This limited edition "Back In Action" newsletter will be sent out through Aug. 19, and is designed to help keep our APS community informed in preparation for Day One – Aug. 5, 2021!



8.3.21 Edition

Atlanta Public Schools (APS) remains focused on ensuring the health and safety of our students and staff in our schools and buildings. As we launch our 2021-2022 school year, we want to remind everyone of our APSProtects approach, which encompasses our comprehensive COVID-19 health and mitigation protocols.

Quarantine Guidance for COVID-19 for 2021-2022 School Year

The District is implementing quarantine guidelines for the 2021-2022 school year. This includes protocols such as who needs to quarantine after exposure to a positive case, and who doesn't need to quarantine. Please review these important guidelines by clicking here.

COVID-19 Vaccine Available for Youth Ages 12 – 15

As we all prepare for Day One, APS continues to encourage its students and staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. As a reminder, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by the FDA and CDC for patients ages 12-15. Take advantage of this opportunity at any vaccination site operated by the Fulton County Board of Health. For hours and locations for vaccination sites and mobile units, or to download the parent consent form for minor patients, visit www.fultoncountyga.gov/covidvaccine.



In addition, beginning Monday, Aug. 9, APS will offer on-site COVID-19 vaccinations to eligible students in our middle schools and high schools and staff through our partnership with the Fulton County Board of Health. Parents will be notified and provided consent forms. 

Don’t wait! Vaccinate! 

Surveillance Testing

Surveillance testing on a weekly basis will continue to be offered in our schools for students. This rapid test detects the presence of COVID-19 even in individuals who may be asymptomatic. The benefits of surveillance testing include allowing APS to test, receive test results (within 24 hours), and notify individuals of a clinically significant reading before coming to school or work.

APS and Viral Solutions have designed the COVID Surveillance Testing Healthier Schools Program to help keep kids, families and teachers safer from COVID outbreaks. The e-consent form is now available and only needs to be completed once to allow testing for the school year. Access the consent form by clicking here.

Keeping our students and staff safe is our top priority. Implementing comprehensive testing strategies is one way we continue to minimize any exposure to COVID-19 in our schools.

HealthCheck

APS has released a helpful resource for parents while preparing for Back to School - a COVID-19 screening tool called HealthCheck. HealthCheck is available as a mobile app and website, and all schools will utilize HealthCheck to manage daily health screenings for students. In the coming days leading up to the first day of school, you may receive a user account and activation email from HealthCheck. Once you receive the email, please be sure to click the activation link, and register your account. Once activated, you will be able to access HealthCheck on any smartphone, tablet, or web browser to begin performing health checks immediately.

If you do not receive an activation email by Aug. 5, no worries! You can also self-register for HealthCheck by clicking here.

Additional health guidance can be found on the Student COVID-19 Screening webpage by clicking here.

HealthCheck Screener

Parents are asked to respond to the five daily health screening questions quickly and easily before your student reports to school. These questions will help you assess if the student has had exposure to COVID-19, has experienced any potential symptoms or illnesses, and if they have been advised to quarantine. The answers to this questionnaire will determine if the child should attend school or not. Learn more about the HealthCheck Screener on our webpage by clicking here.

Immunizations

There is a new 11th grade immunization requirement! As students prepare to come back to school on Aug. 5, 2021, here’s a reminder that Georgia state law requires all of our students to have a valid Certificate of Immunization on file with the district. In addition, Georgia's immunization requirements for students entering or transferring into the eleventh grade have been revised to align with the current recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

Effective July 1, 2021, all students who are new entrants or transfers into a Georgia school in the eleventh grade, will require proof of a booster dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine, unless their first dose was received on or after their sixteenth birthday. 

Be sure you’re prepared! Get the full details on our APS Immunizations Requirements site.

Student Well-Being: Investments & Supports

When APS students return to school this fall, they will have the necessary support to strengthen their social and emotional well-being. This support will also help determine what our students need as they return from more than a year of pandemic disruption. To assist with this effort, APS is investing more than $9.1 million in physical and mental health and wellness, including:

• COVID-19 surveillance testing
• 8 additional student support specialists
• Contracted nursing services
• Universal screener for behavioral and mental health 
• Employee training for trauma-informed care/practices 
• 10 additional psychologists and 25 additional school social workers

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