Health & Safety Considerations

We are thrilled to have all students back to campus instruction for the 2022-23 school year. The following are health and safety considerations at Stevenson.

Visitors

  • We recommend that parents/guardians, prospective students and their families, alumni, etc. wear a mask when visiting campus if they have any upper respiratory symptoms.

Testing remains a key mitigation layer to detect and curb transmission of COVID-19. CDPH recommends that antigen tests be the primary option for detecting COVID-19 in schools, as opposed to PCR tests. Our approach to testing will depend on state and county guidance and community transmission levels.

  • Symptomatic Testing – Students who present to the health office with COVID-19 symptoms will be provided a rapid antigen test to self-administer.
  • Asymptomatic Testing – Per CDPH guidance, the School will not conduct asymptomatic testing. We will notify you if that policy changes.
  • Exposure Testing – If your child has been exposed on campus, they can go to their health center if they need a rapid test between days 3-5 post exposure.

United Healthcare, which provides coverage for our students from other countries, will cover costs related to symptomatic and exposure testing and treatment for COVID-19. International students can utilize their insurance plan anywhere across the globe, including their home country.

Masks–specifically high-quality and well-fitting masks–remain highly effective tools to protect oneself and others.

  • We recommend that people wear masks indoors on campus, but as of this writing will not generally require people to do so.
  • We reserve the right to reinstate an indoor mask requirement depending on local circumstances and School testing data.
  • The School will provide a medical-grade mask to students who request one.
  • Anyone who chooses to wear a mask will be able to do so with confidence that their choice will be respected by others.

All community members will be consistently reminded to wash their hands frequently and well, according to CDC guidelines. Younger students will be directed to wash their hands at staggered times, and under adult supervision. Hand sanitizer stations are located at the entry points to many buildings on all three campuses. 

Plan ahead and review the CDC recommendations for travel within the domestic United States.

  • Make sure you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before travel.
  • Check your destination’s COVID-19 situation before traveling. State, tribal, local, and territorial governments may have travel restrictions in place.
  • Wearing a mask over your nose and mouth is recommended in indoor areas of public transportation (including airplanes) and indoors in U.S. transportation hubs (including airports).
  • Do not travel if you have COVID-19 symptoms, tested positive for COVID-19, are waiting for results of a COVID-19 test, or had close contact with a person with COVID-19 and are recommended to quarantine.

If a person is on campus:

  • They will go to their health center and be evaluated by the School nurse
  • They will return to class if they do not have a fever and their rapid test is negative
  • If they have a fever, test positive, or the School nurse deems it advisable, they will be sent home immediately

Students who are off campus/at home can return to campus if:

  • They do not have a fever or have been fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication
  • Their symptoms are resolving
  • They have a negative test

Per CDPH guidelines, the school will no longer email each close contact but instead send a school wide email if numerous cases are present on campus.

Stay home for at least 5 days after the start of symptoms (Day 0) or after the date of first positive test (Day 0) if no symptoms).

  • ​Isolation can end after Day 5 if:​​​​​​
    • ​Symptoms are not present, or are mild and im​​​​proving; AND
    • ​You are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication).
  • ​If fever is present, isolation should be continued until 24 hours after fever resolves.
  • If symptoms, other than fever, are not improving, continue to isolate until symptoms are improving or until after Day 10. 
  • Per CDPH masking guidance, infected persons should wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings.*

*After ending isolation (no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and symptoms are improving), confirmed cases may remove their mask sooner than Day 10 if they have two sequential negative tests at least one day apart. If antigen test results are positive, the person may still be infectious and should continue wearing a mask and wait at least one day before taking another test.

The School’s immunization and communicable illness policy requires students and employees to receive a seasonal flu shot once it is available. We will provide at least one flu clinic on each campus in September.

The effectiveness of these vaccines may vary from season to season. The protection they provide depends on the age and health of the person receiving the vaccine, and the degree of match between the viruses used to produce the vaccine and the viruses in circulation. Despite variations in these vaccines’ effectiveness, every year they prevent millions of influenza illnesses, tens of thousands of hospitalizations, and thousands of deaths.

In the event of a positive student case, Stevenson will reach out to those who have been in close contact with that student, along with the other students in that division (names and other identifying details will not be shared). Close contact is defined as anyone who has spent 15 minutes or more, over a 24 hour period, within 6 feet of a person who tested positive for COVID-19, while they were contagious. We will continue to adhere to state and county guidelines as it is updated in this regard.