FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my child have to wear a mask?
As of Saturday, August 1, 2020, Vermonters and visitors are required by Executive Order to wear masks or cloth facial coverings over their nose and mouth any time they are in public spaces, indoors or outdoors, where they come in contact with others from outside their households, especially in congregate settings, and where it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of at least six feet.
Masks or cloth facial coverings are not required when someone is engaged in strenuous exercise or activity, for anyone under the age of 2, any child or adult with a medical or developmental issue or challenge that is complicated or irritated by a facial covering, anyone with difficulty breathing or as further set forth in guidance issued by the Vermont Department of Health.
All staff and students are required to wear facial coverings while in the building, as well as outside where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
Cloth face coverings protect others if the wearer is infected with SARS CoV-2 and is not aware. Cloth masks may also offer some level of protection for the wearer. Evidence continues to mount on the importance of universal face coverings in interrupting the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Although ideal, universal face covering use is not always possible in the school setting for many reasons. Some students, or staff, may be unable to safely wear a cloth face covering because of certain medical conditions (eg, developmental, respiratory, tactile aversion, or other conditions) or may be uncomfortable, making the consistent use of cloth face coverings throughout the day challenging. For individuals who have difficulty with wearing a cloth face covering and it is not medically contraindicated to wear a face covering, behavior techniques and social skills stories (see resource section) can be used to assist in adapting to wearing a face covering. (Source)
Parents who are concerned that their child may have a medical or behavioral reason for not wearing a facial covering should reach out to Elizabeth Wirth (Covid-19 Coordinator), individual school nurses, and/or school principals.
It is critical that students start to practice this and increase their stamina. It is not easy or comfortable to do this all day, so building tolerance is important. Mask breaks will occur throughout the day and breaks will occur in settings where students can be at least six feet apart and outside or at least with the windows open.
Are there mask guidelines?
As the primary route of transmission for COVID-19 is respiratory, masks/face coverings are among the most critical components of risk reduction. Face coverings help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people or surfaces when the person wearing the face covering coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice.
Masks should fully cover the mouth and nose (and fit snugly against the sides of your face) at all times unless drinking or eating. Cloth face coverings should have multiple layers of cloth - at a minimum 2ply. Bandannas (and other single ply materials) do not prevent transmission of Covid-19.
Parents will need to supply appropriate masks for their child(ren). Masks/face coverings will need to be replaced when soiled or wet and students should plan on bringing 3-4 masks per day. If the mask/face covering becomes soiled, students will be reminded to remove and safely discard disposable masks, or store reusable face coverings in a sealed container or plastic bag (to prevent contaminating desks and backpacks) for laundering. Students will perform hand hygiene before and after changing a soiled mask/face covering. Reusable masks/face coverings should be washed by families daily.
For additional information about face coverings, review U.S. CDC guidance on how to make cloth face coverings, wear and remove masks/face coverings, and wash cloth face coverings. Masks/face coverings should be provided by the student/family, but extra disposable masks will be made available by the school for students who need them.
Any other mask guidelines? (updated 8/12)
Students’ cloth face coverings should be clearly identified with their names or initials, to avoid confusion or swapping.
Students’ face coverings may also be labeled to indicate top/bottom and front/back.
When not in use, facial coverings should be stored in individually labeled containers or plastic or paper bags. Please send one with your child every day.
Face coverings should be washed after every day of use and/or before being used again.
Can my child wear a clear facial shield? Can my child's teacher wear a clear facial shield?
A face shield (a clear plastic barrier that covers the face) allows visibility of facial expressions and lip movements for speech perception and may be used as an alternative to a face covering in certain situations:
they may be used by teachers when wearing a face covering may impede the educational process;
for staff, students, or visitors who cannot tolerate a face covering due to a developmental, medical, or behavioral health condition;
for staff providing direct support student services, when a face covering impedes the service being provided.
These decisions will be made on a case by case basis by the Covid-19 Coordinator, School Principal and School Nurse. (Source)
When approved, the face shield should extend below the chin, to the ears laterally, and there should be no exposed gap between the forehead and the shield’s headpiece.
Will my child be allowed to take off their mask during the school day?
Face coverings may be temporarily removed to eat or drink, but care should be taken to maintain as much space as possible between people, recognizing it is not always feasible to maintain 6 feet of distance from others.
Face coverings may be temporarily removed when students are outside and are able to maintain appropriate physical distancing.
Mask breaks will occur throughout the day and breaks will occur in settings where students can be at least six feet apart and be outside or at least with the windows open.
