Stay Healthy, Stay Informed

GENERAL ILLNESS POLICY 

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The Blacksburg New School has adopted the following policy regarding illness for students attending the school. It is important to the overall health of the school community that EVERY family follow these guidelines: A student having a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater must be picked up from school immediately. The student may not return to BNS until they have been without fever for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications. Any student with chicken pox may not attend school for at least 5 school days. All blisters must be “scabbed over” prior to the student's return. If a student has more than one episode of diarrhea or vomiting, they should not attend school until 24 hours after the last episode. A signed note from a physician stating that a student is well (non-contagious) and can return to BNS prior to the timelines stated above will be honored. 

 

If a teacher determines that the student should not be in school, and a parent cannot be reached, then someone designated as an emergency contact is required to take the student home. In case of a serious accident, the student will be taken to the hospital emergency room and the parents will be notified immediately. Other illnesses for which a student may be asked to leave school for a period of time include but are not limited to head lice, “pinkeye”, or impetigo. Parents are asked to inform the school within 24 hours, if their child or any member of the immediate household has developed any reportable communicable disease (as defined by the Virginia Department of Health). 

 

COVID-19 SICK POLICY 

 

It is important that we keep our school safe for its students and teachers. Given the existing and ongoing multiple layers of risk mitigation already in place at BNS, the high BNS vaccination rates, and with the additional layers of precautions being added as
described below, the following procedures will guide our response to possible and known COVID cases: Individuals experiencing new COVID-like symptoms (fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea) from an unknown cause should take an antigen or PCR test at the first sign of symptoms. Individuals with a negative test (1st antigen or PCR) and improved symptoms may attend school wearing a well-fitted mask.
 

Individuals may stop masking at school when their symptoms improve and either:
- a second antigen test taken 48 hours after the first antigen test is negative, or
- upon receiving a negative PCR result.

 

If the second antigen test (taken 48 hours after the first antigen test) or the PCR test comes back positive, individuals will stay home for five full days from symptom onset and according to CDC’s COVID guidelines for isolation following a positive COVID test. They should mask at school for an additional five days. 

 

If new fever, vomiting, or diarrhea occurs at any point the school’s general illness policy should be followed: individuals should not return to school until 24 hours after their last vomiting or diarrhea episode or until they have been without fever for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications. Families and teachers should continue to remain vigilant outside BNS and continue to report symptoms, illness, and exposures by emailing the school’s COVID contacts using the email: COVID@new-school.org. The school’s COVID contacts are the lead teacher, middle school lead teacher, and the president of the board. By bringing their child to school, parents are indicating that the above-listed symptoms have been assessed and that the child’s symptoms have improved.

COVID EXPOSURE OR COVID-POSITIVE IN THE FAMILY

If an individual was exposed to someone with Covid-19, they may have been infected with the virus. To determine exposure risk, please consult the CDC exposure risk guidelines. Exposed individuals should wear a mask around others while indoors for 10 days, monitor for symptoms, and test. Individuals should follow the CDC’s Covid Exposure guidelines for more information.