COVID-19

All students, faculty, and staff complete a Daily Wellness Screening in the Magnus Mobile V2 app each school day morning.

A highly vaccinated community is one of the most effective ways to mitigate COVID-19 from encroaching and affecting large parts of our community. For more resources on COVID-19 vaccines, please go here.

Vaccination Guidelines for Faculty and Staff

All Windward faculty and staff members are mandated to be vaccinated with the deadline for the first administration of a vaccine by Wednesday, September 1, 2021, unless they have a religious or medical exemption. All Windward faculty and staff members will be fully inoculated by the end of September 2021, depending on the vaccine administered. 

Vaccination Guidelines for Students Currently 12 and Older

Students who are currently 12 and older will need to receive their first vaccine by September 30, and a copy of their vaccination record will need to be uploaded through the Magnus Health portal or Magnus Mobile V2 app.

Vaccination Guidelines for Students who are Younger Than 12

For those students who will turn 12 during the school year, they should start their vaccine regimen within two weeks of their birthday. Please note that as vaccines are made available to younger children, we will require that they also be vaccinated for COVID-19 and will communicate when that possibility occurs.

• Masks are to be worn inside buildings at all times, for vaccinated as well as unvaccinated individuals.
• Masks are optional outdoors; physical distancing should be maintained when possible.
• Students may wear non-distracting masks of their  choice within guidelines: masks must be a 2-ply minimum without valves. Gaiter-type face coverings and bandanas are not acceptable. 
• Masks should be labeled with student name and grade. 
• Students will have socially distanced mask breaks intermittently and when needed throughout the day. 
• Plastic face shields will be provided for faculty and staff for optional use during the day.
• If a mask becomes soiled, or if a student forgets their mask, a disposable replacement will be provided. 

For any student, faculty or staff member who has not been on a Windward campus for 7 or more school/work days for a reason other than a mandated quarantine OR international travel, the following is required to return to campus:

• For fully vaccinated faculty and staff members and students: 
  • a completed vaccination record uploaded to Magnus  
• For unvaccinated faculty and staff members and students:
  • a negative PCR test taken 3 days or less prior to the date of return to campus with results submitted to Magnus before returning to campus -OR- 
  • a positive COVID-19 test result within 90 days submitted through Magnus prior to returning to campus
• If you have been off campus for mandated quarantine, there are no requirements UNLESS you have been otherwise advised.

RETURN-TO-CAMPUS POLICY FOLLOWING INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

The Windward School has adopted the following international travel policy.  If you have traveled internationally, you should follow these guidelines (or see below) for a return to campus.

• If you are fully vaccinated and returning from international travel, you do not need to quarantine and may return to work or school while awaiting your test 3-5 days after travel.

• If you are unvaccinated, you will need to quarantine based on the guidelines below prior to returning to campus, as well as follow the other recommendations and requirements.

If you have recently recovered from a documented COVID-19 infection (within the past 90 days), you should follow all requirements for fully vaccinated international travelers—except you do not need to test 3 – 5 days after travel unless you are symptomatic.

At this time, there are no restrictions for domestic travel.

• Tested positive for COVID-19  

• Fever at or above 100.0° F with OR without fatigue/body aches/chills or per clinical judgment  

• Respiratory symptoms (persistent cough, congestion, runny nose, sore throat, shortness of breath)  

• Gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea or vomiting)  

• New unexplained loss of taste or smell  

• Close exposure* to a confirmed COVID-19 case  

• Unvaccinated students, faculty, or staff traveling internationally and not following the CDC recommendations and requirements: COVID-19 testing 3-5 days after travel and self-quarantine after travel for 7 days with a negative test or 10 days without a test. Please view the Return-to-Campus Policy for more info.

• *Close exposure is defined as being less than 6 feet of distance for 15 minutes or longer. 

• The facilities team cleans, disinfects, and sanitizes high-touch areas such as bathrooms, door handles, and desks throughout the day, on an increased schedule. 

• Maintenance logs include date, time, and type of cleaning and disinfection completed. 

• Cleaning and disinfection will be completed using approved antiviral cleaning agents. 

• Facilities staff use hydro-static sprayers on all indoor and outdoor PE and recess equipment after use. 

• Classroom kits of cleaning supplies will be provided to each classroom. 

• Wipe down will occur of desks and room technology, with a sign-off sheet noting specific times/places of cleaning. 

• To minimize the sharing of high-touch materials, the School will provide adequate supplies. Each child’s belongings will be separated from the others and kept in student backpacks.

• The School conducts hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene education with faculty, staff, and students. This training is reinforced, and Windward supports healthy hygiene behaviors by providing adequate supplies. 

• Touch-free hand sanitizer and hand towel dispensers are available throughout the campuses.  

• Hand-washing stations have been added throughout the buildings. 

• In accordance with current CDC guidelines, a minimum of 3 feet of physical distance will exist between students within classrooms to reduce transmission risk.

• Faculty and staff members will maintain 6 feet of physical distance from students whenever possible. 

• Foot traffic patterns are indicated by markers on the hallways. 

• No in-house transportation is provided. 

• Signage is on floors and walls with COVID-19-related protocols. 

• Masks are optional when outside; however, social distancing is encouraged. 

Community accountability plays a critical role in keeping The Windward School open safely, and Windward relies on faculty, staff, and families to do the following: 

• Follow CDC guidelines at home and Windward’s protocols on campus 

• Identify all personal items with student’s name and grade

• Utilize and follow guidance of health tracking applications [(Magnus Health (faculty and staff) or Family Dashboard (Summer Program families)] daily prior to arriving on campus

• Ensure your student(s) have required vaccinations before returning to campus 

• Follow NYS travel guidelines 

• Stay home if you are sick or have recently had close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19. 

• If you or someone in your household has symptoms of COVID-19 or tests positive, contact your campus health office nurse. 

Weekly On-site Surveillance Testing Begins Tuesday, September 14: All campuses will begin the school year with on-site, PCR nasal-swab surveillance testing for all students, faculty, and staff members, regardless of vaccination status, beginning Tuesday, September 14 and continuing weekly until further notice. Parents/guardians will have the option to have students tested off-campus and submit results through the Magnus Health app. More information is forthcoming.