PDS Reopens

The health office is tasked to monitor and support the wellbeing of the Princeton Day School community as a whole. It is important that families do their part, including familiarizing themselves with our daily screening protocol, our new return-to school policies regarding fever and other illnesses, and responding promptly when asked to take their child home from school.

This year more so than ever, the responsibility to keep everyone safe is shared by every PDS community member. As there will be times when your child may need to stay home, the nurses at the health office will partner with you and the faculty to ensure that your child can transition from in-person to remote learning and back again once they are able. 

The School’s health office protocols are in line with CDC guidelines for COVID-19 infection. The main health office will remain in the administrative wing of the main building, and an additional health office will be located in the Lower School. The health office in the main building will expand to provide dedicated safe places to isolate individuals with concerning symptoms. Special air circulation units will be placed in each isolation room to ensure proper air filtration and to avoid recirculating potentially infectious air. We have identified other areas of the school building (such as the rooms for athletics trainers) should there be a need for additional isolation areas.

We will utilize alternative family emergency contacts provided on MAGNUS to ensure safe and expedited pick-up of students from the health office within 90 minutes of identification of an illness.

Symptom screening, masks and hand hygiene are proven strategies to reduce risk. Prior to entering the building on each school day, every student, faculty and staff member planning to attend school will complete a daily health screening questionnaire. Daily completion of COVID-19 screening for students (and for faculty and staff) is imperative for the School’s safety protocols to function successfully. All PDS families received an email on August 20 and again on August 24 with instructions to download the MAGNUS app, along with step-by-step instructions on how to complete and confirm for the School the required daily screening assessment for any student planning to enter campus on August 24 and thereafter.

PDS families should set up the app on your device using the instructions here. Parents/guardians will receive a daily email reminder with link once school officially begins.

NOTE: If any PDS families are unable to complete the screening before school or otherwise are not able to show that the screening has been completed at morning drop-off, please print off the Daily Screening Questions linked here, provide your written answers to the questions, and provide the printed copy upon arrival so your student may enter the building.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO COMPLETE THE DAILY HEALTH SCREEN:

1. Log in to the MOST RECENT VERSION of the MAGNUS Mobile App on your mobile device—if you have not established a MAGNUS username and password, you must do so following the MAGNUS protocols. If any issues, you must contact MAGNUS to reset. (MAGNUS requires a minimum of 10 characters for password.)

2. Click the student name to select the (first) student for whom you are completing the screening

3. Select: Covid-19 button

4. Select: Daily Screening option (status shown: “Requirement is incomplete”)

5. Review daily message for any additional directions added since the prior day

6. Complete each question ( yes/no or fill in the blank answer box)

7. When completed, select Save (at bottom)

8. Review the answers you provided, which will be shown with either a Stop or Go message/ icon.

9. For any Stop response: your student should not go to school (follow any directions provided below the Stop sign)

10. For any Go response: your student is cleared to attend school (follow any directions below the Go sign)

11. *TAKE A SCREENSHOT on your phone and provide on your MS/US child’s phone for PDS entrance supervisors to view prior to allowing any MS/US student entry. Lower School families, please have your screen shot ready to show supervisors at dropoff. We are working out the protocol for students on buses and in car pools with no phone access. For any student with no screenshot at dropoff, we will have paper forms to be filled out at dropoff.

12. Click OK (at bottom)  

13. For multiple children in same family: Go back to the front page, select another student, and repeat the steps, making sure to take a screenshot to present for campus entry.

QUICK STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

• Sign in to MAGNUS app
• Choose your student
• Click on COVID-19 icon (circle)
• Answer the questions
• Select SAVE
• TAKE A SCREENSHOT of that day's confirmed GREEN GO
• Click OK

For questions about the outcome of your child’s screening assessment: call the Health Office at 609.924.6700 x1190 after 8:00am. For technical issues with the mobile app (log-in problems, etc.): contact MAGNUS Health SMR Customer Support at 877.461.6831 or at service@magnushealthportal.com.

For more help getting the app set up and utilizing the screening assessment tool, please view this MAGNUS tutorial. To consult the MAGNUS Health Privacy and Security page, go to www.magnushealth.com/privacy-and-security/ 

The daily health screening includes the following questions:

• Have you or has anyone in your household traveled out of the country or to any state that has any travel restrictions in the last 14 days? Please see the current list of travel restrictions here

• Has your child been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 14 days?

