Health & Wellness 2021-2022

International Travel - According to CDC guidelines, individuals traveling internationally, regardless of vaccination status, should get tested with a viral test 3-5 full days after returning to the United States. 

• Unvaccinated individuals should wear a mask at school until the viral test comes back negative.

• Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and have your student isolate and get tested if symptoms develop.

• Please notify Key’s Health Office if your student has plans to travel internationally.

Domestic Travel - The State of Maryland no longer requires COVID-19 testing and quarantine following domestic travel

Key requires families of students in grades Key-Wee, Pre-School and Pre-Kindergarten to complete the daily SchoolPass wellness assessment prior to arriving on campus per Maryland Office of Child Care requirements.

Wear a mask indoors for ten full days if:

• They have tested positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms, regardless of vaccination status. Reminder: individuals who test positive must contact Key's Health Office and isolate, according to CDC guidelines, at least a full 5 days.

• There is an individual in their household who has tested positive for COVID-19.

• They have a known exposure to a positive individual.

Except for the circumstances listed above, masks are optional for all students, faculty and staff. However, visitors to the First School are required to wear a well-fitting mask. 

Masks are optional on all transportation. According to updated CDC guidance, masks are no longer required on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems. 

We continue to strongly encourage families of students who are eligible to get vaccinated to do so. If your student has been fully vaccinated, please send Katie Anderson in the Health Office a copy of their vaccination card. This documentation will help to determine if/when your student needs to quarantine if there has been a potential exposure. In addition, knowing the total number of students who are vaccinated will help inform decisions about safety protocols for several co-curricular programs. Vaccination of all eligible individuals is an essential element to mitigating the spread of COVID-19.

Parents have access to all outdoor spaces at Key School without restriction. Internal building access is by invitation only. 

Exposure

Exposure is defined as 15 minutes or more (cumulative in a 24 hour period) within 6 feet of the infected student when either or both individuals are not wearing masks. 

Contact Tracing

Based on updated guidance from the Maryland and Anne Arundel Departments of Health, close contacts of positive individuals will no longer be identified by the School. 

If your student tests positive, we strongly encourage families to self-identify close contacts and notify the families of the students impacted if the exposure occurred outside of school hours. For example, during a birthday party, playdate or social gathering. 

If an outbreak occurs (three cases that are epidemiologically linked in one class, grade or team) Key's Health Office will identify close contacts of all persons with COVID-19 through contact tracing and require them to a wear a mask when indoors for 10 fulls days. 

Quarantine

Asymptomatic persons are not required to quarantine following exposure to someone with COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, but should wear well-fitting masks for 10 full days after exposure. Additionally, they should take a viral COVID-19 test 5 to 7 full days after exposure, or sooner if they become symptomatic. Key School’s weekly testing traditionally falls in line with this guidance. 

In order to remain in school after exposure, the following must be adhered to:  

• Daily symptom monitoring continues through Day 10, AND

• Correct and consistent face mask use through Day 10; AND

• Immediate isolation and contact with their healthcare provider and Key’s Health Office if any symptoms develop.

Should quarantine related to COVID-19 be required, students will be able to Zoom into classes for grades Kindergarten-12 for the duration of the quarantine period. For students in Key-Wee - Pre-Kindergarten, developmentally appropriate accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis. Key will not use synchronous online instruction for other illnesses or absences.

If your student is not feeling well, please keep them home and contact Key’s Health Office to develop a return to school plan, which may require testing (rapid/antigen or PCR test).

While PCR testing is still the gold standard, rapid/antigen tests are acceptable. Please test your student while they are symptomatic. Negative rapid/antigen results may need to be confirmed with a PCR test.

Students with any symptoms (temperature of 100F or higher, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea) may not attend school and families should notify Key’s Health Office. 

Students who become ill at school must be picked up within an hour.

FIRST & LOWER SCHOOL

Key will notify families when there is a positive case in the class and if students are required to mask after exposure.

MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOL

Key will not be communicating with grades or classes in the event of a positive individual. Families are encouraged to identify close contacts of their student if the exposure occurred outside of school hours and notify those families and Nurse Katie.

Sports teams will be notified when there is a positive case on the team.

OUTBREAK

If an outbreak occurs (three cases that are epidemiologically linked in one class, grade or team) Key will notify the entire grade.