PDS Together

Princeton Day School has required all faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. This includes a booster vaccination.

Princeton Day School has required all students 12 years or older to be vaccinated for COVID-19. We recommend, but do not require students 12 years or older to receive their booster vaccination as soon as possible.

We highly recommend our youngest students (ages 11 and younger) who are eligible for the vaccination to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  

Princeton Day School will communicate to all families on or before July 1, 2022 on the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for the 2022-2023 school year. 

Exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccination may be granted for documented medical contraindications or sincerely held religious beliefs. The standard for an exemption is established based upon applicable federal and state law, and recommendations from local authorities. Individuals need to complete a specific form for this request.  Faculty and Staff should email the Human Resources office to request this form; families should email the Health Office. As always, you can email pdstogether@pds.org to direct you to the appropriate individual.

All candidates who come to campus to interview for a position at Princeton Day School must be fully vaccinated and show proof of vaccination. This includes a booster vaccination.

Special Note: If an individual has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days then the individual's natural immunity is protective enough that quarantine is not necessary. If individuals are eligible for a booster dose within this timeframe, we recommend receiving that dose before the 90 days are over to prevent possible need for quarantine.

Effective March 7, 2022, Princeton Day School will be mask-optional for all individuals on campus. Masks will be optional on all school buses.

Symptom screening, masks and hand hygiene are proven strategies to reduce risk. Vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals should monitor their health daily.

Please review these symptoms daily. If an individual has any of them, please do not come to campus.

• 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 24 hours before returning to school.

If an individual has two or more symptoms of illness significant enough that it is impeding their daily routines or their comfort level during the day, the Health Office recommends that the individual leaves campus and gets medical attention. The Health Office will defer to an individual's private physician for clearance to return to school. In some cases, this may include a negative COVID test.

Any individual  with a fever greater than 100 degrees F requires a note from their physician to return to school at least 24 hours fever-free.

If an individual is concerned enough that they are scheduled for a COVID test or awaiting results, they should STAY home until they get their results and it is negative. 

Princeton Day School has put in place policies and procedures for students who miss school while ill. The Learning Specialist in each Division manages this process.

We recognize that all illnesses are not COVID, but for the benefit and safety of the community, we will always err on the side of caution. The Health Office will contact individuals and ask them to be seen by their doctor before returning to campus.

As we continue to keep up-to-date with safe practices our current understanding is that parental screening for general health (temperature-taking and review of signs and symptoms), as well as constant assessment of possible COVID contacts, allows us as a community to better gauge who can be on campus and who should stay home.

Individuals with COVID-19 must quarantine for 5 days regardless of vaccination status. 

• Day 0 is the first day of a positive test or symptoms. 

• Day 6 is the day the individual can return to campus, if symptom free.

• There is no test requirement to return to campus.  

• Individuals must wear a mask for the full 10 days in all school activities and school settings.  This includes athletics, performing arts, and all school activities. Individuals will have alternative eating spaces available for their use.  It is the responsibility of the individual to adhere to these guidelines.

• COVID+ individuals should not test for COVID for 90 days after their initial positive test result.

IMPORTANT: Contact the Health Office (healthoffice@pds.org) to notify the School of a  COVID positive test result.

Fully Vaccinated Individuals

IMPORTANT: Students and Adults have different definitions of what it means to be fully vaccinated.   

• Students are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after they have received their final COVID-19 vaccination dose.

• Adults are considered fully vaccinated after they have received their full COVID-19 vaccination doses and have received a COVID Booster.

• Individuals who have had COVID in the last 90 days do not need to quarantine if they have been in close contact with a COVID+ individual and are symptom free.

Fully vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine if they have been in close contact with a COVID+ individual and are symptom free.

All Other Individuals

• Individuals who are not fully vaccinated (see above for definition) must quarantine for 5 days. 

• Day 0 is the first day they are identified as a close contact.

• We recommend (but do not require) that you take a COVID test (rapid antigen or PCR) on Day 5.  

• We recommend that you monitor closely for any symptoms.

• Day 6 is the day the individual can return to campus if symptom free.

Contact Tracing

Princeton Day School will no longer contact trace for COVID positive cases. Individuals who are COVID positive will need to isolate for 5 days.

Parents are asked to notify their child’s specific division assistant as well as the health office when their child is ill. They must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. The health office may follow up with families and may recommend that they see their health care provider prior to returning to school.

Our goal is for faculty, staff and students to be on campus each day. Students who are required to be off campus for Covid health-related reasons will work with their teachers and the division specific specialists to ensure a robust learning plan for the student’s time when they are not able to attend school in person.

Students and faculty in different divisions can access large common spaces (i.e. Campus Center, McAneny Theater, Princeton Day School Athletic Center, Matthews Arts Wing).  Divisions no longer need to “bubble” in their specific divisions.

In classrooms, students will be assigned seats and teachers will keep seating charts for their classes. We encourage social distancing whenever possible.

There are no requirements for domestic travel for members of the Princeton Day School community at this time.