2020-2021 Health and Safety

We are all so eager to reconnect with one another this September. Our ability to safely reopen is dependent upon each of you. The thousands of hours we have all invested in designing our reopening plans will only be effective if all members of our community abide by several core requirements, both on campus and off. Below is what we expect from all community members as part of our reopening this fall.

While ON campus, students, faculty, and staff must adhere to all Nobles health and safety requirements, including:

• Attestation: Complete the attestation app daily before arriving on campus, honestly share details about any symptoms, and report any positive Covid case that affects the Nobles community to a Nobles nurse.
• Masks: Wear a two-ply mask properly at all times on campus, except when eating, taking a mask break in a designated location or given explicit permission by an adult.
• Social Distancing: Maintain six feet of distance from others on campus whenever possible, follow wayfinding signage and adhere to instructions that designate where it is appropriate to stand or sit in common spaces.

While OFF campus, students, faculty, and staff must adhere to all Commonwealth of Massachusetts health and safety requirements, including:

• Masks: Wear a mask whenever social distance is not possible, both indoors and outdoors.
• Group Gatherings (updated 12/7): Adhere to current MA Indoor and Outdoor Gathering orders
• Travel Order (updated 12/7): Adhere to the latest travel orders, including those that currently specify the need to quarantine for 14 days when returning to Massachusetts from most states in the country or produce a negative PCR test result that has been administered up to 72 hours prior to arrival in Massachusetts. Test results must be submitted prior to returning to campus.
• Athletics and Other Activities: Comply with latest state guidelines around safety in youth sports and activities, whether competing or gathering in Massachusetts or out-of-state.

We expect all members of our community to follow these guidelines at all times. For the safety of our community, they will be strictly enforced. If we determine a student has not followed the guidelines or maintained appropriate precautions while away from campus in a way that puts our community’s health and safety at risk, we may require that student to learn virtually while quarantining before returning to campus. We need your help and partnership now more than ever as we seek to safely reopen campus this fall.

Families play a vital role in the health and safety of the Nobles community. The most important health and safety measure is to keep a child home if they are sick or experiencing any symptoms, or have had a known exposure to COVID that creates an appreciable risk of transmission (e.g., a member of the household has tested positive). If a child develops symptoms while at school and needs to be dismissed, an authorized responsible adult will be required to pick up within 45 minutes.

The effectiveness of our health and safety efforts depend heavily on our families and students to continue to take precautions when not at school. This includes wearing masks when in public and at social gatherings where physical distancing is not possible, avoiding large social gatherings, avoiding unnecessary travel, monitoring all household members for illness and quarantining or isolating when advised. We expect that all families will adhere to all state-issued Covid-19 guidelines, including travel restrictions and quarantine requirements.

We remain in alignment with the Massachusetts state travel advisory. If you travel out of state for any reason for over 24hrs you are required to PCR test and submit the negative result prior to your return to campus. Post-travel testing is still required unless the person traveling is out of the state for less than 24 hours or is fully vaccinated. We greatly appreciate the careful adherence Nobles families have had to Massachusetts travel requirements.

Domestic Travel: All Nobles community members who travel domestically must continue to follow the Massachusetts travel order requirements prior to returning to school.

International Travel: All Nobles community members who travel internationally must additionally adhere to CDC travel guidelines for the specific destination regarding testing and quarantine upon return.

Testing: Only PCR tests are acceptable forms of post-travel testing at Nobles. Post-travel PCR results must be sent into the Nobles Heath office prior to returning to campus.

To reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission in our community, we are implementing the following health and safety protocols (further details below):

• All persons (employees and students) will be required to complete a daily health screening via a mobile app prior to arrival at school (instructions will be provided).
• All persons will be required to practice physical distancing of at least 6 feet everywhere on campus, whenever possible.
• All persons will be required to wear masks (two-ply minimum) at all times, unless during designated mask breaks.
• All persons will be required to observe handwashing and hygiene protocols.
• Additional cleaning and disinfecting protocols will be in place.
• Elimination of shared equipment in classrooms and where feasible; equipment will be cleaned between users.
• Implementation of one-way walk-through routes in school buildings where possible.
• Limiting the number of people in a restroom at any given time.
• Where possible, we have improved ventilation in classroom and office spaces.

Symptom screenings and health attestations will need to be completed on behalf of each student by parents/guardians and by each employee prior to coming to arriving on campus every day. These will serve as the primary screening mechanism for Covid-19 symptoms. Students and employees must stay home if they are feeling unwell, even if the symptoms are mild. Symptoms include: fever, chills, cough (not due to another known cause such as chronic cough), difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, headache when in combination with other symptoms, muscle or body aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, fatigue when in combination with other symptoms, and nasal congestion or runny nose in combination with other symptoms. Additional questions about potential exposure to Covid-19 will also be part of the daily screenings. Families’ adherence to the sick policy is a critical aspect of keeping our community healthy.

