Welcome back to school, CTC students! Two weeks ago, we sent home a Start of Year letter outlining how the start of school would roll out. Since then, the state released a slate of recommendations. This update to the Start of Year letter incorporates much of the state’s recent recommendations. We learned from last school year that circumstances surrounding the pandemic could change overnight. What was expected about tomorrow was not a guarantee and, above all else, schools needed to be flexible and ready to respond to unexpected change.
As we mentioned, the PA Departments of Health and of Education (DOH, PDE) recently released a “Harm Reduction Framework for K-12” for PA public schools that is aligned with the recommendations and mandates from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). These protocols are applicable to both high school and adult education programs at the Lancaster County Career & Technology Center (LCCTC). The following is the breakdown of that framework and the ways that the LCCTC will address each guidance point.
Vaccination remains “the leading public health prevention strategy to end the pandemic” according to PDE, DOH, and CDC.
Masking
The 21-22 school year will function largely the same as the past school year with particular exception to masking. While wearing a mask while in LCCTC facilities is not required at the current time, it is strongly recommended. That may change should the recommendation from the CDC become a mandate.
If someone develops symptoms of infection while at the school, he or she will put on a mask immediately and leave the facility as soon as possible.
Wearing masks on buses and public transportation is required per the order of the CDC. Additionally, high school and adult education students involved in clinicals, internships, or cooperative education off LCCTC facilities must adhere to the masking and other policies of those venues.
Possibility of Virtual Instruction
If necessary, the LCCTC will flip from in-person instruction to hybrid or fully virtual instruction with little notice. Each LCCTC high school student will be provided with a computer in the first days of school. These students will submit a form in order to receive one-to-one devices. If the LCCTC moves to hybrid or virtual instruction, students will use their computers to log onto the Canvas Learning Management System and take classes. Attendance for virtual synchronous classes will be taken. (Synchronous classes are classes that occur on a specific day and time.)
If students and families have any special needs regarding technology and a connection to the Internet, please contact ITDepartment@lancasterctc.edu.
Quarantine
If a student shows signs of infection, the following steps will occur:
- The student is required to wear a mask immediately.
- He or she is isolated at school and arrangements are made for the student to be go home or seek medical attention.
- If the student takes a Covid-19 test and gets a negative result, then the student may return to school after cleared by a medical professional OR once symptoms have cleared and the student has a normal temperature for 24 hours without fever reducing medication.
- If the student takes a Covid-19 test and gets a positive result, then the student informs the LCCTC and begins home isolation.
- The LCCTC will conduct contact tracing and work with local health officials.
- Parents, guardians, caregivers, and siblings within the same household are advised to quarantine according to local health department requirements and seek Covid-19 testing.
- The ill student(s) can return to school and end isolation once the following are met:
- 10 days out from the start of the symptoms, AND
- Fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication, AND
- Symptoms have improved.
Contact Tracing
The LCCTC will work closely with local health agencies to respond to a report of a student or staff member with a positive Covid-19 test result and conduct contact tracing of close contacts. Close contacts are individuals within 6 feet for 15 consecutive minutes. (There are conditions where 15 cumulative minutes in a 24-hour period may be used to define a close contact.)
If a student is found to have been in close contact to someone with Covid-19, the student has been fully vaccinated, AND DOES NOT present symptoms of infection, then no quarantine is required but they should “get tested 2-5 days after exposure, even if they don’t have symptoms; wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until their test result is negative; and isolate for 10 days if their test result is positive.
If a student is found to have been in close contact to someone with Covid-19, the student has been fully vaccinated, AND DOES present symptoms of infection, then the student should follow the quarantine process as described above.
Cleaning of Facilities
The LCCTC will follow the same enhanced cleaning protocols that were in place for the 20-21 school year.
Click the titles below to view the full text of each webpage or publication.
- Harm Reduction Framework from the DOH. – https://bit.ly/37WOejw
- What to do if a Student Becomes Sick or Reports a New COVID-19 Diagnosis at School from CDC – https://bit.ly/3AWy0Dc
- LCCTC Health and Safety Plan – https://bit.ly/3k0ChyA
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