Health and Safety Protocols

Air Filtration System

St. John's is enhancing its air filtration system to electrostatically clean our HVAC coils which will dramatically increase ventilation throughout the school. This will enhance our air circulation and quality by circulating fresh air into the building from outside. We currently have Merv 13 filters which are changed out quarterly.

Hygiene

Throughout the day, students will wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Hand sanitizer will also be available in each classroom and common area and its use encouraged when necessary.

Our health and safety protocols will be updated as local, state, and CDC recommendations and guidance evolve and are outlined in the St. John's Return to School Plan.

Health Screenings

• Before the school day begins, parents must take students’ temperatures and complete the health screening questionnaire in SchoolPass, a new student management platform we introduced to St. John’s parents for the school year. Students will not be allowed to disembark from cars without having completed this screening. 
• Employees will complete the same screening steps each school day.
   

In Case of Illness 

To ensure the well-being of everyone, the following protocols will be implemented. Families and employees must adhere to these to help protect the health of our community:

• Daily at-home health screenings 
• Adherence to hygiene protocols
• Wear face coverings and observe physical distancing protocols

As we receive additional guidance from health and government officials, we will update the community with new protocols.

If a person identifies symptoms of COVID-19 during a home screening via SchoolPass or otherwise, they must wait for contact from our on-campus clinic before returning to campus. 

Symptoms of COVID-19 include:

• Temperature of 100ºF or higher
• Sore throat
• New uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing (for those with chronic allergic / asthmatic cough, a change in their baseline)
• Diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain
• New onset of severe headache, especially with a fever
• New loss of taste or smell
• Congestion or runny nose (for those with chronic allergies, a change in their baseline)
• Muscle or body aches
• Fatigue that is greater than normal

Exposure includes:

• Close contact* (within six feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) with a person with a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the past 14 days
  *What is close contact?
• You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more
• You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
• You had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them)
• You shared eating or drinking utensils
• They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you

If a student or employee has a new symptom (e.g., new loss of smell only) with no other diagnosis to explain the symptom, they must remain home and talk to a health care provider about testing for COVID-19, even if it is the only symptom he or she is experiencing.

If a student or employee exhibits COVID-19 symptom(s) while at School, the Nurse will separate the ill person from routine clinic visitors who are in designated isolation rooms adjacent to the clinic. The Nurse will contact parents to pick up the student, and the family must follow the steps communicated by the Nurse. 
 

Students and employees should not come to school if they become sick with COVID-19 symptoms, test positive for COVID-19, or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 symptoms or a confirmed or suspected case. If a student or employee tests positive for COVID-19, and the case is confirmed by DCHHS, the School will notify our community and will follow DCHHS direction.