Dear Sacred Heart Parents,
There has never been a time when the success of the school year has been such a shared responsibility among students, teachers, and parents with continued guidance from health professionals. It is our goal to keep our students on campus and continue participation in extracurricular activities; however, it is imperative that we work closely together to attain this goal. We strongly believe that our parents are essential to the health and safety of our school family.
The purpose of this letter is to reiterate our expectations and ask for your continued support of this shared responsibility during this holiday weekend. All members of our school community are expected to:
- Continue to follow the local and state health guidelines and safety precautions
- Stay home if: symptomatic, exposed, or pending COVID test results
- Practice social distancing as much as possible and limit group interaction, both large and small
- Maintain open and honest communication with the school about the health of a child
Your cooperation in complying with these guidelines is essential. As a closely-knit community, it is not only our responsibility, but our deep care and concern for each other that reinforce our commitment to these guidelines.
As a reminder, this is the expectation shared by all ISAS schools:
- "This requires institutional and personal attention and sacrifice for the good of all. Public mask-wearing, conscientious social distancing, and the limiting of group interaction are necessary steps outside of school to control the spread of COVID-19 and increase the chances that we can continue to offer the meaningful, in-person educational experiences that ISAS schools are known for."
Should your daughter become sick, please use the following school guidelines. COVID-19 presents with a wide range of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe. Symptoms are likely to appear between two to fourteen days after exposure to the virus. These symptoms include:
- Fever or chills
- Headache
- Cough
- New loss of taste or smell
- Shortness of breath
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Sore throat
- Muscle or body aches
- Congestion or runny nose
A student with COVID-19 symptoms (fever, persistent cough, shortness of breath, persistent vomiting/diarrhea, or any 2 or more of the other symptoms listed above) should stay home from school and see pediatrician. Students may return to school under the following conditions:
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IF THE STUDENT TESTS NEGATIVE FOR COVID-19: the student must be fever-free (under 100.0°) without fever-reducing medication for 24 hours prior to returning to school, and meet ASH’s regular health policies regarding illness.
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IF THE STUDENT IS NOT TESTED FOR COVID-19: the student must be fever-free (under 100.4) without fever reducing medication for 24 hours, no sooner than 10 days from the onset of symptoms, and meet ASH’s regular health policies regarding illness.
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IF THE STUDENT IS NOT TESTED FOR COVID-19 BECAUSE TESTING IS DEEMED NOT WARRANTED BY THE PHYSICIAN: the student must be fever-free (under 100.0°) without fever-reducing medication for 24 hours, have a letter from the physician indicating COVID-19 testing is not warranted/the student is cleared to return to school and meet ASH’s regular health policies regarding illness.
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IF THE STUDENT TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19: please notify Nurse Mindy promptly, and then she will notify Sr. Guste and arrange for returning to school after the isolation period has ended. Siblings and household contacts stay home and quarantine from all activities.
A student who does not have fever, a persistent dry cough, shortness of breath, or persistent vomiting/diarrhea, but does have one of the following: cough, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, should contact Nurse Mindy, and she will:
- Determine if the student is well enough to attend school. If not, she will be advised to stay home and consider evaluation by pediatrician. The student may return to school 24 hours after symptoms have improved and ASH’s regular health policies regarding illnesses are met. Siblings and household contacts do not need to stay home.
Our top priority is the health and safety of our school family. Together, we will be successful at attaining our goal, but it will take leveled support and commitment from everyone. Thank you very much for your understanding and support during these difficult times. Please stay safe and well, do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I hope you enjoy the upcoming long weekend!
Mindy D. Louviere, RN
504-269-1238
