Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, we ask that parents and students, teachers/staff are attentive to their daily health and should ensure that they are free from symptoms of COVID-19 before coming to school. If you or your child have ANY of the following symptoms, stay home to test for COVID-19 regardless of vaccination status and especially if there has been a close contact with someone who has COVID-19 in the past 14 days or see a healthcare provider for advice. 

Symptoms of COVID-19 

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Use the CDC Coronavirus Self-Checker to help decide when to seek medical care.

Testing for Current Infection - COVID-19.  Test anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19.  If using a test at home, make sure to take a screenshot of the results to send to the school nurse to verify. If using a clinic test, send a copy of the results to the school/school nurse.

Please keep the person with symptoms isolated away from others. Siblings who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated must stay home until the test results are known.  

Students who are fully vaccinated or have had a positive COVID test in the past 90 days can attend school. The CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors until test results are known. Stay home if symptoms occur.

POSITIVE TEST - see positive cases for directions 

NEGATIVE TEST - see returning to school for directions

• If a student/staff/teacher or household member is waiting for test results, do not send them to school until test results are known. 
• Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated siblings or household members need to remain home until test results are known. Do Not send them to school/work when waiting for results.
• If a student/staff/teacher is fully vaccinated or has tested positive for COVID in the past 90 days they do not need to stay home.  The CDC recommendation is to wear a mask indoors until results are known.

POSITIVE TEST 

If a student/staff/teacher test positive for COVID-19 do the following:  

• Isolate and stay home from school and away from others for at least 5 days after symptoms started or the day the test was taken (day 0 is first day of symptoms or the day the test was taken). 
  • Day 6-10, if no symptoms or symptoms are resolving (no fever for 24 hrs without using medication and symptoms improving) return to school, masking at all times until day 11.
• Notify the school/work and close contacts outside of school.
• Email a copy of results or screenshot to the school nurse
• For Siblings/household members- see close contact and quarantine for directions on attending school 
• Contact a healthcare provider if symptoms worsen
• You do NOT need a negative test to return to school
• If you get a positive test without symptoms and then start to have symptoms, your isolation period will restart the day the symptoms begin (day 0 will be the first day of symptoms). Please contact the school if this occurs to update the return to school date. 
• If you test positive for COVID-19 on any test (PCR or antigen -like rapid or at home) there is no need to retest using another type of test.  All types of tests will be accepted. 
• Contact a healthcare provider if you have questions or concerns about the test results.

Isolation guidance for families 

Isolation guidance for families (Spanish)

When to test

Viral testing (PCR or rapid antigen, including self tests like an at home test purchased over the counter) can help determine if you or your student has an active case of COVID-19.  

Who needs to get tested?

• Anyone with symptoms of an illness, regardless of vaccination status
• People who are not fully vaccinated who have been asked to get tested by their school, workplace, healthcare provider or health department. 

Testing for Current Infection - COVID-19.  Please keep your student and siblings who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated home until the test results are known if waiting on COVID test results.

Who Does Not Need Tested?

• If you tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days and have recovered, as long as no new symptoms develop 
• Persons who are not a close contact and do not have symptoms

If your child is exposed to someone with COVID- at home or outside of school:

• If fully vaccinated (at least 2 weeks after 2nd dose of vaccine) or they have tested positive for COVID in the past 90 days - Return to school if no symptoms present and test on day 5 if possible .  Stay home if symptoms develop and get tested.
• If unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated: Stay home for 5 days after last exposure to the positive person and get tested on day 5.  Return to school on Day 6 if there are no symptoms.  Stay home if symptoms develop and get tested.

Antibody testing: At this time the CDC and the Dept of Health do not allow antibody testing as proof of immunity to COVID-19 and do not meet the criteria to avoid a quarantine situation for a close contact at school.

For students/staff/teachers WITH SYMPTOMS AND TESTED FOR COVID-19

• NEGATIVE TEST- SYMPTOMS RESOLVED AND NO FEVER (past 24 hours without using medication)  
• Send a copy of the negative test result or a screenshot to the school nurse and return to school/work.  Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated siblings or household members can return once this information is provided to school. 
• NEGATIVE TEST-SYMPTOMS NOT RESOLVING- contact your healthcare provider. Retest in a few days (at least 24 hours) especially if using an at home testing or the person was a close contact in the past 14 days.  
• NEGATIVE TEST- SYMPTOMS RESOLVED BUT CLOSE CONTACT-If negative at home due to close contact continue to stay home until quarantine time period is finished. 
• POSITIVE TEST- see positive case directions.

For students/staff WITH SYMPTOMS BUT CLEARED BY HEALTHCARE PROVIDER

• If you have been seen by a healthcare provider due to symptoms of illness and the provider has cleared you to return to school/work without a COVID test, provide a note to school from the provider with the date cleared to return for verification.   

