Health & SaFety INFORMATION

If your child has any of the following symptoms, please consult Epiphany School guidelines and the CDC symptoms flowchart below for testing and isolation guidance, then reach out to health@epiphanyschool.org to report symptom(s) and confirm the testing and/or isolation plan with the school nurse.

• Congestion or runny nose
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Fever or chills (a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or above)
• Headache
• Muscle or body aches
• Nausea or vomiting
• New loss of taste or smell
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Sore throat

Please note: Epiphany School requires any COVID-19-positive individuals returning to school to wear a mask on days 6-10 even if they receive a negative antigen test (this differs from the flowchart below). Assuming the individual was at school while infectious, the rest of the class must wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days and take a COVID-19 test 3-5 days following the exposure, OR take a COVID-19 antigen test daily before coming to school for 10 days following the exposure (masking is optional).

If you must test your child for COVID-19, we are currently accepting at-home antigen tests, home molecular (Cue) tests, or lab-based PCR tests. If you are in need of an at-home antigen test kit, please reach out to health@epiphanyschool.org and we are happy to provide one. If you are looking for a PCR testing site, please see the list below:

• UW Medicine (Seattle and King County) 
• Curative walk-up sites (locations throughout Seattle)                                         
• International Community Health Services (Shoreline)
• Neighborcare Clinics (North Seattle and West Seattle)
• The Polyclinic (multiple Seattle locations) 
• SeaMar Community Health Centers 
• Family Health Mart (Duvall) 
• Vashon BePrepared (Vashon Island) 
• GS Labs (Bellevue)

Confidentiality
The identity of individuals who have suspected or diagnosed COVID-19 is protected confidential health information and will not be disclosed. All members of the community are expected to respect privacy and confidentiality and to not speculate on the identity of, or in any way target individuals who are suspected of or diagnosed with COVID-19.

Asymptomatic: Isolate for 5 days, starting the day after your student took the COVID-19 test. Can return to school on the 6th day, as long as there are no symptoms present and proof of a negative antigen test has been sent to health@epiphanyschool.org. Students who test positively on day 6 must continue to isolate at home for at least one additional day. Students can test on subsequent mornings and return once they have a negative antigen test result, or once 10 days have passed from the start of their infection. Once they've returned, students must continue to wear a mask through day 10 while indoors at school. 

Symptomatic: Isolate for 5 days, starting the day after your student's symptoms started. Can return to school on the 6th day, as long as they have not had a fever for at least 24 hours, symptoms have improved to where they feel well enough to be at school, and proof of a negative antigen test has been sent to health@epiphanyschool.org. Students who test positively on day 6 must continue to isolate at home for at least one additional day. Students can test on subsequent mornings and return once they have a negative antigen test result, or once 10 days have passed from the start of their infection. Once they've returned, students must continue to wear a mask through day 10 while indoors at school. 

Parents/guardians of students who have been exposed to COVID-19 should consult the post-exposure flowchart below for guidance. Please reach out to health@epiphanyschool.org to report any exposures to COVID-19 and confirm the testing/masking plan with the school nurse.

According to the Washington State Department of Health, regardless of vaccination status, no quarantine is required after an exposure to COVID-19 unless symptoms develop. Individuals must wear a well-fitting mask while indoors at school for 5 days and take a COVID-19 test 5 days following the exposure, OR take a COVID-19 antigen test daily before coming to school for 5 days following the exposure (masking is optional). 

Mask or test daily for 10 days after exposure if you will spend time indoors with individuals at risk for getting very sick with COVID-19 (i.e., adults over age 50, immunocompromised individuals, individuals with underlying conditions). We will communicate to relevant staff and families if we are aware they will be in close contact with any high-risk individuals during this time.

If symptoms develop, isolate immediately and get tested. Continue to stay home until you know the results.

Please consult CDC and Washington Department of Health travel health notices before undertaking any travel, particularly to an international destination or any place where COVID-19 activity is high. 

If your student has symptoms of COVID-19 after travel, please contact health@epiphanyschool.org. If anyone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 or is identified as a “close contact” of a person with confirmed COVID-19, notify health@epiphanyschool.org.