• Has your child been in close contact with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days?

• Has your child had any of the following symptoms in the last 24 hours:

  • loss of taste or smell

  • fever, chills and body aches

  • nausea, vomiting

  • headaches

  • shortness of breath 

  • new onset cough, sore throat, congestion and runny nose

• Have you taken your child’s temperature today and is the temperature below 100.4 degrees?

The School requires strict adherence to our policy of being free of a fever (temperature <100.4) for 72 hours before returning to school.

As we continue to keep up-to-date with safe practices, interpreting data from other regions and areas, and re-evaluating updated guidelines, our current understanding is that parental screening for general health (temperature-taking and review of signs and symptoms), as well constant assessment of possible COVID contacts, allows us as a community to better gauge who can be on campus and who should stay home. See this interview with Dr. Fauci, which includes commentary on at-home temperature taking.

All test results and health information will be confidential and will be reviewed and communicated by the School’s professional medical staff only. 

As a community, we are stronger together than alone. We are responsible not only for ourselves but for each and every member within our community. It is up to each of us to take measures on campus, at home, and in all aspects of our lives to keep our community safe. Our joint efforts will control transmission, sustain our on-campus learning experience, and protect those around us. We request that all families discuss this Panther Pledge and commit to these responsibilities by digitally signing it. Parents of students in PreKindergarten and Kindergarten are asked to sign the pledge on behalf of their children after a discussion about the responsibilities. Students in First through Twelfth Grade are asked to sign the pledge themselves. All Princeton Day School employees will be asked to make the same commitment. 

Princeton Day School requires that all individuals must wear masks or face coverings that cover the mouth and nose while on campus, consistent with recommendations from public health officials to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Exceptions include:

• when outside and greater than 6 feet apart from any other persons

• while eating lunch

• when alone in a private office or classroom

Times will be built into the schedule for students to be mask-free. The face coverings policy is subject to re-evaluation based on the most current recommendations.

Daily Face Covering Supply

• Princeton Day School has ordered one (1) reusable cloth mask for each member of the community

• Masks are available for student and faculty use when needed in an emergency or if mask is misplaced.

• Students should bring a minimum of two (2) clean face masks to school each day.

• Masks must be washed or disposed of after each use, so please plan to have a generous supply for your student’s needs.

• Please refer to Important Information About Your Cloth Face Coverings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention related to masks and face coverings.

Acceptable masks include:

• Washable cotton masks

• Disposable masks

• Masks may not display words, logos, or symbols other than the official PDS-provided mask.

• Masks that are either solid colors or patterns without any messaging

Students who wish to wear masks related to Princeton Day School activities must have those designs approved in advance by the Communications Office (if you are creating them) or the Division Head (if already purchased).

Students, faculty and staff are asked to physically distance themselves from one another by 6 feet to the extent that it is feasible.

Modifications to facilitate physical distancing:

• Each member of the school will be assigned a morning check-in point to confirm that they have filled out the daily health screening form.

• To minimize wait times, multiple check-in entrances have been identified and check-in details will be provided for each student before the start of school

• Tents and outdoor space will be used during non-instructional times for students and adults to take breaks from being indoors

• As much as possible, each Lower School grade-level classroom will remain in their homeroom, and will also use select designated spaces as a homeroom group according to the schedule, to minimize contact with others 

• The Middle School will be zoned with sections that will limit the movement of students between grades and throughout the school 

• We have created low-density classrooms with desks and other furnishings physically distanced as much as possible 

• Plexiglass partitions will provide a barrier between individuals in classrooms when needed

• Large student gatherings will be limited

• Touchless hand-sanitizing dispensers have been added to each classroom

• Touch-free paper towel dispensers have been added to all bathrooms

• Cleaning supplies are located in every room and teaching area to ensure that surfaces are cleaned between classes 

• All classrooms are equipped with DTEN D7 videoconferencing to support remote learning.

Classroom Precautions

In classrooms, every student will be provided an appropriate and CDC guideline-specific physical distance at their seats, either at an individual desk or at a table with a plexiglass barrier. Seats will be assigned to assist in contact tracing.
 