What should I do if my child (or another family member) feels sick and you think they may have Covid-19?
If your child has a fever, cough or other symptoms, they might have COVID-19. Most people have mild illness and are able to recover at home. If you think they may have been exposed to COVID-19, contact your healthcare provider. If they have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), get emergency medical care immediately.
For more information, click here for What to Do If You Are Sick from the CDC
For more information, please call the Health Department at 802-863-7240. They will respond to all COVID-19 health-related questions. Calls are answered Monday - Friday 8:15 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. Outside those hours, leave a message and your call will be returned.
What should we do if a family member is diagnosed with Covid-19? Do we all quarantine?
Please see the guidance from the Vermont Department of Health
When a student or staff member develops COVID symptoms, will that person need to be tested and cleared before returning to in-person school, or just wait until symptoms go away? And if so, how long after symptoms go away can that person return? (updated 8/12)
The CDC does not currently recommend universal testing to inform admitting students or staff into school or to return to school after an illness. According to the CDC, not everyone needs to be tested for COVID-19. Viral testing only determines infection at the point in time the test occurs, and may miss cases in the early stages of infection. It is not known whether previous infection and recovery from COVID-19 illness protects people from reinfection. The CDC recommends using the CDC’s Self-Checker to find out if you or your child should be tested. If you think you may need to get tested, talk with your health care provider, or call 2-1-1 if you don’t have a provider and need to be connected to care.
Students and staff will not be allowed to return to school until they are no longer considered contagious. The student’s or staff member’s healthcare provider may be consulted to help determine what medical course to take (e.g. whether or not they think COVID-19 testing may be necessary). Students and staff with fever greater than 100.4°F and no specific diagnosis should remain at home until they have had no fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications (e.g., Advil, Tylenol).
Additionally, the pediatric health care community is working with school nurses to determine return to school decision-making algorithms after illness and are also working with adult health care providers to develop similar pathways. We anticipate additional guidance by August 17.
For more information about testing procedures, sites and costs, please refer to the VT Department of Health Guidance on Testing.
What will the expectation for students and staff be who do become sick during the school year? Will they be required to stay home and self-quarantine for two weeks after being symptom free?
Per the Health and Safety Guidance, students (or their parents if developmentally appropriate) will be asked every day to attest that they are symptom-free before the student attends school.
Staff and students should stay home if they have tested positive for or are showing COVID-19 symptoms, such as cough, fever (100.4 or greater), shortness of breath, chills, fatigue, muscle pain or body aches, headache, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Students and staff can return to school after they have been sick with COVID-19 when they are no longer considered contagious.
If a student or staff member has a fever of more than 100.4°F, but no specific diagnosis, they may return to school after they have had no fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol or Advil. The pediatric health care community is working with school nurses to determine return to school decision-making algorithms after illness.
Students or staff who have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 may return to school after they have completed any Vermont Department of Health-mandated quarantine. The Vermont Department of Health Epidemiology Department and Contact Tracing Team will work with schools and advise on any quarantine requirements for students and staff if they are exposed at school. The Health Department has also provided a framework for adult primary care to engage in shared decision making for school staff/educators to consider risk of COVID and chronic conditions
If a COVID-19 case is confirmed in someone who is in school buildings, will the entire school be tested? (updated 8/12)
No. The entire school will not be tested. Here is what we will do:
If the school is grouping students by cohort in a single-classroom, the Health Department recommendation will most likely be to close the classroom for in-person instruction and exclude students and staff in the affected classrooms/cohorts/pod for a minimum of 24 hours while contact tracing is conducted.
If students are moving about in multiple classrooms, the Health Department recommendation will most likely be to close all potentially impacted classrooms and exclude students and staff in the affected classrooms or the entire school for in-person instruction for a minimum of 24 hours while contact tracing is conducted.
The Health Department will use this time to gather the facts about the situation, including the period of time in which the individual was at school while infectious. The Health Department will convene a rapid response team with the school and will initiate the investigation, including contact tracing. Based on this information, the Health Department will make further recommendations regarding further closure for in-person instruction and other infection control measures.
Will students or staff members who travel to a high-risk area be expected to quarantine? For how long? How will we know what a high-risk area or state is? (Updated 8/19)
Students and staff who travel to, or arrive from, out-of-state must follow ACCD and Health Department guidance around quarantine before returning to school. This includes travel out-of-state at any point during the school year and includes day trips and school vacations.
