Nursing Notes

Stay up to date on COVID-19 changes in school

Changes in COVID-19 Testing Program!

Dear parents/caregivers,

At Amesbury Public Schools, keeping your students safe and in school is our top priority. We are writing to let you know, in accordance with Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Public Health (DPH), our district is updating our COVID-19 testing program effective 1/31/2022.

We are opting into an at- home testing program that will increase testing of our participating students and staff, regardless of vaccination status. The at-home testing option will begin Monday January 31, 2022. In addition to this new at-home antigen test option, we will continue with symptomatic in school testing during the week. As part of this shift in the program, we are discontinuing Test and Stay and contact tracing for in-school close contacts. This means that if your child is a potential contact in school, they may continue to come to school and do not have to quarantine. This new at-home testing opportunity is voluntary and only those who opt-in will receive tests. We strongly encourage you to fill out the form on our district website to opt-in.

We are excited to move forward with this new program and allow more time for students to be in school. If you have questions, please contact your school nurse. As always, please keep your child home if they are sick.

Stay healthy,

The Nurses of Amesbury Public Schools

Overview of the New Testing Program

About the Test: iHealth is a 15-minute at-home FDA-approved rapid antigen test

Opt-In: To participate, you must opt in by completing this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0k8HZgdg8ZiDcfjASGHvWBwejyxyuOQHejkJaSlRVzzKn2w/viewform . By opting in, you will agree to review the training materials for test administration, report positive test results to your student’s school, and administer the tests according to Amesbury Public School District's guidelines.

Weekly: Every two weeks you will receive an iHealth at-home rapid test kit. Each kit contains two individual tests. Your student will administer one test each week on Tuesday evening

Reporting Positive Test Results: If your student tests positive on an at-home antigen test, you will inform their school of the positive result using the form attached below. The school will keep the results confidential and will not make individual results public. In addition, it is strongly recommended that you inform your healthcare professional of the positive result.

Easy, Free, and Flexible: This test is administered at home (not at school), reducing the burden on school staff and time to administer tests and increasing a family’s flexibility to do testing in the home for free.

COVID-19 Self-Test at Home Instructions Graphic

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When Does This Start?

This new testing program will start Monday 1/31/22

How Will the Tests Be Distributed?

-Students and staff will be given their test kits at school on Monday to bring home and they will be done anytime after school on Tuesday afternoon/evening

-There are 2 tests in every iHealth kit so tests will be received every 2 weeks. You will only report positive results

Should I Still Opt-In if I am Vaccinated?

Yes! The new testing program does not differentiate between vaccinated vs unvaccinated so all students and staff are welcome to opt-in

How Do I Submit My Results?

Click Here to submit your at home test result

Positive test results are shared with your school district for informational purposes only. Individual results will remain confidential, and they will never be made public

If I am Negative Do I Need to Report Those Results?

No. The response form is only for a positive COVID-19 test result

Can I Opt-In at Anytime?

Yes! If you would like to opt-in to the testing program please complete the survey. The numbers will be updated every other Wednesday evening so you will be enrolled in the next ordering cycle

Will Schools Still Do Symptomatic Swabs at School?

Yes! Students with mild COVID symptoms may still get a rapid antigen test at school. Students with major symptoms (fever, cough, body aches) should STAY HOME AND TEST AT HOME OR WITH THEIR MEDICAL PROVIDER

What if I Have Had Covid in the last 90 days?

Per DESE guidelines, you may opt-in to the new program around/after the 90 day window from your recent COVID-19 infection

If I am Sick What Type of COVID-19 Test to Return is Acceptable?

- At home rapid antigen test

- Rapid antigen test completed by a medical professional

- PCR test

What If I Test Positive At Home or Over the Weekend?

Click Here to submit an at home positive result. Then you must quarantine for 5 days and may return to school on day 6 if symptoms are improving

Updated COVID-19 Testing Program

The goal of the Massachusetts public K-12 education system is to prepare all students for success after high school. Massachusetts public school students are leading the nation in reading and math and are at the top internationally in reading, science, and math according to the national NAEP and international PISA assessments.

doe.mass.edu