Siblings/Household members-

• Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated siblings or household members need to remain home until test results are known. Update the school when test results for siblings are known for return.
• If fully vaccinated or have tested positive for COVID in the past 90 days you can attend school if free from symptoms. CDC recommendation is to wear a mask indoors until results are known.
• Positive test results - see Close Contact/Quarantines for directions 

For students/staff who have had a known exposure to someone with COVID-19 outside of school- see Close Contact/Quarantines directions.

The information presented here is based upon guidance received from state and national authorities, including the Centers for Disease Control, the Indiana Department of Health, Hamilton County Health Department, and the Indiana Department of Education. Please continue to refer to this page as COVID-19 information has been fluid and guidance continues to change. Due to these circumstances, the contents of this guide are subject to change and may be updated frequently.

• Students will attend school in-person, every school day and schools will be at full capacity, as in a normal school year.
• See information below regarding at-home (virtual) learning for the 2021-22 school year.
• Masks are recommended in all WWS buildings for staff, students and visitors regardless of vaccination status.
• Masks will be required on buses per federal mandate.
• Visitors will be limited to our building front office areas only. Visitor access to the rest of our school building areas, including classrooms and lunchrooms, will be evaluated as the school year progresses. Masks are recommended for all visitors regardless of vaccination status.
• School start times will return to normal hours, including the 30-minute delayed start on Wednesdays for professional development.
• For exact start times, click here.
• Physical distancing will be used to the greatest degree possible and areas in our buildings will be maximized for spacing. 
• WWS schools will host in-person back to school events/open houses.
• We will continue athletics and performing arts, with guidance from the Indiana High School Athletic Association and the Indiana State School Music Association.
• Students must attend school in person to participate in extracurricular activities.
• Clubs will meet in person
• Field trips will return, where/when possible, depending on venue/location guidelines.
• Water fountains will be open.
• Westfield Washington Schools will provide a link that includes the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 for public access.
• Any absences related to COVID-19 should be reported to buildings using the normal absence reporting procedures. Please report on the absence line if your child has tested positive or is being tested for COVID-19.

• Westfield Washington Schools has partnered with outside organizations for virtual learning options for grades K-12. 
• Indiana Digital Gateway Academy (grades K-6)
• Indiana Online Academy (grades 7-12)
• Options Indiana (grades 7-12)
• Students who choose the at-home (virtual) learning option must unenroll from WWS and will not be able to participate in student activities that are sponsored by Westfield Washington Schools, such as sports, clubs, band and other extracurricular activities.

• Parents who would like to utilize at-home learning MUST complete the At-home (Virtual) Learning Information form to start the process. Only fill out this form if you are choosing the virtual option. If, at any point, families want to switch from in-person to a virtual platform, K-6 families should speak with their building principal and 7-12 students will need to speak with their counselors. If you would like to switch from a virtual option to in-person learning, contact Dr. Stacy McGuire at 317.867.8024 or mcguires@wws.k12.in.us.

• Elementary Lunch Seating
  Elementary school students will have assigned seats at each table aligned with their classroom cohort. Breakfast will still be available. 

• WIS Lunch Seating
  Lunch will go on as normal with assigned seats by the homeroom teacher. Students will be seated with their homerooms. Lunch seating assignments will be adjusted at the end of the quarter. Breakfast will still be available in a variety of locations. Students will eat in their assigned seats in their homerooms.  

• WMS Lunch Seating
  Students will have assigned seats in the cafeteria and will be spaced as far apart as possible. Breakfast will still be available.

• WHS Lunch Seating
  WHS will use all of their lunch spaces this year so that students can spread out and physically distance. There will be many options available where students will be able to eat on their own or with small groups. There will be multiple opportunities to spread out.  Breakfast will still be available.

• All classrooms will be disinfected every evening. During each school day, custodians will be spot disinfecting high touch point areas.
• Prior to the return of students to the classrooms, we will ensure that each classroom contains the following:
  • 10 oz. bottle of hand sanitizer that will be refilled nightly
  • Bottle of spray soap and water to be used on student desks, tabletops, countertops, and any non-electric, high-touch surface which will be refilled nightly.

Keeping hands clean is especially important to help prevent the virus from spreading.

Bus Transportation will be provided, with precautions. Per federal order, masks are required on buses for students and drivers. In addition to wearing masks, bus drivers will be assigning seats for every student on every school bus. All siblings and household members will be required to sit together. Students will be prohibited from riding a friend’s bus home and may only ride their assigned bus. Buses will be cleaned and disinfected after AM and PM routes. As always, bus routes will be set and released a few days before the start of school.