COVID-19 Update - The Quarry Lane School

Last Updated: June 18, 2022

Keeping Our Community Safe

With the beginning of the 2021-2022 academic year approaching, we wanted to share important information regarding school operations for our return to campus this Fall, including some of the health and safety protocols we have set in place.

We continue to be guided by our commitment to the safety and well-being of our community, our core mission and values, and to providing the best possible learning experience for our students. Along with the CDC and CPHD, we prioritize in-person instruction this Fall and adhere to the data which states that students learn best in the physical classroom. In accordance with these public health agencies, our goal is to welcome all students safely back to campus in August. Therefore, we are not planning a distance learning platform for students.

We are confident that onsite, in-person instruction is the optimal learning platform for students. Our successful campus reopening this past school year demonstrated that we can, and will, continue to provide a safe and healthy on-campus experience for our community.

In preparing for a full return to campus, we have implemented the following mitigation strategies:

All Quarry Lane faculty and staff are fully vaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccination is required for students aged 12 and above, unless exempt for medical or religious reasons.
- Eligible students who are not vaccinated must submit proof of a negative COVID test weekly.
All faculty, staff, and students (Jr. K-Grade 12) are required to wear proper face masks at all times while on campus, with the exception of when they are eating or drinking. Mask breaks will be given and can occur when students are a minimum of six feet apart from others.
- Face masks must cover the nose and mouth.
- Students should bring a minimum of two masks with them to school daily.
Consistent with the CDC's and CPHD's recommendations, we strongly encourage all students ages 5 and above receive the COVID-19 vaccine and upload vaccination information to students' records on the Portal. (Note: Currently, the CDC recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months and older.)
All students, faculty, and staff will continue to adhere to diligent personal hygiene practices, including proper and frequent hand washing, to prevent the spread of viruses.
Campus cleaning and sanitizing protocols, such as frequent/daily cleaning of classrooms and high-touch surfaces, will continue.
Classrooms and other indoor campus spaces will be optimized to allow for increased ventilation, including open windows and doors, to the extent possible.

We believe a layered, thoughtful approach to onsite measures is the best and most effective prevention strategy in keeping our students, faculty, and staff safe and healthy while on campus. Our success depends on this being a collective effort.

As always, we recognize that we must remain vigilant and prepared as the year unfolds. We continue to be in regular contact with the ACPHD and remain responsive and flexible to current data. Updates or changes to our protocols will be based on guidance from public health agencies (CDC, CPHD, and ACPHD), our commitment to the safety and well-being of our community, and our mission to provide an optimal, seamless learning experience. Additionally, any changes or updates to our health and safety protocols will be communicated as soon as possible via email, as well as posted onto our website.

Quarantine/Isolation, Testing & Return to Campus Protocol

Isolation/Quarantine Protocol

Quarry Lane follows a "5-7-9 Plus" protocol for students who test positive for COVID-19. Students who test positive must:

Stay home from school and other settings, including all extra-curricular activities, for initially 5 days starting the day after their symptoms started, or if they do not have symptoms, 5 days starting the day after the date of their positive test, using the date the test was collected. People can spread SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, for a full 10 days from when they get infected, even if they don't have symptoms or are feeling better.
Day 5 – a rapid test can be administered (by the parent/guardian) – if the test is negative, and there are no symptoms, the student may return to class but if positive the student must return home.
Day 7 – a rapid test can be administered (by the parent/guardian) – if the test is negative , and there are no symptoms, the student may return to class but if positive the student must return home.
Day 9 – a rapid test can be administered (by the parent/guardian) – if the test is negative, and there are no symptoms, the student may return to class but if positive the student must return home.
Day 11 - a rapid test can be administered (by the parent/guardian) – if the test is negative OR positive, and there are no symptoms, the student may return to class. On Day 11 the CDC currently states that an individual is not thought to be infectious. Please note that in a small number of cases individuals can continue to test positive.
Please note QLS will require an additional test to be performed onsite by the parent to confirm the negative result.
Students who are away from campus due to COVID will be able to attend via Zoom.

COVID-19 Family/Household Exposure: If a member of a student's family and/or household tests positive for COVID-19, we are requiring all members to isolate and remain off campus for a 5-day waiting period,

COVID-19 School Exposure

Students exposed to COVID-19 in school who are not displaying any symptoms may remain in school, regardless of vaccination status.
Testing Requirements: Currently, the school is conducting mandatory PCR testing twice weekly. This will satisfy the current guideline for testing exposed students.
Students who develop symptoms of Covid-19 or test positive for COVID-19, must isolate at home immediately and notify us right away at 925-829-8000.
If a parent/sibling/household member of a student becomes infected with COVID-19:
- He/she may remain in school if he/she is fully vaccinated
- He/she must quarantine for at least 5 days after the person with COVID-19 in their household completes their isolation.

Below are several important points that families must adhere to before sending your child back to campus:

Students must also be fever-free for a minimum of 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. Symptoms must also have improved.
At least 10 days have passed since symptoms began or since the date of their initial positive test (use the date the specimen was collected) if they did not develop symptoms

QLS Travel/Self-Quarantine Policy

Please note, our current travel policy reflects guidance from the CDC, State, and County public health agencies. Additionally, students and staff must adhere to the required COVID-19 testing protocol in place. If a student or staff member returns to campus

https://covid19.ca.gov/travel/

All students and staff are strongly recommended to test within 3-5 days after returning from travel, regardless of vaccination status. Students

COVID-19 Vaccination Recommendation for Children (5-11)

Last Fall, the CDC announced that it recommends that all children ages 5 through 11 be vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer Biotech pediatric vaccine. We are thrilled about this advancement in the fight against the virus which brings us one step closer to ensuring the health and safety of our community. In alignment with the CDC and Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD), we recommend that you schedule a vaccination appointment for your child(ren) as soon as it is possible to do so.

To find a vaccine site in Alameda County visit https://covid19.acgov.org/vaccines#availability.

For more information on vaccines provided by Alameda County Health Partners:

Kaiser Permanente https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/northern-california/healthwellness/coronavirus-information/vaccine-appointments
Sutter Health https://www.sutterhealth.org/for-patients/health-alerts/covid-19-vaccine
Stanford Health Care – ValleyCare https://stanfordhealthcare.org/discover/covid-19- resource-center/patient-care/safety-health-vaccine-planning.html

In June 2022, the CDC also recommended that all children 6 months through 5 years of age should receive a COVID-19 vaccine, expanding the eligibility of the vaccine to children in that age group. According to the CDC, distribution of pediatric vaccinations for these younger children has started across the country, and will be available at thousands of pediatric practices, pharmacies, Federally Qualified Health Centers, local health departments, clinics, and other locations this week. Children in this younger age group can be vaccinated with whichever vaccine is available (either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech). Parents can reach out to their doctor, nurse, local pharmacy, or health department, or visit vaccines.gov to see where vaccines for children are available