We will continue our mandatory weekly on-campus testing program for the remainder of the school year.  Starting next week, testing will take place on Tuesdays for the entire community of adults and students. Everyone is required to get tested every Tuesday for the remainder of the year. Click here to read Lisa O’Connor’s email to the Nobles community about pooled testing for spring 2021.

A minimum of 6 feet of physical space between people must be maintained whenever possible throughout the campus. Whenever possible, classrooms will be set up with these guidelines in mind as well. Throughout campus, directional signage will guide the flow of students in and out of buildings, in hallways and on staircases to enforce these distancing guidelines.

All members of the community must wear a mask with at least two layers that adequately covers both the nose and mouth. They should fit comfortably, but snugly along the sides of the face. No graphic and/or inappropriate images or words are permitted on masks other than the brand insignia, or the writing and symbols of official Nobles masks. Each student will be expected to bring two clean masks to school every day, and there will be disposable masks available for those who need them. Additionally, a two-layer mask will also be required for afternoon program activities. Masks should be washed daily in hot water. Nobles will provide one cotton, washable and reusable two-layer mask to each student and employee at the start of school.

On February 9, the CDC shared guidance to improve mask-wearing protection against Covid-19.

Masks work best when everyone wears them, but not all masks provide the same protection. When choosing a mask, look at how well it fits, how well it filters the air and how many layers it has.

Recommendations include:

1. Masks should completely cover the nose and mouth and fit snugly against the sides of the face without gaps. Make sure no air is flowing from the areas near the eyes or from the sides of the mask. A nose wire can prevent air from leaking out of the top of the mask.
2. Always wear a mask with multiple (two or three) layers to keep your respiratory droplets in and others’ out. (Nobles requires a minimum two-layer mask at all times).
3. A cloth mask can be layered on top of a medical procedure mask (forming a “double mask”) for improved fit and filtration. The outer mask should push the inner mask against the face.

Blue medical procedure masks are always available at the main entrance front desk, middle school front desk, Library and Health Office for any Nobles community member who would like an added layer beneath their current mask to improve fit and filtration.

Students should wash hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after each restroom use, before eating, before putting on and taking off masks, before leaving school and always after sneezing or coughing. When soap and water are not available, students should use hand sanitizer (at least 60 percent alcohol-based). Hand sanitization will be required upon entry to any building. Hand sanitizer will be placed at all entrances and common areas and by each classroom. Soap and water, when available, should be used instead of hand sanitizer.

Classrooms will be stocked with cleaning supplies for sanitation of tables and desks between classes. Frequently touched areas and restrooms will be cleaned regularly throughout the day. Additional custodial staff will be on duty during the academic day. There will be a comprehensive cleaning at the end of each school day and as needed during the day.

Visual markers such as signs, posters and other reminders will be posted throughout campus to remind the community of the safety protocols and way-finding.

To maintain 6-foot distancing and avoid gatherings, we will be limiting the number of people allowed into each restroom at once.

Nobles will use two separate spaces for health care this year. Each space will be staffed by one of the school’s two full-time nurses. For non-illness related visits, asymptomatic students will visit the health office located in the Pratt Middle School. Students who are experiencing any illness symptoms will be instructed to visit the new health office, which is located below the admission area.  This space will have immediate access to outdoor space, with a dedicated entrance and exit from the outside, as well as a separate dedicated bathroom. Signage will direct students to the newly added location, which they will enter from outdoors. Once there, students will be evaluated and either sent back to class or isolated and sent home. Families should be prepared to have an authorized adult pick up a child within 45 minutes should the nurse determine the child is unwell.

As we prepare to return to school in September with focus on the mitigation strategies and rigorous protocols, we will be following the guidance from the CDC and DPH in responding to any positive cases in the Nobles community.

What if a Student or Employee Tests Positive for Covid-19?

A student or employee must remain at home, monitor symptoms, notify the school and close personal contacts, assist in contact-tracing efforts and isolate as directed by the local Board of Health. The current isolation guidance (CDC) is 10 days from the date symptoms first appeared and at least 24 hours fever-free off of fever-reducing medication and improvement of symptoms.

Nobles will work to identify the student’s or employee’s possible close contacts based on classroom seating and academic schedule. The lookback period will begin two days prior to the appearance of symptoms or the positive Covid-19 test, and will include up to the time the student or employee was isolated.

The CDC definition of “close contact” is someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.

When may a Student or Employee return to school after COVID-19-like symptoms?