COVID-19 Policies for the 2023-2024 School Year
If a community member tests positive for COVID-19, they should immediately report their positive result to their campus nurse who will provide the with them with the most recent protocols to follow.
COVID-19 Vaccinations
- Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the risk of serious illness due to COVID-19.
- We strongly encourage community members to be vaccinated for COVID-19, and to receive any booster vaccinations that they are eligible for. COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters should be uploaded to your child’s vaccination record on Magnus Health.
- There is no COVID-19 vaccination requirement for students. The school reserves the right to require students to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to participate in overnight trips depending on the destination, 3rd party provider requirements, and local and destination infection rates. At this time, we do not anticipate a vaccination requirement for the school’s overnight trips scheduled for the fall.
Mask-Optional Policy
- For the 2023-2024 school year, masks will continue to be optional for community members, unless individuals are returning from isolation or have been determined to be highly exposed to a positive case.
- The school is fully supportive of an individual’s choice to wear a mask.
- In the event that a student is required to wear a mask, they should supply their own masks but can visit the Nurse’s Office if they need a replacement.
When to Stay Home or Attend School
- Do not attend school or extra-curricular activities if you are unwell and/or exhibit any of the symptoms compatible with COVID-19, including fever, headache, cough, sore throat, and runny nose.
- If a family member has symptoms of COVID-19, students may continue to attend school but should follow the exposed individual protocol until their suspected positive household member has been tested for COVID-19.
- Please review the guidelines on this page for when your child may attend/return to school, and if you have any questions regarding these procedures, please contact your campus nurse.
Testing
- Please note that at-home rapid test, laboratory-administered rapid test, and/or PCR laboratory test results are ALL accepted. (We no longer require PCR testing).
- If a community member tests positive for COVID-19, they should immediately report their positive result to their campus nurse.
- IMPORTANT: A negative test for COVID-19 does not mean that your child is well enough to be in school. Please follow the guidelines on this page for when your child may attend/return to school.
Next Steps if Positive for COVID-19
If a community member tests positive for COVID-19, they should report their positive result to their campus nurse. Those who test positive for COVID-19 must follow the below protocol:
- Stay home and isolate for 5 full days (with Day 0 as the day of the positive test or symptom onset), regardless of vaccination status or symptoms.
- On Day 6, if symptoms have resolved, they can return to school provided that they have received clearance from their campus nurse.
- For 5 days after returning to the building (Days 6 to 10), the positive individual must:
- Wear a mask (surgical mask at a minimum but preferably a KN95 or KF94) at all times inside the building and on any school transportation.
- Not participate in indoor extracurricular activities in which masks cannot be worn “correctly and consistently.”
- Dine outside or in a dining space that is distanced from other community members.
- In order to end mask-wearing protocols earlier, an individual can take a test any time from Day 6 onwards, and provided that they receive 2 negative tests 48 hours apart, they can stop wearing a mask after their second negative test (Day 8 at the earliest).
Exposure to a Positive Case
Provided that you remain symptom-free, you may continue to come to campus, but you must follow the below protocol:
- Notify your campus nurse so that they can monitor the exposed individual for symptoms.
- The exposed individual should wear a mask at all times when inside the building and on any school transportation for 10 days following their exposure (with Day 0 being the last day they were exposed to the positive individual).
- For outdoor extracurricular activities, masks do not need to be worn.
- Take a test for COVID-19 on Day 5, after their last exposure.
- If they develop symptoms, isolate immediately and get tested for COVID-19.
Making Up Work During Isolation
Isolation resulting from COVID-19 is treated as any other illness. Students should contact their advisor and classroom teachers to make up any missed work as described in the MKA Handbook.
Nursing Staff by Campus
Tri-Campus Nursing Supervisor/Middle School Nurse: Debra Van Eerde, 973-783-6324
Upper School Nurse: Melinda Costa Fernandes, 973-783-8788
Primary School Nurse: Rachel Masters, 973-783-8809
**If a community member tests positive for COVID-19, they should immediately report their positive result to their campus nurse.
Guidelines on when your child may attend/return to school:
- The student has not had a temperature above 100 degrees for at least 24 hours while not taking any fever-reducing medications.
- The student has been taking any prescribed antibiotics for a minimum of 24 hours.
- The student has not vomited in the last 24 hours and a normal diet has been resumed.
- The student has not had diarrhea in the last 24 hours and a normal diet has been resumed.
- A physician has determined the nature and contagiousness of any undiagnosed rash. A note may be required from your physician in order for the student to return to school.
- If the student is diagnosed with a communicable disease or illness (examples can include: Influenza, Pneumonia, Strep Throat, Pertussis, Chicken Pox, Impetigo, COVID-19, and Scabies), your campus nurse must be notified and will clear your child to return to school.