice and guidance from public health officials, particularly the PA Dept of Education and PA Dept of Health, and the Philadelphia Dept of Health.
* We seek out expertise within our community.
3. Uphold the school’s mission, especially its commitment to equity and integrity.
Given these guiding principles, we will be following the PDPH requirements for mitigating COVID in the 2022-23 school year.
Vaccinations:
A two dose regimen of COVID vaccination is required of all students and employees of Greene Street Friends School for the 2022-23 school year. Please contact Leanne Clancy (lclancy@greenestreetfriends.org) if you would like to apply for an exemption
Masking:
Masking is optional at Greene Street Friends School. There may be a situation when the Philadelphia Department of Public Health mandates masking, in which case we would defer to the PDPH guidelines. Through partnership and recommendation with PDPH, GSFS may require masks in times of high transmission and high-risk activities
Symptom Screening:
It is GSFS policy that when a child is ill, they remain home and they must be 24 hours after vomiting or fever. As this is already the policy, we will trust families to continue to monitor their children for illness and if they are not well, they should NOT come to school. There will not be a daily health attestation via a phone app, but rather, families will be expected to monitor their children and keep them at home if they are not well.
When a child is ill, the parents and caregivers should complete the AUXS Safety App so that we can track community illness.
Reporting Requirements:
GSFS is required to report positive cases to PDPH.
Quarantine and Isolation:
GSFS will follow the PDPH requirements for a shortened 5-day quarantine and isolation period. Should an individual test positive, they must isolate and not attend in-person school for 5 days from the positive test. They may return to school for days 6-10, but must follow strict masking guidelines, including eating lunch in a separate area.
When there is a COVID exposure at school:
Exposures to COVID will occur. When this happens, we will ask the exposed individual to mask for 10 days following the exposure. Masking can be shortened: if there is a test taken on day five, and it is negative, then masks may be removed on day 7. GSFS will inform the individuals who have been exposed as close contacts* to COVID while at school.
When there is a COVID exposure at home:
Unfortunately, this is likely to happen as well. When a household member tests positive for COVID, the family members exposed must mask for 10 days after the positive family member’s isolation ends (note that this may be 15 days in total). They may remove the mask earlier with a negative COVID test (: if there is a test taken on day five, and it is negative, then masks may be removed on day 7)
*Close Contact = Individuals that have been within 6 feet for 15 minutes within a 24-hour period, masked or unmasked.
Helpful Resources
