COVID-19 FAQs*

Here is a core list of protocols:

• As of Monday, April 4, 2022, Levine Academy protocols for indoor large gatherings pivoted to "masks optional" for all constituents.
• Visitation inside the building is by appointment only; gatherings for school events are open to the Levine Community, according to the school’s advance communications for these events -- Levine-issued badges or visitor stickers are required.  
• Frequent regimen of hand-washing and respiratory etiquette throughout the day.
• Daily cleaning and sanitizing by maintenance staff.
• Frequent outdoor play and fresh air whenever possible.
• We continue to follow the CDC and AAP guidelines and recommendations for faculty, staff, students, and visitors.

As of April 4, 2022, Levine Academy pivoted to "masks optional" for all constituents.

• Day of exposure counts as Day “0”. 
• For positive cases – Day “0” is either the onset of symptoms date, or the date they received a positive test - whichever date is earliest.

• The CDC recommends PCR testing on day five from an exposure, if asymptomatic, in order to catch some asymptomatic carriers.
• PCR testing is recommended -- if PCR is not available, Levine Academy will accept a negative rapid test; however, for household exposures, receipt of a negative test on day five or after is mandatory.
• If you choose not to test your child, they may begin an at-home quarantine and then return to campus, if symptom-free after 10-days of quarantine. 
• Please report all results whether negative or positive to the COVID team. You may simply take a phone picture of the results document and send that to covid@levineacademy.org.

Our “test-to-stay” program will apply to all ages and grade levels, EC thru Grade 8. Anyone returning to school after an exposure must mask until day 10.

•  For EC through Grade 8 students, VACCINATED and UNVACCINATED, who become exposed to a positive case (determined to be a close contact with the positive classmate or teacher or staff member, or a close contact to a non-household individual testing positive) -- they may continue to attend school so long as they are symptom-free and fever-free; however, they still must begin the test-to-stay program on a daily basis through day 5 (tests may be rapid Antigen or PCR). 
• For EC through Grade 8 students, VACCINATED and UNVACCINATED, who are exposed to a household member (i.e. parent, older sibling, etc.) and the positive case individual is unable to isolate for a full 10-days, then we recommend the exposed student to begin quarantine for 5 days, and then must receive a negative PCR or antigen test on at least day 5 before returning of school. If, however, the child can be separated from the positive household case, they can begin a test-to-stay program for five consecutive days. 

For students 2 years of age through Grade 8, who test positive for COVID, they must isolate for 5-days at home. They do not need to re-test but they must be symptom-free and fever-free for 24 hours, without fever reducers, and wear a surgical grade or N-95 equivalent mask when they return -- days 6 through 10. (Anyone returning to school after a positive test must wear a surgical-grade mask until day 10).

For students under 2 years of age (not of age to mask), who test positive for COVID, they must isolate for 10-days. They can return to school after serving the full 10-day quarantine, and if symptom-free – re-testing is not required following a 10-day quarantine. 

Individuals are considered fully vaccinated after receiving the CDC’s recommended dosage.

Levine has established procedures to ensure students and staff who become sick at school or who arrive at school sick are sent home as soon as possible. We will keep anyone sick separate from well students and staff until the sick person can be sent home. The determination of whether a student or staff member is sent home may result from a temperature of >100 degrees or from an assessment of the individual by the School Nurse.

Siblings of the sick child will also be asked to go home, unless the family gives consent for the school to administer a rapid COVID test in the Nurse’s office for each sibling and the results are negative.

A member of the COVID team at Levine will contact the family to determine whether a COVID negative test is required before the sick child may return to school.

The child, under these circumstances, must remain home until fully recovered from the cold or illness, with a doctor’s note necessary for return to campus, or a negative COVID test.

Each morning, before leaving for campus and morning carpool drop-off, please check your children for any symptoms at home -- fever, headache, fatigue, cough, etc. -- and keep all of your children home if you have even one child whose symptoms need to be addressed. Inform the school if you need to keep your children home for this reason, and we will be back in touch with you about next steps.

Also, here at school, faculty have been informed that we will send home all siblings of any student who are exhibiting symptoms during the school day, and they will all need to remain home until the matter is resolved. However, with parent permission in writing, we will administer a COVID test to the siblings of the symptomatic student, and if results are negative, siblings may stay in school for the remainder of that day. 

We ask all families to check their children for any symptoms prior to arriving at school and to keep their children home and notify the school if they are keeping their child home.

Children who are running a fever (> 100 degrees) must stay at home and may return if symptom-free, fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school -- with either a doctor's note or negative COVID test. 

Keep your child home if you, your child, or someone within your household have any symptoms. Always err on the side of caution. Please contact the COVID Response Team and your EC Director or K8 Principal.

Please contact the COVID Response Team and your EC Director or K8 Principal whenever you have one of these situations:

• Keeping a child home because of illness.
• Keeping a child home because a member of the household is being tested for COVID and awaiting results.
• Keeping a child home because of a potential exposure to a positive case.
• When a school family member tests positive—this would be any household member: the student, a sibling, a parent, any relative or person living in the household.

You may also wish to share travel plans; family activity plans that may pose risk; or any after-school or weekend teams or activities you are considering for your child.

Yes, you will be contacted by a member of the school’s COVID Response Team.  These team members will help you to determine those in your family who are potentially exposed and will help you understand any quarantine requirements that may result from exposure or infection.

If a member of our campus community—student, teacher or staff member—tests positive, we will report this fact to the entire school, but in keeping with HIPAA requirements, we will not disclose any names. 

Levine is prepared to pivot to virtual learning, as soon as it is feasible, when an entire grade or class section must quarantine for any health reasons. However, the virtual option will not be offered to students whose families go on vacation when Levine is in session. Virtual is also not an option for families who keep students home in preparation for an upcoming large gathering or party -- the school does not condone these large gatherings. Such a virtual hop-on/hop-off pattern is an extraordinary burden to our teachers and is a major distraction in the classroom. If a student is away on a vacation when Levine is in session, he/she can keep pace by following lessons and homework posted on Schoology.