COVID-19 Response

As a close-knit school community, our top priority is to provide a healthy and safe educational environment for our students, faculty, staff, and families.

We are monitoring COVID-19 as an evolving situation, so please check this page regularly for updates. Masks are optional and can be worn according to individual preference unless indicated due to a COVID exposure (wear for 10 days) or diagnosis (wear for 5 days after returning from the 5-day quarantine).

Please report positive COVID test results, exposures or symptoms to Jennifer Conrad, director of health services, at [email protected]. All information about suspected cases of COVID is confidential.

COVID-19 Data Reporting

Data on COVID cases is provided as a service to the WCDS community and is updated as positive cases are confirmed. The availability of data is dependent on information provided to the school by parents and/or faculty/staff. We rely on the honesty and integrity expected of all of our school community members in our Honor Code. Westchester communicates directly with individuals in the school community who are identified as being in close contact.

Note: The data above only reflects cases that have potential on-campus exposures. There may be additional cases among students and faculty that did not impact the campus or result in exposures through school activities (e.g. before the first day of school, during holidays, etc.)

WCDS Response to COVID-19

Click on the tabs below to read more about how the Westchester community is attending school on campus and working together to help prevent the spread of COVID.

Prevention

Westchester Country Day School is taking steps to support the health and well-being of our students, faculty, staff, families, and campus visitors. Here are just a few of the ways we are helping keep our school community safe:

  • Asking families to monitor their health from home.
  • Setting classroom seating at 3-feet apart and encouraging physical distancing in other spaces.
  • Nightly routine cleaning throughout the week, as well as cleaning of high-traffic areas and bathrooms frequently throughout the school day. Teachers will clean surfaces between student groups.
  • Improving indoor air quality by using MERV 13 air filters throughout campus and an iWave ion generating air purification system in Wilson Student Center.
Rapid COVID Testing on Campus

For your convenience, WCDS offers rapid antigen testing on campus for students and staff who are having COVID symptoms. If you need a test, contact Jennifer Conrad, director of health services, at jennifer.conrad@westchestercds.org or 336.822.4035. A time can be arranged for a drive-through test at school.

When to Stay Home

If your child is having any of the following symptoms please keep the symptomatic child home and contact the school at 336.822.4035.

Fever (100 degrees or greater), chills, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, new cough, new loss of taste or smell, muscle/body aches, headache, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, excessive runny nose, congestion.

To report COVID-19 symptoms or positive results, contact Jennifer Conrad, director of health services ([email protected]). All health information is confidential.

COVID-19 Exclusion Policy 2022

Individuals who are not feeling well or showing symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home until one of the following:

  1. The person has a negative test result, is feeling well, and has been fever free for 24 hours.
  2. A doctor has provided an alternate diagnosis and the person is feeling well and has been fever free for 24 hours.
  3. It has been 5 days after symptoms began, the person is feeling well and has been fever free for 24 hours.

We are following the NCDHHS guidelines for exclusion from school due to COVID symptoms or positive diagnosis. There are different scenarios based on individual circumstances that our school nurse can help families navigate. Review the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit (K-12) for details.

Response & Communication

Our on-campus response follows the guidance provided by NCDHHS in the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit (K-12) and the CDC’s information for school settings.

Family Responsibilities

Families are expected to monitor the health of students at home before coming to school each day. If a student is experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID or has a pending COVID test, the student should not come to school. Families are expected to report cases of COVID to Jennifer Conrad, director of health services, at [email protected]. All information about cases of COVID is confidential.

School Communication

When Westchester is notified of a positive COVID diagnosis, the school makes the data available on the COVID-19 page on the school’s website. Westchester follows the guidance provided by the health department, NCDHHS and the CDC, however the school may choose to take even more proactive measures than what is recommended in an effort to control the spread of COVID. The school reserves the right to shift to distance learning for all or some grade levels.

 

Distance Learning

The faculty and administration have developed a dynamic and robust plan for distance teaching and learning, should we need to conduct school in this manner. These plans are outlined below:

Philosophy of Virtual Teaching & Learning