The State of Vermont has determined that any county with less than 400 active cases of COVID19 per one million residents is now eligible for quarantine-free leisure travel.
The Agency of Commerce and Community Development has developed a map populated with raw data from Johns Hopkins University which uses multiple factors to determine how many active cases are in each county. Read the complete methodology for how active cases per million residents is being calculated. The aggregated data by county is also available.
These are exceptions to the quarantine requirement:
People traveling for essential purposes do not need to quarantine. Essential travel includes travel for personal safety, medical care, care of others, parental shared custody, for food, beverage or medicine, or to perform work for businesses that are currently allowed to operate.
People who live near the Vermont border and regularly travel to and from a neighboring state may make day trips to Vermont for essential work, health care, and other essential needs like groceries or visitation for parental shared custody without quarantining.
Staff members and students who travel to a high-risk area must follow Vermont Department of Health guidance for quarantine upon returning to Vermont. All Vermonters, including educators, are encouraged to weigh the risks and consequences of travel to high-risk areas before doing so.
Regardless of whether your travel out of state falls under an exception listed above, the VT Department of Health advises that if one of these exceptions applies to your travel you still should only travel to Vermont in a personal vehicle. During your travel, only stop when necessary. When you stop, wear a face mask, keep a 6-foot distance from others, and wash your hands often. Stay home and do not travel if you are sick.
More information around quarantining requirements can be found on the Cross State Travel Information website.
Please see the guidance from the Vermont Department of Health for additional up to date information.
There are students whose parents have joint custody, but one parent lives out of state based on custody arrangements. These students may be travelling out of state every weekend or every other weekend. Will they have to quarantine after each visit?
Per the Vermont Department of Health Vermonters, people traveling for essential purposes, including shared parental custody, do not need to quarantine.
Can we travel out of state or by public transportation (plane)? (Updated 8/12)
Travel to other states, especially with airline travel that includes stops and layovers, would all require families to quarantine within their home for 2 weeks upon return. When planning a vacation or other travel (out of the Northeast and/or by plane) please take into account whether you can afford the time that you will need once you return.
Will we be notified if my child has had close contact with another student who has Covid-19? How does contract tracing work?
A contact tracing team from the Vermont Department of Health calls anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19. They ask the person questions about their activities and people they have been in contact with while they were contagious. This helps identify the people who were in close contact with the person diagnosed with COVID-19. These might include family members, classmates and coworkers.
School specific protocols: When there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 identified in a school, a member of the contact tracing team will reach out to the person with COVID-19 to identify who had close contact with them. The contacting tracing team will also reach out to school administration who will work with the health team to determine next steps. The contact tracing team will work with the school to notify the students and staff who were possibly exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19. The Health Department will work with school administrators or school nurses to address and mitigate the situation if more than one case is identified in the school.
Students and staff will be asked questions about their activities within a certain time frame – to help identify anyone they had close contact with. (Close contact means being closer than 6 feet apart for a long time while the person was infectious. Other factors, such as the nature of the contact with the person, can influence who is determined a close contact.)
If the Health Department determines that your child was a close contact of the person who tested positive, then the Health Department will call you to tell you what you need to do.
If the Health Department determines that your child was not a close contact, then you will not be called. While contact tracers work to identify all close contacts, all might not be identified. If you think that your child might be a close contact but you didn’t get a call from the Health Department, you may take precautions by quarantining your child for 14 days since the last day they were in contact with that person, and they may get tested on day 7 or after if they have not had any symptoms.
If your child was not a close contact of a person who tested positive, they should continue to take the general precautions to slow the spread of the virus: wear a face mask or covering, keep a 6-foot distance from others you do not live with, wash your hands often, and stay home if you are sick.
If you have additional questions about notifications and contract tracing, please call the Health Department at 802-863-7240. Calls are answered Monday - Friday 8:15 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. Outside those hours, leave a message and your call will be returned.
If a student in a classroom is ill, and other parents in that classroom choose to keep their child home as a precaution, will those children be marked as absent?
All families need to make decisions that they are comfortable with. We are working with our COVID-19 coordinator to establish procedures for this situation. In general, students whose families choose to keep their children home will be marked absent. That said, truancy laws are still in place and schools are expected to adhere to them.
Does my family have to quarantine if we host out of state visitors? (updated 8/12)
If you are hosting travelers under quarantine in your home or lodging, you do not also need to quarantine but we would like to encourage families to think deeply and plan carefully for this event.