Cleaning and Sanitizing Campus

Custodians

Princeton Day School has hired additional custodians to help ensure that all  classrooms, restrooms, and common areas are cleaned and sanitized throughout the day and each evening.

Cleaning Solutions

Our highest priorities are the health and safety of our community. The School carefully researched sanctioned cleaning agents and methods of sanitizing and cleaning during the COVIID-19 pandemic before choosing the cleaning solution that we are using in the classrooms. The cleaning solution used by the School, Decon-30 Disinfectant, is highly recommended and rated safe for educational settings. It is botanically derived and EPA-registered. The EPA has established a list of disinfectants that meet their criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes the disease COVD-19. Decon-30 Disinfectant has been approved for use against SARS-CoV2 per EPA Reg. No. 34810-25. It is recommended for use in hospitals, nursing homes, nurseries, medical offices, schools, military installations, athletic facilities, public areas, ambulances, institutional kitchens, cafeterias, restaurants, public restrooms, shower and bath areas, and many other healthcare and other facilities.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms will be cleaned regularly throughout the day by custodial staff.

Classroom Surfaces

Faculty and staff will be asked to clean their classroom surfaces after each class. The cleaning solutions are EPA-approved and food safe. Each classroom will have its own dedicated cleaning items to clean surfaces after each class during the day. 

Computer Workstations

Students will have their own computer device (either personal or school assigned), minimizing the need for shared computers. Computers that are loaned to students during the day will be cleaned and disinfected after individual use. 

Lunch Service

Lunch will be provided by FLIK or students can bring their own lunches. All safety protocols will be enforced during lunch. Details on lunch procedures and locations will be provided by each division prior to the start of school.  

High-Touch Surfaces

In addition to bathrooms, high-touch surfaces such as door knobs, railings, elevators, light switches, etc., will be cleaned and sanitized regularly throughout the day. 

Water Bottle Filling Stations

Touchless water bottle filling stations are located around campus. Students will bring their own, clearly labeled water bottles to school each day. 
 

Air Ventilation and HVAC Changes

We engaged an engineering firm to evaluate our HVAC systems and they have confirmed that both design and operations meet current standards. In addition, our systems have been upgraded with the installation of bipolar ionization units that proactively purify indoor air. A professional service was contracted to clean and sanitize all HVAC coils. All air filters are either MERV-15 or MERV-13, and will be changed on a regular schedule. Coils will also continue to be cleaned on a scheduled basis. Additionally, windows will be open in classrooms where feasible.

Campus Access for Parents and Visitors

Limited Visitor Access 

In order to minimize risk and maintain a healthy environment for our students, faculty and staff, we will begin the school year by limiting access to campus buildings strictly to students, teachers and essential personnel. Visitors, including parents, are allowed on campus by appointment only. All visitors will be subject to the same screening protocol as our community members, which includes a questionnaire and temperature screening. Visitors will enter the school at the main entrance only and will sign in with reception. 
 

Parent Meetings and Gatherings

Parent meetings and large gatherings will be held in a virtual format. 

Knowing when to stay home from school is essential to keep the community healthy. Students instructed to stay home after completing the daily screening questionnaire must notify the health office if their absence is due to COVID-19. You can contact the health office by calling 609-924-6700 ext. 1190 or by email at healthoffice@pds.org.

Students, faculty, and staff should stay home from school if:

• They are unwell with COVID-like symptoms.
• They are awaiting COVID-19 test results.
• They test positive for COVID-19 (with or without symptoms).
• They are a close contact of a COVID-19 individual.
• They experience a fever of 100.4 degrees F or higher (oral; 99.5 or higher axillary or temporal)
• In all instances, families are asked to call their doctor and inform the PDS health office of positive results.

Important: Family members do not need to stay home if they have been in close contact with someone who has been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19. (This means if you are a close contact to a close contact you do not need to quarantine)

Example 1: If a family member is awaiting test results at home, a healthy student may go to school.

Example 2: If a family member is a close contact and quarantining at home, a healthy student may go to school.  

Parents, faculty and staff are required to contact the PDS health office of a positive COVID-19 case by calling 609-924-6700 ext 1190 or emailing healthoffice@pds.org.

• Notify the Princeton Health Department.

