
Saliva Test Information & Reminders
Dear District 41 Families,
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Just a few quick pieces of information about saliva testing that may be helpful:
- Please remember that each student has been provided with labeled test tubes that have a unique barcode on them. If you have multiple children, please make sure that you use the correct tubes for returning the sample. We had numerous duplicate barcodes in yesterday's samples. Also remember that students only need to turn in one sample per week.
- Make certain that your child produces about 1/4 of an inch of saliva. If the saliva gets stuck in the straw, gently blowing on the straw will help move the saliva into the test tube. We had several "insufficient samples" in yesterday's batch. The lab cannot process the sample if there is not enough saliva.
Thank you to our families and staff for your assistance and cooperation. Scaling up our saliva testing program is quite a challenge. We are doing our best to once again get ahead with sending testing materials home. It takes about 3 minutes to put together one testing kit. We are prepping and processing thousands each week. Please treat the kits like gold because they represent a significant investment of money and time.
On a separate but related note, we received word that the cost of saliva testing will be a reimbursable expense to school districts out of ESSER grant funds. This is very good news for districts who have engaged in testing.
A few reminders:
- All in-person students should bring their saliva sample to school with them on Mondays. If your child forgets or there is an issue with the collection, the schools will also be collecting samples on Tuesday and Wednesday. If your child does not submit a sample, the school will be calling home to follow up.
- If your child is new to saliva screening, please click here for more information on how to collect and submit the sample. If your child experiences difficulty in producing a saliva sample, please contact Katie Adduci to participate in BinaxNOW rapid antigen testing as an alternative at kadduci@d41.org.
- Click here for the COVID-19 and saliva testing dashboard to monitor the data from week to week. The dashboard data is updated on Mondays.
- A change in process -- PLEASE HAVE YOUR CHILD BRING THE SALIVA SAMPLE TO THE SCHOOL YOUR CHILD ATTENDS.
Thank you!
Dr. K
Dr. Melissa Kaczkowski
Superintendent - Glen Ellyn School District 41
Glen Ellyn School District 41
Email: webmaster@d41.org
Website: www.d41.org
Location: 793 North Main Street, Glen Ellyn, IL, USA
Phone: 630.790.6400
Facebook: facebook.com/glenellynd41
Twitter: @glenellynd41