District News & Announcements

Download Letter PDF | English Google Doc Version |  Spanish Translation | Haitian Creole Translation

Link to:  Fall Break Travel Survey

(ONLY FAMILIES WHO PLAN TO TRAVEL DOMESTICALLY (OUTSIDE OF PA, NJ, NY, CT, DE) OR INTERNATIONALLY w/ UNVACCINATED CHILDREN SHOULD FILL OUT THIS FORM)

---

October 21, 2021

Dear SOMSD Community,

The District’s Fall Break is coming up and is scheduled for November 1 – 5, 2021.  All District schools, as well as Central Office, will be closed for this week.  Schools and District offices will reopen on Monday, November 8, 2021. 

This letter is to inform you that if you plan on traveling either domestically (outside of PA, NJ, NY, CT, DE) or outside of the United States, upon reentry to our school district, UNVACCINATED students will be asked to quarantine for a full seven to ten days depending on testing.  Quarantine may be seven full days if students test negative on days 3, 4, or 5 after returning from travel. If you choose not to test, quarantine is ten full days.  This guidance is per our local SOMA Departments of Health as informed by NJDOH and CDC.  Everyone’s compliance is necessary to keep the members of our school community healthy and safe. 

During a student’s quarantine period, they will receive virtual instruction.  Please note while we will strive to minimize the disruption to student learning during the quarantine period by having systems in place for students to receive virtual instructional support, these structures will vary depending on the circumstances.  Therefore, families of UNVACCINATED students who plan to travel during the fall break, outside of the PA, NJ, NY, CT, and DE areas will need to fill out the Fall Break Travel Survey by Tuesday, October 26.  [Link: https://forms.gle/9sUCZVeJ7SZqPQvq8].

• Elementary Students:   For elementary students who will be traveling, parents/guardians must fill out the Fall Break Travel Survey by Tuesday, October 26, so that they have adequate notice that your child will be in quarantine post-Fall break.   Families who submit their survey by the due date will receive the appropriate details and links for virtual learning from their child’s teacher.
• Unvaccinated Middle School Students:  For unvaccinated middle school students who will be traveling, parents/guardians must fill out the Fall Break Travel Survey by Tuesday, October 26, to inform the school that their child will need to quarantine due to travel.  Families who submit their survey by the due date will receive the appropriate details and links for virtual learning from their child’s teacher.
• Unvaccinated CHS Students:  For unvaccinated high school students who will be traveling, parents/guardians must fill out the Fall Break Travel Survey by Tuesday, October 26, to inform the school that their child will need to quarantine due to travel.  Families who submit their survey by the due date will receive the appropriate details and links for virtual learning from their child’s teacher.

Families can receive testing via our partner, MediMobile.  MediMobile is on-site every Saturday, 9 am – 3 pm at the CHS Gymnasium parking lot (in inclement weather, MediMobile will be in the CHS cafeteria – – Parker Avenue entrance).  In addition, you can find additional testing locations for Essex County on our website:  https://bit.ly/C19Test_Vaccine. See below for the travel guidelines quarantine chart.

Grade Levels	Travel  Guidelines Outside of PA, NJ, NY, CT, DE [Guidelines have been in place since 5/2021. The NJDOH refers us to the CDC who recommends delaying travel until you are fully vaccinated]
PreK – 5 And all Unvaccinated individuals	The day you return from travel is DAY ZERO 7-full-day Quarantine if the negative test is taken on day 3, 4, or 5 after return: PCR or Rapid.   A home-based test result is acceptable in the case of travel as long as the individual is not symptomatic.  If symptomatic, stay home from school and get a laboratory test.  Report positive tests to the principal. OR 10-full-day Quarantine if choosing not to test and do not have symptoms If symptomatic, stay home from school and get a laboratory test.  Report positive tests to the principal. For International travel guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html
6 – 12	Unvaccinated students will be governed by the quarantine guidelines above.  Fully vaccinated individuals do not have to quarantine if they do not have symptoms. Remember, if symptomatic, stay home from school and get a laboratory test. Report positive results to the principal. [Reminder: Parents/guardians of students ages 12 and up are encouraged to upload/share proof of student COVID-19 vaccine, this will help identify students who may NOT have to quarantine*: https://bit.ly/SOMSDSVS] For International travel guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html

These actions will further assist the school district in mitigating any health risks to our students, staff, and families. We encourage parents and students to continue following the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention promoted safeguards, such as: 

• Staying home when you are sick; 
• Washing hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds; 
• Covering coughs and sneezes and properly disposing of tissues; 
• Limiting close contact with people who are sick and not sharing food, drinks, and utensils; 
• Practicing social distancing; 
• Wearing a mask and students having an extra mask in their backpack as possible;
• Continuing to monitor your health for symptoms. 

As always, we appreciate our community’s support and cooperation. You can assist us by remaining vigilant but sensible in your approach to dealing with this health concern. Should you have any questions about this situation, please feel free to contact your building administrators.

South Orange & Maplewood School District