• The infected individual will be excluded from school for 14 days from symptom onset or test date.

• Disinfect and clean classroom and primary spaces where the infected individual spent significant time.

• Identify all “close contacts” and execute PDS’s contact tracing protocols.  Please see below for the definition of close contact.

• Notify all close contacts without identifying the names of the  individuals who have tested positive. Close contacts will be excluded from school for 7-10 days depending on a negative COVID test result and only with the approval of the Health Office.

• Inform community members (faculty, staff, coaches, students) who may have been in contact with the infected individual (even if they do not qualify as a close contact).  Those community members will have the option to be remote for 14 days.

What is a Close Contact?
The CDC defines a “close contact” as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to positive test) until the time the individual is isolated. Please see this diagram created by the Princeton Health Department.

What about someone who has been in contact with a “Close Contact?"
No actions need to be taken for persons who have not had direct contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case, and instead have had close contact with persons who were in direct contact. (In other words, a contact of a contact is not considered exposed). Please see this diagram created by the Princeton Health Department.

A fully vaccinated individual is no longer considered a close contact as per the CDC guidelines.

Contact tracing is the process of identifying, notifying, and monitoring any employee or student who came in close contact with another employee or student of the school who tested positive for COVID-19 while they were infectious (two days before onset of symptoms until the end of the person's isolation period). 

Contact tracing is a key strategy for preventing the further spread of COVID-19. Close contacts of an individual who test positive for COVID-19 are considered to have been exposed to COVID-19, and may go on to develop the virus. Identifying and quarantining close contacts limits their ability to spread disease should they become infectious and helps to limit spread within the PDS community. PDS faculty have been asked to maintain seating charts for every class to assist with contact tracing should it become necessary.

The purpose of our contact tracing policy is to:

• Explore the possible route of infection or exposure.

• Identify close contacts and other individual employees or students who may be at risk for infection.

• Educate the individuals on the need to quarantine and isolate and determine the individuals’ plans.

• Identify the support services that the school can provide to the individuals to help them successfully quarantine or isolate.

Contact tracing protocols and procedures will be implemented by a member of the health office and adhere to the CDC guidelines. The following steps will take place:

• Any employee or student who is diagnosed with COVID-19, is required to inform the health office of the diagnosis.

• A member of the health office will ask the individual for the names of students and employees with whom he or she has been in close contact.  The individual will also be asked where he or she spent time on the school campus while infectious. 

• Individuals are considered to be infectious beginning two days before onset of symptoms or two days before the date of the positive result if the person did not have symptoms until the end of the quarantine period (“Infectious Period”). Infected individuals are encouraged to utilize calendars, emails, etc. to remember where and who they were around at PDS during their Infectious Period.

• The infected student or employee will not be permitted on campus and will be asked to stay at home and self-isolate, if he or she is not doing so already, until 14 days after the onset of symptoms (or a positive test result in the absence of symptoms) and until the individual is fever free for 72 hours.

• Close contacts are those individuals who were in close proximity (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with the infected individual during the Infectious Period.

• PDS will abide by the CDC quarantine guidelines. If a student or employee is a close contact, there are two options:

  • Option 1
    The student should self-quarantine for 7 days and test for COVID after that period of time. They can return to campus after 7 days and with a negative COVID test. The parent/guardian of the student must speak with a representative from the Health Office and receive official clearance before returning to school.

  • Option 2
    The student should quarantine for 10 days. No Covid test is required if the student quarantines for the full 10 days. The parent/guardian of the student must speak with a representative from the Health Office and receive official clearance before returning to school.
     

  • Additional Information and Options:
    A close contact may be exempt from quarantine if one of the following criteria are met and reviewed by the PDS Health Office:
    1. A healthy appearing asymptomatic individual has had COVID-19 within the past 90 days
    2. A healthy appearing asymptomatic individual with history of COVID-19 with proof of immunity in the last 90 days
    3. A healthy appearing asymptomatic individual has proof of completed COVID-19 vaccination within the last 90 day

Follow-up activity as a result of the contact-tracing interview shall include but may not be limited to the following.

• The Head of School, Associate Head of School, Division Head, or a member of the health office will contact faculty members to notify them if they had a student with a positive COVID-19 test result in their class and find an appropriate means of ensuring the safety of the community.

