Superintendent's Message November 9, 2021 Screen and Stay

Screen and Stay Quarantine Procedures

November 9, 2021

Dear FPS Families and Staff,

First, thank you to the entire FPS community for supporting our ongoing COVID-19 mitigation efforts.  Our low case rate and the few students in quarantine speak to the success of our work.  Vaccination of all eligible students and staff will continue to be the most important mitigation strategy for schools, families and the community.  As always, our priority is keeping students in school safely.

With the Governor’s announcement on Thursday, DPH and CSDE are providing an option  for schools to implement Screen and Stay Quarantine Procedures for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated K-12 students and staff.  Please note that this program does not include PreK students and staff.  Vaccinated students and staff are not currently required to quarantine after contact with a COVID-19 case, as long as they do not have any symptoms..

Screen and Stay will permit students or staff who would otherwise have to quarantine due to an in-school exposure only to choose to remain in school provided they meet certain criteria and provide signed, written confirmation of their intent to comply with all requirements.  School nurses and administrators, in consultation with the Fairfield Health Department, will determine if a student or staff member is eligible for Screen and Stay.

If an individual is eligible, the school nurse will provide the full Screen and Stay guidance document, which includes the symptom checklist and affirmation.  The affirmation must be signed before the individual can return to school.

It is critical that individuals opting for Screen and Stay perform the daily screening and stay home if they experience any symptoms.

Screen and Stay applies to in-school learning only.  Regular quarantine procedures will continue to apply to athletics, extra curriculars, and other activities outside the school day.

Individuals in Screen and Stay will not participate in aerosol-generating activities while in schools (e.g. Phys, Ed, wind instrument playing, choir/singing, projected speech) and will be provided alternative programming for the duration of the Screen and Stay period.

This option will be available starting tomorrow, Wednesday 11/10.  Going forward, we will identify any close contacts who may be eligible and follow up with them.  There is no need to contact schools directly.

Full details about the program are available on the COVID-19 page of the FPS website or by clicking on the guidance document link above.

Take care,

Mike

Mike Cummings
Superintendent of Schools