Dear WSVSD Families,
As we prepare to welcome students back to our buildings on August 30, the Washington State Department of Health has updated COVID-19 health and safety guidance for schools. As we have done over the course of the pandemic, we will continue to adhere to all the safety measures to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 at school.
- The Governor's Proclamation which mandated all employees must be vaccinated or have an employer-approved exemption. Additionally, all volunteers and indoor contractors must be vaccinated Visitors, one-time for a short defined period of time, are exempt from the vaccination mandate.
- Students and staff who show symptoms for COVID-19 are required to isolate at home. If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 on Day 0 (we will have rapid antigen available onsite), they are required to isolate at home for at least 5 days. On Day 5, they can re-test, and if negative return to school on Day 6. If on Day 5 the test is positive, the quarantine continues through Day 10. If a student or staff tests negative on Day 0, once symptoms improve and they have had no fever for the past 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication, they can return to school.
- We will be communicating with students, families, and staff when there are cases and outbreaks in our schools. We will be establishing a dashboard on our district website to communicate cases in our schools. If/when there are outbreaks, we will utilize letters and emails to inform stakeholders.
- We will continue to provide COVID-19 antigen rapid testing at all our school sites. We will also provide rapid self-test to families and staff, when requested.
- We will continue to operate HEPA filters in all classrooms and spaces in our school.
- We will continue to ensure clean and healthy spaces by having all high-touch areas cleaned once per day.
You can access the DOH COVID Flowchart on our COVID Dashboard. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the new guidance, please contact your home school or district office. We look forward to welcoming you back on August 30!