Currently, all vaccinated or exempted individuals have the option to wear a mask inside or outside of Epiphany School buildings. In addition, please note that there will be circumstances in which masks will be required indoors, either by Epiphany School or WA DOH or PHSKC, as follows:

Masks Required (per WA DOH):

• Anyone in the nurse’s office or isolation room (it is considered a healthcare setting)
• Students who are immunocompromised or living with someone at high risk of COVID-19 may be directed to wear a mask by their physician

Masks Required (per Epiphany School)

• Anyone who tests positive must wear a mask upon returning to school during days 6-10, regardless of a negative antigen test
• Depending on local conditions and health circumstances, we may require masks, regardless of any WA DOH or PHSKC guidance
• Students must bring at least one well-fitting mask to school daily in backpack (N95, KN94, or KN95 preferred; surgical acceptable)

According to the CDC, handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick. All students and employees follow a regular schedule of hand washing or use of hand sanitizer throughout the day. All students and employees wash hands upon arrival on campus, before and after eating, after using the restroom, after blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing, after recess or other time spent outside, and before leaving campus. Washing hands with soap and water is the preferred method for hand hygiene. Hand sanitizer (alcohol-based with at least 60% alcohol) is available in all classrooms and at entry points on campus. 

Teaching and modeling proper hand hygiene remains a priority at all age levels. Additional signage around campus and near sinks remind students of proper handwashing techniques.

For additional information on how and when to wash hands or how to use hand sanitizer, please refer to the CDC guidelines here.

All classrooms, hallways, bathrooms, and offices are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis. Electrostatic sprayers are available to clean classrooms if needed and the Zono Disinfecting and Sanitizing Cabinet is regularly used by pre-k and kinder classrooms to sanitize classroom materials. Faculty have been trained in proper cleaning and sanitizing and clean tables and chair backs before and after students eat lunch and snack in their classrooms.

Epiphany School has assessed and improved air filtration and ventilation based on ASHRAE guidance for schools. For all buildings on campus, the key strategy to minimize the risk of virus transmission is to increase outside air ventilation whenever possible and improve air filtration. All spaces have mechanical ventilation systems. To achieve maximum airflow, we keep windows and doors open as much as possible. For buildings that have outdoor air handling units, we have adjusted settings so that the system runs continuously, bringing in more outdoor air. 

As a result of these strategies, classrooms and offices may be colder or warmer than we normally expect. We suggest students and employees wear layers of clothes to campus in order to feel comfortable on campus. 

To ensure highest quality air filtration, we use MERV13 filters. Portable HEPA filters and air purifiers are available for additional ventilation if the need arises.

Our campus is currently open to all vaccinated visitors. All visitors must go to the main office to sign in. Any visitor who has not provided verification of their vaccination status in Blackbaud must show proof of vaccination at the main office.

If a student is absent due to potential COVID-19 symptoms or for non-COVID-19 health-related issues, we will not share that information with the class or community.

According to DOH guidelines, if a student or faculty/staff member tests positive for COVID-19 and there is a risk of transmission on campus, we will communicate this to the student's cohort and ask the student or faculty/staff to isolate per our stated protocols. The Division Head and School Nurse will also contact affected faculty/staff individually to discuss next steps.

Exposure notifications will typically go to all staff and to the classroom where the positive case was identified. However, we reserve the right to request all students within a grade follow the exposure protocols if there has been significant mixing of classrooms across that grade in the two days prior to identification of a positive case.

Epiphany School will strive to send these communications within twenty-four hours of notification of the positive test results.

Illness:

Families should email health@epiphanyschool.org, their child’s teacher, and office@epiphanyschool.org before 8:30 am to report student absences due to illness. If the school has not received communication by 9:00 am, the school will call home to check on the student. The voicemail system will operate during non-school hours.

School Attendance During Illness:

When a student has a short-term illness (1-3 days), we expect them to stay home and rest until they are well enough to come to school (as outlined in our “Health Policies” in our Family Handbook). There is no expectation that students in this situation would maintain their schoolwork during this time. Once the student returns, teachers will help them review any missed work as appropriate. No remote school option is available for this situation. 

For any student facing a longer-term illness or quarantine due to COVID-19 symptoms or positive test, the family should be in touch with the school nurse, division head, and teacher to discuss specific plans for classroom connection, learning, and expectations for completion of schoolwork during the child’s absence. A combination of synchronous and asynchronous formats may be available for these situations. There will not be a fully synchronous remote school option in any cases.

Non-Illness Absence:

School vacation dates are listed in the 2022-2023 school calendar on the Family Portal. Absences of any length outside of school vacation dates make a significant impact on students’ classwork and positive school experience. The School requests that families plan vacations during school breaks. The Division Head and the classroom teacher need to be notified ahead via email if a student plans to miss more than five consecutive days of school due to a family vacation or a non-illness absence from school. Since homework and outside work cannot duplicate the experience of working with teachers and peers in person at school, we do not expect teachers to be responsible for preparing work to cover the student’s academic needs during this absence. Once the student returns, teachers will help them review any missed work as appropriate. There will be no remote/synchronous school option available for non-illness absences.