COVID-19 Protocols and Information

King School strongly encourages all eligible members of our community to receive an FDA-authorized and/or approved COVID-19 vaccination. Additionally, we are committed to reviewing new information from the CDC and the CT DPH and adjusting policies to best support our families. Therefore, we have decided to pause our COVID-19 vaccine requirement for unvaccinated students at this time. Our consulting physician, Dr. Asha Shah, Director of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiologist at Stamford Hospital, supports this decision as recent data indicates that the current vaccine formulas are more effective in reducing the severity of illness than in reducing infection rates within the community.

The King community continues to benefit from our high COVID-19 vaccination rate (above 90%), and we will revisit this policy as new information regarding updated formulas of the COVID-19 vaccine is released. 

In order to inform future decisions, we are requiring all students to inform us of their vaccine status.  Students who have received a COVID-19 vaccine should upload their most recent vaccination card to their Magnus profile. Instructions for uploading cards can be found here.  Students who are not yet vaccinated should email school nurse Jenn D’Orta to inform her of vaccine status.

Positive COVID-19 Cases

Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate at home for at least five days or longer if symptoms develop and persist. The day count begins the day after the positive test or the onset of symptoms. Individuals must report positive tests to the nurses and confirm the day count. King School nurses can be contacted at nurseinboxes@kingschoolct.org. Please note that a mask is required at all times for the full 10 days after the positive test.

Exposure

Students and employees who have been notified that they were exposed to an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 may continue to come to campus unless symptoms develop. Per the CDC guidelines, these individuals should get tested on Day 6 (five full days after exposure) and must screen carefully for symptoms. (See section below).

Symptom Screening

We ask all students and employees to self-screen for symptoms daily. At this time, we are not requiring the submission of a daily attestation. 

Individuals with mild respiratory disease symptoms (infrequent cough, congestion, runny nose, sore throat, etc.), no fever, and no known COVID-19 case in their household should self-test at home for COVID-19 prior to leaving for school every day they have symptoms and can be allowed on campus if their test result is negative and they feel well enough to participate. Anyone with a fever (≥100°F) or who feels feverish should not come to campus until their fever has resolved for at least 24 hours without the use of medication and should test for COVID-19. 

Individuals with mild respiratory disease symptoms (infrequent cough, congestion, runny nose, sore throat, etc.) and fever or individuals with symptoms and a household member who recently tested positive for COVID-19 (within the past two weeks) should stay home until their symptoms resolve and test for COVID-19. 

Communication 

Please refer to our COVID-19 Dashboard to see current COVID-19 cases in the community. Please note, per the guidance of the Department of Public Health, we will no longer be contact tracing in school for positive cases. 

Face Masks

Face masks are currently optional for all students and employees of King School, unless an individual has returned to school after the five-day self-isolation period but before 10 days have passed since the positive test.

King School follows Connecticut's travel advisory. Please read the guidance carefully and adhere to the requirements and recommendations that apply to your situation. As always, we will remain informed of state transmission trends and will adjust our policies accordingly.

Cleaning Procedures

Surfaces are cleaned daily, and high-traffic areas are cleaned and disinfected several times throughout the day.

Handwashing

Everyone on campus is encouraged to wash their hands and/or use hand sanitizer upon entry into each building and into classrooms and offices. Hand sanitizing stations are installed throughout the campus in classrooms, offices, and public spaces for easy access throughout the day.

King School is a mask-friendly school. Face masks are currently optional for all students and employees, unless an individual has returned to school after the five-day self-isolation period but before 10 days have passed since the positive test.

King School values in-person instruction and will not provide a remote learning option for students during the 2022-23 academic year. Students in self-isolation due to a positive COVID-19 test and/or with extraordinary medical circumstances may be granted remote access as a short-term accommodation. Students granted this accommodation will view their classes over Zoom or Google Meet with limited participation. Families should contact the school nurses and the respective division head in cases of extraordinary medical circumstances to be added to the remote learning list.

Per the Fairchester Athletic Association COVID-19 vaccine policy, athletes and coaches with medical or religious exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine will be required to submit negative PCR test results within 72 hours of league competitions in order to participate.

King School has resumed planning overnight trips. We anticipate offering spring athletic trips and global education trips, in addition to grade-level trips during the 2022-2023 school year. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 cases and follow appropriate guidelines as needed for each trip.

King School’s dining program returned for the 2022-23 academic year. Menus can be viewed through our digital platform, Nutrislice. The link to this lunch menu will be available from MyKing and the school website for future reference. Prekindergarten students will continue to have lunches delivered to their classrooms every day.

King School events will continue to follow state and federal guidelines to ensure the safety of our community. When possible, events will be held outdoors.