• A  member of the health office will notify close contacts of their potential exposure. A member of the health office will conduct follow up discussions with the close contacts regarding symptoms and testing results. The close contacts will quarantine from school for 7-10 days depending on a negative COVID test result and only with the approval of the Health Office.

• A member of the health office will notify the students who were in class with the COVID-19 infected individual. The students in the class will have the option to take classes remotely for 7-10 days.  

Please note that the name of the employee or student who tested positive for COVID-19 will not be revealed to the close contacts, even if they ask.

To prevent the further spread of disease, COVID-19 close contacts may not be on campus and are encouraged to stay home and maintain social distance (at least 6 feet) from others until 7-10 days after their last exposure to a person with COVID-19. Close contacts should monitor themselves by checking their temperature twice daily and monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19.

Effective contact tracing relies on conducting interviews in a timely manner. Complying with requests for information from PDS is an important expectation and a necessity as the school attempts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within the school community

There are many factors Princeton Day School will consider when deciding to send a cohort of students home for a period of time to continue their studies remotely, send home a division or close the campus.

At this time, state governments inform us that any such decision must be made by local school administrators in consultation with local public health officials.

Princeton Day School intends to follow the protocols and recommendations from the State, while also taking into account other extenuating circumstances particular to our community if any situations arise.

Scenario #1
There is one confirmed case in the School.

• The School remains open: students and staff in close contact with positive case are excluded from campus for 14 days.

Scenario #2
There are two or more cases in the same classroom (outbreak limited to one cohort).

• The School remains open: students and staff in that classroom or in close contact with positive case are excluded from campus for 14 days.

Scenario #3
There are two or more cases within 14 days, but are linked to a clear alternative exposure that is unrelated to the campus setting and unlikely to be a source of exposure for the larger school community (e.g. in same household, exposed at the same event outside of school.)

• The School remains open: students and staff in close contact with positive cases are excluded from campus for 14 days.

Scenario #4
There are two or more cases within 14 days, linked together by some activity in school, but who are in different classrooms (outbreak involving multiple cohorts).

• The decision to send home for 14 days a division or a large cohort of a division is most likely.

Scenario #5
A significant community outbreak is occurring or has recently occurred (e.g., large event or large local employer) and is impacting multiple staff, students, and families served by the school community.

• We would, most likely, close campus for 14 days, based on an investigation by the local health department.

Scenario #6
There are two or more cases identified within 14 days that have been identified as resulting from contact within the classroom and a clear connection between cases or to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 cannot be easily identified (outbreak involving multiple cohorts).

• We would, most likely, close campus for 14 days, based on an investigation by the local health department.

Scenario #7
The Regional Risk Matrix is Red (Very high risk of community transmission).

• We will close campus until COVID-19 transmission decreases.

Recommendations for return to play after COVID-19 infections. Please refer to this article as a resource.   

If your child did not have symptoms:

• Your child should not return to sports until 14 days after receiving their COVID-19 test results.

If your child had a mild illness (i.e., they did not have a fever and symptoms lasted less than three days):

• Your child should not return to sports until at least 14 days after their COVID-19 symptoms have resolved.

If your child had a moderate illness (i.e., their fever or other symptoms lasted for more than three days, but they were not sick enough to be hospitalized):

• Your child should not return to sports until at least 14 days after their COVID-19 symptoms have resolved.

• If your child is 12 or older, cardiac testing should be performed before they return to sports.

If your child was hospitalized:

• Your child should not return to sports until at least 14 days after their COVID-19 symptoms have resolved.

• Your child should have cardiac testing before they return to sports.

Following Governor Murphy’s May 17, 2021, announcement that effective immediately there are no travel restrictions for domestic travel for New Jersey residents. Members of the Princeton Day School community will no longer be required to quarantine after domestic travel.

Effective Wednesday, April 21, 2021

The following is the School’s policy on off-campus, indoor activities:

• Students can now choose on-campus learning if they are participating in an off-campus, indoor activity. It is our expectation that the student will be wearing a mask during the activity and following all the health and safety guidelines of the off-campus, indoor program.

Important Reminder: A parent can request their child’s return to on-campus learning by emailing this request to PDSreopens@pds.org.