As we balance our overwhelming desire to get back to in-person learning with the stark realities of the COVID pandemic, GFSD will pilot its school-based COVID testing plan next week as a pathway to safer resumption of classroom-based instruction.
On Tuesday, January 19th, a randomized subset of returning fifth and sixth graders, MS teachers, and MS support staff, along with a specified subset of High School students, HS teachers, and HS support staff will be given the BinaxNOW COVID-19 rapid test, administered by our own school nurses in the Middle School gymnasium. This is the simple, quick, shallow nasal swab test. Please read the descriptions HERE and HERE of the test and process for GFSD students.
On Thursday and Friday, January 21-22, randomized subsets of students, teachers, and staff members will be tested at Kensington Road, Big Cross, and Jackson Heights elementary schools as well. Each subset represents 15 percent of the total hybrid/in-person universe of children and adults at each building. The initial High School subset includes students in the Early College Career Academy, BOCES CTE, and New Visions programs which require hands-on certification hours difficult to complete during a suspension of in-person learning.
All parents/guardians will be notified with an advance email if their child is selected for testing next week. Only students who have a parent-completed testing consent form on file will be considered for randomized selection.
The testing results of these subset will provide benchmarking data for the district to use in planning for a return to full hybrid/in-person instruction. *IF* these initial results show a low positivity rate within our school community, the district will consider a return to hybrid/in-person learning for Grades 7-12 on Monday, January 25th. If new positive cases or quarantines increase, we will immediately revert to all-remote instruction. Families should prepare now for that scenario. Additional subset rapid testing would be scheduled at the HS/MS on Monday and Tuesday, January 25-26 if Grades 7-12 were to return.
We are hopeful that the completion of staff member quarantines, baseline testing of 15% of our in-person individuals, and a super strict adherence to hand-washing, 6+ feet of social distancing, and all-day mask-wearing will allow our in-person learning to resume as safely as possible. Please do your part to keep GF Nation strong!