Academic Summer Camp

Vaccination against COVID-19 is not required to attend the Summer Program. However, The Windward School strongly recommends vaccination as a way to keep students engaged in in-person learning this summer.

• The wearing of masks will be optional for students, faculty, and staff. 
• Those who have been exposed to COVID-19 will be recommended to wear a mask at Windward for the full 10-day period.
• Those who are returning from an isolation period after 5 days will be required to wear a mask at Windward for the full 10-day period.

• The Facilities team will continue to clean, disinfect, and sanitize high-touch areas such as bathrooms, door handles, and desks on an increased schedule throughout the day. Cleaning and disinfection will be completed using approved antiviral cleaning agents.
• Maintenance staff will 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.
• To minimize the sharing of high-touch materials, Windward will provide adequate supplies.

All students, faculty, and staff should stay home and get a COVID-19 test if any of the following symptoms are present:

• Fever (100.0 F or above) 
• New cough or congestion 
• Runny nose (not associated with a known condition) 
• Sore throat 
• Loss of taste or smell 
• Abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea 
• Headache (not associated with a known condition) 
• Fatigue
• Muscle Aches

Fully vaccinated individuals with no known exposure may be cleared to return with a negative provider performed test.

• One of the following test types will be accepted: 
  • Rapid antigen test, PCR, Rapid PCR, Rapid Molecular 
  • Home antigen tests are NOT accepted. 

Fully vaccinated individuals with an exposure may be cleared to return with a negative provider performed PCR test.

• PCR, Rapid PCR, Rapid Molecular 
• Antigen tests will NOT be accepted for exposure clearance in vaccinated individuals 

Unvaccinated individuals or not fully vaccinated individuals may be cleared to return with a negative provider performed PCR test.

• PCR, Rapid PCR, Rapid Molecular
• Antigen tests will NOT be accepted for unvaccinated individuals. 

All test results will be reviewed by the Health Office before return.

Exposure Policy

• All students, faculty, and staff are required to report any known COVID exposure to your program director during Summer Program hours.  
• After school hours positive COVID-19 test results or any urgent questions should be emailed to covid@thewindwardschool.org.
• Students, faculty, and staff will be notified of any on-campus exposures through a general communication.  
• Individuals will be notified of any isolation, quarantine, or testing requirements on a case-by-case basis.

Contact Tracing 

Often, we are notified of a positive case after hours. We will do our best to inform you of a possible quarantine as soon as we are able. At times, there may be information we do not have available in the evening or on weekends and your child may be asked to remain at home until further data is reviewed, the health department consulted, and a final decision is made. 

Regular testing and/or daily health screenings may be used to identify potential cases. This will be determined closer to the beginning of the Summer Program.

General Information

• Guidelines regarding notifications and quarantine are determined by the local Health Departments and will vary by proximity, duration of exposure, masking, and vaccination status.  
• The Windward School Summer Program Health Office will reach out to families if their child needs to quarantine due to potential COVID-19 exposure on a Windward campus.  
• Classroom seating charts and transportation are considered in quarantine decisions.
• Unvaccinated students who do not properly and consistently wear their masks will be at greater risk for quarantine in the event of exposure .
• When students are not wearing their masks properly, it puts them as well as others at risk for quarantine.

Isolation Policy for Individuals Who Test Positive for COVID-19 

• Staff/students who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for a minimum of 5 days. To calculate the 5-day period, day 0 is the first day of symptoms OR positive test result. Day 1 is the first full day after symptoms developed. 
• To end isolation after 5 days: 
  • Individuals must be fever-free (temperature less than 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit) for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. 
  • If symptoms were present, they must be improved. (Please note that loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks and will not extend the isolation period.) 
  • Individuals must present a negative rapid antigen test taken the morning of returning to campus. 
• A well-fitting mask should continue to be worn around others at home and in public for an additional 5 days. 
• Staff members returning on or after 5 days must wear a high quality (e.g., KN95) mask until day 10. (The school will provide KN95 masks to staff members who need them). 

Quarantine Policy for Close Contacts of Positive Cases

• Fully vaccinated individuals who are identified as close contacts with
  • positive cases at school do not need to quarantine and can attend school as long as they remain asymptomatic. 
  • positive cases of household members will TEST TO STAY in school (see below). 
• Unvaccinated, asymptomatic individuals who have come into close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 have the following two options for returning to school:
  • 5-day quarantine: To calculate the 5-day period, day 0 is the first day of close contact. Day 1 is the first full day after close contact. Individuals must produce another negative test 2 days after returning. On day of return, must produce a negative (rapid)antigen test.
  • Test to Stay: Test to Stay allows asymptomatic individuals, who have been exposed to COVID-19 to return to work or school.  Students and staff members who have been identified by The Windward School Summer Program Health Office may participate in Test to Stay, in lieu of quarantining.  
    • Students currently under quarantine should wait to receive confirmation from the school Health Office before returning to school. 
    • Exposed, asymptomatic, unvaccinated individuals who have been identified as a close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 are eligible.
    • Exposed, asymptomatic, vaccinated individuals with a family/household member who has tested positive for COVID-19 are eligible.

Test to Stay Policy

Unvaccinated and asymptomatic students and staff will be tested 3 times in a 7-day period with a rapid antigen test administered at home, at a lab or in school by the Health Office staff. If the individual tests negative, they will be able to stay in school.  Testing days will be determined by the health office and ALL testing must be completed before attending class. 

• Individuals who can participate in Test to Stay will be identified by the health office.  
• Parent/Guardian must sign consent for their student to be tested. 
• Individuals will be tested using a nasal swab rapid antigen test. They will remain separated until their negative result allows them to go to class.  
• If the individual tests positive for COVID-19, they will be cared for until a parent/guardian picks up their child. 
• An individual may continue in the Test to Stay program as long as they remain symptom free. If an exposed individual starts experiencing COVID symptoms at any time, they should remain at home and contact the Health Office. 
• If there is a second exposure, the Test to Stay protocol begins again. 
• Other than during the school day, unvaccinated individuals in the Test to Stay program are still expected to quarantine and refrain from activities outside of the home per standard quarantine guidelines. 

Community accountability will play a critical role in helping the Summer Program operate safely, and we will rely on our participating 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.
• Stay home if you are sick or have recently had close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.