Health & Student Safety

Persons who test positive with COVID-19 or are showing symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home and isolate from other people for up to 10 days, or may follow the procedures below to return to school after at least a shortened isolation period of 5 full days.

• To calculate the 5-day isolation period, day 0 is your first day of symptoms OR positive viral test (whichever was first). Day 1 is the first full day after symptoms developed or positive viral test. (The same procedure is used to calculate the 5-day or 10-day isolation period.)

• To return to campus on days 6 - 10, students/staff must provide a negative antigen test conducted on or after day 5.

• To return to campus on day 6 or later, students/staff must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and other symptoms must have improved. 

• For lunches on days 6 - 10, students affected are required to report to a designated lunch area where all persons in this shortened isolation group will eat together. For snacks, these same students may only consume snacks while outdoors. (Staff may choose to eat in a designated area or take their meals off campus.)

• While every effort will be made to protect the privacy of students, it may be apparent to students and staff that a person has been recently diagnosed with COVID-19 due to the lunch accommodations and other masking rules. 

• If parents wish for their child to remain at home for a full 10 days of isolation, they have that choice; the student will remain supported academically in the Remote Learning program.

• To return to campus after 10 days, no antigen or PCR test is required.

If you are fully vaccinated* or have tested positive for COVID-19 within the previous 90 days and remain without COVID-19 symptoms, you do NOT need to quarantine and may continue on-campus participation in classes and school activities. You must:

• For 10 days following the date of your last close contact, wear a well-fitting mask around others. (The date of last close contact is considered day 0.) 

• Get tested at least 5 days after close contact or any time if you have symptoms;

• You do not need to get tested again if you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the previous 90 days. 

If you are not fully vaccinated*, and remain asymptomatic following a close contact, you must:

• Quarantine at home for 5 days and obtain a negative test on day 5 (or later) to return to school OR quarantine for 10 days and return to school without testing;

• Monitor for symptoms;

• Mask in all school settings, including outdoors, for 10 days after the close contact.

* What does it mean to be “Fully Vaccinated”?

• You are ages 5-17 years and received 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccines at least 2 weeks earlier.

• You are ages 18 or older and have received all recommended vaccine doses, including boosters and additional primary shots for some immunocompromised people.

Vaccination against COVID-19 is

• required for students age 16+;
• encouraged for all students age 12+ (will become a requirement when the vaccine is "fully authorized" by the FDA rather than "EUA - emergency use authorization);
• encouraged for all students age 5 - 11; and
• required for all staff members and on-campus volunteers.

Is your child fully vaccinated? Upload your child's COVID-19 Vaccination Card - instructions here.

In August 2021, Rochambeau established a weekly COVID-19 testing program for students and staff. Testing is available on campus each week during school hours.

• Testing takes place for students and staff, regardless of vaccination status except for any person who has tested positive within the past 90 days.
• Test provider: Capital Diagnostics https://capitaldxlab.com/ with real-time RT-PCR tests.
• If you are new to the school, you must register with our testing provider: https://capitaldx-patient.limsabc.com/#/. For detailed instructions click here.
• Results reporting: Test results will be provided to families and to the school directly by Capital Diagnostics. Families will have access to their health records electronically.

Families who wish to obtain testing outside of school may choose to do so. We accept results from either PCR or Antigen tests administered in a healthcare setting (no at-home tests except, the Binax NOW COVID-19 home test. In order to be valid, the test must be completed through a virtual video visit with a certified technician, in accordance with the provider’s guidelines for completing the test.

Our goal for the 2021-2022 school is to provide learning opportunities for our students that are meaningful and safe. We acknowledge that the guidance from the CDC stresses the importance of in-person learning for students, and we also recognize that in the current health context, students may be required to isolate or quarantine at home due to COVID-19 related circumstances. Additionally, the health pandemic has led to some barriers for persons entering the US due to visa-related issues.

Remote Learning Support is available for students in these two specific circumstances:

• COVID-19 related isolation or quarantine times due to COVID-19 (1) exposure, (2) positive test result, or (3) illness.
• Travel restriction to the US related to immigration status (e.g. visa processing).

If either of these situations apply to you, please complete the form. A staff member will review your request and teacher(s) will provide the necessary links and class materials on the next school day.