Factors to consider: Is your family confident in the behaviors of your guests before they come for a visit? Can you realistically provide the type of separation in your home that would be required if the house guests are going to quarantine for 2 weeks in Vermont, possibly including a separate bathroom? Do you have the time and want to spend a significant amount of the visit doing extra housecleaning? Finally, and most importantly, are you prepared for the whole family to need to go into isolation for 10 days or more if your guests subsequently develop symptoms of COVID-19, which would then classify your host family as close contacts to a confirmed case, and thus under a whole separate set of regulations and guidelines? (Adapted from information from the VT Department of Health)
If you do choose to host out of state visitors, the Department of Health recommends that you stay at least six feet from the people under quarantine. People under quarantine should wear a mask in common spaces. Bedrooms should not be shared. Hosts should disinfect commonly touched surfaces and check for symptoms for 14 days.
Will students and staff have to take a COVID-19 test to attend/return to school?
The Department of Health does not recommend routine COVID-19 testing of staff or students. Viral testing only determines infection at the point in time the test occurs, and may miss cases in the early stages of infection. It is not known whether previous infection and recovery from COVID-19 illness protects people from reinfection. The CDC recommends using the CDC’s Self-Checker to find out if you or your child should be tested. If you think you may need to get tested, talk with your health care provider, or call 2-1-1 if you don’t have a provider and need to be connected to care.
Please visit the Department of Health’s Testing Site to learn more about who should get tested and where to get a test. In the event of a case of COVID-19 in the school, the Department of Health will identify close contacts and recommend to school administrators who should be tested for COVID-19.
For more information about testing procedures, sites and costs, please refer to the VT Department of Health Guidance on Testing.
What guidance did you receive when deciding to reopen the WCUUSD Schools?
The Agency of Education and the Department of Health have given schools three instructional models to use during the 2020-2021 school year. Our school district will be using all three models in order to deliver a robust and flexible education to the WCUUSD student population.
There have been questions as to how we have determined that we can re-open our schools. That guidance has come directly from the AOE/DOH and the current guidance is that we will start school on September 8th on Step 2 for health precautions necessary to implement in-person instruction. These step levels are determined by the DOH based on an assessment of state-level health conditions.
Steps will be determined for the entire state by the Department of Health based on the epidemiological data, including indicators based on symptoms, cases and hospital readiness. All schools in Vermont will operate under the same step level, unless epidemiological conditions warrant otherwise.
Step 1 – Community spread; school is closed for in-person instruction through health order or executive order;
Step 2 – Virus is suppressed but a high degree of school-level protections are implemented; and
Step 3 – Virus is suppressed but a limited degree of school-level protections are implemented.
The Department of Health will determine step levels based on the data being used by the Governor’s COVID-19 leadership team to inform Vermont’s COVID-19 response.
How are Steps being determined?
Vermont is using the following metrics to determine what Phase (Step) it is in:
Indicators based on symptoms:
(1) Downward trajectory of influenza-like illnesses (ILI syndrome) reported within a 14-day period; AND,
(2) Downward trajectory of COVID-like syndromic cases (i.e., COVID-like illness or CLI syndrome) reported within a 14-day period
Indicators based on cases:
(3) Downward trajectory of documented COVID-19 cases within a 14-day period; OR
(4) Downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period (concurrent with a flat or increasing volume of tests)
Indicators for hospital readiness:
(5) Capacity to treat all patients without utilization of crisis care standards; AND
(6) Robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers, including antibody testing
"Scientific evidence continues to support school reopening in Vermont"
Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD said at a press conference Tuesday, August 4, that as new medical literature about COVID-19 continues to emerge, we must carefully consider and review each one for nuances and how the findings may apply to our policies and actions.
For example, a recent study in JAMA Pediatrics found that children under age 5 with mild to moderate symptoms have high amounts of viral load in their nose compared with older people. Dr. Levine pointed out, however, that the study measured the virus’ RNA, not live virus itself. Which means, he explained, that we don’t know if someone could actually be infected as a result.
“Observational studies worldwide indicate children don’t spread the virus very efficiently,” Dr. Levine said. “It’s hard to know what to conclude from this study.”
The wealth of scientific literature still concludes that children are less likely to transmit the virus and to develop severe illness when they do become infected.
Vermont’s ongoing review of the emerging science, along with continued, close monitoring of the state’s low case number and positivity rate, is what informs the state’s planning for school reopening.“ The time is right for Vermont to reopen its schools,” said Dr. Levine. “By continuing to follow prevention measures, we can keep our communities healthier, and our schools safer.”
