Covid Policies and Practices 2024-25

• If your student has new symptoms, please stay home and test. Please send results to healthandsafety@marinmontessori.org.

• If your family needs a Covid test, please reach out to healthandsafety@marinmontessori.org for a supply.

• If your student’s travel involved situations with a greater risk of exposure (such as being in an indoor crowded space like an airport terminal without a high-quality mask), consider testing your student before returning to school and five days after your student’s return home.

• We will continue to do surveillance testing after Winter Break, as we have had numerous outbreaks across campus at this time the last three years.

A student or Crew member who tests positive for Covid must:

• Stay home and contact healthandsafety@marinmontessori.org immediately so current guidance can be provided.

• Receive clearance from the Director of Operations and Health & Safety to return to school after a positive Covid diagnosis.

Other details:

• We prefer students to test negative before they return to school.

• Health & Safety will work with the family to gauge when the student should return.

• Per state and county masking guidance, infected persons must wear a mask around others for a total of 10 days.

• Positive students and Crew can return to school fully masked when they are fever-free, diarrhea-free, and vomit-free for 24 hours and when their symptoms are improving, mild, or gone.

• If the student is unable or unwilling to mask while positive, they will be sent home. 

• The student will mask for 10 days or can test out of masking early when:

  • They have two negative tests 24 hours apart. For example, if they test negative on Day 4 at 7:00 am and negative on Day 5 at 7:00 am, they can unmask on Day 5.

Students and Crew will mask when

• There is a high percentage "outbreak" in a classroom. Public health officials deem it appropriate.
• We are concerned about staffing ratios and risks of shutting down classrooms due to a lack of staffing.

Other Details:

• All positive students and Crew will need to be masked during playtime.

• Positive students and Crew will need to eat and drink outside and stay socially distanced from other students.

• If the student is unable to regulate their mask-wearing or social distancing, they will be asked to go home.

• The county advises avoiding contact with people at higher risk for severe Covid for 10 days. Higher-risk individuals include the elderly, those who live in congregate care facilities, and those who have immunocompromising conditions that put them at higher risk for serious illness.

• If a student or Crew member continues to be sick after Day 11, we will ask them to consult with a healthcare professional for further guidance.

• Infants and children younger than 2 years old should not wear face masks because of the risk of suffocation.

• If a student who is under 2 years old tests positive, the student will be required to stay home until they have had two negative tests 24 hours apart.

  • For example, if they test negative on Day 4 at 7:00 am and negative on Day 5 at 7:00 am, they can unmask on Day 5.

• The student must also be fever-free, diarrhea-free, and vomit-free for 24 hours with symptoms improving, or symptom-free. 

• The student may return to school when they are healthy and able to participate in normal day-to-day activities.

• Because all students who nap need to unmask for safety and licensing, we will ask that students who are still testing positive and nap to go home midday with the other students who are midday pickups.
• We will ask that the positive student bring their own snack and utensils from home during their positive cycle.

• If someone in your child's household tests positive for Covid:

  • Please contact healthandsafety@marinmontessori.org for current guidance.

  • The guidance will change depending on the family’s ability to isolate at home.

• If your student is able to fully isolate (not sharing home space or bathrooms) from the family member who has tested positive:

  • Your child may continue to come to school if your child monitors for symptoms for 14 days and tests immediately if any symptoms arise.

  • Your child Is strongly encouraged to mask for 5 days. (A higher protection mask is preferable.)

  • If not masking, please test each morning before school for 5 days. Day 0 is the last day of exposure. (Send tests to healthandsafety@marinmontessori.org)

  • If masking, please test if symptoms arise and test between Day 3 and Day 5.

• If your student is unable to fully isolate from the family member who has tested positive:

  • Your child may continue to come to school if your child:

    • Is asymptomatic.

    • Tests day to day during the positive cycle at home. (Each morning, send a test to healthandsafety@marinmontessori.org.)

  • Once the family member is testing negative, we will ask that you test your student on Day 3 and Day 5.

  • Masking is strongly encouraged during the positive cycle and for 5 more days from the last day of exposure. A higher protection mask is preferable.(Health & Safety will help determine this date.)

  • Monitor for symptoms for 14 days and test immediately if any symptoms arise.

• If your student has close contact (for example, they see a relative for lunch but do not live with this family member):

  • Please contact healthandsafety@marinmontessori.org for current guidance.

  • Masking for 5 days is strongly encouraged. A higher protection mask is preferable.

  • Your child may continue to come to school if your child:

    • Is asymptomatic.

    • Tests if new symptoms arise and considers testing on Day 3 to Day 5.

    • Monitors for symptoms for 14 days and tests immediately if any symptoms arise.

• We will share that there has been an exposure in the classroom via ParentSquare.Monitor symptoms for 14 days.
• If new symptoms arise, please stay home, test, and contact Health & Safety for further guidance.
• The guidance encourages students who are at higher risk for severe infection and students who have contact with people who are at higher risk to mask and test.
• Masks are strongly encouraged. We will no longer ask for the whole classroom to mask unless there is an outbreak or the county has asked us to implement masking.
• Test if new symptoms arise and consider testing on Day 3 to Day 5.

• Employees are required to be vaccinated and boosted.

• Vaccinations for children are strongly recommended but not required.

• Unvaccinated children may be excluded from trips run by outside organizations, depending on that organization’s policies.

Please continue to monitor your child(ren) for the symptoms listed below and keep them home if they are newly exhibiting any of the following symptoms:

• Fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher) or chills
• Cough
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Loss of taste or smell that started in the last 10 days (children may say that food “tastes bad” or “tastes funny”)
• Feeling out of breath or having a hard time breathing
• Diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting
• Fatigue
• Muscle aches or body aches

Please note that you must keep your child home an additional 24 hours after the end of a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea.

If your child is sick, please keep them home and test.

• Children who receive an alternative diagnosis (e.g., allergies) that resembles Covid symptoms are welcome on campus with a physician’s note.

• Children with alternative diagnoses/allergies may be asked to test while they are exhibiting symptoms and submit results to healthandsafety@marinmontessori.org.

• If your child develops new symptoms or is sick beyond the scope of their alternative diagnosis, they will need to be reassessed and obtain a new note from their physician.

If your student’s travel involves situations with a greater risk of exposure (such as being in an indoor crowded space like an airport terminal without a high-quality mask), please test your student before returning to school and five days after your student's return. Please submit the results to healthandsafety@marinmontessori.org.