When would we dismiss WCUUSD Schools for In-Person Instruction?
Other than under Step 1, the decision to dismiss schools or certain classrooms for in-person instruction will be made by our superintendent after consulting with the Department of Health. The Department of Health epidemiologists will provide guidance based on a number of factors, including the level of community transmission, the number of students, teachers, or staff infected, and other indicators the Health Department uses to assess the status of COVID-19, and the ability of the school to implement mitigation strategies.
School dismissal (all move to remote learning) decisions would happen if our local community (or county) could not meet the standards listed above for symptoms, cases or hospital readiness.
Classroom dismissal (limited students/staff move to remote learning) may happen if the Health Department advises us that we had a potential outbreak within one of our learning pods.
What factors will be taken into account when making decisions to close for in-person instruction? (updated 8/12)
These decisions will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
If the school is grouping students by cohort in a single-classroom, the Health Department recommendation will most likely be to close the classroom for in-person instruction and exclude students and staff in the affected classrooms/cohorts/pod for a minimum of 24 hours while contact tracing is conducted.
If students are moving about in multiple classrooms, the Health Department recommendation will most likely be to close all potentially impacted classrooms and exclude students and staff in the affected classrooms or the entire school for in-person instruction for a minimum of 24 hours while contact tracing is conducted.
The Health Department will use this time to gather the facts about the situation, including the period of time in which the individual was at school while infectious. The Health Department will convene a rapid response team with the school and will initiate the investigation, including contact tracing. Based on this information, the Health Department will make further recommendations regarding further closure for in-person instruction and other infection control measures.
Resources:
Tell me more about the Thermal Temperature Screening Systems being used at some WCUUSD schools?
Per recommendation from the Agency of Education, all WCUUSD schools will have students and staff undergo a temperature check upon arrival to school. Berlin, East Montpelier, Rumney and U-32 will be utilizing a non-contact, non-invasive thermal temperature monitoring station just inside the front doors of each building. Thermal imaging cameras are a quick and noninvasive way to scan those coming into the school to make sure they're not running any kind of fever. All students and staff will have their temperature checked upon arrival and these checks are immediate - students and staff do not even need to stop - just pass by them at a normal walking pace. This does not negate the need for parents/guardians to do this at home but is an added wellness check upon arrival. The system will notify the staff member who is monitoring the station if a student appears to have an elevated temperature.
Thermal imaging cameras are becoming a powerful tool in school safety management when it comes to detecting body temperatures. By using heat-detecting systems, it is possible to see if a student, faculty member, or visitor to the school is exhibiting signs of illness through elevated temperature. Students and staff who scan as having a potentially elevated temperature will be directed to the Health Office for additional screening.
While student photos will be taken (as a part of the protocol) to be used in case of contact tracing needs, no identifying information (name or student ID) or health information is ever connected with the student photo. All information is stored on school-based computer servers and cannot be accessed by anyone outside of the school.
Here is a recent news story on the system that we have purchased
Here is a helpful video to see what the system/experience will look like at Berlin, East Montpelier and Rumney.
Here is a helpful video to see what the system/experience will look like at U-32.
How will temperatures be taken at Calais and Doty?
Students will be screened with hand-held, no-contact thermometers once they arrive on campus.
Are visitors and/or parents allowed in the schools?
In order to minimize the risk of transmission, family members will not be allowed to enter the building. We will make exceptions in preschool and kindergarten at the start of the year but families will be notified separately about what that will look like. In order to keep exposure at a minimum, we have to ensure that our students and staff are safe and healthy and this is one practice that we will begin the year with.
Why isn’t there a hybrid option for middle school and elementary students, to learn both in-person and remotely?
We feel that we have the capacity to offer two viable options for our elementary and middle school learners and their families based on the staffing levels that we have in our district. Considering the challenges that many faced during remote learning in the spring we wish that we could have all of our students return to in-person learning as we feel that the best educational and social outcomes for our students come from full-time in-person teaching and learning. In order to accommodate students and/or families for which learning in-person is not possible at this time, the fully remote learning option is in development and will be more robust than was offered in the spring, with increased opportunities for synchronous (live, occurring at the same time) teaching and learning.
While we know that some families would prefer a hybrid option at the elementary and middle school levels, our staffing does not allow for three options.
How do I apply for free and reduced lunch benefits?
The WCUUSD school meal programs are a safe and nutritious source of food. Please follow the directions on the Agency of Education's webpage to apply for this school year.